PORTLAND?– SKOFJA LOKA? What’s the difference? PART I

February 11, 2015February 27, 2015 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

I’m from Portland Oregon, USA and I’m now living in Skofja Loka, Slovenia. I’ve been asked if I miss America? the answer has been, not as much as you might think I should. I never really bought into America’s values of bigger & bigger: grocery stores, Gigantic Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), blatant corporate welfare, disregards for science (climate change), It’s insistence on living an unsustainable life while impoverishing the rest of the world. The view of endless consumption, with no consequences. Ok, I’m done, but I think you understand where I’m coming from.
The little village of Skofja Loka, is similar to Portland in many ways. Both have two rivers that join at the city. Skoja Loka has the Poljane Sora and the Selca Sora rivers,

THIS IS THE WHERE THE POLJANE SORA AND THE SELCA SORA RIVERS MEET, IN WINTER!

Portland’s 2 rivers are the mighty Columbia River and the Willamette River, and they meet at Kelly Point Park.

What’s the difference? I bike by the rivers in Skofja Loka every time I go to the grocery store. The two big rivers in Portland? I’ve biked out there once in 20 years. Portland is currently studying the feasibility of putting a bike bath to Kelly Point Park. I’ve already got a great bike/pedestrian path over the river.
CONNECTED WITH NATURE? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA

**THE BRIDGE I BIKE ACROSS GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE**

With 2 rivers running through both towns, bridges are a must. This is where, again, America is big. Portland has 8 major bridges crossing the Willamette River, most designed for cars only. Several bridges have been retrofitted for bicycles and the new Tillikum Crossing is a train/bike/pedestrian only bridge.

Fullscreen capture 262015 41014 AM — **THE NEW TILLIKUM BRIDGE IS THE FIRST MAJOR NON-AUTO BRIDGE IN PORTLAND AND GORGEOUS AT NIGHT WITH THE NEW LIGHTS.**

Skofja Loka has more pedestrian only bridges than car bridges, and all the auto bridges are pedestrian friendly. i’m able to walk everywhere: post office,stores, galleries, restaurants, movie theater..

**THIS PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IS THE MAIN ROUTE TO THE LOCAL GRADE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.**

PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA
Farmers Markets are a big deal in Portland and Skofja Loka. In Portland my neighborhood farmers market , Montavilla, is about a 20 minute walk from my house. In the winter it’s only open every couple weeks. The year round market is a 20 minute bike ride from my house. The Skofja Loka Farmers market is a 4 minute walk from our apartment and is open 3 days a week, year round, Tuesday’s, Thursday;s and Saturday’s-which is the BIG market day.

THIS IS OLGA AND HER SON’S HUGE WINTER PRODUCE SELECTION.

I’m able to buy organic pears, apples, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and more 3 days a week-YEAR ROUND!

**THEY SELL VARIOUS SEEDED-WHOLE WHEAT BREADS. PUMPKIN SEEDS AND PUMPKIN SEED OIL ARE BIG IN SLOVENIA.**

ANOTHER PLUS? 2 DAYS A WEEK WE GET FRESH FISH FROM THE COAST, 1 1/2 HRS AWAY. Notice the name? HAPPYDAY!

FARMERS MARKETS? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA

The car is king in America and here in Slovenia too. We have one car that Natasa uses to go to work at 5:30 in the morning, about 16km (10 miles). Natasa use to put her bike away for the winter, no longer, we ride every week to somewhere.

**ONE OF THE MANY BIKE PATHS AROUND SKOFJA LOKA, LESS THAN ONE MILE FROM OUR APARTMENT.**

I DO MOST OF OUR SHOPPING BY BIKE, THANKS TO MY ORTLIEB BAGS.

We’ve had some snowy weather here in Skofja Loka lately. It might snow in Portland but it only last a couple of days.

One thing I don’t miss is the congested highways in Portland. Portland prides itself as a transportation hub for the import and export of goods. The only problem with that is that the roads are crowded with big diesel pollution spewing semi-trucks.

Fullscreen capture 252015 112104 AM — **THIS IS THE DAILY SCENE ON THE “FREEWAY” NEAR MY HOUSE IN PORTLAND. TRAFFIC BACKED UP AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE, EVERY DAY.**

Don’t be mistaken, even with great bus and train service to and from Skofja Loka, there are still huge traffic problems. But here in Skofja Loka, we only have 2 lane roads, so it can only get so bad.

