After a great breakfast at the Kurija Jankovic hotel, I took the time to air the tires and clean the chain, check that all rack bolts and pedals were snugged up. They had a bike repair station out front of the hotel this was my reminder, it’s been a few days and a good bit of dusty gravel levee top paths, and today would be about 110 km no time for much of a delay. As I was working, the German fellow I had seen the day before, and again at breakfast, he arrived just after me the night before and was at breakfast same time, spoke little English tho so as my one semester of German in college 40 yrs ago wasn’t much help… he just smiled waved chiao! And that was the last I saw of him.
The EV13 and Drava Route was fairly well signed, occasionally an AOE logo or storyboard would appear, so I mostly just followed road signs and used cycle.travel at turns there was no signage, the alert would go off when I got 150 meters off the route.
Lots of farmers getting their corn harvest in, so dozens of tractors and grain trailers to share the road with, I liked to see them because they weren’t going too much faster than me and cars and trucks would have to slow down to pass them. They drive fast over here, most drivers disregard the speed limits and, while they are respectful of a bike, some of them whizz by a little closer than I would like, especially the big trucks, and garbage truck drivers lol are the same as back home they are not much interested in sharing the road they just want to get done.
There were many corn cribs beside or behind homes, small farmers with shucking machines putting ears of corn into these smallish cribs. I keep thinking how much like Illinois this is, the endless cornfields, some soybeans and other crops, and the dirt and rock roads along the fields to the levees, along and atop the levees just like I’m used to.
The small villages are quiet, occasional bus to the bigger towns, lots of barking or sleeping dogs, a few aggressive ones who will chase but fortunately nothing too big has chased me yet. I have a few techniques for the chasers, talk or yell at them, swing wide then point straight at them, hold my metal cup out and brandish it… so far so good.
Usually once or twice a day I’ll stop at a bakery or small grocery and get a sweet roll or croissant or whatever looks good, and a chocolate milk or protein drink, keep a spare and a piece of fruit in the trunk bag and a spare bottle of water. And for lunch on the go a bakery roll and a pack of sliced cheese works ok, vary the drink depending how hot it gets.
As it’s been sunny since the rain stopped last week it’s sunscreen twice a day, first tube ran out yesterday so that’s on the recharge replenish list for this 2 day break.
I got to km 73 near to Donji Miholjic and thought wow I’m way ahead of schedule! Thought it would be 97 to here, but, than the road was closed for construction, and a 22 km detour put me at 96, with 14 to go across the Drava into Hungary and Harkany.
I did get here by 515 tho, quickly looked around touristy a little crowded by the thermal baths, so I booked an apartment on booking.com, very nice new place on the ground floor was a relief after the hotel Jankovic 3rd floor room, no elevator.
Once unpacked and bike locked up to a pole outside I made a grocery list and walked right behind the apartment is the supermarket facing the Main Street, and now I’m set til Thursday, hope to get a bath and massage today and tomorrow, well may not need massage both days, we will see.
After a healthy dinner of pasta and salad, I’ve been craving a nice big salad since that last one I had in Schwarzau im Schwarzaut last Monday night, a nice long hot shower and great long sleep.
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