Sunday, September 20, 2009—outside Musil, Italy

Today Brian and I cycled to Slovenia for lunch. We began the day in Tarvisio, Italy, crossed Predil Pass into Slovenia, descended a long and steep downhill into a beautiful valley and stopped in Bovec for a pizza. It was the best pizza of the trip, but don’t tell the Italians.

The mountains of northern Slovenia are massive. They are officially called the Julian Alps, and rise to awesome heights above the valleys below. In the valleys are villages and fields that have existed for centuries, but now they are tourist destinations. People come for the scenery, the outdoors activities, and just to enjoy themselves. Like northern Italy, northern Slovenia has become a mecca for motorcycles, and signs on many of the stores we passed had prominent posters declaring Bikers Welcome.

After our lunch stop we debated about where to go—south to southern Slovenia and Croatia, or back west into Italy. Both were good options but Italy won out, and, after a few more miles following the river in Slovenia, we turned back west, up a pass similar to the one we had come down earlier in the day, towards Italy. The map we have was slightly deceptive as it did not indicate how far and how steep our climb would be, but we made it—not quickly but steadily.

Arriving again in Italy we began our descent towards Udine, but soon stopped for a soda at an outdoors family and sports center. As we sat there enjoying the sodas and soaking in the sun, the beautiful mountain scenery and the quiet of the nearly deserted road we were traveling, we decided to spend the night. The owner-manager of the center said that they were only open for weekends after mid September, but that if we wanted he would make a room available for us, the chef would cook a dinner, and his wife would come in the morning to make us breakfast. It was a good deal, and an enjoyable change from the towns and villages we have stopped in until now, so we did it. Then, as we added up the mileage of the day and saw that it was only 36, one of our shortest days, we also noted that our journey that day did move us past the 1000 mile mark for our travels. An accomplishment to celebrate!

The dinner was excellent, featuring local specialties, and Brian and I have been left alone to spend the night and tend to the place. The staff (owner-manager and cook) have gone home and left us instructions as to how to call them if a problem develops. Rather unusual but just fine. And welcome to Italy…

I intend to catch up in the next few days! Then move on to Albania comments and photos... Here are past posts that I finally have the opportunity to share...Will

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Today we managed to cycle in three different countries, with two
separate entries into one of the three. We started out from Ptuj,
after a substantial breakfast, and cycled through Slovenian territory
to Ljutomer, another Slovenian town. While this town is listed as a
tourist destination, it was almost deserted on this Sunday morning.
After a coffee there, we cycled into Croatia. As part of the EU, there
were no particular border restrictions, and the road we chose was the
straightest route to our destination for the day. I did not see a great
change as we moved from one country to another, except it did seem to
be a bit poorer in sme ways.
After only about ten miles in Croatia, we passed back into Slovenia
for ten miles, then crossed the border into Hungary. Our goal for the
day was Lenti, a small town 40 miles from Lake Balaton, the largest
lake in Europe. I was surprised to find separate designated cycle
paths along much of our route, and look forward to finding more as our
journey in Hungary continues. I was also surprised at the few people
we saw and the few cars that passed us today.
Lenti, the town we are spending the night in, is more like what I have
seen of former Soviet Union areas than the other countries we have
visited. The housing in the town is primarily large, seemingly not
well made, apartments. The stores are small and old. We will see
whether or not this is what we find in the days ahead.



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
Today was a repeat of yesterday--about 60 miles cycling through
forests, small towns, and fields. Several pretty substantial hills to
climb, then coast down. Perfect weather.
The surprise and highlight of the day took place not long before we
reached our destination, Ptuj the oldest city in Slovenia. As we
cycled along we came across a group of 12-15 people of various ages,
standing in someone's yard and singing hymns in Slovenian. I stopped
and took out my camera, and the group, although somewhat
self-consciously, finished their song. At its conclusion I motioned to
continue, and they obliged me with beautiful harmony and words which,
although I could not understand them, were words of praise.
When their song was finished one of the produced a bottle of light
wine and two glasses--one for me and one for Brian. Another of the
group came forward and, in good English, interpreted us to them and
they to us. They were a choir from the local church, practicing for
Sunday--and for a local special performance that they were about to be
late for! We said our good-byes and parted, each with memories that
only happen when God brings people from different worlds, but one in
Him, together.



