Venice and Croatia Bike Ride May-June 2014 Week 1

A few pictures and very few words about the trip so far.  The bike ride is with a Baltimore company, although the riders, 32,  come from all corners of the US. First few days were in Venice and we are now into the ride which will end in Dubrovnik in about a week. 

First a few photos of Venice:  Filled with tourists in the main area, especially when the tops of cruise ships hang over the city, but the side streets are quiet. Photo ops exist at every turn.  As, do gelati shops, jewelry stores, mask shops, and restaurants. The best is to just aimlessly walk, climbing and descending bridges over canals every few streets. The Peggy Guggenheim and the Modern Art and Contemporary Art (separate museums) are worth the many twists and turns to find.

On the veranda of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum on the Grand Canal

The next few pictures are the first couple of days of the bike ride, starting in Porec on the Adriatic, biking inland to small ancient towns and back to the coast.  Tomorrow we will ferry to the island of Cres to ride. Today was a bit of a challenge with long uphills and downhills, 3500 feet of climbing and a bit more than 54 miles.

 One of the castle towns. 

The view biking into Rabac.