DAY 137 - SV JURAJ TO KLENOVICA

6 September, 2011

15.22 miles (Total: 1370.14 miles) 30,440 steps (Total: 2,672, 481 steps)

Again, I have difficulty sleeping. There isn’t any air conditioning in the chalet, but there are lots of bugs. To add to the challenges of sleeping there is a very strong but warm wind, which gusts and rattles the doors and windows. Again I woke early and decide to head off –probably a mistake as the winds were head winds and it reduced my walking pace from 5km per hour to 3.5km per hour—at times the wind was so strong I felt like a ski-jumper able to lean into it.

I made it to Senj at about 6am and needed to stop—fortunately it is a busy port town and the Paraka (bakers) were already open and the cafe’s were beginning to open. It was an interesting town and I was sorry I wasn’t able to stay longer, not least because its narrow streets provided shelter from the wind, but I needed to press on.

Just on the outskirts of Senj I came across a line and monument indicating that I was crossing the 45^th parallel—a point equi-distant between the equator and the North Pole. It was unexpected but interesting, especially as it is the same parallel as New York (my favourite city on earth—don’t know why I included that? But it is true—every since I was 11 years old I dreamed of living and working in New York.  Since then I have visited there probably 50 or 60 times and had the privilege of being the director of two companies based there, but it never loses its magic—who said dreams don’t come true? I still believe that it is the city in which I am most likely to end up, don’t know how, but I just have that feeling.) For this reason the week of remembrance about the September 11 attacks ten years ago on the city, have an added poignancy, combined with a cast-iron confidence that New york will bounce back bigger and stronger than ever.

I struggled on against the wind as far as I could, but by the time Rob and Di made their first pass of the day at 12 noon (I set off at 4am)—not making a point or anything, it was nice to see them . . . at last – I had managed to do about 24km. I suggested, through the small opening in the driver’s side electric window that the wind was too strong—“What was that? I couldn’t hear you for the hurricane” said Rob, sympathetically. “I suggested we should seek a place to stay within the next few kilometres.” I repeated. “A place to play?” enquired Di, “No–stay” I repeated. The window closed and they had a little conversation, Rob opened it again slightly and shouted, ”Di’s saying, won’t that cause a problem with your schedule.” “The wind is very strong. I can hardly stand up” I shouted through the gap. The window closed again as I clung onto the wing mirrors, “Okay, we’ll look for something and come back for you.”

Rob and Di were as good as their word and within three and a half hours were right back with a place to stay at Klenovica, a beautiful small harbour south of Novi Vinodoski. It was a perfect place to sit out the storm. We managed to find rooms to let just by the small harbour. Hearing of my journey the owner asked if she could call a friend who was a journalist to come and do a piece about the walk. I said of course I would, but the journalist and photographer from Novi List—Rijeka arrived in the middle of dinner and with his long lens he started clicking away as I downed my Spaghetti Bolognaise. It felt a bit intrusive, but the press are vital to this walk in terms of raising the profile of the Olympic Truce, so I interrupted my meal to talk to the journalist and pose for a few pics.   They were a great couple, the journalist knew Lord Taylor who had been out here—I wasn’t sure whether that was Lord Taylor my colleague who is serving valiantly on the Front bench or my colleague Lord Taylor who is serving 1-2 years for fiddling his expenses. I choose to believe it is my colleague who is performing brilliantly on the Front Bench and give him an upbeat report.