SKOFJA LOKA: FIRE & ICE

January 21, 2015January 21, 2015 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 6 Comments

t’s Christmas day and Natasa and I have it alone-together. Natasa suggest we walk around Lake Bled I tell her I also want to go on the river walk that has all the bridges, VINTGAR GORGE.

**IT’S A TRULY AMAZING HIKE WITH THE WALKWAYS ATTACHED TO THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.**

I last visited Lake Bled on my original bike tour through Slovenia, it was fun to come back.

LAKE BLED IS AN AMAZING PLACE IN AN AMAZING COUNTRY.. THAT’S THE CASTLE ON TOP OF THE ROCK ON THE LEFT.

After a full day of adventure hiking and walking, were not done. I’m driving and suggest we go into Ljubljana for the Christmas lights. There’s a river cruise, so the tourist in me says, let’s go for a boat ride.

**I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY HAVE E=mc2 (squared) IN LIGHTS**

Meanwhile back home, it’s snowed and the sledding hills are showing themselves in Skofja Loka

**THERE’S A GREAT SLEDDING HILL RIGHT NEXT TO THE CASTLE IN SKOFJA LOKA**

You can tell by the last post Christmas was awesome. The excitement didn’t end there. I had the flu so on New Years we stayed at home watching The Grand Budapest Hotel. We heard this big explosion, looked at each other? WTF? Being it was New Year’s and there were plenty of “real” fireworks and explosions that night, we shrugged it off and went back to watching the movie. A few minutes later, we look and see this.

THIS IS THE FIRE JUST GETTING STARTED (those are 2 lights below the flames)

Soon the entire apartment is engulfed in flames. The first 3 fire trucks only had extension ladders.

**THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE SQUARE WAS ON FIRE, AT ONE POINT THE FLAMES ON THE BACKSIDE WERE 5 METERS (15 FT.) IN THE AIR.**

From our window you could see the whole thing unfold. One firefighter stood on the ground using a hose, that couldn’t reach the fire, it would have been funny if it wan’t potentially so tragic.

THE LADDER FIRE TRUCK FINALLY ARRIVED FROM A NEARBY VILLAGE AND GOT THE BLAZE UNDER CONTROL.

They thought they had extinguished the fire, and brought the ladder down. From our vantage point we could see the fire had started up again. They raised the ladder again and extinguished the flames again, they did that twice.
The next day we learned that the guy committed suicide by lighting a room full of natural gas. I talked with the neighbor yesterday, he said he saw the explosion, a blue flames shooting out the windows and the whole roof had lifted up.

We got some sunny winter weather and I was able to bike around . People ask how do you ride when it’s -3? I always say, it’s like going skiing, you just wear a few extra layers and off you go.

I”ve never actually lived where you could or had to bike with snow all around. I have 5 layers on,

**RIDING THROUGH THE FARMERS FIELDS, “IN THE SUN”**

Surly sent me some parts for my bike and told me to go to Pici Bici to have it fixed. They had some cool bikes and other bike stuff. They specialized in refurbishing old bikes and are the Surly representatives in Slovenia.

They had a bike with a sharpening stone attached. You removed the bike chain and attached the grinder chain to the front sprocket, start pedaling. I think something like this could work really well at on of Portland’s many Farmers Markets.

**BICYCLE WITH SHARPENING STONE ATTACHED**

**LOOK CLOSELY AT THE FRONT BRAKE ASSEMBLY. YOU PUSH THAT ROUND KNOB, THAT THEN APPLIES THE BRAKE TO THE TIRE**

**IT’S A BBQ BIKE TRAILER, MAYBE ANOTHER BUSINESS OR A BBQ PARTY!**

**AND OF COURSE A PORTLAND FAVORITE, KEG DELIVERY.**

RIDING THE SNOWY BACKROADS CAN BE CHALLENGING, YET LOTS OF FUN TOO.

**SOME PARTS WERE A SHEET OF ICE, ALMOST BIT IT, BUT NO.**

**ONE PLUS, THERE ARE NO CARS OUT HERE!**

**SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I’M LIVING IN A FAIRY TALE**

I wanted to get a clock for the living room wall. I shopped on ETSY for bike clocks, but with shipping it was going to cost $50 easy. So I was in the Chinese shop at the mall and bought a clock for 8 euro. I also bought a bike shoe box at the same store a couple weeks ago.

**I SCANNED THE BIKE SHOE BOX AND REMOVED THE OLD CLOCK IMAGE AND PUT THE BIKE IMAGES INSIDE THE CLOCK.**

I MADE MY OWN BIKE CLOCK FOR ABOUT 10 EURO ($12)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JABBA THE HUT?

i didn’t take a photo of Natasa cleaning up and stomping down the last of Jabba the Hut. It took 3 weeks to melt.

The stories that I planned to write about this time will have to wait till next time. There is so much to share about living here in Skofja Loka, Slovenia and best of all with Natasa.
MORE PHOTOS HERE

Thanks for reading.
People People where are the comments?
JEFF

NEXT? Farmers market, walking bridges politics, and?

SKOFJA LOKA, “More than I could ever wish for”

January 8, 2015January 10, 2015 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 3 Comments

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM JEFF’S BIKE TOUR

Xmas card — IT SNOWED LAST WEEK AND LOOKS JUST LIKE THIS. CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS.

We are doing super. I have a great situation, Natasa and I are super happy together.

**SHE WANTS MY HAIR DRY, (I don’t really care), but it’s fun!**

Not only is it great with her, but Sara (her daughter) and parents are great to be with too.
The family situation for me is something I haven’t had in my life, for a long time. After my grandmother died in1995, there has been only a couple family Holidays for me, once with my brother. My mom died last summer, I hadn’t talked with her in 20 years. My Dad? That’s another story too, I’ve written him once in the last 10 years. I unfriended my 1 brother on Facebook, a couple of months ago. Enough.

So that gets me to what I want to actually talk about. The great family situation I’m in now. Natasa & I laugh and love all day, I’ve never had it so good. “Living the dream” that’s really the truth. Natasa’s parents are only a 5 minute walk away. We’ve had them over for breakfast. Sunday night dinners and Christmas. Natasa’s Mom, Mirjana had a 70th birthday party this summer.

**MIRJANA IS IN THE RED. I GOT TO PRUNE THE APPLE TREES BEFORE THE PARTY, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO PUT MY ENERGY TO HELP OUT.**

They had numbered birthday cards but they were sold out of the 70 ones, I went to 3 stores!

