Episode 125

Što ima, prijatelji?!

We hope our listeners are ready to get on their feet and go for a stroll.

Let’s hit the pavement and learn some exercise words for all us walkers out there.

Grab your sneakers and join us as we ramp up our Croatian language skills!

Lesson

to exercise - vježbati

to walk - hodati

to go for a stroll. - Ići u šetnju

let’s go by foot. - Idemo pješke

to run/jog- trčati

race (n) - utrka

shoes/sneakers - patike

Super Slatko Report

In this edition of the Super Slatko Report, DJ Moe will tell us about one of Croatia’s most beautiful bike races. If you haven’t heard of the Zadar Granfondo, this SSR is for you!

Let’s start with what a Grand Fondo is.

It’s an Italian phrase, Gran Fondos are mass participation cycling events that have enjoyed a huge amount of popularity in Europe for decades, and are now increasingly spreading around the world.

The Zadar Gran Fondo is a 56.128 km race (34.8 miles) or a 128km race (79.5 miles) set for this October 19th, 2024 in Croatias sea side city of Zadar. The race is hosted by the Falkensteiner Borik Hotel and Spa. This is only the 5th time this race has taken place, which started back in 2020.

The race takes place in Zadar county and allows you take in all the nature that this beautiful part of the country affords. On this route the roads will take you by the sea, by the mountains, near pastures, and meadows.

As far as the route is concerned, the entire route will be closed on race day to traffic. If you know Zadar a little bit, here is a play by play or a town by town over view.

The race kicks off in Zadar and heads out along the coast towards Privlaka, to Nin, over to Vrsi, to Krneza, towards Ražanac, across to Posedarje, through Podgradina, then to Novigrad, then over to Pridraga, then cutting inland to Zemunik Donji, over to Poličnik, then down to Poljica-Brig, to Boka Jac and finally back to Zadar. The highest elevation you’ll encounter is 225m above sea level (738 feet) just past Pridraga and the lowest elevation comes in at 2m above sea level (6ft) and you’ll find that between Posedarje and Novigrad.

This Race has a lot to offer before during and after the race.

Before the race there is a training camp, where you can take part a few Gran Fondo progrms where you can train with a group and a coach. There is even a bike tour that will take you to see the sights of Zadar. In case you need a bike mechanic free of charge to ensure that all competitors have a bike in perfect working order before the race begins. But what if you break down before your bike does, well there will be a physio therapist and massage service that you can set up through the Falkensteiner Borik to help you get ready and post race to help soothe your aching muscles. If it’s more serious, there will also be emergency medical services on site ready to assist. And lastly, there will also be a Broom Car service that will be making its way through the route to assist and give rides to any competitors that are unable to complete the race.

There also a Kids Gran Fondo program that you can sign them up for. It includes Bike education, workshop, games, training, exercises, a race of their own and food! The program runs from morning to early afternoon leading up to the actual race day.

Overall this sounds like a fun trip for the cycling families out there who want to take their passion for cycling to Croatia. My kids and I would need a lot more training to get up to speed before we could tackle an event of this caliber. But if this sounds like this could work for you, definitely look into it. 

And thats it for the Super Slatko Report.