Month: October 2015

WHO NEEDS A CAR WITH A TRAIN AND A BIKE! KOPER, PIRAN & IZOLA

~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

carefree

A couple winters ago the Slovenian winter storms damaged the train route from Ljubljana to Koper, at the coast.  I heard they repaired the problems and you could now ride the train all the way to Koper.  Last time I went to the coast I borrowed Natasa’s car, this time I’m taking the train.
The train was 30 mins. late leaving because it was waiting for a train from Germany to make a connection. I got to sit up front with the guy driving the train, we spoke some English too! I only had 10 minutes to make my train connection. I missed my connection and ended up putting my bike on the bus the rest of the way to Koper (for free).

IMG_4955
10 MINUTES AFTER I ARRIVED IT STARTED POURING RAIN, BREAKFAST AND COFFEE TILL THE STORM PASSED-RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.

30 minutes of rain stopped, I then headed to Piran, Slovenia.  I rode past Izola, but was planning to go there after Piran.

I’m so lucky to be in good enough shape to enjoy all these biking adventures.  Speaking of luck someone did a study and said luck doesn’t just happen.  Talk to the people around you, be truly interested in them, share your knowledge and insights with others. Talk to people in the bank/post office line.  I do this all the time, it drives Natasa crazy Slovenians are somewhat reserved.  She’s always saying how lucky I am, there’s a reason.  One more thing, put your cell-phone down and talk to the person right next to you, the world will be a better place.
In Piran I  stayed at the Val Hostel   it was super awesome, right in the heart of the old town. For only $22 euro I got a private room with a sink (bathroom/shower down the hall)  and a super breakfast.  I highly recommend anyone to stay there.


I had 2 days in Piran, so ventured into the hills with my bike.  Lots of dead end google map routes, i  finally got to the top,

I wanted to take a different route back to Izola, it was different all right. I climbed so many hills I couldn’t count them all.  The tunnel saves so much time (climbing), I get the tunnel thing now, holy shit.

I love Izola and the HOSTEL ALIETI. This is my 3rd time here,  They are so friendly to me, it’s like home.

I (we) decided I could  stay an extra day so I could attend the Sweets Festival in Koper.  It’s Slovenia and it’s sweets, I could only imagine.

It only rained for a 1/2 hour the first day.  I swam nearly everyday, ate great food, chocolate  and now it’s time to get back to Skofja Loka.  I grabbed the bus back, to bring the bike the driver wanted enough money for a coffee, 1 euro for the bike.
I had a gardening business for 25 years, so I had to get a picture of this kids shirt, on the bus.

PUSH IT PUSH IT
PUSH IT PUSH IT “REAL GOOD”

carfree2 carefree1

I’m putting this picture here because I’m going to Paris, Dec. 7-14.  One to visit Paris and the other to attend the World Climate Change Conference–as a protester because we all know like every other Climate conference, never an agreement or reduction, just an agreement to meet again.  Meat and meat production causes over 50% of greenhouse gases, please avoid meat and especially beef.  Go watch the movie COWSPIRACY , it’s on Netflix now.
SIX EUROPEAN COUNTRIES GOING CAR-FREE
Thanks and have a great day.
Jeff

and here’s a new band DIIV

COME VISIT SKOFJA LOKA AND SLOVENIA THIS WINTER

~ jeffsbiketour ~ 2 Comments

VISIT SLOVENIA

air b&b1

Come live in a 1000 year old medieval village.  Come see what life was like before the car.  We have an apartment in the “center” of the old town, that sleeps 5.  Bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants,  post office, banks,
grocery stores, museums, craft and gift shops and more all within a 2 minute walk or less.

PICTURES OF SKOFJA LOKA, SLOVENIA

I had lived in Portland for 35 years, In 2013 I biked from Lisbon, Portugal to Istanbul, Turkey.  I rode through Slovenia and fell in love, with the country too.  I married Natasa and have been here almost 2 years now.  Skofja Loka is what Portland wants to be, a low car use-walking town. We live in the old town and are renting the apartment that Natasa’s brother owns, downstairs from us.
You can visit most of Slovenians highlights in just a one hour drive or a nice bus or train ride.

