Monday, April 17, 2006
Today must have been “friends and family bike ride day” in Slovenia and Italy. It’s the Monday after Easter and is evidently a holiday in at least Italy and Slovenia. On the ride today I passed hundreds of road bikers and mountain bikers of all ages, abilities, and on all kinds of equipment. I was interested to see the many brands of bikes I’ve never heard of and to gawk at the outrageous colors the serious bikers are wearing over here. Their outfits are not like anything like bikers wear in the US; they include bold color combinations and wild graphics.
I rode a 64-mile loop today, taking a beautiful tour of the Adriatic region of Italy. Starting in Nova Gorica I rode south through the tiny hamlet of Doberdob then through Ronchi Legionari then onto the city of Monlfalcone, which had too much traffic for my comfort. Back onto quieter roads, I headed to the coastal town of Duino which is perched on the cliffs above the sea. I walked my bike through the woods for an epic view of the Adriatic. The harbor was full of sailboats, fishing boats, container ships, and yachts.
Next I headed on to Sistiana and Prosecco (home the eponymous white sparkling wine) then to Opcina where I crossed the border back into Slovenia. A long line of cars was waiting at the border crossing, so I rode up to the front o f the line and looked hopefully at the border guards. He glanced at my passport and waved me on through, saving at least a 20-minute wait. Along the Italian side of the border are spaces for vendor stalls, but because of the holiday they were closed today. Luckily, the Kompas store on the Slovenian side was open. This national chain of stores are located at every Slovenian border crossing and my interest was in simply refilling my water bottle.
The next towns I rode through were Kriz , Tomaj, Dutrovlje and Kopriva. Just before I got to Stanjel (the only town I had ridden through before), I turned onto the MOST beautiful bike riding road in Slovenia. Only 10 feet wide, it is to be treasured because it winds through the forest, across vineyards, and along a couple streams. And… best of all very few cars.
I reconnected to the main road after about 10K of perfect road riding. This region is also a popular mountain biking destination because off to the side I saw lots of mountain bikers trying out the dirt roads.
The town of Branik was next and although there were lots of little stores along the road they were closed today so no point in stopping. In addition, I am not riding with a typical bike touring group… I am always pushing myself to ride faster and harder. I talk tediously with my buddies about average speed, total ride time, heart rate and race positioning. It’s fun when I feel strong and dull when I feel tired and sore. Today I felt great, had plenty of food, water and energy, and could have ridden a couple more hours. But I was back in Nova Gorica after 4 hours and called it a day on the bike.
For some reason, though, thought a 4-mile walk sounded good, so I trekked up to a 400 year old church on the hill and marveled at the frescoes and marble. After such an adventure-filled day I certainly felt like I earned an excellent dinner, and found a great little restaurant for a huge meal.
Today must have been “friends and family bike ride day” in Slovenia and Italy. It’s the Monday after Easter and is evidently a holiday in at least Italy and Slovenia. On the ride today I passed hundreds of road bikers and mountain bikers of all ages, abilities, and on all kinds of equipment. I was interested to see the many brands of bikes I’ve never heard of and to gawk at the outrageous colors the serious bikers are wearing over here. Their outfits are not like anything like bikers wear in the US; they include bold color combinations and wild graphics.
I rode a 64-mile loop today, taking a beautiful tour of the Adriatic region of Italy. Starting in Nova Gorica I rode south through the tiny hamlet of Doberdob then through Ronchi Legionari then onto the city of Monlfalcone, which had too much traffic for my comfort. Back onto quieter roads, I headed to the coastal town of Duino which is perched on the cliffs above the sea. I walked my bike through the woods for an epic view of the Adriatic. The harbor was full of sailboats, fishing boats, container ships, and yachts.
Next I headed on to Sistiana and Prosecco (home the eponymous white sparkling wine) then to Opcina where I crossed the border back into Slovenia. A long line of cars was waiting at the border crossing, so I rode up to the front o f the line and looked hopefully at the border guards. He glanced at my passport and waved me on through, saving at least a 20-minute wait. Along the Italian side of the border are spaces for vendor stalls, but because of the holiday they were closed today. Luckily, the Kompas store on the Slovenian side was open. This national chain of stores are located at every Slovenian border crossing and my interest was in simply refilling my water bottle.
The next towns I rode through were Kriz , Tomaj, Dutrovlje and Kopriva. Just before I got to Stanjel (the only town I had ridden through before), I turned onto the MOST beautiful bike riding road in Slovenia. Only 10 feet wide, it is to be treasured because it winds through the forest, across vineyards, and along a couple streams. And… best of all very few cars.
I reconnected to the main road after about 10K of perfect road riding. This region is also a popular mountain biking destination because off to the side I saw lots of mountain bikers trying out the dirt roads.
The town of Branik was next and although there were lots of little stores along the road they were closed today so no point in stopping. In addition, I am not riding with a typical bike touring group… I am always pushing myself to ride faster and harder. I talk tediously with my buddies about average speed, total ride time, heart rate and race positioning. It’s fun when I feel strong and dull when I feel tired and sore. Today I felt great, had plenty of food, water and energy, and could have ridden a couple more hours. But I was back in Nova Gorica after 4 hours and called it a day on the bike.
For some reason, though, thought a 4-mile walk sounded good, so I trekked up to a 400 year old church on the hill and marveled at the frescoes and marble. After such an adventure-filled day I certainly felt like I earned an excellent dinner, and found a great little restaurant for a huge meal.
posted by Janet B | 1:05 AM
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