THIS IS ONE OF THE 3 TRAFFIC BACK UPS IN TOWN, CARS LINED UP TO GET THROUGH THE NARROW ONE WAY ROAD ON THE WAY OUT OF TOWN.

At the top of the road right before the one way, is where the locals hitchhike home from school & work.. This is one way to cut down on traffic and reduce C02 emissions from cars, “car-pooling”

**OK, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO PICK-UP? JUST WONDERING**

It’s obvious that there’s going to be less traffic in a village of 12,000 people. I feel It’s more manageable with only 12,000 people than with a million people like in Portland.
TOLERABLE TRAFFIC? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA

I never thought I could survive in a small town. I always thought I needed multiple opportunities to have enough things to do: stores, museums, music,friends, comedy, nature, but I’m finding it easier than I thought to get use to, small town life. We road our bikes into Ljubljana a couple weeks ago, to see the “Painting in Normandy” art exhibit. When artist would escape industrialized society and seek refuge in nature, on the French coast of Normandy. It was called the “Dawn of Impressionism.” it was during the later half of the 19 century & the beginning of the 20th century.

**CAPTURING SUMMER ON THE FRENCH COAST**

1770_m_before_the_hunt — **“BEFORE THE HUNT” by Slovene painter JURIJ SUBIC**

**ANOTHER PAINTING BY SLOVENIAN ARTIST JURIJ SUBIC**

Everyday I’m finding it easier to enjoy small town life, I really never thought I could. Here, I feel more connected by walking to the farmers market, grocery store, bakery, coffee shops, Natasa’s parents. I never liked to walk much, it was always faster by bike. But here everything is so close it’s faster to walk than to get out the bike. Use a car? never even crosses my mind as an option.
SIZE OF LIFESTYLE? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA (BIG TIME)

I’ve never really ridin my bike where there’s snow all around. Kranj was having a celebration event, PRESERNOV SMENJ and Natasa suggested we ride there. I was like heck ya, let’s go. On Sunday morning it was -4c (24 fahrenheit), cold but sunny. I would rather ride in cold sunny weather, than warm rainy weather, any day.

IT SEEMS COLDER IN THE SHADOWS, BUT THE SUN SHINES ON THE FARMERS FIELDS

**WE WALKED THE LAST COUPLE KILOMETERS ON THE ICE AND SNOW. WE RODE THE MAIN ROAD 1/2 WAY BACK TO AVOID THE BIKE-WALKING.**

We were meeting some friends at the event, they were inside a restaurant, but first I wanted to walk around and look at everything.

**I BOUGHT THIS RUSTY BIKE SIGN, AND A BICYCLE LIGHTER TOO.**

**THIS IS A TRADITIONAL KITCHEN ACCESSORIES SALES TECHNIQUE FROM A VILLAGE IN SLOVENIA, EVERYTHING IS ON THEIR BACK.**

Events that happen around Slovenia are mostly based on history and this part of Europe is old.
Portland was founded in 1851 with only 800 inhabitants, so it’s 164 years old. Skofja Loka was founded in 973 and is 1,042 years old. There’s lots of stories to be told with that much time gone by.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA (by 878 years)
I’m concerned with food security, so in Portland I took my yard and planted an edible landscape, all fruit trees and garden beds. In America the average meal travels 2414 km (1500 miles), to reach your plate. America burns 10 calories of energy (oil etc) to produce 1 calorie of food, basically unsustainable. Here in Skofja Loka the Cheese plant is 2 blocks from our apartment, the local butcher is just 2 blocks away too (FYI no smell at all). There are small dairy farmers right in most towns with just a few cows. They grow the cow feed literally in their own backyards, so no transportation costs or carbon footprint.
Some of the farmers that provide produce at Portland’s Farmers markets drive 120 km (75 miles) each way to supply “local produce”. Olga brings her produce 11 km (7 miles),to Skofja Loka’s Farmers Market, now that’s local produce.
A new grocery store just opened in Skofja Loka that sells all Organic Slovenian Products.
FOOD SECURITY? WINNER SKOFJA LOKA (by kms/miles)

