Day 32 - Cycling in Mljet National Park

We started our active day with a breakfast of champions - muesli, banana & nectarines. We then headed out with our swimming togs for a day in Mljet National Park.

We drove the single road entire length (27 miles) of Mljet to the small harbour town of Polace to purchase our entrance tickets to the park. Whilst Jackie got out to get the tickets, I waited with the car on a very narrow road until suddenly there was a thump at the back. A woman driver had tried to squeeze past & had hit my bike with her wing mirror & driven on without stopping. Luckily no damage was caused.

With our entrance tickets purchased at 125 kuna (£15) each, we drove through the hilly village of Govedari (by mistake) then arrived at the National Park car park. We unloaded our cycles & set off for a leisurely pedal around Veliko Jezero, better known as the large lake. It was idyllic.

The salt water lake was bright blue & crystal clear. The path followed the large lake around the entire circumference (about 11kms) & there was next to no-one else about. We stopped for one or two (hundred) photos & to read the interesting information signs.

During the ride we stopped for some sustenance in the form of fruit we had brought with us & Jackie uttered the immortal line “I think I’ve squashed my plums”. Not something you expect to hear from your wife during a bike ride!

We then followed the path around the Malo Jezero (small lake) until it petered out about half way round & we were forced to turn round. We returned to Mali most, the small bridge that connected the 2 lakes, where we took a free solar powered ferry across the large lake to St. Mary’s Islet with it’s 12th century Benedictine monastery & St. Mary’s Church. Both were abandoned by the monks in the 19th century. Jackie lit a candle for her mum. It was a pleasant respite from a day in the saddle.

An hour and a half later, we were returned to our bikes & we cycled the opposite way around Veliko Jezero until we found our very own secluded spot for a swim in the lake. Jackie already had her bikini on underneath, whereas I had to change. We had our refreshing swim then started to change back into our clothes. It was at this point that Jackie realised that she had made another wardrobe error. She had only packed 2 bikini tops, but no bottoms. Jackie had to go commando for the rest of the day!

It was gone 3pm when we returned to the car. Jackie was not just knickerless, but also bleeding from a gash to her leg. A stone had been thrown up from her front tyre. We loaded up & drove back to the apartment to chill on our balcony. Sadly there were very few boats in our cove tonight to spy on.

For dinner we walked downstairs. Jackie had grilled sardines, whilst I had a very disappointing spaghetti bolognese. Over dinner we chatted with the owner who 10 years ago had spent time in Whitby & Blackpool. We persuaded him to let us take his sun beds to the beach tomorrow.

The miserable foreign couple, we have now identified as being French, shared a beer & a salad.

After a wine on our balcony, whilst watching England snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Australia in the T20, we called it an early night.

Song of the Day : Fat Bottomed Girls by Queen.Read more