**NATASA\S DAD, FRANC, MOVING FURNITURE BETWEEN RAINSTORMS AT THE PARTY.**

Both Franc and I were on our own for dinner one night. He tries to speak some English, it’s still better than my Slovenian. We had coupons for 2 free Bosnian Sausage dinners, we went and had a great time-even with the language problems.
I cooked Christmas dinner this year, turkey, vegetarian shepherd’s pie, salad, mushroom stuffing. I looked down at the table and soon realized, I cooked the whole thing, holy shit.

CSC_0514 — MIRJANA LOVES TO DRESS UP, IT’S GREAT. (photo by Sara )

Franc said if he likes the food he shows it by eating ALOT! It’s actually quite amazing how much he can eat. Mirjana is a great cook too.

**TRADITIONAL SLOVENIAN: RED PEPPER IN (OLIVE OIL, HERBS), POTATOES, PORK AND SOME SHREDDED ROOT? WITH BEANS**

Another traditional Holiday that they have here and not in America is St. Nicholas Day. You exchange small gifts 10 days before Christmas. Natasa’s brother’s family, parents and Natasa and Sara.

**THAT’S EVERYBODY ON ST. NICHOLAS DAY EXCHANGING FRUIT, SAUSAGES , TEA AND CHOCOLATE!**

It’s great living in the “old town”, bike tourist come through all summer, it’s great to talk with them. This is Oscar & Patricia from Argentina, on their 3 year journey. They stayed a few days in our basement room. I think their staying in Istanbul now for the winter.

THIS IS ALL THEIR GEAR THEY HAD 2 GUITARS AND A CELLO!

My plan is to do bike tours here in Slovenia. I’ve camped and visited maybe 1/2 the country. There still lots to explore and would love to show off Slovenia to my friends.

LOCAL POT LUCK: ALMOST ALL DESERTS, (very Slovenian)

We got invited to a neighborhood meeting, Natasa had to work so I went. They all had kids, I also learned that people from around Slovenia come to Skofja Loka just to walk around the square with their kids. I was wondering why I was seeing so many baby carriages.

THE NEW TUNNEL 2 LANE “FREEWAY”, MAKES A GREAT CARFREE BIKE PATH (temporarily)

It’s been a mild & dry winter. I rode into Ljubljana 3 times in 7 days (50 km rt), to Christmas shop. I’m learning all the “safe” bike routes.

**IT FINALLY SNOWED HERE, i TOOK THIS PHOTO FROM OUR 3RD FLOOR APARTMENT.**

We have a small patio and the snow was piled up.
It was pretty cold -8 (17 degrees fahrenheit). So the snow was so dry that you couldn’t make a snow man. So we tried to shovel the into something?

**IT’S JABBA THE HUT FROM STAR-WARS: KIWI EYES, BANANA EYEBROWS, POTATO NOSE, CARROT TONGUE, STICKS FOR LIPS AND ARMS**

**THE VIEW FROM MY FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP**

I’m learning some Slovenian, I’ll say adijo (goodbye), then they say goodbye to me in English. Everyone knows I only know a few words but when I try to practice they end up just speaking English to me (thanks). So I thought ok, I call Natasa honey in Slovenian, why not?

So I started calling her Med instead of honey. She liked honey better. Medi is a little bear, so I started calling her Med Medi and she likes that (somewhat) we both laugh about it.
Here’s your chance to see how hard the Slovenian language really is. How to say “Did you eat anything yet?” in Slovenian. There’s only 10 ways to say it!

I really feel like I rescued the 3rd phase of my life meeting. Natasa and her family are a true blessing for me.
More Photos are HERE

I hope you enjoyed this update. Thanks for reading.

Jeff

NEXT: FIRE BREAKS OUT ON NEW YEARS IN SKOFJA LOKA & MORE FUN TALES.

LIFE IN SKOFJA LOKA, SLOVENIA (PART II): SKOFJA LOKA GETS A FACELIFT

December 3, 2014February 25, 2015 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

This is the view from my favorite coffee shop, THE RAJ (translation: Paradise ) it’s right next to the river. They make me a special “Americano” a double espresso with the water run through 4 times, That’s the castle in the background and the Devil’s Bridge over the river.

**THERE’S A “MUST SEE” MUSEUM IN THE CASTLE.**

Skofja Loka is one of Slovenia’s oldest villages, it’s a little over 1,000 years old. In 1511 an earthquake destroyed the entire village and it was rebuilt. In 1660 and 1690 fires also ravaged large parts of the town. So today’s infrastructure is somewhat new, just 300 years old, And old infrastructure needs to be either repaired or replaced at some point. So Skofja Loka had a HUGE makeover this summer. There was sewer and water pipes laid. They tore up all the asphalt and replaced it with cobblestone.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 024 — **AS A VILLAGE MADE FOR WALKING, IT WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES**

People still had to shop and get around. People acted like nothing was going on, they all went about their lives.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 063 — **AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE WOMEN PUSHING HER BABY STROLLER**

It was really interesting to watch the transformation.

**THIS IS THE SAME PHOTO LOCATION AS THE ABOVE PHOTO**

**THEY WERE ALL MASTER CRAFTSMAN, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE TOWN A NEW (OLD) LOOK.**

The finishing touches really help give Skofja Loka a great look and feel.

A WALKING TOWN NEEDS PLACES TO REST, BENCHES ARE A GREAT ADDITION TO SKOFJA LOKA.

IMG_1119 - Copy — **GRAFFITI IS A PROBLEM HERE TOO, JUST PAINTED, SOMEONE TAGGED THE INSIDE OF THE TUNNEL.**

IMG_1120 - Copy — **THE CHURCH BELLS USE TO BOTHER ME SOME, NOW? I DON’T EVEN HERE THEM (HARDLY).**

Art is always a good way to put the finishing touches on a great job.

**THIS IS A METAL CASTING OF THE VILLAGE OF SKOFJA LOKA**

**THE MORE I LEARN ABOUT SKOFJA LOKA, THE MORE STORIES THIS MAP TELLS.**

When your traveling it’s time to skip the old Europe: France, UK, Germany, Spain etc. It’s time to see the old “new” Europe : Slovenia, Czech, Albania, Croatia and of course the must see village of Skofja Loka. Come see a true medieval village with lots of history, photo opportunities that include many hiking and biking options too.
It’s great just living in the old town of Skofja Loka, but when you have to work on the buildings, it can be a little complicated. When the neighbors needed to get on the roof, they must come into our apartment and climb up a ladder from our deck.

