It was so great to meet back up with the family! We met Sydney, Dad, Grandpa Dick, and Grandmother Nancy and all our cousins. I was so happy to be with Dad throughout the bike trip. And I was also looking forward to hanging with the boys (Uncle J, Trevin) and rooming with Matthew. Matthew and I roomed for almost whole trip of Croatia. The people who were there were Mom, Dad, Sydney, Kendall, Uncle Jess, Trevin, Aunt Sandy, Uncle Al, Alex, Andrew, Megan, Monica, Aunt Julie, Susie, Brian, Rachel, Matthew, Kelly, and Bill.
It all started in Split, Croatia. It was much hotter than Poland and much sunnier too. Mom and I tried finding Trevin but we couldn’t. Dad and I had so much fun riding a 2 stroke scooter we had rented for a half day. He drove and I did too around a few of the backroads of the city. We were all in Croatia to take a Backroads bike trip from island to island. The first day bike ride was on the closest island to Split called Broc and was definitely the longest ride. Matthew and I stuck together for some of it pedaling hard to the end. The views were beautiful and the roads were smooth, “very nice”. Our room on that island reminded Trevin, Matthew, and I of a room that Joseph Smith would live in. Haha. It was very sparse. That day we also boated to another island, Hvar. That night we stayed at a nice hotel and had an organic dinner in a garden in the hills.
The next day I was still on a e-bike but only for one last day. Today was another beautiful biking day! On the way we stopped and jumped into the ocean. It was quite chilly but refreshing. On the village tour I was messing around on the bike and fell and dented the frame, that was why I was on the e-bike for the last time. Alex and I got lost from everybody but we eventually found our way back. We had also swam at the pool that day, it was freezing! At the hotel we were dying for normal wifi, the wifi was “freakin' crep”.For dinner we just had our family and explored around the narrow streets of Hvar.
The next day was our last day on the boat and it was our longest boat ride yet. Before we docked the boat on the island of Korčula a load of us jumped from the top deck of the boat. I just jumped off the boat while Bill tried to do a double backflip but he didn't make it. Dads bag and our bike bag had finally arrived! Dad was finally able to change into some new clothes. Today I was biking on a normal bike. The ride was beautiful and the normal bike wasn't so bad. The downhill was rewarding and after some rolling hills Alex, Andrew, Dad, and I jumped in the water. The water was cold but refreshing and had a pretty color to it. I took the shuttle back to the hotel with Allie and Mom. That night I took a shower in the invisible bathroom. The invisible bathroom was all glass and looked out to where we slept, so anyone could see you. Little weird. Tonight we had dinner at a farm house of a famous Clappa singer who snag with 3 other men for us. Clappa singers perform without any backup music, and is popular in Croatia.
Our last day was our shortest ride of all, but had fantastic views too. I road with Dad for most of the day cruising along the rolling hills along the water. The water was quite pretty and the green lovely environment was something we wouldn't see at home. We explored the city of the city that we started and ended our bike ride. Dad, Uncle Al, and I cruised around town, then Dad, and I met up with Uncle Jess, Trevin, Matthew, and Alex. All of us jumped into the water in our bike shorts or under wear besides Uncle Jess, doing dives and funny dolphin dives. Later that day we took a short ferry ride and a long bus ride to Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik was probably the most touristy place we visited in Croatia. Dubrovnik is an ancient walled medieval city. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. Each year Game of Thrones films in Dubrovnik for over one month. That evening we had our final dinner with the bike group before we departed our separate ways. On our way back to the hotel Matthew and I got some sweet The Mountain (animal) shirts. I got a cat shirt while Matthew got a ape, and owl shirts. That night Dad, Matthew, and I held some birds, from a street performer. I loved holding the birds. At the Hotel Matthew and I were so happy for faster wifi and that we had it in our room.
The next morning Matthew and I slept in while Mom and Dad did some activities around Dubrovnik. What Rachel, Brian, Mom, Dad, Uncle Jess, Trevin, Aunt Julie, Matthew, and I did do was swim and kayak. In a race against everybody Dad and I were paddling so hard our Kayak flipped and we lost the race. Dad jumped off a cliff into the water with my assistance of docking the kayak so he could reach the cliff. That afternoon Rachel, Brian, Mom, Dad, Uncle Jess, Trevin, Aunt Julie, Matthew, and I had to catch a flight to Paris for the next day connecting flight to SLC! That night in Paris Brian, Rachel, Matthew, Mom, Dad, and I cruised around in Trocadero Square and around the Eiffel Tower. At the restaurant we ate dinner at Matthew and I thought it was so strange how the urinals had ice in them and how awesome the hand dryer was!
We took a boat along Seine River running through Paris, it was so lovely! There were so many people along the river some dancing, but most just hanging out. We got to see Notre Dame and the Louvre all lit up too. On every hour the Eiffel tour would sparkle with lights. Amazing! It was a good last night to end our world wide trip.
Our hotel, the oldest in Dubrovnik
The next morning Brian, Rachel, Matthew, Mom, Dad, and I caught a flight all of the way back to Salt Lake City Ut. It has been a great trip!