WHAT ABOUT BIKES?
The blog is called Jeffsbiketour for a reason, I try to focus most of my insights towards the role bicycles can play in everyone’s daily life. Portland has invested in lots of different biking opportunities and safety projects. Currently there is a huge pushback from auto owners to stop spending money on bike infrastructure and make bikers pay. Yet cars don’t even come close covering their cost of roads, bridges and safety projects. Skofja Loka curently doesn’t have any money to do any major bike infrastructure spending. I asked the Mayor of Skofja Loka to finish the last 50 meters of bike path to the local hardware store, his response? no money. There are numerous farmers roads and gravel paths that help you avoid riding on the major roads.
BIKING OPPORTUNITIES? TIE both have safe biking options (FYI it rains alot in Portland)
I hope you enjoyed reading Jeffsbiketour, it’s like my (our) journal. I’m 59 years old and trying to stay as active as I can till the end. I’m doing a mini-european tour starting March 5th.I’m traveling to Berlin, Paris,(Royan, Airvault, Poitiers), visiting past bike touring friends met on various travel adventures. Then I’m meeting Natasa in Lisbon for a 2 week tour of the Portugal and Spain. You can buy $50 airline tickets to nearly anywhere around Europe. I will be bringing my bike helmet for touring and then writing about it. So Jeffsbiketour will live on with the bike theme in mind.

A Portland newspaper did an article on Portland 27 REASON TO LOVE PORTLAND RIGHT NOW
RIDE ON
JEFF

NEXT? TILL DEATH DO US PART?

AFTER DIGGING OUT NATASA’S CAR, I MAY NEED TO RE-THINK ALL OF THIS?

Portland is still a very popular place to move to, I haven’t sold my house yet, you never know. This video is part of a new culture to keep Portland from becoming big like Seattle or San Francisco. It’s called

STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT PORTLAND

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.

THE RAVEONETTES IN ZAGREB, CROATIA

December 9, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 2 Comments

I enjoy seeing live music every so often, in Slovenian? Not often enough. While doing a search for concerts near here, I found out that one of my favorite bands were playing in Zagreb, Croatia. Natasa couldn’t get off work, but I really needed a music fix, and especially from one of my favorite bands, THE RAVENONETTES. On my bike trip I played ALY, WALK WITH ME, nearly every morning. The lyrics of “Aly, Walk with me in Portland” reminded me of my home of Portland. Before I left, I wrote them on facebook and requested they play this song.

I took the bus to Zagreb, about an hour or so away. I went early in the morning so I could spend the day exploring Zagreb. First, the tourist office at the bus station in Zagreb, pointed to the English map and said nothing else, she had nothing to share about her city. She said the tram cost 6 kuna. So I boarded the tram and find out you need a pre-paid tram card to ride, that would have been some useful information I could have used. I got off the tram at a place that looked like a town square.

I FOUND THE FARMERS MARKET AND THIS REALLY AWESOME FISH MARKET.

I only brought a day pack with me, but was still able to buy a 1/2 kilo of awesome dates and figs. I walked around and came across this pretty spectacular church.

THEY’RE RESTORING THE CHURCH, YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL ON THE LEFT AND THE REPLACEMENT REPLICA ON THE RIGHT.

If you’ve read this blog, you may know, I’m not a big fan of walking. I always prefer my bike, but walking does offer opportunities the bike does not. There are signs everywhere, pointing in every direction, to some museum or monument.

**THE “MUSEUM OF BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS”**

I use to have a handicrafts business for 10 years so of course I chose the Croatian Art and Craft Museum.

The furniture was really exquisite.

**I REALLY LOVE THE INTRICATE INLAID FURNITURE.**

**AS A FORMER WOODWORKER, SOMETHING LIKE THIS GIVES ME PAUSE**

**CANDLE HOLDER, i’D PUT THAT IN MY HOUSE, FOR SURE**

I made it to a small room on the third floor, all clocks. Of course I asked the person who was working alone up there, “what time is it”, I kinda flustered her. I had to explain the question was for fun, she laughed. Check photos for more museum art photos.

REMINDS ME OF PORTLAND, (the part I don’t miss)

After walking around the museum for hours, it’s time for lunch. While walking (yes walking) to the museum I passed a must visit restaurant; I was talking with the coat check lady and told her where I was going for lunch, she that’s her favorite place in town.

