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Although Not Normally Gullible, The Portents Weren't Promising In The Lead Up To My Collaboration In The Norwood Bike Ride In Croatia.

Although not usually superstitious, the portents were not promising in the lead up to my participation in the Norwood bike ride in Croatia. Swayed to sign up by a good buddy, my training consisted essentially of laps around Regent's Park on the bike I received from my parents as a batmitzvah present.

Over a quarter, my brakes broke and I lost the key to my bike lock even though it was chained. My hubby and training partner broke his hand and a bike he was due to borrow was robbed. But ignoring the warning indicators, we joined 25 other riders on the cycle, which raised £32,000 for Young Norwood.

Also taking part were two Ravenswood residents - Richard Tooke, 52, who has Downs's syndrome, and Jon Feuchtwanger, 62, who has a mild learning incapacity and dysphasia, which affects his speech.

The residents cycled on tandem bikes with Ravenswood sports specialists Nigel Trumper and Michelle Bass and were a consistent inspiration.

Starting in Makarska, southern Croatia, riders were transported by boat to the beautiful island of Hvar, where a nice morning cycle was followed by the serious business of a 1,200 foot climb. Everybody was exhausted but the group mentality was a great motivator.

Makarska Riviera is a part of Dalmatian coast of Adriatic, about sixty kilometers long and only several kilometers wide, squeezed under towering mountain Biokovo. Bright climate and long pebbly beaches make this area a popular traveller destination. A succession of settlements along the coast from the border with the Omis Riviera on the northwest to the Neretva delta on the southeast. We are very proud to offer you the large number of quality accommodation facilities in all the places of the astonishingly pretty Makarska riviera.

Makarska is a town in the Split - Dalmatia county of Croatia, population 13,716 (2001). It is located on the Adriatic coast of Dalmatia, about sixty km southeast of Split and 140 km northwest of Dubrovnik. It's a tourist centre, located on a horseshoe formed bay between the Biokovo mountain and the Adriatic Sea. The city is noted for its palm-fringed promenade, where fashionable cafs, bars and speciality shops overlook the pretty harbour where many pleasure craft are berthed.

Arrival to Makarska over Biokovo, from Vrgorac offers an astounding superb view of riviera, from Drasnice, Podgora, Tucepi, Brela, all of the way to the Split, and in front to the islands Brac, Hvar, Korcula and promontory Peljesac.

Middle of Makarska is an old city with narrow stone-paved streets, a main church square where there's a flower and fruit market, and a Franciscan monastery that houses a sea shell collection featuring a giant clam shell. The majority of the city's hotels are located just off of the bay and their own private beaches.

In Makarska, one can find many hostels, taverns, boozer, pizzerias, coffee bars, pastry shops and the rest required for a tranquil and carefree vacation in the sun-bathed shores of the Mediterranean. Tourism in Makarska started long ago, even before the development of the hotel Osejava in 1914. The biggest city square is located in the town center, near the waterfront - the square of Andrija Kacic Milosic,where numerous cultural events happen. The square was named after the most noted dalmatian poet.

For some, the rapid descent was even more frightening with the dramatic drop of the cliffside just inches away. Ari Raymond, a 26-year-old marketing executive from Hendon, was riding in memory of his late cousin, a Ravenswood resident.

"Having seen the difference in my cousin whenever he came back for weekends with my family, I knew there was something special about the work Norwood do," he revealed. "But I could not quite appreciate how much and to what lengths they are going to give residents the top level of care achievable. Seeing the tandem teams made me mindful of how much I'm taking for granted in my life."

Hopeful of a peaceful Saturday, participants learned the slow walk along the promenade reported by last year's group had been supplanted by a difficult trek up a mountain higher than Ben Nevis.

Reaching the 4,600 feet peak was very rewarding but the return journey on loose stones was even harder than the challenging walk up. The trek took eight hours to finish.

On Sun., there was another boat journey to the island of Brac for a 1,700 foot climb by bike. Aching bodies took some time to heat up but the entire group made it and were rewarded by 10 kilometres downhill and an extraordinary beach at the end of the forty mile route.

The cycle riders also included businesswoman Nina Forman, whose family were among the Ravenswood founders. The 36-year-old from Golders Green began "really twitchy" but ended up enjoying herself massively. "Whilst it was tough work, I'm up for challenging myself."

Leonie Gold, thirty, a helper news editor from Borehamwood, said that "facing a relentless bike climb on our first day, I questioned how I was intending to make it. Then I turned round and saw Richard and Jon pedalling up the mountain on their tandems. This was all of the inspiration I required. It also helped being besieged by a number of the prettiest coastline I've ever seen."

Norwood wants to raise £800,000 from bike rides this year, writes tagza.com.

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