I lie on the grass overlooking the pebbly beach. I hear the sound of the waves lapping. The stars are out, after the fading of colours of the high rugged mountains opposite. I am wild camping on Cres island in Croatia. Stunning.
Today I crossed the Istrian peninsula from one side to the other. Its bigger than it looks and hilly to boot. I cycled along quiet roads that meandered from one little town to the next. I passed fields, forests, grassy plains as I climbed up a bit, then drop a bit, then climb some more.
I don’t know if they are glacial, but I passed two very steep grooves in the landscape. Rolling hillsides, then bang – a steep rut in the landscape. They were sweaty work climbing out of, but were very pretty.
Along the bottom of the grooves were lovely flat valleys, that rose up steeply on the sides like a glacial u-valley.
I had a ferry to catch at 16.30 to the island of Cres. I thought at first I could catch the earlier one at 13.30. Silly me. It is hot and steep. In the end, I pushed myself up the steep hills, dripping in sweat to make it in time.
I asked around for a flat bit of ground to camp. They pointed me to the village beach. Not a bad spot for my first wild camp..
Postscript: Its 4:30 am in my tent. I look into myself. No. I’m not scared. But I’m listening intently. I can only hear. All I see is the inside of the tent with my big pupiled eyes.
I recognise the lapping of the water. Sometimes a gurgle.
The water is quite relaxing. I can imagine it lapping on the pebbles and the rocks on the end on the beach.
Then a snap. I twig breaking in the steeply rising forest behind me. My ears perk up. Then another one. Snap. Then a small rumble as a slide of small rocks chatter down the slope.
Gurgle gurgle. Lap lap.
I start to doze.
Then with an automatic jolt of adrenalin I am brought to my senses by a gallop of something across the pebbly beach.
Gurgle gurgle. LapΒ lap.
Snap.
Then something running around on the grass. A reindeer? I’ve no idea. About that size, I’d guess.
Wait. Just then I heard a bird sound together with the snap and rumble. A big bird?
Gurgle gurgle. Lap lap.
I think I know all the sounds. Time for sleep. I have a big hill to climb before the next ferry to krk.
arctic-cycler.com 
There are definitely no reindeers in Croatia … π
Ok. I guess I was still in my Norway mind set. I saw a few deer on the side of the road this morning. They made the same sound as last night. π
Wild boars also can be seen on those islands.
I enjoy reading youre blog.
All the best,
Suncana
Oooh. They sound dangerous. (!)
Local people have problems with deers and boars who destroy crops, kill lambs, destroy dry walls. But I haven’t heard of any attack to human, if it’s any comfort.
I think I should be safe from boars. π good to hear
Hallo friend, I met you in the little coffe-bike-break-station (in Italy called “bicigrill”), based 17 km after Trento/Italy. I’m a Alessandro friend, in the photo with a blue jacket with colored stripes across … I would suggest you: in HR try to visit Kornati Islands …
For you, my best “Goob bike”!
With the complimets of our Trento Bike Federation
Riccardo
Hey, thanks Riccardo. I’m going to do a route update tonight. I’ll take a look at those Islands in the Internet. π
Greetings from Cres island in Croatia
Hi Matthew.
Looks like things are going well. I hope it feels this way too.
Croatia is very lovely and of course they don’t care if you swim naked.
Your blog is a real pleasure to read. I have been really enjoying it. Thanks!
All the best
Paul
Sent from my iPhone
Hey Paul. Great to hear from you. It is very beautiful here but rather hilly. Luckily the sun has a habit of being behind the clouds when I go uphill and of coming out when I go downhill. π
Camping in the wild, I see (and with unknown animals roaming about your tent, I see π
In the picture before last above: is that the Leme Fiord?
I hope the good weather will accompany you some more. Here we are having lots of rain that would spoil any bike touring.
Cheers,
It was the fiord just before the boat to Cres. Beautiful. It is meant to remain sunny here. π
Greetings from Krk
If you’re heading further to the south hope you’ll have some sun in the next few days.
Here is the official croatian meteo web site for next 7 days for Zadar region so you can plan better where to go π
http://prognoza.hr/sedam.php?id=sedam¶m=Hrvatska&code=14428
Take care!
Marko
Or better, english version π
http://prognoza.hr/sedam_e.php?id=sedam¶m=Hrvatska&code=14240
Excellent!:-)
We too have ‘wild camped’ on these islands, especially Rab and Pag, where we had a week living on the beach in a camping van. You’re right. They are magic at night.
Sent from my iPad
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Indeed! Beautiful! Greetings from Krk..
very beautiful places!
Yes!