Fortunately, Allegra and I have plenty of experience sprinting to catch ferries, since that is how we began a beautiful day after a bit too long a sleep in. We made it with minutes to spare, rode on to the small boat to Orebič (back on the mainland) and were treated to a spectacular sunrise. The early start was key as it is a long and hilly ride from Orebič to Dubrovnik along the Adriatic coast.

In the photo below you can see the town of Korčula to the left, Orebič to the right, and the channel we crossed. The ride out of Orebič was nothing short of breathtaking, literally and figuratively, as we climbed into the hills. 

 
As we rode we continued marveling at the gorgeous scenery, fragrantly dry air and excellent roads, notwithstanding the occasional perhaps insane (or just overly confident?) driver passing us on the blind curves over sheer cliffs.

    
There was one pretty major disappointment today, I am sorry to report:  a mediocre apple filled croissant. Crumbs still on our faces, we vowed to do better. Fortunately, redemption would come sooner than we thought.

 By late afternoon, The hills and heat were starting to take their toll so Allegra kindly took pity on me and got a flat, just so I could take it easy for a while. 

   Arriving in Dubrovnik, it was immediately clear why this is a city that people seem to fall in love with. A walled city clinging to the steep hillside over the water, it is immaculately preserved. It is certainly not undiscovered though, with crowds everywhere that made me think about the  intense globalization that characterizes certain little pockets of our world (where Scandanavian students eat Korean food listening to American pop music in a Croatian fortress town) but also back to Bosnia and its quiet and overlooked beauty, just over the mountains.

After a day of riding around 75 miles up and down a lot of hills, food takes on special importance and pleasure. Our dinner was inventive and delicious, the highlight of which was a mix of fresh seafoods and vegetables slowly steamed inside a glass jar. 

 And remember that crumby croissant? How about this delicious cherry strudel for a sweet redemption?