**IF THEY DON’T HAVE A DECK WAY TO GET UP ON THE ROOF, IT’S THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.**

There is more work being done than just the rebuilding of the old town. Most roads are just one lane each way and some roads don’t even accommodate 2 cars at the same time. This is the main road from Skofja Loka to Gorenja Vas (where Natasa works), but only one vehicle at a time can pass through here.

**SCHOOL KIDS HITCHHIKE FROM HERE, SINCE THE CARS HAVE TO WAIT TO PASS THROUGH, IT’S PRETTY EASY TO GET A RIDE, I HITCHHIKED TO NATASA’S WORK ONE DAY.**

Being a member of the European Union has it’s advantages. The EU offered to help Skofja Loka solve the one lane road problem, by digging a tunnel around the bottle neck. The money has some strings attached, they were given just a couple years to finish the project or they had to return the money. When I go out for a bike ride on a Sunday, they’re out there working. They don’t want to give the money back! (they probably don’t have it to give back)

**THAT PILE OF DIRT HAS BEEN REMOVED. THE NEW “HIGHWAY” CAN BE SEEN TAKING SHAPE. THEY WERE LAYING ASPHALT LAST WEEK.**

It’s really amazing they let you ride your bike while here while they’re working on the road, that would never happen in America.

**THE STONE WALLS, ALONG THE NEW ROAD ARE SUPER ARTISTIC, MUCH BETTER THAN THE CONCRETE WALLS YOU USUALLY SEE IN AMERICA.**

There seems like there is construction everywhere you turn, the old town, new highway and the country is getting a sewer system, thanks to the EU again.

**ANOTHER DE-TOUR ON OUR WALKS AROUND THE VILLAGE**

We’ve had some pretty incredible storms here. Houses flooded, roads washed away or covered in mud. Natasa and I did a bike ride through one of the valleys that were affected.

**THERE WAS MUD AND DOWNED TREES EVERYWHERE**

**THIS IS MUD AND ROCK THAT WAS PILED UP, WITH A BACKHOE, BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE ROAD.**

**THE HOUSE IS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THIS SLIDE, THAT’S A NEW ROCK WALL THAT IS BEING BUILT.**

I went back a few weeks later by myself to see how much they had cleaned up.

**THEY’RE BUILDING A ROCK WALL IN THE RIVER TO PREVENT THE RIVER FROM FURTHER ERODING THE ROAD.**

**THE GUY WITH THE SHOVEL IS TELLING THE BACK HOE GUY HOW TO SET THE ROCKS SO THEY’RE STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.**

**RIGHT AFTER THE STORM SOME PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN THEIR HOMES, HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE SOME FOOD STORED!**

I hoped you all enjoyed this little tour of Skofja Loka’s many construction projects and storm damage repair jobs. I have only one more construction project to show you all.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 028 — **THIS IS MY NEW OFFICE, WHERE I SPEND “A LOT” OF TIME.**

**AS YOU CAN SEE I’M GETTING “SETTLED IN”.**

I have had several request on posting our address, email me and I;ll send you the address
I will post all the photos when I’m done with all the Skofja Loka stories I have a couple more.

Thanks again for reading.

JEFF

**I ACTUALLY KINDA LIKE THIS POPE. HOPEFULLY BIRTH CONTROL IS NEXT.**

LIFE IN SKOFJA LOKA, SLOVENIA (PART I)

November 29, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

Thanks for waiting for this post. I’ve been super busy here in Skofja Loka. I’ve been in Skofja Loka mostly, but still traveling some to Albania, Hungary, Czech, Germany, Montenegro and Croatia. Most of these countries are within the same distances as my entire home state of Oregon.

mapoverlay — **SLOVENIA IS CENTERED IN THE OREGON MAP, THAT ALSO INCLUDES 7 MORE COUNTRIES**

Slovenian language is VERY difficult, but no worries (so far). With a population of 2 million, 60% speak English. All students are required to take English classes and the fact that 70% of internet content is in English, doesn’t hurt either.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 021 — **I BOUGHT AN ENGLISH BOOK THE OTHER DAY IN LJUBLJANA**

When Natasa and I first got back from America, it was like Christmas in June. Both Natasa and Sara got Apple Iphones. This has turned out (so far) to be a great addition to communicating and socializing.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 023 — HI MOM, WHERE’S MY PHONE?

I love to cook and now that 3 of us are sharing the kitchen we needed more room.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 070 — **YOU CAN BUY IKEA TYPE, ASSEMBLE YOURSELF, CABINETS**

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 072 — **SISI, OUR CAT THOUGHT SHE SHOULD HELP ME, IT WAS WORK TO CONVINCE HER TO GET OUT.**

**FINISHED CABINET AND WITH JARS OF FLOUR, PASTA, RICE ETC. THAT’S A WALNUT CUTTING BOARD WE BOUGHT AT THE ART MARKET IN THE OLD TOWN SQUARE (outside our front door)**

i really enjoy being able to make our lives easier and fun. This is the first time in my life I have the time to work on projects around the house, somewhat stress free. I cook meals, make zucchini bread, cookies, I go shopping at the farmers market. Natasa seems to be enjoying having Mr. Mom here.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 085 — **NATASA’S PARENTS HAVE A HUGE CHERRY TREE. OUR FREEZER IS FULL OF CHERRIES AND BERRIES FOR WEEKEND PANCAKES**

People are always asking me how I like it here is Skojfa Loka. I tell them, if you’ve every seen the T.V. series from the 60’s called THE PRISONER, well I feel like the main character. He lives in a village, where life is perfect. The cafes have people sipping coffee, there’s concerts in the park, it sometimes feels unreal.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 139 — **ONE OF THE MANY SUMMER EVENTS CELEBRATING SLOVENIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE**

For a city to be great it must have bicycle events and we had several pass through Skofja Loka this summer.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 045 — **THEY HAD 10 POLICEMAN ON MOTORCYCLES KEEPING THE ROAD CLOSED AND SAFE. IT WAS THE MAIN ROAD (and the only road)**

Every bike race has to have a rest stop to recharge.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 048 — **THIS STOP IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAIN ROAD TO LJUBLJANA, THE CAPITAL OF SLOVENIA.**

Having bike events pass through Skofja Loka is pretty cool. But really the local riding is so awesome too. I can climb a mountain, ride along a river, ride through the cornfields and best of all it’s nearly all car-free.

**NATASA STYLE RIDING IN HER THAILAND PANTS**

After my Mr. Mom chores are done, the rest of the day is mine to do as I want and biking is on that list.

**BIKING ALLOWS ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE PHOTOS OF OTHER TRAVELERS TOO.**

I find in the Slovenian people to be quite self-sufficient. The farmers work hard, I’ve seen them using their tractors at night with the headlights on!

