Porec

So I decide this morning to head south into Croatia. At the border they could not find a stamp from me entering the EU or Britton. But they wave me on. I checked later as it is not wise to be examining your passport to much at a border. Did find it, but it is a little faint and mixed a little with a Belize stamp. Going to Croatia may have caused another border crossing issue in the future, but I will deal with that later.
I am in Croatia and wandering down the coast. Each town I find maps for biking in the tourist office for the next 10 to 20 k. Then I must find my own way to the next town. Tourist offices only cover their principality. This has been across Europe and it is rare that a tourist office has information for the next fiefdom. It is interesting that the former Yugoslavian members wanted to break apart, and now want to be part of the EU which is even bigger government.

So I stop in a tourist office and I am given a map of the camps. I ask if any camp is better for tent camping and she points put the full list of camps. I decide to try the first camp and find it is a naturist camp which was not on the map. You must be a member of the naturalist group to stay there if you are a guy. Next camp is also a naturalist camp.  No picture as these people are not the ones you want to see playing volleyball.  After a number of more miles I come to a regular camp that I can stay in.
8/31/10
53.6 miles 6:44 hr / max speed 31.3 / avg moving speed 7.9 / stopped time 3:15 / 1893 ft total ascent. (Sunny)
Love & kisses
Steve

Piran

There may be snow in the mountains

I see the sea

I took a road through the rolling countryside to Koper.  In Koper I as I was hanging out in the main square people started hurrying as storm clouds approached.  I took the hint and start to look for a nice place to hang out under cover.  The rain started quick and heavy I had not gotten to their big mall.  Ended up finding a over hang in front of some businesses.  It turned out that there was a café there so I had a nice place to waited out the storm.  Riding along the coast I found that cars get a guard rail while bikes get a drop to the rocks and then into the sea.  At Piram a medieval town wander the narrow winding streets of town and found the hostel down one without to much searching. Medieval towns have narrow winding streets and walkways, Pieces of the old town wall and gates, and maybe a castle.  There is no plan for streets but churches tend to be next to the main plaza or square (have not seen one that was square).  Streets are wind and cars squeeze down the wider ones.   Most cars are kept out as the town.   I enjoyed some good food and a nice sunset.  Then off to try to find the street the hostel was on. 

8/30/10

52.3 miles 7:08 hr / max speed 35.8 / avg moving speed 7.3 / stopped time 6:44 / 2914 ft total ascent. (Rain in the afternoon) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Skoflje

I think there is a patent on this

I started the morning drying out everything as the sun reappeared.  Then off to visiting a castle built into a cave.  After that I went on to Skocjan Jama the big cave.  Jules Verne would have consider this a good opening into the world below.  Camera might have done ok if I had had a tripod and kept  the picture going for over 10 seconds.  As pictures were not allowed my few shots of the cave show mainly darkness.  So just envisage a very large cavern with a river running far below and on the far wall  hundreds of steps leading down to the bottom.  The cave also rise high above your head and way up there is a stick lodged in the ceiling from when the cave was plug up down stream in Italy for a couple of days and the water filled the cavern.  Pressure built and then suddenly Italy was a bit cleaner along a river.  They did not have any inter tubes for floating to Italy.  You can see a section where the water flows from a cave on side of a short valley to the other into the cave I was in.  A short distance away found a nice camp in a large field where the few other tent campers spread out giving lots of room between camp sites.

