Leaving Italy it felt as if the adventure was really starting as all the countries that we are now passing through become less familiar. Before getting into Croatia we passed through a 30km chunk of Slovenia. If you are looking for a decent hot chocolate and a pretty waitress then we thoroughly recommend the place. Unfortunately we cannot tell you much more based upon the couple of hours we spent there.

We picked up on the coast road that was going to be our main thouroughfare for the 700km down to Dubrovnik. The road treated us to some spectacular views over the Adriatic and of the string of islands that line the coast. To the east the mountains rise steeply from the sea and we were thankful that for the next few days there would not be any more epic climbs. Conditions are rarely perfect and we were buffeted by strong winds; a gust from ahead is enough to stop you in your tracks from 40km/h. A gust from the side can cause you to swerve across the road and is made all the more unnerving by the sight of car wrecks that litter the slopes below the cliff top road.

Our initial progress was slow whilst we dealt with more bottom bracket issues, this time on Dave's bike. However, once we had sorted it out, we pushed on with the incentive of a Friday and Saturday night in Dubrovnik. For a change of scenery, we took a minor detour over to the island of Pag. The northerly end of the island is rocky and bleak, but as we headed south we found evidence of life in the form of a maze of tiny fields seperated by dry stone walls. It seems certain that the sheep population of Pag far outweighs the human.

Having spent the day cycling past great potential camping spots we came into a 30km stretch of commercial and industrial hell hole on the approach to Split. Although Dave was keen to camp on a verge between a railway, a motorway and a chemical factory, he was overrulled and we opted for a bed in Split. In hindsight an excellent decision. The centre of Split is delightful and even at this time of year locals were out strolling along the seafront at dusk. We stayed in a little house owned by Maria, who didn't like cats or Germans but seemed to like us. Unfortunately we never got to meet her three daughters! Split is dominated by the remains of Roman emperor Diocletian's palace. In amongst the ancient buildings are an elegant tangle of shops, houses and marble-lined alleys.

From Split to Dubrovnik we followed the same coastal road, which included a brief excursion into Bosnia, and stopped regularly to admire the views and eat. One of the joys of cycling is that you can eat as much as you want. When it comes to food quantity always wins over quality, although things did reach a new low when Chris tried to buy a tin of meat; “No, no, this meat is for the dog” we were reliably informed by the shopkeeper. Good job she spoke english.

According to Byron, Dubrovnik is the pearl of the Adriatic, and the damage done by the Yugoslav army's shelling ten years ago has been fully repaired. The old town is surrounded by imposing walls and inside lies a myriad of churches and tiny streets. It was great to explore the city without the hordes of tourists that invade in the summer months. Having done the cultural stuff we scrubbed up and hit the town in order to unleash the dance moves that have been pent up for a month. The club was excessively smoky and there was not enough S Club 7 for our liking but the plum brandy saw us through. Heading through Montenegro towards Kosovo now to meet some NATO troops and dodge some landmines.