CYCLE DAY 1 SOLTA

Distance: 19.6km / Total Ascent/Descent: 290m
TOUR NOTES
Our very first day starts with a 1pm departure from Split, lunch on the boat and arrival to Stomorska on the island of Solta. The village of Stomorska is named after Our Lady Mary and it is located under the shrine of Our Lady of Stomorska. On the island of Solta and in Stomorska itself you will have the opportunity to absorb an authentic culture and tranquil way of life, taking in the natural beauty and surroundings.
Soon after our arrival, we will get started with a short ride to get to Grohote to familiarise ourselves with the bikes and our surroundings! Tonight we’ll relax and enjoy this beautiful village and its exceptional local food and wine.

The day ran pretty much as described above in the brochure. It took a bit to find the boat in the harbour. We were able to drop our gear and then had two hours to wander Split one last time. Glad we did because we found the festival continued. Folk dancers and food tastings! As we wander old town we found a section we missed previously. You could actually walk through the ruins they were restoring.

Back at the boat for noon, the fun begins. Our boat is old, but it is very clean and well looked after. I was actually surprised at how large our little cabin was, complete with our own bathroom and shower. We sailed over to Salta as lunch was served, which was fantastic a salad, a soup and a chicken and rice meal. The crew is great and have lots of knowledge about the area and how to keep the bikes running.

For dinner, they arranged a group reservation at a local restaurant and we all got to know each other. Everybody is keen for the adventure and things are looking really positive for a great week.
This first island we are on, is only an hour from Split, but it is largely unaffected by tourism – so no hoards of people and bars lining the waterfront. Tomorrow we set out on a longer ride across the new island and hopefully get to the other side where the boat will pick us up for a late lunch.

BONUS

Further to yesterday’s mention of another concert, there was a huge one. I’ve never heard of but quite enjoyed them. Google says “Parni Valjak (pronounced [pâːrniː ʋǎːʎak]; trans. Steam Roller) is a Croatian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1975. They were one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and have maintained large popularity in all former Yugoslav republics after the break up”

They were a classic 70’s band and their fans were put ein full force, singing along in Croatian. Sounded a lot like Trooper playing at the old Ex stadium. I wonder if Van Halen ever challenged the copyright on that logo though.