On Korcula island, our fourth day of riding was also the tours longest. Twice the usual milage, with as many more hills to match. We rode across the island to the small town of Cara, one of the oldest settlements on the island, where we found it overrun with malnourished feral cats. They took way too much interest in our snack break. We then headed downhill to the pretty coastal village of Zavalatica, where the old traditions of fishing and farming were still very much alive. Here some people swam in the sea, and we all enjoyed an excellent lunch at a local restaurant and took in its spectacular view of the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea.

After lunch, we cycled through the fertile landscape, past vineyards and then uphill again leading to sweeping coastal views. It was from one of these viewpoints that we spied the approaching rainstorm. This storm motivated us all to beat feet and head back to the hotel. Whether it was our renewed motivation or the slow pace of the storm, I do not know, but we were able to keep ahead of the rain. After a long, highspeed descent, our route then took us through the tiny village of Pupnat, before joining the road that took us back to our hotel.

It was on this final stretch that we ran into again a rival bike tour group. We had seen them at lunch and again on the road a couple of times that day. Our guide told us that this was a more high-end tour than ours, think 5-star hotels, which engendered some jealousy, but they were now headed into the storm, while we were still running from it. We made it back to our hotel and under cover, with seconds to spare, before the dam broke. While we were sipping drinks, a rainbow came out. This was probably the best day of riding on the tour.