**THEY HAVE IT ALL HERE: FIREWOOD, HAY FOR THE COWS THROUGH THE WINTER AND A GARDEN FOR EATING, CANNING AND FREEZING.**

I respect the hard working nature of the Slovenians. I’ve had several of my own business’s since I was 16, I’m a hard worker. Natasa? She makes me look lazy, she’s a kick ass worker. It’s hard to get here to sit down sometimes.
Natasa had to go with her job on a weekend retreat.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 127 — **SO I PACKED UP THE CAR AND HEAD TO THE BEACH IN IZOLA, SLOVENIA**

I stayed in Izola last summer for nearly a week, but this time I wanted to bike to Koper for a full day. I still find visiting museums and historical places interesting and fun.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 091 — **THIS PAINTING LOOKED JUST LIKE AN OLD EUROPEAN VILLAGE**

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 087 — **THIS SIGN IS IN KOPER. MOST BANDS DON’T MAKE IT TO SLOVENIA, BUT GOOD OLE BILLY IDOL IS COMING TO LJUBLJANA AND WE GOT TICKETS!**

Billy Idol still looks like the cover of his first album, hasn’t aged a bit. (sunscreen?)

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 155 — IT WAS A SOLD-OUT SHOW, MOST BANDS DON’T COME HERE AND WHEN THEY DO, EVERYBODY COMES. (iphone doesn’t take the best pictures)

I go for a bathroom break, the world cup soccer was going on and soccer fever was everywhere, even in the bathroom urinal.

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 146 — **IT WAS SOCCER, STILL NO SCORE**

Back in Skofja Loka,

SKOFJA LOKA 1ST MONTH 079 — **SARA IS SHOWING HER GRANDPA (FRANK) HOW HER NEW IPHONE WORKS.**

I’ve saw this during my first visit to Skofja Loka, first days of school celebration?

**I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY GET THAT FELT PEN OFF THEIR FACES LATER?**

Thanks for reading, I have some free time now and will be posting Part II very soon.
Even in winter, biking is awesome. Like skiing, just dress for the weather and you will never have to put your bike away for the winter.

Take Care

Jeff

BIKE TOURING MT. TRIGLAV

October 8, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

Natasa is off to Sarajevo and I’m offered the car for the weekend. The car idea is somewhat tempting, but as a biker, we usually like to pedal our ride not drive it. So, I plan a weekend trip, first by train to Most na Soca (photos). Then bike to Camp Villi (photos) to use as a base camp and do some exploring of the region, by bike. I call Will and warn him that I’m coming and I would like the BBQ fish dinner.

I MISSED THE ASPHALT ROAD TURN-OFF AND END UP TAKING THIS GRAVEL ROAD. STILL PRETTY NICE!

I THINK ONLY ONE OR TWO CARS CAME BY ME ON THIS ROAD

I finally work my way back up to the asphalt road and check my google map to see how far Camp Villi is, I see it’s directly below me. It’s hot and I’m wearing jeans, I didn’t bring any cycling shorts. Camp Villi is alive with activity, like cutting the grass and other country living chores.

I DIDN’T SEE THE SHEEP LAST TIME, NOW I’M CAMPING NEXT TO THEM.

1 KILOMETER OR 100 KILOMETERS, NOTHING FEELS BETTER THAN A COLD RIVER ON YOUR FEET, AND I MEAN **COLD!**

I had called ahead and told them I was coming, good plan. They thought I was going to be the only one camping and eating with them, wrong, 14 more people showed up.

PETER HAD THE UNFORTUNATE TASK OF TRYING TO MAKE 14 PEOPLE HAPPY WITH THE REMAINING 3 FISH. INSTEAD OF FISH THEY GOT BOSNIAN SAUSAGES and CHICKEN, GOOD, BUT NOT AS GOOD AS THE FISH.

CHICKEN, BOSNIAN SAUSAGES, POLENTA, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES. NOTHING LIKE ROUGHING IT WHEN YOUR CAMPING.

From my campsite there are about 12 people parasailing above me. I talk with Will and he tells me you can fly for 5 or 6 hours if you want. The thermal lifts here, are world renowned. I thought I would take a photo the next day, but forgot to. So I posted this video of someone doing a 40 km “sailing.”

VIEW PARASAILING VIDEO HERE

The weather is uncharacteristically warm and very sunny. I start thinking that maybe I should do the Mt. Triglav loop, that I’ve wanted to do all summer. I check the distance and the weather online. I call Natasa and tell her my plans, “have a good time”, I’m going to ride the valley and climb the mountain. It’s the challenge that I enjoy, so here goes.

THE BIKE ALLOWS YOU TO REALLY SEE AND FEEL THE LOVE A COUNTRY.

THE WEATHER IS SPECTACULAR COMBINED WITH THE SCENERY, BIKING WAS A GREAT CHOICE. EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, IT SEEMS THERE’S A CHURCH.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS LITTLE STONE BUILDING IS FOR?

THE BLUE COLOR OF THE SOCA RIVER IS SOMETHING I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

I DIDN’T BRING ANY “CYCLING” SHORTS, BUT THE RIDE IS SO GREAT I HARDLY NOTICE HOW UNCOMFORTABLE THESE ARE TO RIDE IN.

I WAS THE ONLY CAMPER AT THIS CAMPGROUND, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF CAMPING “OUT OF SEASON”

I’VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY CABLE BRIDGES ACROSS A RIVER

i stop at a store for some supplies for tomorrows climb, there’s a couple of touring German cyclist here too They just climbed the mountain and said it took them an hour and half. I gave myself 2-3 hours and to be sure I would make it. I camped at the last campground just before the climb, to give myself enough time.

I HAD SOME TIME BEFORE THE SUN WENT DOWN AND DID A LITTLE HIKE NEAR MY CAMPSITE. I WAS THE ONLY ONE CAMPING HERE TOO.

I make a big bowl of oatmeal, fruit and nuts and 2 cups of coffee. It’s time to meet my destiny, the top!

: HOLY SHIT, 14% GRADE FOR 9 KM.(5.6 MILES) (I’m toast)

NEARLY EVERY TURN HAD A NUMBERED SIGN WITH THE ELEVATION

SOME TURNS HAD SIGNS OF A LAZY DAY, THAT I WASN’T CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING

IT TOOK ME 2.5 HOURS TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF PRELAZ VRSIC (there’s no way those other cyclist made it in 1.5 hours) The pass road is closed in the winter.

MY BIKE RIMS WERE OVERHEATING ON THE RIDE DOWN, BUT OF COURSE THERE’S ALWAYS A GOOD PHOTO TO TAKE WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THEM TO COOL OFF.