In Ptuj an annual folk festival was going on, so Brian and I wandered
the riverfront listening to music and watching people. Another special
event, a serendipity of travel.
Our hotel in Ptuj. (pronounced just like it is spelled...)


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
The sun is out, the breakfast of boiled egg, cereal, bread, juice,
coffee, ham, cheese, yogurt and banana was excellent (that is a
typical offering in Slovenia, and rooms always come with breakfast
included). So off we went. Small roads, little traffic, small
villages, short but steep hills, and a river (the Krka) by our side
much of the way. A stop at 35 miles for ice cream and coffee in a
picturesque and historic town called Novo Mesto, then on. The fields
produce corn and hay, and people are out working them, using
everything from modern equipment to hand hoes. The hay is hung on
large drying racks and the corn stacked in bins, waiting to be fed to
the animals.


After 60 miles cycling the day ended in Brezice at a hotel attached to
an Irish pub. Dinner consisted of a typical Slovenian dish of two
dumplings with a meat stew/goulash to put over it--plus a salad. Good
for energy for the day ahead!

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THURSDAY, August 31
This morning the station master assured us that the next train to
Ljubljana would indeed accept bicycles (it was not Yugoslavian), so we
took it. And he was right. In short order we were in Slovenia's
capital, the sun was bright, there was a festive feel in the air, and
we were on our way. A quick look around the city and a lunch on the
river bank, then on we rode. It was fairly late, so we did not go far,
but we found a small pension and settled in for the night.
Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia and when that nation split up it went
its way peacefully. It was a fairly prosperous part of the united
Yugoslavia, and has since grown well and become part of the European
Union. Much of Slovenia is forested, much agricultural, and on the
whole it is a wonderful place to cycle. And tomorrow we would start
out in earnest.

WEDNESDAY, August 30
The weather had not changed, so we did.

We went to the train station
and asked about tickets to Rome or Ljubljana (Slovenia), two places we
knew were outside the weather system settled in over central Europe.
We decided on Slovenia, purchased our tickets, and 10 minutes later
were on the train. Our bicycles were safely loaded in the baggage car,
and we were on the move. As the train made its way east out of
Switzerland and through western Austria, we smiled at our decision to
completely change our route--especially as the rain kept coming down
and we could see snow dusting the hills. Our train ride was
comfortable and uneventful until the last leg, from central Austria to
Slovenia. Waiting on the platform, we watched our train pull in, and
looked for the sign indicating where we should load the bikes--such
signs mark most trains in Europe. When we did not see a sign, we asked
the attendant, and were informed that this train did not take
bicycles. Our tickets said it would, but that made no difference. The
only suggestion the attendant had was for us to abandon the bikes and
board the train, hardly a reasonable option. In the end the train
pulled away without us, and we were informed by the station-master
that "Yugoslav trains refuse to carry bikes..." I wish someone would
have told the Swiss ticket-seller!
So, what to do--just keep going! We decided to take the next train
going in the direction of our destination and get off just before
entering Slovenia. While by this time it was late, we followed this
plan and ended up in Villach, Austria for the night.
I don't know the lesson from all this today. Perhaps, once again,
flexibility is what it is about. Years ago a friend said it this
way--You flex or you break. How true!

TUESDAY, August 29
Today began with the same clouds as yesterday ended with, but no rain.
Brian and I set out from Uster, this time certain of the route, and
proceeded along well marked paths and roads. The scenery was
spectacular as we made our way along lakes, rivers and canals that
were surrounded by high alpine peaks. Our general direction was west
towards our inevitable climb up a high pass to join the river Inn and
its famous cycle path, which we intended to follow for 300 or more
miles to Passau, Germany, where it joins the Danube.
However, as the day went on the rain came down in increasing
intensity, until by the time we reached our stopping point at 69 miles
we were riding in a torrential downpour.
From the warmth of our hotel in Bad Ragaz, and from the Italian
restaurant we feasted in, the sound of wind and rain continued
unabated, the weather reports told only of unseasonably cold weather,
including snow at elevations lower than our intended route, and the
hotel manager only shrugged her shoulders...So...Continued on
Wednesday.
The lesson? What a blessing to have the resources to get in out of the
rain! How many do not have them...