Up and Over the Spine

We water-taxied from the Island of Brac to the second of our three islands, Hvar. The forecasted weather was for full sunshine, a high temperature of 24 degrees C and light breezes.

We cycled across a lowland agricultural plain. Alongside the road, there were ripe figs for the taking, pomegranate trees, and vineyards everywhere.

As expected, we started the climb and continued upward for 7 kms. We managed well with stops for pictures, as the higher we went, the more spectacular the scenery. Hvar Island is a very popular cycling location. We met over a hundred other cyclists, most of them  descending with significant speed while we plodded our ascent.

The summit was a welcome sight, and there waiting for us, a single tree with a table for lunch. Sitting in the shade with a steady breeze blowing, we chose to don our jackets to take the chill off.

The land was very arid with only the odd olive tree, however there were stone fences everywhere. When habitation of the area started over 2000 years ago, the shepherds cleared areas for their sheep to graze. Their accomplishments were truly amazing. Every once in a while, there was a little stone house where they could take refuge from the weather.

Of course after cycling to the ridge of the spine, we had the sweet descent of the other side to the town of Hvar. After checking into our accommodation, we walked down to the busy waterfront for dinner and a look see. After our challenging ride, our legs felt like mush.

Upon reflection of the day, we knew we had done well to climb up and over the spine of the Island, but knew we had a few more similar rides ahead.

Click this link for the next story in this series: Riding a Wild Bronco to Korcula