BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVENA DAY 287 228km. 29 SEPTEMBER 2023

ZABLJAK TO SARAJEVO     228km.

I went down to see the famous bridge in the Tara Canyon early before the buses arrived.

Đurđevića Tara Bridge is the famous bridge Tito had built then two years after completing he ordered that it be bombed.

Much of Montenegro, including the Tara Canyon, came under Italian occupation following the German-led Invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. As the mountainous terrain made it suitable for guerrilla warfare, a partisan uprising occurred in the area. Italian forces took control of the Tara Bridge during an Italian offensive in 1942.^{[citation needed]}

A Yugoslav Partisan raiding party blew up the southwesternmost arch^{[citation needed]} with the aid of one of the bridge engineers, Lazar Jauković. The attack cut the only feasible crossing over the Tara Canyon halting the Italian advance. When Jauković was eventually captured, however, the Italians executed him on the bridge.^{[citation needed]}

These events were depicted in the 1969 Yugoslav film Most (English title The Bridge).^{[citation needed]}

Present dayEdit

The bridge was rebuilt in 1946. It was used in the 1978 British action film Force 10 from Navarone set during World War II. In more recent years bungee jumping has taken place from the longest arch directly above the river.^{[citation needed]}

The bridge also plays a large part in the Dutch novel Het land achter Gods rug by A. den Doolaard, which was published in 1956. This novel is partly based on the true story of the bridge including its destruction by partisans during World War II.^{[citation needed]}

     A YUGOSLAVIAN HERO, WHO SHOT DEAD HIS COMMANDER CAUSE HE WANTED TO SURRENDER TO THE ENEMY IN WW2.

Was a cold ride down to the bridge so early so had a Cappuciano and then meant a bunch of German bikers there and we chatted for awhile then they invited me to Germany and we exchanged contacts and then we all departed our seperate ways.

I then did the remainder of the loop that I started yesterday through the park back to Pluzine. Was another gorgeous brilliant blue sky day riding through the mountains which got up to 6000 feet around the Tara Canyon which is quite a sight.

Got back to the main road which winds through a Canyon along a dam to the Bosnian border which was a breeze. 

Bosnia asked for insurance which I didn't have so had to go back to Montenegro and buy it there for €18.

Got back to my bike and there was a couple who I rode behind earlier on in the day checkingout my bike. Spent hours yakking with them, they have been all over since 2018 and I may have convinced them to do Africa. They have been doing the TET and been wild camping for months, so gret to hear their stories and adventures.

Then crossed into Bosnia and headed for Sarajevo and was pulled over again by the police for overtaking on a solid white line, which I didn't and argued my case and was given a warning.

     Some guys just have all the luck.

KOTOR to ZABLJAK DAY 286 284km.

THURSDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER  2023

Headed out to Church of St. Elijah, so followed the road along the shoreline and then into the mountains. The road then turned to dirt then to nasty rocks, got to rocky for me and still had to go 12km in, so decided to turn around and then headed to  Ostrów Orthodox Monastery south of Niksic.

Got a €60 ticket, was going up a pass and was just following two vehicles for ages as I was in no rush, but then they went so slow ,I couldn't anymore and zipped buy them on a solid white line and there was a cop and he pulled me over. 

Continued on toSavnik and then took an old road NW that kinda followed the canyon and only passed four vehicles and then got back to the highway to Pluzine. 

As was about to cross the long bridge I saw Lize standing on the roadside and she waved at me, I didn't know it was her at first but turned around and came back to her and she had gotten seperated from Jeroen. So I headed up the pass where we thought he was and he came buy and we went back down to her and all was good. They headed into Bosnia and I headed  to Zabijak.

The entire day was spent on slow narrow twisty roads, 2nd and 3rd gear stuff all day, arrived at 5pm to hotel, another ten ho

ur day.

    Had a traditional meal, menu below.

   Hotel room

    We forgot to run the plumbing in the wall, no biggy, we'll just run it on the exterior .

MONTENEGRO - - KOTOR DAY 285 78km.

KOTOR   SUB BUNKERS    27-8-23

Had a fun evening again with the Belgiums last night and escape before midnight, met them in Old Town for a beer and good conversation.

    Lize and Jeroen , Belgium / Bulgaria

Went to see two more sub bunkers that I had missed and it had more tunnels and was a place where they would have done some work on them it appeared.

Got back and washed my riding pants in the washing machinę, not being to familiar with these amazing machines, I pushed button and three hours later it was done. I could swear there are shorter cycles, but hey my pants were spotless.

   Met these ladies cycling all through Croaria and Albania.

Enjoyed the last hours at Kotor on the shore, swimming and suntanning my lilly white skin. Tomorrow I have to move north, six nights here have been most enjoyable but I know the snow is coming and have to get to Munich.

    From my room, one floor above the last time I was here , makes a big difference.