Day 17 Lengths and Heights

The hotel had a buffet breakfast and I was able to eat outside on the upstairs terrace where the rising sun illuminated the hilltop castle. Since the breakfast was buffet I was able to eat pretty quickly and get on the road. Not that there is a rush, but want to get some kilometers in before the afternoon sun and heat.

As I said yesterday there are easier routes to get to Dubrovnik but I will go longer and higher to avoid busy roads. So this morning I heard around the harbor taking the eastern side which is double the distance as going on the east side, but again the road is quieter. At it beginning there was even a small single lane road next to the water that I could take. The harbor is so beautiful it is east to see why Kotor and Perast, another small own I biked through, are two big draws in Montenegro.

When I get to side far side of the harbor I join the main road and my instincts were right. The road is busy and bumper to bumper traffic at times. I survived the few kilometers I had to navigate this traffic before turning of on a quieter road that quickly started moving up the mountain. There we two almost equal sections of the climb. The first part got me half was up where I had some great views and then I had a a few kilometers that were uphill, and then I began the second climbing section so that when away from the sea an into the green mountains.

It was hot, the climb wasn’t easy, but neither of these points were unexpected. Nevertheless, I was very happy to eventually reach the top where I immediately descended to a plateau still high in the mountains. After this somewhat flat section I begin the big descent to Trebinje which sits on a river in a valley surrounded by mountains.

I didn’t select Trebinje for any special other than It was a good size city with hotels on Booking.com that fell at a location and distance which made it a good overnight stay. I knew nothing about the city but thought it was a good option for the night.

My hotel was located just inside the very small walled old city center. I did my shower/laundry routine then looked at Google Maps to see what sights there might be to see here other than this little historical center. There is a historical bridge just outside the city center and then a church which I can see high on a hill above the city. Both were worth the visit. I had a steep ride up to the church but I had dropped my bags at hotel so I wasn’t carry all that weight which made it easy. The hilltop also gave me a great view of the city and mountains. I could see patches of rain in a couple places but nothing close at the moment. The skies are definitely cloudier and the forecast is for rain this afternoon/evening.

I bike back into town and by the time a get to the city center is is already sprinkling but nothing hard. I went back to the hotel and had them lock my bike up for the night then grabbed my raincoat and hat and headed to walk and check out the city.

Despite the small size of the historic part of the city, I found it so lovely, and I am sure part of that is how quiet and relatively tourist free it is. I say that but, I think it is a tourist town, just not one that draws a lot of foreign tourists. The church on the hill had a big display and right up about its importance to Bosnia Herzegovina. Inside the old walled city are lovey shops, cafes and restaurants. Just outside the wall is a couple churches and a nice pedestrian zone, a park, and tree-covered square.

I walked around and went to a market and bought some snacks—walked around some more then bought some pizza slices to go and took then to the tree-covered square where I found a bench to sit, eat, and people watch. Such a pleasant evening.

The skies eventually get darker, not just because of the setting sun but because of the think dark clouds. I start to walk home and it begins to rain. While writing this blog I can hear very heavy rains so I check them out and am glad to be comfortable and dry in my room. I check the weather and see the rain is supposed to stop overnight. I hope that is the case, but I can’t complain as I have had such nice weather while here. The little rain I have experienced hasn’t greatly impacted my biking or sightseeing. As I say that I hear another round of heavy rains and many flashes lightning and claps of thunder.