Saturday 6 June: BRISTOL to ZADAR

We wake at 3.30am, before the alarm(s), of course, after a sleepless few hours spent worrying about whether I'd packed the right things (another First World Problem I suppose). An easy journey to Bristol where we are meeted and greeted and unload the boxed bikes onto a trolley (for an extortionate £2). The departure lounge is already filled with a long snaking Easy Jet queue. Semi organised chaos follows and we make it through with just enough time to grab a takeaway coffee and a granola. During the flight we are surrounded by a noisy wedding party who are travelling to Split for their celebrations and are already on their third drink! Not much chance for a kip. We are relieved to see the bikes uploaded and transported on their own lorry to the arrivals lounge. We are met by a pleasant young taxi driver who drives us to Zadar (90minutes). Bikes unboxed and rebuilt we check into the Contessa Vitali apartment that we stayed in last year. It is now 33 degrees and we are very hot and sweaty. We cycle down the coast to a pebbly beach where we are soon joined by half of Zadar and their children! Back for a rest before a visit to the Sea Organ and supper at Bruschetta. We had remembered a New Zealand couple enjoying Lobster here in September so we do the same. Unfortunately we discover it is frozen and rather slimy and realise we would have been wiser to have chosen pasta. Simon then discovers that he has left the credit card with the taxi driver and we have a sweaty few moments before we are able to contact the company. Luckily they have it safe and will keep it until our return. Thank goodness for Internet and mobile phones. We sleep well.