I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD AND THIS WAS GREAT! THEY EVEN HAD BLACK BEANS!

I stayed and talked with the owner for awhile. He lived in California for 6 months and thought bringing mexican food to Croatia could work. He is about to open a second location and then start trying to serve breakfast. Breakfast around here is coffee, cigarettes and maybe a piece of bread. It might take awhile before Croatians realize how important breakfast really is. I met a Portuguese student who was there with her visiting mother and little brother, she said her friends brought her here when she first arrived for school. She also said her friends were going to see the Raveonettes too.

I was going to ride the tram to the concert, but the restaurant owner showed me how I could walk the park all the way to the show. So a walking I go……………………………….

**I SAW THESE ALL AROUND TOWN, BICYCLE STREET SWEEPERS**

i wanted to show up early for the Raveonettes show, hopefully I could catch the sound check.

The Raveonettes are from Denmark, they sing their songs in English, but during the sound check they were speaking Danish to the sound board guy.

**YEP, GOT THE PHOTO AND SHARIN SAID SHE SAW MY FACEBOOK POST. HUNG OUT AND CHATTED FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES, SUPER FUN!**

I didn’t buy a T-shirt, because at my age I already have a t-shirt for nearly everyday of the year.

**THIS IMAGE WAS ON A KIDS SIZE T-SHIRT, IF IT WAS ON AN ADULT SIZE SHIRT, I MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT IT.**

I was there early, so I was able to stand right next to the stage. There were 5 photographers swarming the front of the stage. I finally told one, that he had enough pictures and needed to move along so we could enjoy the show, it worked.

**I LOVE THIS TYPE OF CLOSE UP SHOW VERSUS A STADIUM VENUE.**

THIS IS THE GUITAR TECHNIQUE FOR “ALY, WALK WITH ME”

It was a “GREAT” show. So now I’m down by the river and far from the bus station. I was starting to walk to the bus station, then I asked some folks if they were going by the bus station. YES, holy shit was I lucky.
My bus was suppose to come by at 2am, so at 2 am I boarded the bus and thought, I better ask, wrong bus, that was close. My bus was over an hour late. But it worked out, when I arrived back in Ljubljana, the first morning bus back to Skofja Loka was only a 10 minute wait.
I GOT MY MUSIC FIX, I’M GOOD FOR A LITTLE WHILE

MORE PHOTOS HERE

THANKS FOR READING
JEFF

NEXT? SKOFJA LOKA PART III

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

CROATIA BY CAR (with bikes)

October 23, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

Slovenia’s central European location allows you to visit 4 different countries with just a couple hour drive. I biked through Rovinj, Croatia last summer and only spent 1 afternoon there. I thought it was a must re-visit kinda place back then. Natasa got 2 days off work combined with the weekend, 4 days of vacation. We put a 3 hour maximum of “willing” to drive to our vacation spot, Rovinj was perfect, 2.5 hrs.

ROVINJ’S MAIN BUSINESS IS TOURISM AND FISHING

We got an Air B&B apartment for 3 nights $150. While driving down the street looking for our place, we noticed nearly every house had an apartment for rent. We probably didn’t need to book ahead. We unpack the car and bike into the old town (photos).

YOU COULD NEVER HANG YOUR LAUNDRY OUTSIDE LIKE THIS IN AMERICA. SOME COMMUNITIES IN AMERICA HAVE BANNED CLOTHES LINES ALTOGETHER

We decide to bike north along the coast, to see what we see.

THAT’S ROVINJ AND A CLIPPER SHIP THAT DOES TOURS AROUND THE ADRIATIC, THE SHIP WAS AMAZING.

THIS IS A PICTURE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF ROVINJ, YES WE HAD AMAZING WEATHER THE WHOLE TIME.

Natasa wants to visit Brijuni National Park (photos), I don’t know anything about the Park. It’s only a 30 minute drive, 15 minute boat ride and tourist train ride around the island, I can do that.

THIS IS ME WITH TITO, YUGOSLAVIA’S COMMUNIST LEADER FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

Tito spent 6 months a year on the Brijuni island, there’s a museum dedicated to him. While walking through the museum and looking and reading everything, I became infatuated with Josip Broz Tito. (if you’ve got the time read the link, he’s amazing). He had many visitors to the island including Castro and Stalin.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND RICHARD BURTON VISIT TITO IN 1971. RICHARD BURTON PLAYED TITO IN THE FILM SUTJESKA (MOVIE).

