Pedal to the Adriatic

Having trouble posting to Blogger via my phone.  Will wait until we return to update the posts.

Finally it was time to ride our bikes ... well almost.  The day began with an 8am briefing by our Helia representative Anna who gave us a tour overview and then introduced us to our rental bikes.  After a quick test ride we boarded the shuttle to the start of the ride. We admired the sagwagon's bike trailer and noted improvements for our own rig. The ride up to the plateau to Pokljuka was steep and winding.  After seeing the switchbacks, we were glad the official start required a shuttle to the top. (sorry for the sideways photos -  not sure what's up with Blogger!) The scenery was classic Alpine views.  The homes and barns were of similar design to those in the Tyrol or Swiss/French Alps. What was distinctly different were the hay racks which were plentiful.  For centuries the local farmers plant buckwheat immediately after harvesting the hay.  There is no time to dry the hay in the field so ...

Our Helia transport picked us up at 11 am for transit to beautiful but touristy Lake Bled.   Of course first thing on our mind was lunch so we picked a pizza place then Betsy, who was our briefer for the day,  recommended renting bikes to tour around the lake.  While it was a lovely ride with plenty of picturesque sites it was a little challenging dodging the numerous pedestrians along the way. Once back to town we of course had to go in search of a kremsnita but this time we were disappointed and quickly overcame the obsession! Dinner was at a local restaurant  Betsy had spotted that offered fresh fish and of course more meat!  

Today was spent discovering the Old Town of Ljubljana including the Pink Church, Dragon Bridge and the outdoor market. On Locksmith Street is a bronze sculpture in the street drain with numerous contorted heads.  It is a bit creepy but fun to see! We dined at Klobarsarna on the main pedestrian street.  Meat!  This time Carnolian sausage and barley stew.   Then we set our sights on renting city bikes to explore the town.  But only Betsy and Steph conquered the technical challenge by downloading the app.  Off they went on an adventure thru Tivoli Park and eventually back to the Airbnb.  Chef Pete whipped up a yummy dinner of brook trout and tagliatelle with mushrooms and prosciutto.  It was a nice start to our Slovenian cycling adventure.

The crew of seven rendezvous-ed in the afternoon at a wonderful Airbnb Betsy had picked out.  It was spacious, bright and well equipped -- perfect for our group. Dinner that night was at a "Gostilna" which is a local restaurant featuring Slovenia cuisine and decor.  The food was tasty.  This was our first introduction to a "meat" centric menu we'd come to experience a lot! We also got our first introduction to "kremsnita" thanks to Lance who picked up some of the delicious pastry at the airport bakery!  It is the Slovenian version of a Napolean but perhaps better.  So good it created an obsession!!!

  Another epic biking adventure is about to begin!  The first part of the ride is 215 miles from Lake Bled to Piran, Slovenia.  The second part of the ride is 154 miles from Piran, Slovenia to Pula, Croatia.   Although the average riding day is ~26 miles, the elevation gain is over 24,000 feet.  The infamous trepidation meter will be tested!  (PS ignore the typos -- thanks Chatgpt!)       The Stage One crew will be rendezvousing in Ljubljana for two days of acclimation.  Then the fun begins!