Schengen day
Sleeping in a hotel was a good idea. Although my sleeping mat and sleeping bag are comfortable, there’s nothing like a proper bed to get your strength back. And, of course, to fill the tank. The breakfast at the Gasthof Feichter is fantastic. It’s certainly not the kind of place I usually stay when I travel. But hey, it’s not every day.
What I’m not going to do is follow the original route. Yesterday was very hard and it took its toll, but I don’t want to cut the route short, so I’ll look for a shortcut. I ask at the hotel reception for the quickest and easiest way to Bovec, which will take me through Italy to Tarvisio before heading back into Slovenia.
Shortly after leaving the hotel I join a cycle path. I leave Austria and enter Italy at the Coccau border crossing, still on the cycle path. There are kilometres and kilometres of these paths, well away from the traffic and beautifully kept. Sheer luxury.
I go through Tarvisio on my way back to Slovenia and climb the Predil Pass, a lovely mountain pass beside a lake.
I spend the day crossing borders (which I rather enjoy, I won’t deny it), and in just over three hours I’ve reached my destination.
Today I’ve ridden just over 55 kilometres with a thousand metres of climbing, all on the road. A quiet, relaxed day to get my strength back and enjoy tomorrow’s stage. It will be tough, especially the first part.
Bovec is the area’s hub for outdoor sports. I reckon you could spend a whole week here, doing something every day, without repeating a sport. I’ve arrived quite early, so I have time to explore the village and do a bit of sightseeing.
The evening is very lively and I stay a while to watch the band. They seem to be well known in Slovenia…
But the truth is their music doesn’t do much for me. I take the chance to try the polenta at the local market, which I’d give a solid eight out of ten, and head back to the campsite. I can hear the band perfectly from my bed, so I read for a while until they run out of songs. I have to say I’m going to bed pretty early every day.
Right, full stomach and relaxed legs. Tomorrow will be a big day.