EVERY TURN HAD COBBLESTONES WITH ASPHALT USED IN BETWEEN THE TURNS

i finally reach Kranjska Gora, this bike path starts at the Italian border and goes all the way to Camp Kamne. Camp Kamne is where Natasa and I first met.

THIS BIKE PATH IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS THAT BIKING IS BETTER THAN DRIVING.

I was the only one a Camp Kamne, for awhile, then 3 more campers showed up.

I GOT TO SET UP AND COOK IN THE SHELTER. THEY WORK HARD AT CAMP KAMNE, EVERYTHING IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND THE PLACE IS “SUPER ” CLEAN.

I was going to take the 3pm train from Jesenice back to Skofja Loka. I looked at the map and it was only 56km, easy, no mountains and I would get in SKofja Loka about the same time, as the train. I message Natasa and tell her my plans, “see you tonight, have fun”, awesome. I’ve wanted to figure out how to ride from here to Skofja Loka, google maps shows me the Highway, so instead I use the walking route map.

I LOVE THE CHARACTER AND CHARACTERS OF THE LITTLE VILLAGES I PASS THROUGH

I was doing really good for awhile, the walking route was more than rewarding.

THE “WALKING” ROUTE TOOK ME DOWN A DIRT ROAD THAT TURNED TO MUD AND EVENTUALLY ENDED. I HAD TO BACKTRACK 3 OR 4 KM

i missed another turn and ended up riding into someones farm, then a dog chased me away. I checked my map and found out where I went wrong (again).

I KNOW WHY A MISSED THIS TURN, I THOUGHT “NO WAY” YEP THAT WAS THE WAY.

I finally made it to Kranj, I’ve ridden to Kranj from Skofja Loka 6 or 7 times. It’s about a 40 minute ride and I got back an hour after the train, not too bad? I was so glad to be back. I think todays ride was harder than crossing the PRELAZ VRSIC (mountain pass). I was so dead,

I WALK IN THE DOOR AND SI-SI, OUR CAT, THOUGHT I NEEDED A NICE WELCOME HOME PRESENT, SHIT! MAYBE THE CAT MISSED ME?

If your considering a challenging bike route here it is.

GOOGLE MAP OF ROUTE

Next time I’ll ride from Skofja Loka to Most na Soca, instead of the train, it’s a quiet road. IS BIKING BETTER THAN DRIVING? Of course I say yes, but you decide for yourself. Taking 4 days biking versus 3 hours driving allows for a greater connection with an area, just look at the photos, they tell the real story.

MY BIKE PHOTOS ARE HERE

NEXT? BIKING IN CROATIA (again). For all the people waiting for my Skofja Loka stories and photos, I swear they’re next-next. I have 450 photos to sort and figure out where to put to make a nice story;-)

Thanks for reading and commenting

Jeff

BIKE ROUTE SCOUTING OF MT. TRIGLAV

October 4, 2014October 4, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

I know I promised to write about life in Skofja Loka, but shit happens. We’ve had a terrible summer, except for the last couple of days, sunny sunny sunny. It’s hard to work inside when it’s so nice outside. We went to the European Union Mobility Festival events in Ljubljana. I did the bike tour, then we all 3 did the walking tour and then a free train ride to the Ljubljana Castle (photos) in the city center.

I was told by the head of Slovenian Tourism that the route around Mt. Triglav is the most beautiful part of Slovenia. I’ve been trying all summer to get someone, anyone to join me for a bike tour of the region, but no takers. (Stanley)I finally convince Natasa that driving around the mountain and car-camping would be OK too. So we are going to drive around Mt. Triglav (photos), the highest mountain in Slovenia and it’s only National Park while doing bike tour scouting.

THE ROADS ARE QUIET AND SEEM LIKE A POTENTIAL FOR GREAT BIKE TOURING.

I REALLY ADMIRE THE PEOPLE WHO OPT FOR RURAL VILLAGE LIFE.

LOVE THE UNIQUE HOUSES THAT LINE THE ROADS

AN AMAZING TUNNEL CUT THROUGH SOLID ROCK. LOTS OF CARS CAN BE SEEN CARRYING BIKES TO THEIR DESTINATION.

SLOVENIA IS A BEE CAPITAL, WHICH MORE OF THE WHOLE WORLD NEEDS TO PROMOTE TOO

A POSITIVE SIGN THAT CYCLING IS PART OF THE CULTURE HERE AND COMPATIBLE WITH FARMING! (car photos can be fuzzy)

We didn’t leave till 5pm, so within a couple hours the sun was disappearing. I type “camping” into Google maps and it shows a few campsites, on the other side of the Soca River. We finally find a bridge, cross the river and follow some camping signs down a gravel road. We stumble into CAMP VILI (camp willy), and meet the very funny owner, Will. We didn’t plan any dinner options for tonight. So Will’s many choices are more than welcome.

WILL SHOWS US SOME DINNER OPTIONS, CHICKEN OR PORK WITH VEGETABLES.

We opt for the fresh BBQ fish.

**“MY BEST MEAL IN SLOVENIA”** BBQ: FRESH FISH, POLENTA, ZUCCHINI, BOSNIAN SAUSAGES, TOMATOES AND EGGPLANT.

THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER IS A TOP NOTCH BICYCLE ROUTE.

The road ends in KOBARID (photos), a place for adventure experiences: rafting, canyoning, hiking, kayaking and parasailing

THE ROAD’S POTENTIAL FOR BIKE TOURING IS SHOWN AT EVERY TWIST AND TURN IN THE ROAD.

I’M INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT IT’S LIKE IN WINTER, I’M BETTING SNOW AND COLD

We stopped at many different campgrounds to see what amenities they offered. Some sold sheep cheese and had an in-house restaurant.

THIS WATER FEATURE WAS AT ONE OF THE CAMPGROUNDS WE VISITED.

LET ME JUST SAY, “THAT WATER IS **COLD**“

We’ve driven through the entire Trenta Valley (photos) and are about to head up and over the mountain. I’m taking photos as Natasa drives, we pass a photo opportunity, but continue to drive. I finally said “wait” there’s an awesome photo I want. Natasa agrees and turns the car around. We only go back about a kilometer or 2.

THIS HARDY COUPLE IS DIGGING THIS YEARS POTATOES FOR WINTER STORAGE. THEY ARE THE FIRST HOUSE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN. WE STAYED AND TALKED FOR AWHILE. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES OF ALL TIMES.