HO CHI MINH OF VIETNAM, GOES BOATING WITH TITO IN 1957

After our miniature train tour of the Island, we decide to rent bikes. The train took us by some places that, with a bike, we can spend more time visiting.

SINGLE SPEED RENTAL BIKES WITH ROMAN WALL IN FRONT

The islands first inhabitants can be traced to 3000 BC, — THERE ARE ROMAN RUINS ON THE ISLAND, THERE IS EVIDENCE THE ISLAND WAS INHABITED AS FAR BACK AS 3000 BC

Tito had a collection of animals given by heads of states from other countries.

THE ZEBRA CAME AS A GIFT FROM SEHUN TURE OF GUINEA IN 1960 AND 1961

The train acknowledged, but didn’t stop at the Dinosaur Exhibit, so by bike, we stop

HERE’S SOME DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS FILLED WITH WATER. THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS IN THE AREA. THEY’RE 65-145 MILLION YEARS OLD.

Right next to the footprints is this

SHORELINE MILITARY OUTLOOK — SHORELINE MILITARY LOOKOUT

The ferry leaves in 15 minutes and were way north on the island. We race back, return the bikes, hop on board, the sun sets as we reach the mainland. Were beat, it was a long day.

Yesterday back in Rovinj they were setting up an elementary grade school “art” exhibit, of “what they wanted in the city” and today it’s up.

TRANSLATION: “LOTS OF FREE BIKES SO KIDS CAN RIDE AROUND TOWN”

SHOPPING IS SOMETHING YOU DO IN A TOURIST TOWN

When I biked through Croatia last year, it was with two vegetarians, Carolyn and Tyler of Two Wheel Travel Blog. We kept passing roadside BBQ’s, I kept requesting we stop for the BBQ Pig, it wasn’t going happen. So I told Natasa, I really want to have the BBQ pig, when we go out.

I FINALLY GOT TO TRY IT. IT ACTUALLY WASN’T AS GOOD AS I HAD IMAGINED, I CAN CHECK IT OFF THE BUCKET LIST NOW THOUGH.

The Rovinj Farmers market was run like a Mafia market. There were maybe 15 vendors who all had nearly the same products at the same prices. I wanted to buy the Lavender Soap, but not at the fixed Mafia price. I made an offer to one vendor then another, both refused my deal. I finally found a willing seller and paid a price I felt was closer to what I felt the soap was worth.

EVEN THE BEAUTIFUL HOT CHILI STRINGS WERE PRICED THE SAME.

I HAD TO TAKE ONE LAST PHOTO ON OUR LAST BIKE TRIP THROUGH TOWN.

We had a good time in Croatia, it’s so great being so close to so many different countries all with there own cultures and foods.

NEXT: As promised “WHERE THE HELL IS SKOFJA LOKA?” It’s gonna be BIG!

CROATIA PHOTOS HERE

Thanks for reading.

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

EUROBIKE 2014 FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY PART II

September 14, 2014October 4, 2014 ~ jeffsbiketour ~ 1 Comment

YOU NEVER RIDE ALONE WHEN THERE’S A BIKE SHOW IN TOWN

EUROBIKE was a super event, for everything bike. Even how to clean them.

**AUTOMATIC BIKE WASHER 15,000 EURO ($19,685.00)**

i want to buy an electric tandem bike for touring with Natasa. I think we could really cover some territory , with a little help.

I WANT A TANDEM AND WHAT A GREAT WAY TO TRY IT OUT! — **I WANT AN ELECTRIC TANDEM AND WHAT A GREAT WAY TO TRY IT OUT! Thanks Meghan.**

EuroBike is packed full of bike enthusiast. NUTCASE HELMETS, had a couple of their helmet artist paint full size “ART” near their booth. They were going auction off the paintings to raise money for WORLD BICYCLE RELIEF, you too can make a donation today!

NUTCASE HELMETS ARTIST WALL — **ARTIST SANDRA RAMIREZ WITH MEGHAN, (notice Meghan is wearing a helmet with Sandra’s design)**

I sent Natasa post cards (everyday), so I had to ride to town to the post office. The bike is the best for “discovering” what’s going on. I came across the farmers market, I bought a salmon sandwich, figs, fruit cobbler and blueberries, brought my lunch to Eurobike.

