The first leg of this ride to Labin was predominantly climbing. Of the 55 kms we were ascending for 31 kms, too much! Mostly the grade was doable from 3-7% but the last km, true confessions now, was in the 13-18% range and we had to push the bike up to the hotel. Perhaps in the future we need to look at this more carefully. This route took us across the Istrian peninsula to the other side, almost to the opposite coast but not quite. It went through many forested areas and into big hills, almost mountains, on some lovely quiet roads. As we got closer to our destination we realized that Labin is a (very high) hilltop town, unfortunate for non e-bike cyclists as ourselves, but fortunate as it provides wonderful views of the surrounding area and it is very charming place as well. We found a place to have dinner with a stunning view down to the town of Rabac on the coast. Labin was meant as just a stopover point on the way to Opatija as it was too far otherwise but ended up being a nice spot to visit too.
The next day our ride to Opatija was also lower in mileage, only 53 kms, and stunningly beautiful. We again had a good amount of climbing to do after descending out of Labin (down is fun but usually means another up) but it did pay off with wonderful vistas of the Adriatic. The road was good except for 4 speed crazy motorcyclists who passed us twice at extremely high speeds and scared the sh## out of us. We could feel a shock wave and high noise level as they passed at speeds probably around 200kph; so dangerous for everyone on that narrow winding mountain road with a speed limit of 80kph, an example of more balls than brains. We found our apartment for the next 2 days easily, just a few blocks off the water and not at the top of a mountain, thank goodness. After yesterday it felt like we got off easy.
The Austrians started to develop Opatija as a summer and tourist destination starting in the later half of the 19th century and it is similarly grand looking like the French Riviera. It is known for the villas and grand hotels along the seafront. The architecture is similar to Trieste coming from the same influences. For our rest day in Opatija we spent the morning at the beach. It was a calm and beautiful morning, so perfect. The water was nippy but very refreshing once you were in. Again there are no beaches as we are used to, just concrete platforms built out onto the water and steps and ladders to help access the water. But there are a lot of them with tiny coves and bays strung out for many km. Sitting or lying on the concrete is a bit uncomfortable but we don’t last too long just sunbathing so not a problem. The locals of course have it figured out, bringing cushioning as a base layer.
In the afternoon we did the Lungomare stroll past parks, statues, villas turned into hotels and many sunbathers. It seems as though if you were born here or even just came for a visit they are happy to make a statue or at least a bust to commemorate you. We found several dedicated to librarians. With the architecture being very Viennese, we can see the Italian influence is fading as we leave Istria behind and go south.
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