12 Bike'in through Beauty

What little I saw of Hvar during the evening just walking to our abode left me thirsty in the morning to explore this enchanting town. I rented a mountain bike for a couple of hours and cruised the island. I stopped every now and then to capture the view with my Canon that I stuffed in my sock for safe keeping. My first ride was several miles to the end of the promenade. I passed by a cool church where I stopped to listen to a master pianist practicing for his upcoming concert that evening … soothing music in a soothing church. It doesn’t take much to turn my heart toward God. I road through a long stretch of shoreline that was shaded by a canopy of gnarly cypress trees. The trees guarded the view of small house on a small island ½ mile off shore. The end of the trail led to a tucked-away cove with a small white crescent shaped beach that popped like a French tip fingernail. The beach was packed with sun bathers and kids playing in the warm shallow water. For men, tops were not worn; for women, they were optional … even around developing teen boys.

My next ride was a seven mile journey through the upper part of town. I rode through tight neighborhood streets and up into the panorama area just below the hillside fortress that “guards” the Hvar harbor. The mountain bike was in excellent condition as the low gears made it fairly easy to climb steep hills. The novelty of riding through such a unique, picturesque setting made the time pass quick … too quick. My time was up. I was wonderfully exhausted and ready for a swim.