**I LOVE FARMERS MARKETS AND STRAWBERRIES**

MARKET SQUARE ART SCULPTURES

LOVE THE GERMAN BREAD — **SEEDED GERMAN BREADS**

ACROSS FROM ZEPPLIN MUSEUM — **ZEPPELIN PLAY GROUND ART, ACROSS FROM ZEPPELIN MUSEUM**

If pedaling wasn’t enough? You can now use hand cranks and your arm power too.

TANDEM ARM POWER — **THEY MAKE A SINGLE TOO, I SAW SOMEONE OUT TEST “DRIVING” ONE.**

**ELECTRIC CAR RACE BY PEDALING (she won)**

I came to look at electric bikes, so here’s a few of them:

THIS IS THE DIAVELO ELECTRIC BIKE (video) CALLED, AFTER 5. COMING TO AMERICA IN 2014. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO ENJOY THE GOLDEN AGE OF RETIREMENT.

PROTANIUM BIKES WERE QUITE EYE CATCHING. I LIKE THE LOOKS, BUT IF YOU HAVE A “FAST” E-BIKE, SOME FRONT OR FULL SHOCKS CAN REALLY SMOOTH OUT THE RIDE, ESPECIALLY OVER SPEED BUMPS! THEY HAVE A SHAFT DRIVE VERSION (video) TOO

I’M GETTING OLDER AND THE STEP THROUGH DESIGN IS VERY APPEALING. ESPECIALLY IF YOUR RUNNING A LOT OF ERRANDS AND ARE GETTING OFF AND ON A LOT.(or wearing a dress).

LEARN MORE ABOUT E-BIKES WITH THESE LINKS:

ELECTRICBIKE.COM TOP 10 THINGS ABOUT E-BIKES: KITS, MID-DRIVES, LIGHTEST, MOST EXPESNSIVE, UTILITARIAN, FASTEST, HOME GARAGE AND ILLEGAL

PETE’S ELECTRICBIKEREPORT.COM REVIEWS THE LATEST IN E-BIKE TECHNOLOGY AND YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR HIS NEWSLETTER.

ELECTRIC-BIKES.COM HOW TO BUY AN E-BIKE AND OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

FLYKYL SMART WHEEL STAND ALONE E-WHEEL KIT, WORKS WITH SMART PHONE

PETE’S ELECTRICBIKEREPORT.COM E-BIKE PHOTO GALLERY FROM EUROBIKE 2014

I went to some travel seminars and they are making tours that include E-Bike charging stations along the way, to keep you coming back!

ELECTRIC BIKE CHARGING STATION — **E BIKE CHARGING STATION IN FRIEDRICHSHAIN**

They had bins and bins of bike related publications.

ALL THE ELECTRIC BIKE MAGAZINES ARE GONE — **THE E-BIKE MAGAZINES WERE POPULAR, THE BINS WERE EMPTY!**

BACK TO EUROBIKE

EVERYONE WHO HAS A BIKE THEY WANT PEOPLE TO SEE, THEY BRING IT TO EUROBIKE.

I reached the saturation point, I couldn’t look at anymore bike stuff, interesting or not. I was done. I rode my bike to EuroBike and sold my last day ticket. It was the public day and it was PACKED, glad I wasn’t going in. I rIde next door to the Zeppelin Airport.

I PAID 3 EURO ($4) FOR A CUP OF COFFEE SO I COULD SIT AND WATCH THE ZEPPELIN LAND AND TAKE OFF, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. OF COURSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY WIFI (free or paid)?

I had been planning another adventure to Crete, Greece. I was going to visit Vincent, the French cyclist I rode with in Greece. He’s working on a farm. But after nearly 17 months and 19 countries, I’m done. EuroBike, Germany is my last country for awhile. I keep thinking the blog will end, but no. I’ve got more stories about our adventures in Skofja Loka and were going to Croatia next month, it’s only a 2 1/2 hour drive, we set a 3 hour limit to how far were willing to drive for a little vacation.

EUROBIKE PHOTOS ARE HERE

Thanks for Reading and Commenting (for those that have something to say)

JEFF

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