We basically drove through the Trenta Valley following the Soca River. Natasa suggest we hike to the Soca’s source, mmm OK. The first part of the hike was easy, but before long we’re hanging onto a cable, to reach the source.

HANGING ONTO A CABLE TO SEE THE SOCA WATER SOURCE ISN’T MY IDEA OF FUN. IT WAS A LONG WAY DOWN.

I tell her, “I’m not dieing to see the Soca River source.” We turn around and I buy the post card of what it looks like. Natasa treats me to some cherry strudel, for doing the hike? It’s time to drive up and over PRELAZ VRSIC (photos) .

HEADING DOWN, EVERY TURN WAS COBBLESTONED

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO OR WHAT YOU’LL SEE ON THE SLOVENIAN BACKROADS

It was quite a great “road” trip, very doable by bike, except maybe climbing the 10 km mountain.

We’re great travel companions, as always looking forward to our next adventure. Natasa has to go to Sarajevo for work, in a couple weeks. So I plan to take the train to Most Na Soca and bike to Camp Ville, while she’s gone. I was going to just ride up and down the bike route, then take the train back to Skofja Loka. The weather is forecast, sunny for 4 days–straight!

NEXT? I bike the route we just drove, including up Prelaz Vrsic pass. Is biking really better travel than by car? stay tuned

MY ARE PHOTOS HERE

Thanks for reading

Jeff

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT JEFF’S BIKE TOUR?

June 20, 2014October 4, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

The last blog post was from the Netherlands, getting ready to head for America, after a year of adventure travel..
A lot has happened in the last 9 weeks. I worked for 4 weeks, maintaining (painting, fixing plumbing and misc. stuff) at the apartments I own. Natasa came to help, and do some sightseeing too! for 2 weeks. We visited Mt. Hood, biked around Portland and visited the coast. We both felt like we were in Portland a month together. I got to eat my fill of Mexican food, so did Natasa! Most of the photos I took were on my I-phone, that broke. I went to have it repaired, it went downhill from there. I left town with my phone/camera in parts. But the good news is that, it’s fixed and my neighbor sent me the photos via dropbox. I will be updating Jeff’s Bike Tour blog with photos and stories, very soon.
But in Short:
I’m living the dream life, right now. I’m in love with Natasa, we are so fun together. I’m Mr. Mom, shopping, cooking, washing windows, patio gardening and learning the history of SKOFJA LOKA. I plan to do walking and biking tours, very soon. Were doing some research regarding opening a yogurt shop too, stay tuned.
IT’S GREAT TO BE ALIVE
Jeff

Back in Bangkok-(worlds biggest market) and back in Slovenia

April 7, 2014October 4, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 8 Comments

After 10 hours of work, I had this blog within 5 minutes of being finished, thanks to WordPress updates, the whole thing was erased. So I’m going to try and not lose this one.
Goodbye Cambodia, Hello Thailand (for the 3rd time in 3 months.)

STOPPED JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET THIS PHOTO AND NOT LONG ENOUGH TO GET ARRESTED (coffee and souvenirs in the white bag)
How road weary am I? I paid $500, to change my flight, to be back with Natasa in Slovenia, 2 weeks early. 11 months on the road is a long time. I couldn’t get a flight till Sunday night which means I can visit Thailand’s, CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET.
I saw a cool bike T-shirt in Cambodia, Where did you get it? The Chatuchak Weekend Market, I’m going for sure.
I grab a local bus, as we get closer, I see lots of rocks and gems on the sidewalks (my favorite).

NICE LAPIS ( I bought a large specimen)

THIS GUY AND HIS OFFERINGS WERE QUITE INTERESTING
The Market is HUGE, 35 acres with approximately 15,000 business’s, MARKET PHOTOS.
There are the Nike, Levi. Gap etc, knock offs. But there are many independent artist and crafts people’s merchandise too.

THIS WAS THE FUNNIEST T-SHIRT (they didn’t have my size:()
There were lots of bicycle themed T-shirts, which I found to be a little confusing. Bangkok’s horrendous traffic and poor air quality tend to make bicycling quite dangerous and very unhealthy.

THE WOMEN TOLD ME HER SON DID THIS DESIGN
This next T-shirt is for my X-boss, who had the nerve to call me lazy! Really? I just finished nearly a year of adventure travel, which was very hard work. I also planned and worked hard for 2 years to be able to have a work-free year.

MAYBE IF HE PUT DOWN THE BONG LONG ENOUGH, HE COULD WORK SMART INSTEAD OF HARD TOO?
The street food in Bangkok is good and quite cheap. I’ve been eating fresh papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and more daily. Just because it’s a bike business, doesn’t mean it’s good.

THE GUY WAS GRABBING ONE OF THE DRIED HANGING SQUID, ROLLING IT IN THE PRESS AND BBQing THEM (no thanks)
The claim is that it’s the world’s largest weekend market, I believe it. If you see something you like buy it. The chances of finding that stall again is nearly impossible. I saw some bicycle pillow cases I really liked, but decided not to buy them. I walked a little ways and stopped while I still knew the way back,

YEP I BOUGHT THEM AND THEY’RE “VERY” POPULAR IN SLOVENIA
I’ve been eating and shopping for nearly 8 hours, my feet are killing me. I grab the bus back to my hotel.

YEP, I’M GETTING A LITTLE CRAZY AND BORED ON MY LAST DAY IN BANGKOK.
My plane doesn’t leave till midnight, but I must check out of my hotel at noon, That’s 10 hours wandering around Bangkok. I decide that for $20 ($2 hr.) I’m going to keep the room. I tell the hotel I have a friend coming into
Bangkok (a lie). I’m actually going to find someone to give my paid room to. I find a Swedish guy, he says “this is the best thing to happen on my trip.” Glad I could be part of it. We collaborate our stories, I introduce the Swede to the hotel, “as my long lost friend”, it works. I give him the keys and get the mini-bus to the airport.
I board the plane and notice I’m in the “baby” section. I guess that’s what I get for changing my flight.

SEVERAL BABY BEDS ARE HANGING FROM THE WALLS, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I’m back in Slovenia, no more fresh pineapple or $4 massages.

NATASA LIKES TO SAY “THIS IS REAL LIFE”, SHOPPING, COOKING, AND DOING DISHES! JUST CALL ME “MR. MOM”
The local tourist office has generously loaned me an electric bike. I’ve been exploring potential bike tour routes. I had a doctors appointment in a nearby village.

THERE ARE BIKE PATHS THAT CUT THROUGH FARMERS FIELDS, (used by skaters, joggers and walkers too)
I had driven to Kranj with Natasa, but never biked. The advantage of biking is discovering the car-free pedestrian areas.

