Bar(th)elona

It is a regional thing: they have a lisp. It is completely noticeable and very fun/funny.

We had one whole afternoon in Barcelona before the start of our grand adventure with the rest of the party people so Ingo and I enjoyed lunch with Lynny, Joel and Becca then hit the streets trying to cram in a little intro to Spain.

After that we commandeered a hostel. 16 Backroads leaders in one place, unplanned. The unsuspecting regular guests were a little scared.

Now it's off to the festivities! "Cause there ain't no party like a Backroads partay...hey...ho."

Where was I?

Ahhh...yes. Croatia.

I had two quick, back to back trips in Croatia. Both smaller groups. Both overshadowed slightly by the inclimate weather. Both with great co-leaders, entertaining guests and tons of laughs.

We even experienced a puppy surprise! We were biking down a small road in the wine country on Korcula Island and a bunch of little puppies jumped out of the bushes and started chasing us. Then they got tired and took a nap. This is not a joke. This is my life...it is THAT good.

And of course, after finishing a trip the best thing a leader could possibly do is have a falafel at Nishta (probably the only veggie place in all of Croatia) then lay out and work off the food coma with the kitty cats.

I would also like you to meet Ed. Within the first 3 days of our trip he sent over 40 postcards! Detailed, individualized post cards with tiny letters and black ink. Here's to you Ed. Thanks for reminding me to stay in touch with the ones I love and make time for the little things.

FAMiliarize yourself.

Every time you are sent to a new region with Backroads you a few days (in my case 4) when you are paid to go see the area. We call it our FAM. It's a lot of driving (you drive all the routes you will be biking and try to take notes), and meeting subcontractors (or knocking on their doors with no answer), and seeing hotels and restaurants, and pretty much asking everyone where their bathroom is, not because you need to use it but you have to be able to tell your guests. You basically want to finish your FAM and be able to visualize the whole trip so that you can BS the first one you lead and the guests will all think you have done it before.

Unfortunately for me, it rained tropical storm style rain for the first 2 days. That's always exciting. But after the rain stopped (and I got my rental car towed out of the mud puddle it was stuck in) I finally fell in love with Croatia. Truth be told, I was on the fence. I'm not sure why but it was starting to feel like one of those places that people talk about and I just look around and think I don't get it. Don't get me wrong. It's beautiful! But there are a lot of beautiful places in the world with good food and friendly people (see Ireland posts). Then I was driving through Korcula (the 3rd island we visit) and it hit me. Holy crap. I get it. This place ROCKS!

Love at second sight...or third. 6 ferries and about 30 hours of driving later...I get it. The history is fascinating and the crystal clear water is intoxicating. It was not built to accommodate tourists, or cars or convenience. It was built for agriculture and family and, in the major cities, defense. They were at war only 20 years ago. I would have been 10 when Dubrovnik was bombed by the neighboring Serbs and the former Yugoslavia (from whom they were seeking independence). I can not fathom that. These people are strong and resilient and defiant. If they aren't overly friendly to make me feel better, well...that's just fine. I got over it.

I ordered "salt fish" one night. Thinking I like fish and I LOVE salt. Sounds good! Yeah. Sardines, whole sardines. Lesson 1: Every time you order fish here it's the whole fish: head, skin, bones and all. I think it's looking at me.

Lesson 2: The roads have very few guardrails and big cliffs or water right next to the edge. This is the definition of a blind curve: go around the fortress wall praying there is no one on the other side and don't drive off into the water. This is a main road. The only road actually. All the little towns make you do a quick second guessing of directions when you feel like you are driving on the sidewalk.

I made wine!!!

Whenever you are leading with Backroads you are given a leader house to stay in wherever you may be assigned. The great thing about Croatia is our leader house is actually a family home. As in...there is a family that lives here. Tony, Nikka, their son Mato, his wife Julianna and their children Matea and Anton. It is actually a really good break from the backroads world and be invited into "normal" Croatian life.

What is extra awesome is that this particular family is well educated, liberal minded and completely sustainable. They make everything that they eat with the exception of meat, sometimes fish and cheese. They grow all their fruits and vegetables, bake their own bread, make their own olive oil AND make their own WINE (and grappa which is kind of like brandy).

They only harvest the grapes one day each year and they have to make the wine that day so that the grapes don't go bad and I just happened to be here! Lucky me!!!

SO first they harvested the grapes. I was not actually here for that part because I was riding to Dubrovnik to take a walking tour regarding the war in Dubrovnik. Learning. Once the grapes have been harvested they keep them covered and out of the sun as much as possible so they don't go bad before smashing.

After they harvest the grapes they have to weigh them. They have this archaic scale that works just fine with a long rod and counter-weight. Apparently this contraption was Tony's granfather's originally, but it works so as we would say in America, "if it ain't broke, why fix it?"

After weighing the grapes you smash them. This machine is from the 60's...but again...it works. You throw them all in (skins and stems and all) and then the machine crushes them releasing the juice and you put all of the juice and grape remains into a larger plastic tub for fermenting.

After you have added all the grapes to the big (white) plastic tub you measure with a cylinder and pipet that acts as a buoy and measures the amount of sugar that the grapes naturally provide. This determines how much sugar they need to add, not only for flavor but also for fermentation purposes. Fermenting the grapes only takes about a week. It actually starts NOW. They will put a big "presser" on top tonight and that smashes them down to squeeze out more juice. By the time we finished tonight it had actually already started to "bubble". By this time tomorrow if you lean over the tub you could pass out from the CO2 and fall in and drown. Apparently people die this way every year! It's in the paper.

After a week in the big, white plastic tub the "grape juice" is filtered out (through a drain on the bottom) into wooden barrels and then left in there for 3-4 months. (Now here is where really good wineries would probably say at least 2 years...but who's counting...it's home-made!) All the other stuff (the stems and grape remains, etc) is used to make the grappa, but I have no idea how, because we didn't do that. We made wine.

Last step: they move it once more into steel casks which stops the wine's aging process but allows them to open and draw from the casks as often as they want. So that next year when I am here we will be drinking MY wine.

This last picture is a plaque on the wall outside their home. You can't read it because of the light and you woudn't be able to anyway because it is in Croatian, BUT it is a memorial plaque to the rebuilding after the Homeland War. In 1991 this house was burned to the ground as were all the homes around here. It was five years before they were allowed to return to their own house, living in hotel rooms in the city and commuting every day to rebuild it. That was only 19 years ago. All the adults here remember it vividly. Incredible.

See more pictures of the wine-making process here.

My library

I have a lot of information to study since I have never actually been in Croatia and starting Sunday have to lead a trip here and teach people all about the area and the history and the fascinating Balkan region. Point being...I have a lot to read.

BUT I have a beautiful "beach" to read by and study at. I have to pay 25 kuna to be there, but it's worth it.

PS. 25 kuna is about 5USD. Expensive.

And then the cruise ships come in.

First Impressions

Hardly my most artistic photographs, these will at least give you a little taste of where I am now. I live about 18km+ from Dubrovnik city center and it is pretty mountainous around here so that can take up to an hour on bike. The history is fascinating and the scenary is just beautiful. I'm definately in the mediterranean now.

Running "in" Dubrovnik (aka where I live):

Pedaling to Dubrovnik proper (aka where the tourists live):

Sunrise run

I found these pictures on my iFizzle yesterday. I forgot that I took them! These are from a run on my last walking trip of the season up by Carraugh Lake in Ireland. It was just after sunrise and everything was so calm. Lovely morning.