8/29/10

32.3 miles 3:49 hr / max speed 40.8 / avg moving speed 8.9 / stopped time 5:04 / 1799 ft total ascent. (Sun with a few clouds) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Pivja Jama

Beams are failing

Mine map 3D

At the bakery the next morning I am recommended to take the mine tour. Off to wonder the tunnels of the mercury mine and take in the healing vapors. Yes a large steel ball will float in mercury. Tour started when I got there so my timing was good. Only went down a couple of levels in the 700k of tunnel under town. Town is sinking 1 to 3 cm a year (ever see “Paint you Wagon”. Clint does a duet in it, I can’t say more). After providing the world with 13% of its mercury it closed due to some world wide environmental concern over mercury. The town understood the effects as nothing lived plant or animal near the smokestack that vaporize the mercury for extraction. Next time you break one of those environmentally friendly florescent light bulbs breathe in deep those mercury vapors. LED have no mercury and use a fraction of the energy that the environmental friendly florescent use. I am stepping down from soap box. The two liter bottles of mercury are no longer for sale in town. That would have made great ballast. The rain eased up as I leave town. And after a few more hills I am ready to cave Slovenian style. Step aboard the train and tour the cave at a nice speed where you can see the formations for only a glance before they are out of sight. Then came the walking tour where no cameras are allowed. The person in front of me video the trip and the girl behind had a tripod for her camera. Most of the tourist hurried along behind the guide trying to get to the good stuff which was right there. The rain hit hard again w hen I was leaving the cave. No room at the hostel, I should have known due to the crowds at the cave. It was only 5k to a camp and then setting up in the dark and the rain.
8/28/10
36.4 miles 4:18 hr / max speed 32.6 / avg moving speed 8.4 / stopped time 4:39 / 2077 ft total ascent. (Rain, a break and more rain)
Love & kisses
Steve

Idrija

So the motor is a bit rough in the morning. Take some aspirin and startup the pass. Afternoon before the knee starts feeling better. I did not take any pictures as I was going for distance and was not stopping much. I am trying to get to the caves for a bit of caving. At the hostel ask for a dorm and end up with a private room. This town is not high on the tourist route so I am the only one there. I was given the key to lockup in the morning. In the middle of the night I wake up and I realize I am not alone in the room. As I roll over he dashes out the large window I left open. A quick survey of my stuff and find he got my morning croissant. The kitty is just sitting there on a bench outside my window. I close the window to keep future raid from happening.
8/27/10
64.9 miles 7:14 hr / max speed 59.6 / avg moving speed 9.0 / stopped time 4:24 / 3649 ft total ascent. (Some clouds)
Love & kisses
Steve

Ziatorog

Destination

Summit 1 Sija 1880m

Long way

Short Way

Summit 2 Vogel 1922m

Summit 3 No name

Summit 4 Tolminski Kuk 2085m

Summit 5 Vrh Planje 1921m

I get my early start and am off to climb a ridge.  It is just a twenty mile bike ride to the base.  There is a camp at the base so I setup my tent and leave the bike and gear in camp.  The approach that takes five minutes to get to the gondola (yea I am getting soft).  From the gondola I take the chair lift.  If all hills could be this easy.  There was the 40 minute walk to the first summit Sija.  The view was typical for me and was less than 50 meters.  No chance of seeing the Adriatic Sea today.  Then I worked my way along the ridge line.  I found the next summit with the same view.  I continue on going in and out of the clouds.  Come to a fork around 3:30 where I can take the nice easy way out. Or I can go up.  I go up.  Next summit I find sun with a little view.  Next summit over 2000m has sun also.   Ridge line is getting trickier with cliffs on both sides and loose talus slope to walk on.  Then one more summit and I head down the rock trail.  Need to break a lot as the trail has lots of loose stones.  Near sunset come across a hut and stop in for a quick drink.  People sitting at the tables give me the look as who are you.  I must be looking good and they are the reason I did not see anyone on most of the ridge,   I smile and head for the bar for a quick drink.  Bar tender checks if I have a have a light, as I return the bottle.  Just a few more miles of rocky switch backs in the dark and I am down to the road and the knees are aching.  I gave the one car a chance to give me a ride but no luck as I walk the couple of miles back to camp.  Bread did not keep so with a little trimming I have cheese for dinner as there is nothing open at 10:30. 

8/26/10

Bike 21.2 miles / hike 18.6 miles 10:26 hr / max speed 23.8 / avg moving speed 3.8 / stopped time 3:55 / 6164 ft total ascent. (Clouds) 

Love & kisses

Steve