THE OWNER TOOK THE PHOTO AND TOLD ME HE DESIGNED THE SIGN (English on one side and Slovenian on the other)

THE FARMERS HAVE BEEN SPREADING “ORGANIC” FERTILIZER, WHEW!
There are many roads (bike paths) from town that lead to the areas mountains. I’m re-earning my professional “bike walker” credentials. I walked several kilometers to reach the top.

THE MOUNTAINS DIVERSITY IS STUNNING AND AMAZING, THERE’S FARMING, LOGGING AND RECREATION ALL COEXISTING

THE LEAVES AREN’T ON THE TREES YET, IT FEELS SO OPEN AND SUNNY IN THE FOREST

AT THE TOP, ONE OF THE MANY CHURCHES THAT DOT THE HILLS AND VILLAGES AROUND SLOVENIA

ONCE I HIT THE ASPHALT, FAST WAS THE NAME OF THE GAME
Natasa’s writes me an email-“Can you walk 12 km?” What? There’s a Slovenian coast hike that her friends invited us to come along. Slovenia had a severe ice and wind storm this winter. Driving to the hike we passed an area that every tree had it’s top broken off, plus numerous fallen trees.

THESE ARE STORM DAMAGED TREES FROM ONE OF MY BIKE RIDES
There was 1500 people on the walk and they were feeding us food and wine every 2 or 3 kilometers, but no Porta-Potties

NATASA USED THE MENS BATHROOM AT A GAS STATION (the women’s line was too long)
There were lines at every food station, most people waited patiently, but not everyone. People were constantly cutting in line, enough (I thought). So this guy walks past everyone in line and cuts in, yep, I went over and asked him to wait in line like everyone else. He didn’t like it very much, but whatever, he didn’t get his food ahead of us. Happy Hiking
.

EVERYONE SPOKE SOME ENGLISH, HVALA (thank you)
Natasa put in a new deck last summer, by fall, it was black with mold. I bleached it in December and again last week.

TREATING THE DECK WITH “DECK OIL”
While on one of my many bike rides I saw some interesting lumber lying in front of a mill. We arranged to buy some and I made planters for the deck.

NATASA IS PLANTING “EVER-BEARING” STRAWBERRIES

MORE STRAWBERRIES AND LETTUCE
Natasa is a hard worker (so am I), but you still have to have some fun.

I TOOK HER TO THE TOP OF A LOCAL MOUNTAIN THAT SHE HAD NEVER BEEN TO.

SKOFJA LOKA IS THE VILLAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO
I came across an interesting article, listing the 20 MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRIES.

SLOVENIA CAME IN AT #4 MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRY
I’m currently in Slovenia, heading back to Portland April 14. It’s hard to believe that the year of travel is finished. It’s been awesome, the blog has been fun too. There have been 14,800 views (as of today) from
98 different countries. I’ve gotten 190 comments, basically from the same 7 people (thank you). Lots of people have said they read my blog, but they never leave a comment? It’s nearly the last time that lurkers can leave a comment. You know who you are and so do I, your comments are being formally requested. I also really want to hear from people who are not from the U.S.A.
Natasa is coming to Portland May 18-31 we will be living at my empty house. My pots, pans and dishes are in boxes. This is your opportunity to invite us to dinner, brunch, lunch or breakfast the 2 weeks she’s here, sign -up soon!
Thanks for reading & commenting
Jeff
THAILAND PHOTOS recent photos at end of album
SLOVENIAN PHOTOS recent photos at end of album
NEXT? EPIPHANIES, INSIGHTS AND AWAKENINGS AFTER A YEAR OF TRAVEL

STORY & PHOTOS OF POLICEMEN & POLICEWOMEN!

December 4, 2013December 4, 2013 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ Leave a comment

I was in Portugal and spotted this Policeman who looked like the “terminator” cop. I wanted to get a photo. I asked if I could, then his friend said yes, I just wanted terminator, but OK, I took this photo

PORTUGUESE POLICE PHOTO WITH THE TERMINATOR COP AND HIS FRIEND
I take the ferry to Spain, there were 2 policeman who were giving me directions to the phone store , I showed them the Portuguese photo then they offered to have their photo taken.. I said “Heck Ya.” This was the start of collecting policeman photos in every country I visited.

THE SPANISH POLICE WERE SUPER FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL
A friend (?) from France wrote and told me to look out for Spanish cops. I sent him this photo and asked, “these guys?”
I’m biking around France, shopped at a farmers market and spotted 2 policeman. I asked him for photo? No. I show him the Spanish photo, he walks away. He joins his partner across the street, then he waves me over.

TOOK SOME CONVINCING BUT I FINALLY GOT THE PICTURE OF FRENCH POLICEMAN.
My first day in Venice, Italy at the ATM I spotted 2 policeman and they eagerly agreed to the photo.

THESE ITALIAN POLICEMAN NEEDED NO CONVINCING TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN.
Slovenia was a real task, I had to compromise some with this one. First, there are hardly any police around! I had always tried to get 2 policeman together, that wasn’t going to happen here.

THIS IS THE SLOVENIAN PARLIAMENTARY BUILDING “POLICE” GUARD. THAT’S THE BEST I COULD DO. There are really no police to be found and not 2 together for sure.
The Croatian policeman shot was just about as difficult as the Slovenian. I hardly ever saw the police here either. But when we were dropping off bike boxes at the ferry dock, I spotted several armed “dock” police.

THIS IS THE CROATIAN MARITIME POLICE, AGAIN IT’S THE BEST I COULD DO.
The Montenegro police photo was totally by “accident.” I was only going to be in Montenegro for 24 hours, so my chances were pretty slime. The bus I was riding in got in an accident, so the police arrived to take a report.

THE MONTENEGRO POLICE DELIVERED THIS PHOTO BY WAY OF AN ACCIDENT.
Albania was fairly easy, the first night in town I walked into town with a local. He convinced them it would be OK, somehow?

THIS ALBANIAN POLICEMAN PHOTO WAS TAKEN MY FIRST 5 MINUTES OF WALKING THE STREETS

The Greek policeman photo should have been of at least 2 policeman. Of the four policeman, only this one agreed to a picture.

THE GREEK POLICEMAN ALL COMPLAINED ABOUT GERMAN CHANCELLOR MERKEL’S AUSTERITY DEMANDS
This next photo of the Turkish police is the Gold Standard from which all policeman photos should be judged.

