Day 5
Since time was of the essence and I didn't want to spend half a day backtracking, I got an early start from Ljubljana and took the train (with my bike) to the end of the line, to Jesenice. My original plan was to pass through the stunning Triglav National Park where I would climb a dramatic mountain pass , then cross into Italy and pass through a ghost town.
If I had taken a rest day, then I would have been eager to do this ride, but without a rest day I just knew that my muscles would conk out sooner or later if I kept pushing them aggressively each day. So I made the tough decision to bypass the park and go straight into Italy.
Fortunately, I still had many beautiful views to keep me company. Most of today's journey was on a paved, dedicated bicycle trail. First, in Slovenia, and then shortly after crossing into Italy, I met back up with the Alpe-Adria bike trail that I had left behind in Austria. I took this trail out of the mountains until I split it again (for good this time) to head on my own route through the countryside of Friuli.
Back on the bike trail in NW Slovenia, with the majestic Julian Alps alongside me
My bike and I have made it to the border of our 3rd country - Italy! Crossing countries in the Schengen zone is like crossing states in the US - except that the language, architecture, and food culture are completely different on the other side!
I don't know if I could ever have a "perfect day" on the saddle, but today came pretty close. Most of the time I was riding on a dedicated bike path so I didn't have to deal with traffic. Not to many other cyclists around so I had plenty of space to pedal at my own pace and enjoy the scenery. And best of all - once I crossed into Italy, the ride was mostly downhill!
Following the trail.... by fields.... along valleys...
next to old train stations... across rivers... and even through mountain tunnels!
I passed some old dusty towns that had seen better days. I also passed an old walled city called Venzone that appeared to be a tourist attraction. I rode through the town and it was very pleasant, reminding me of a stereotypical Italian village.
Outside (left) and inside (right) Venzone
The weather got warmer as the elevation went down and mountains gave way to vineyards. Late in the afternoon I had arrived in my stop for the night, the town of San Daniele del Friuli. Here, they speak a separate (but related) language called Friulian. I noticed this on road signs and wondered how many other regions had their own languages. But what this town is really known for is its prosciutto.
San Daniele del Friuli is considered by many to be the Capital of Prosciutto. Naturally, I wanted to partake in the local delicacy! After leaving my bicycle locked up in a hotel storage closet (since nobody in Europe wants you to take your bike to your room with you), I freshened up and went for a walk. I began with a visit to the Dall'Ava prosciutterie where they have a museum that explains the process for creating prosciutto. You could see several of them curing (the process takes a year!).
I then walked half a mile uphill to the town center so I could go to a restaurant and sample the product with proper accompaniments. Beginning with burrata and moving on to an amazing carbonara topped with pancetta and prosciutto, I was reminded that Italy really does make some very special food!
It was good. It was really good.
Day 6
Today's ride was a gentle meander through the Italian countryside. Small towns, vineyards, repeat. It was warm, sunny, and I had nowhere important to be.
One of many vineyards I passed
My route today was parallel to the base of the Alps.
Once I arrived in Nervesa della Battaglia, I still had most of the afternoon to explore, and headed to the Abbey of St. Eustace high on a nearby hill. The abbey was first built nearly 1,000 years ago (!) but was bombed in World War 1. It was never rebuilt since then, and its ruins are what remains. I walked through wondering what it was like to live in this very space hundreds of years ago, and reminded that the wars I read about in school were a reality in these parts. The trail up to the abbey passed a small vineyard and a grove of olive trees, with a view of the town and the fields beyond.
The view from the abbey: Olive trees and a vineyard
The ruins of the abbey
Day 7
My last day on the saddle...and you may notice that it's a bit shorter than my other days. Okay, much shorter. My original plan was to ride to Padua, but I love to be flexible and my plans are subject to change. I had exciting plans come up for the following day (Sunday) which required that I return the bike 1 day early. So I had to make my way to Bologna to return it, and do that I needed to ride to the nearest city to hop on a train. That city was Treviso, less than 20 miles away.
However, there was one place I stopped to visit before I left the area...
Osteria Ai Pioppi....a restaurant with a human-powered amusement park built by one man.
You read that correctly. An amusement park. Built by one guy. Operated without electricity. How did he do it? Well, as a way to attract people to his restaurant, he took some metal together and created a play ground. But he continued until the rides became more elaborate and before long it was a full amusement park for his guests to enjoy!
See for yourselves:
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