Shore excursions - 2

A pleasant day of sailing brings us to the Island Mljet which features the Mljet National Park.

Damir suggests that an excellent outing is to cycle to the lovely lakes in the park. But, he warns us, this can be a challenge as there is a long, fairly steep hill up to the lakes. 

I give the line of rental bikes on shore a glance and immediately choose to give the outing a miss. I know my limited cycling skills won't get me to the top of any hill, let alone a long one. But group pressure prevails and I find myself huffing and puffing my way up the long incline,struggling with the unfamiliar gears; grumbling and wobbling on my rental bike. The others are very patient with me but it's not long before I am walking and pushing my bike while the others seem to glide uphill and out of sight.

Peter loyally sticks with me even though I am being, frankly, quite sucky. For most people, cycling seems as natural as walking, but since I have limited experience and no stamina, it is tough going. I almost give up, but when we level out I pedal on gamely until we find the rest of our group, splashing in the cool water of one of the lakes, Swimming in fresh water, after the salty sea, is worth the effort. But I am happy to hand back my rental bike after the long coast downhill. The rental is right beside the restaurant, opposite our mooring spot, where Damir has ordered a special dinner of veal, lamb and vegetables cooked in the traditional way for hours over a pit of hot coals.