HOT TURKISH POLICEWOMEN WITH MACHINE GUN–YEP HOLY SHOT
It was fairly easy to get all the 10 countries I visited policeman photos, but one Morocco. When I asked maybe 10 different policeman the answer was always the same “IT IS FORBIDDEN.” So I pretended to be adjusting my music while taking a few pictures:

THANKS FOR READING, TALK SOON
RIDE ON, JEFF

FINAL THOUGHTS ON SLOVENIA

September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 4 Comments

WOW! There´s so much to say (surprised?). I skipped Italy to come here, best travel decision ever. I spent 5 weeks here (so far), the longest time and in the smallest country. I didn’t know much about the country, but I know the little country on the block, tries the hardest and they didn’t disappoint.
Before I dig into all this I have to give two thumbs up to HOSTEL ALIETI in IZOLA and a big thank you to TWO WHEEL TRAVEL for bringing me here. I’m having a difficult time getting back on the road.

HOT CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS EVERY MORNING PREPARED BY MAJDA OR HER SON UROS^.
If you come to Slovenia, remember that the small towns have hidden Gems, that only you can discover.
I arrived by train to Travisio, Italy. I was trying to get the train to Lake Bled, but was told it’s faster to bike there. Since I didn’t have a SIM for my phone. I didn’t have a map so I just kind of rode where people told me to go. I just kind of fell on to this awesome bike only bike path. My first stop was the petrol station, where I was warmly greeted and gifted a Slovenian Flag for my bike, I fly it proudly.

THANKS FOR THE SLOVENIAN FLAG!
I head to camp KAMNE for my first Slovenian campground. I talk in my “international” english, Anna asks me to just speak in plain english, “please”. Slovenia’s tallest mountain MT. TRIGLAV is right across the street.

BARBARA AND ANNA RUN A GREAT CAMPGROUND.
Thought it was a one night visit, nope, several days. The local tourism people put on a history slide show of the region. One of only 3 they do during the summer. They served regional appetizers and blueberry schnapps which is super strong.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING LOCAL CELEBRITY, HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR, FRANC (he’s pointing to himself in the photo).
I get Natasa’s address, which turns out to be a big part of my Slovenian visit.
I take the backroad to LAKE BLED.

I BIKE THROUGH TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK. The route contains many points of interest to stop and explore. Slovenians have really reached out to attract tourist by helping them discover the highlights of the country. Bled is a tourist town, but there’s a good reason, it’s beautiful, the CASTLE, CHURCH and a bike path that connects it all together.

PICTURE TAKEN FROM CASTLE TO ISLAND CHURCH
You can swim in Lake Bled, it’s actually quite warm. The traditional costumed performance by local artist was awesome.

WOW! SHE’S HOT
Then my 23 mile 24 hour bike journey, again through TRIGLAV NATIONAL PARK.

IT’S NICE THAT THE CHURCH OFFERS ACCOMMODATION FOR THE HOMELESS.
Slovenia is trying to attract active tourist, there are many bike routes along rivers, lakes and secluded forest.

THE BIKE ROUTE SIGNS CAN BE A LITTLE CONFUSING AT TIMES.
LAKE BOHINJ was a little quieter than Lake Bled.

THIS IS ONE OF 2 ELECTRIC BOAT TAXIS, THEY ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL BOATS

THE WATERFALL HIKE WAS FUN (even for me). I HITCHHIKED UP AND WALKED BACK!

VIEW FROM VOGEL SKI TRAM OF LAKE BOHINJ
I rode gravel backroads and found myself stealth camping again.

LITTLE DID I KNOW WHAT AN IMPORTANT PART SKOFJI LOKA WOULD BE WHEN I TOOK THIS PHOTO
The people are a big part of Slovenia, no matter where I was or what I was doing, the people were amazing.

FELLOW CYCLIST JURE SHOWS ME THE WAY AND INVITES ME TO LUNCH WITH HIS FAMILY.
I told Natasa I would be in about 1pm ooops it’s 3pm and

LUNCH IS SERVED
I grow Blueberries at home (6 bushes) and I needed a blueberry fix and I got one. Natasa’s Mom made a blueberry cake

AND I ADDED BERRY ICE CREAM TOPPED WITH FRESH BLUEBERRIES. YEA BABY!
I visited Ljubljana and stayed with a local family. BBQ, music, culture, gardens, grandma and an awesome family.

I GOT A PRIVATE SHOW FROM SKALA
The museums of Ljubljana were all world class. I learned about the History and Culture of Slovenia and realized how “NEW” America really is.

PHOTO FROM ETHNOLOGY MUSEUM
There are 10,000 known caves in Slovenia. I had the privilege hiking SKOCJAN CAVES .

NO PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED IN THE CAVE
I got to live in SKOFJI LOKA for 3 weeks, “are you still here”? “when are you leaving?” This was an awesome time and then some.

The BEE CULTURE of Slovenia is fascinating. They paint stories on the bees entrance.

THIS BEE TRUCK WAS SPOTTED WHILE DRIVING
I love the community garden concept and visited the ones in Skofji Loka 4 times.

THERE IS LOTS OF SPACE AVAILABLE FOR MORE GARDENS.
I said earlier that it’s the people that make a country, not the beach, not the mountains, not the history, nothing, it’s the people. And things happen, when you expose yourself to the world.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER SUGGESTED WE KISS, OK!
I had the privilege of riding with TWO WHEEL TRAVEL from Skofji Loka to Izola. They are gathering information for a cycling book for Slovenia. I got to see how traveling by bike, as a couple can be,

A ROMANTIC LUNCH DATE IN A LOCAL BUS SHELTER
Now I’m in Izola writing this blog. Reflecting and what an amazing journey I’m on. Holy Shit I’m actually pulling this off, (so far).
Here’s a photo of the local “Italian” market here in Izola. I bought everything to make sandwiches for the week.

CHEESE DISPLAY.
The economy here is similar to that of every country I’ve visited; high un-employment, low wages, broken business and government models.
Readers Digest did a study where they “lost” 30 cell phones. SLOVENIA came in #1 for honesty, they returned 29 of the phones. I rarely locked my bike or worried about my “stuff”
So this is My Slovenia I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed living it and reliving it by writing this blog post.
Get ready Croatia here I come.
RIDE ON
JEFF

Posts navigation

Older posts
Newer posts

	Randall Myers on 10 DAY BIKE TOUR (diss-aster)…
	10 DAY BIKE TOUR (di… on WHERE THE HELL IS AIRVAULT FRA…
	Chops on MY 2 WEEKS IN KENABEEK CANADA
	David Chops on MY 6 WEEKS IN PORTLAND, OREGON…
	rcmyers2 on MY 6 WEEKS IN PORTLAND, OREGON…