LAST DAY IN SLOVENIA, FIRST DAYS IN CROATIA

Everyone who reads this blog knows how much I sLOVEnia. The PEOPLE, NATURE AND HISTORY were all tops. I love to bike and if you do too? For adventure touring and cycling,skip Amsterdam and come here, it’s one decision you won’t regret.
I made a special connection in Slovenia, it was a very difficult decision to leave. I really want to finish this trip in Istanbul. As I write this I’m still torn.

A SPECIAL VISIT FROM A SPECIAL PERSON, NATASA IN IZOLA.
This is a bike blog that involves everything that can happen while bike touring. Get on your bike because amazing experiences await you too.
I loved my stay at Izola and that was one of the reasons I stayed 5 days here.

UROS WAS LIKE A BROTHER I CAN’T WAIT TO VISIT AGAIN SOON.
I rode off with no idea what route I was going to take? I wanted to stay off the main road so I just followed the coastline. The images were very telling. A day earlier I was sitting along the shore and noticed nearly everyone was in a wheelchair. UROS told me there was a state sponsored home for the handicapped to come visit the beach. All the walkways were wheelchair friendly. I asked to take this photo from the front, NO.

SO I GOT THIS PHOTO FROM BEHIND (notice the flag attached to her chair)
Back on the road, I’m riding as slowly as possible. I really realize when I cross the border it’s goodbye Slovenia. That’s how I got here by leaving amazing people and places to explore the new. I must keep telling myself that. I’ve heard about Slovenians salt beds andI had to go on the tour (to kill more time here)

IT SERVED A PURPOSE FOR ME, WASTING TIME.

THE VIEW OF IZOLA RIDING UP AND OUT
I rode through this tunnel and took this photo from what I thought was the middle?

FOR A TUNNEL, IT WAS WELL LITE AND DRY
Riding past these “docks” was cool.

THE DOCK STILL WORKS!

THIS BOAT PROBABLY DOESN’T WORK (ANYMORE)
My last chance at the 2 policeman photo in Slovenia

HE SAID I COULD TAKE HIS PHOTO WITHOUT HIS HEAD, ONLY FROM SHOULDERS DOWN, NO THANK YOU
WELCOME TO CROATIA

so it looks like rain, serious rain, I check out an abandoned house, NO. There’s no hotels or rooms around only the Zypher Casino. I go ask, $55 or 40 euro. A little hash in the morning and you don’t leave till 1pm, you sometimes have to pay the price.. The clouds are spelling trouble. I opt in, It’s late and I tell the kitchen I just want a plain salad. I shower and it’s CNN World on the TV. First in english TV in almost 6 months.
They said breakfast was included, I’m the only one staying at the hotel. So I say to the barista “So it’s you and me for breakfast?” A resounding “NO” mmmmm OK. no. So later I’m wheeling my bike around back and start talking with the slot machine repair guy. I tell him the breakfast story and we both laugh some. I ask if he will take my photo in front, he agrees and I say I want the barista in the photo too. She all the sudden appears at the back door. So he asks her for a photo of us “having breakfast together”. Holly Shit, we all 3 laugh for 5 solid minutes.Way too funny. We’re friends now, she sees I’m just here to laugh and have fun.

SHE INSISTED WE TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE, WE ALL CAN’T STOP LAUGHING, EVONNA THANKS FOR THE AWESOME TIME AND LAUGHS

THE BARISTA BOOTH MADE HER LOOK TALL, BUT THEN SHE STEPPED OUT BEHIND THE COUNTER, NOPE.
So it rained and thundered hard ALL morning, good call on the hotel. Not a cloud in the sky when I ride off.

SOME VILLAGE?
The Casino host said if I stayed there I get a free bicycle map. Since I haven’t found a SIM card for my phone, I think this is my first mapping with an actual map. So the only camping is at a NATURIST CAMPGROUND (nudist camp). I find a site and set up. Within minutes I’m visited by a fellow camper, yep nude. It said so on the sign and it’s true, nude-everywhere.. So I’m trying to get the camp WIFI to work and the buxom blonde comes by, “Can you Help me?” Yep just out of the shower and no clothes on. So at dinner I see her again and say “I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.” We both laugh.

I HAD TO
So everyone is strutting their stuff in the buff around the campground. Then I go to use the bathroom, I’m a little confused.

YOU CAN WALK DOWN MAIN STREET IN THE BUFF BUT PLEASE DON’T LOOK AT ME PEEING? OK
It was a little chilly in the morning, so everyone was clothed for a coffee and pastry send off

THE AWESOME ROADS WERE JUST THAT.

AWESOME!

I LIKE TO “BIKE” MARKETING
I couldn’t find the offical campground so I slept in the tall grass on the side of the road.

THE STREET LIGHT WAS ON MY FACE ALL NIGHT
Early the next day in Rovijn I eat breakfast at a dock side cafe and explore the town.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE BIKE PHOTO (so far)
I asked this nun if I could take her photo, first she said no, then I told her how beautiful she was in Spainish.

SHE SAID YES AND EVEN POSED

ROADSIDE BBQ, HAVEN’T TRIED YET BUT SOON
I try to avoid busy roads, the first thing about bike touring and cars, avoid them. take the longer route

I THINK 1 CAR PASSED ME ON THIS ROAD.

MY BIKE FRIDAY ROAD FINE ON THIS EVEN WITH THE TRAILER
They had a stone built structure at the side of the road called a KAZUNE.
.

IF I HADN’T BEEN RIDING MY BIKE I PROBABLY WOULDN’T HAVE STOPPED
I met uo with 2 wheel travel again. Carolyn (one of the wheels of 2 wheel travel) we shared a banana split.

I COULD HAVE EASILY EATIN THE WHOLE THING
This was the moon rising that evening.

WE WERE AT AN AMAZING CAMPGROUND AT THE END OF THE ROAD CALLED CAMP STOJA
All the Slovenian photos are updated and HERE
HEY, THANKS FOR READING IT’S BEEN FUN, IF LIKE THE BLOG TELL ME. A BLOG POST LIKE THIS AVERAGES 5-8 HOURS OF WORK.
TILL NEXT TIME RIDE YOUR BIKE TILL THEN! OK?
JEFF