Cycling Again
We dragged ourselves back across the road to 3Glav Adventure Office again this morning. These are the same good people who organized our canyoning, and today we are cycling using 3Glav's wonderful bikes.
When I read the itinerary, there was mention of a 16 k cycle, but last night's dinner disclosure was that the cycle would be 44 ks with a guide. This called for my Padded Cycling Pants which nicely justified me dragging them around in my suitcase for the last few weeks for such an occasion. So best you grab yours too!
You will already know the road to Vintgar Gorge, but just before that really steep bit, we veered left and went up an even steeper road. This is a 'main' road but let's say it's wiser to cycle in single file.
Some are faster than others, it's just the way it is. The first little town had such narrow roads between the houses and barns that it would be impossible to widen the road. And a very rural smell as we passed cows being housed in barns attached to houses...
We are heading to Zg Radovna, you'll see it on the map (bottom left above Mojstrana). Miklav, the guide, told everyone at the top of the first rise that the rest would be 'little bit up and down but flat'. From then on we cycled at a lovely gentle (flat?) incline through the forest. The road reduced to a very single lane but there were very few cars - lots of cycle groups though, including a group of Canadians who laughed uproariously like NZ women. (I'm thinking about a tour for next year, who wants to come?).
We detoured to look at a 450 year old Linden Tree (national symbol) which had a circumference of 6 m 300. And growing still I guess. And there was chalk mined here - I have a large chalk mining gap in my knowledge, no idea how that works, but there remains a large hole which is now a pretty lake.
This house was left as a monument to remind us of the atrocities in WWII - this village of Radovna supported the Partisans in fighting against the Germans - on 11September 1944 German soldiers came into this village to gather firewood and they were ambushed, two horses shot and two
soldiers taken prisoner - the following day, the Germans returned and herded the locals to Frzkovo where the dead horses still lay - they threatened to kill all of the people if the soldiers were not returned - they were not returned within the time frame, and the Germans carried through - 12 houses burned, 24 people burned to death, the youngest 7 months old, the oldest 81.
And acres of green green fields with cows with bells. And cute alpine cottages for shepherds..- but we were travelling too fast for photos ('later, we stop on the way back'). Every farm has a few of these structures which although narrow (and often used for advertising posters) are purpose built to have lean-tos attached to the back for storing hay. Or larger lean-tos for sheds.
And behold, Zg Radovna has a Gostilina with Turkish coffee and delicious national Slovenian dishes. And although not officially lunchtime, we knew there would be a long way between coffees.
Actually, I ate the most delicious 'jota' which is a cross between the bean stew from Croatia and a clear soup, with sauerkraut added. Delicious smokey flavour with chunks of sausage and bacon, red beans.
Check out the clarity of the top of the mountain range as the clouds gathered, and the colours in these photos have not been filtered - that's just how green it was.
The trip home was fast given that the trip up was gently up most of the way.
We regrouped on a bridge at Krnica to look at the clarity of the fast flowing water and to see whether the anglers were having any luck, took a photo,
and... oops, my wallet was over the side! Tragic but what can you do - fast flowing water, black wallet among the rocks (cash flow card, visa, driver's licence, a little cash). We searched (climbing down through the stinging nettles) but it was a fait accompli - gone. If I was a person who lost or dropped things continually I would have beaten myself up, maybe a public shaming or flogging, but I'm not. My mind immediately goes to 'next plan'.
God Bless the wonderful ASB Bank who blocked my cards immediately. And bonus extra experiences for the situation? A trip to the policija to file a report, and then got caught in the most Extreme Thunder Storm, with huge flashes of lightening and resounding bangs of thunder. And the final silver lining?
My driver's licence was the only thing left with a photo of the awful short blonde hair - vanquished forever!
When I read the itinerary, there was mention of a 16 k cycle, but last night's dinner disclosure was that the cycle would be 44 ks with a guide. This called for my Padded Cycling Pants which nicely justified me dragging them around in my suitcase for the last few weeks for such an occasion. So best you grab yours too!
You will already know the road to Vintgar Gorge, but just before that really steep bit, we veered left and went up an even steeper road. This is a 'main' road but let's say it's wiser to cycle in single file.
Some are faster than others, it's just the way it is. The first little town had such narrow roads between the houses and barns that it would be impossible to widen the road. And a very rural smell as we passed cows being housed in barns attached to houses...
We are heading to Zg Radovna, you'll see it on the map (bottom left above Mojstrana). Miklav, the guide, told everyone at the top of the first rise that the rest would be 'little bit up and down but flat'. From then on we cycled at a lovely gentle (flat?) incline through the forest. The road reduced to a very single lane but there were very few cars - lots of cycle groups though, including a group of Canadians who laughed uproariously like NZ women. (I'm thinking about a tour for next year, who wants to come?).
We detoured to look at a 450 year old Linden Tree (national symbol) which had a circumference of 6 m 300. And growing still I guess. And there was chalk mined here - I have a large chalk mining gap in my knowledge, no idea how that works, but there remains a large hole which is now a pretty lake.
This house was left as a monument to remind us of the atrocities in WWII - this village of Radovna supported the Partisans in fighting against the Germans - on 11September 1944 German soldiers came into this village to gather firewood and they were ambushed, two horses shot and two
soldiers taken prisoner - the following day, the Germans returned and herded the locals to Frzkovo where the dead horses still lay - they threatened to kill all of the people if the soldiers were not returned - they were not returned within the time frame, and the Germans carried through - 12 houses burned, 24 people burned to death, the youngest 7 months old, the oldest 81.
And acres of green green fields with cows with bells. And cute alpine cottages for shepherds..- but we were travelling too fast for photos ('later, we stop on the way back'). Every farm has a few of these structures which although narrow (and often used for advertising posters) are purpose built to have lean-tos attached to the back for storing hay. Or larger lean-tos for sheds.And behold, Zg Radovna has a Gostilina with Turkish coffee and delicious national Slovenian dishes. And although not officially lunchtime, we knew there would be a long way between coffees.
Actually, I ate the most delicious 'jota' which is a cross between the bean stew from Croatia and a clear soup, with sauerkraut added. Delicious smokey flavour with chunks of sausage and bacon, red beans.
Check out the clarity of the top of the mountain range as the clouds gathered, and the colours in these photos have not been filtered - that's just how green it was.
The trip home was fast given that the trip up was gently up most of the way.
We regrouped on a bridge at Krnica to look at the clarity of the fast flowing water and to see whether the anglers were having any luck, took a photo,
and... oops, my wallet was over the side! Tragic but what can you do - fast flowing water, black wallet among the rocks (cash flow card, visa, driver's licence, a little cash). We searched (climbing down through the stinging nettles) but it was a fait accompli - gone. If I was a person who lost or dropped things continually I would have beaten myself up, maybe a public shaming or flogging, but I'm not. My mind immediately goes to 'next plan'.
God Bless the wonderful ASB Bank who blocked my cards immediately. And bonus extra experiences for the situation? A trip to the policija to file a report, and then got caught in the most Extreme Thunder Storm, with huge flashes of lightening and resounding bangs of thunder. And the final silver lining?
My driver's licence was the only thing left with a photo of the awful short blonde hair - vanquished forever!
Comments
Post a Comment