PHOTOS OF THE APARTMENT

CONTACT US THROUGH THIS WEBSITE OR MAKE A RESERVATION THROUGH AIR B & B

Thanks for reading.

Jeff

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKOFJA LOKA? SWIMMING, AIR B&B, NEW TUNNEL, CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, KITTEN, PHOTO GALLERY, NEW MUSIC

~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

                                               SUMMER DAYS BY THE RIVER
I always tell the tourist to go swimming, but I hadn’t gone myself.  So I started going everyday.  I invited Natasa, she declined to swim but said she would go watch. After watching several times  she finally put on her swim suit underneath her clothes and we made the 5 minute walk to the river. She finally went in and we both enjoyed hanging out in the river.

IMG_4892

                                                   NEW AIR B&B APARTMENT
We opened an Air B & B apartment in the center of the old town.  Natasa’s brother owned the apartment below us. He wasn’t having any luck renting it, so we decided to try an Air B&B apartment.  We’ve had a few guest, if you want to come to Skofja Loka here’s the link to the
OLD TOWN  MEDIEVAL MANSION.  FYI you can stay in the European Union for 3 months without a special Visa.  Come rent the apartment for a month or 3, no car needed, it’s a great experience.

We would have gotten 4 stars but the outside of the building is falling apart.   Owning  a building with 5 other people, it seems nearly impossible to get them to agree on anything.  Your best and greatest asset is your home, letting it fall into disrepair is bad money management, I wish they understood that.

                               THE NEW BY-PASS TUNNEL IS ABOUT TO OPEN
I’ve been here in Skofja Loka for almost 2 years and all that time they have been working on a Tunnel to by-pass the Skofja Loka bottle neck.

IMG_4893
ONLY ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC AT A TIME THROUGH HERE

I talked with the bus driver one day and he said they have talked about the by-pass tunnel for 30 years.  The European Union gave Slovenia the money, but they had to finish by a certain date or they had to return the money.  I would sometimes see them out there on a Sunday working, ( I don’t think they had the money to give back).

                                                                        WE GOT A KITTEN

Sara and Natasa had a booth at the old town garage sale.  They sold a few things and got a few things too–a kitten.  I’m home alone some days so I also thought a cat would be fun.

               THERE’S LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO CLOSE OUT THE SUMMER

                   IT’S FALL, TIME TO STORE SOME FOOD AND TRIM SOME FRUIT TREES
I left a huge vegetable garden and fruit orchard, back in Portland.  Our patio garden here only produces so much food. so Natasa and I enlarged her parents garden.  With our tomatoes, I canned 30 jars of Italian sauce and Mexican Salsa. One of my reasons for not starting a business here in Skofja Loka was that I could help her parents.  Food is a great thing to share with others, so working on a community garden is very rewarding.

                       SOME FUN PICTURES FROM AROUND SKOJFA LOKA

blackman
In Škofja Loka there is a legend about Prince Abraham, the first feudal lord from Bavaria, who was travelling up the Poljane Valley with his black servant. While walking through the bushes, they ran into a bear. Prince Abraham froze in his tracks, but the black servant calmly drew his bow and shot dead the bear. When they returned to Loka Castle, Prince Abraham ordered that, as an acknowledgment, the face of the man who saved his life should be depicted in the coat of arms. Since then, the Škofja Loka coat of arms has featured the black servant’s face.

FYI, there are virtually no black people in Slovenia, so this is a remarkable commemorative in more than one way.
I keep thinking I’m going to run out of fun stories, but I’m about a month behind now.  We’ve used two of our honeymoon gifts to adventure around Slovenia.  I took a train-bike trip to the coast.  So if your a bike enthusiast (or a wanna be) I’ve got some fun bike stories coming.
I discovered this new musical artist, COURTNEY BARNETT from Melbourne Australia.  I put a live show and a great album below feel free to give it a listen, pretty great music.

NEXT: WHO NEEDS A CAR WITH A TRAIN AND A BIKE!
THANKS FOR READING
Jeff