Detour Slovenia
Why not spend some days in Slovenia?
16th May - 18th May | 2022
This morning we got up a bit earlier to have an early start as we start to get into the warm days. We hit the TET about the area of Licka Jesenica. It went on some nice backroads and later on also on some offroad, but today was not meant to be our TET day! We have been turned around as they were clearing an area of mines; thankfully they just sat at the entrance of the track having their cigarette break! After we found a de-tour to Brinje and got back on track, we twice ended up in front of locked barriers. So in the end we did mainly back roads to Delnice.
However, as we are doing so good with the time now, we decided to nip over to Slovenia and do a bit of TET in the south until it is time to go back to Croatia to the booked hotel.
Just outside of Delnice we straight away found a nice camping spot at a picnic area. Unfortunately, the area seems not to have any roaming or internet connection, but our mums need to know that we are safe for the night. In the end, Steffi walked back into the village in her biking boots, until she got internet reception. When she came back, James already had pitched up the tent and was already cooking dinner ;-) Miracly we managed to get then 4G here by switching off/on the phones! Welcome to the world of technology!
We both slept very well but got woken up by hearing raindrops falling on our tent. After checking the weather forecast we decided to get moving. We were super lucky as it stopped whilst we packed all up, but the outer shell had to be packed wet ... We went then back to Delnice for petrol and breakfast.
As yesterday decided, we went then over to Slovenia for TETing there a bit around for the next days. The border crossing was another fast one and off we are on the TET Slovenia, country no. 9!
Now, here is a number play for you:
Steffi is now in country no 9 and will soon be back into 8, then into 4, then back to 8 to get to 10 and carry on.
James is with her in country no 9 and will also go back into 8, but then back through 9 to go to 10 and 11 to go back to 2 to get home via 1. Can you follow? ;-)
We rode along the border river between Slovenia and Croatia and after just 2km into the route, there was a massive fence all along the border.
We started to think what that could be ... Steffi thought about the immigrants some years ago, but the fence looked so new ... So we stopped in a village for a drink and due to the owner, in his turtle german, it had to do with the immigrants about 3-4 years ago and Schengen ... So we were not too far with our thinking, but it was really weird, especially as some single houses had the fence around them!
After that, the TET forked off into the mountains and then shortly into lovely offroad tracks. Unfortunately, after a while, it went off into fields and with the high grass, it was a bit difficult to find. We came across a bunch of bikers also doing the TET but with lighter bikes and luggage ;-) They warned us about a gnarly, partly muddy uphill. Sounds like Steffis' first Joker card in days, if not even weeks!
We soon came across that bit. OK, not that muddy, but you had to keep your momentum to get around, up and over the stones! Once it nearly bobbed off Steffi.
Last third she needed a wee break as such a hard work. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get her momentum to get Schimmelchen moving on, so there is the Joker card passed on to James. The start looked a bit like a shooting rocket, but he took the bike safely up there.
After that, the track was again super smooth offroad tracks winding its way through the forests. James was now really eager to see a bear; Steffi not really ... We passed in one of the valleys an old glass- and later lumber factory of Fürst Karl Auersperg (Karlshütten, Gloschhittn - see picture).
After some more kilometres offroad we came to the village of Loski Potok, where we bought some food and drinks for dinner. We were really lucky, after about 10km into the track we found the perfect camping spot for the night! Let’s hope we will not be dessert for one of the over 2000 bears here in Slovenia.
"Still alive" next morning we carried on the TET Slovenia through the forests. In Nova Vas, we managed to get some breakfast and then off into the bushes again! In Predjama we took pictures (from distance) of the famous largest cave castle in the world "Predjamski Grad".
Shortly after we found a spot in a village for our lunch picnic. After that, we wanted to get a bit more TET, but first, the muddy track was closed by a wire and the alternative route we found on iOverlander was too muddy. So we decided "enough is enough" and we opted to go back to Croatia. Steffi quickly booked a place to stay in Rijeka and then we continued going south.
Just with the border crossing, Schimmelchen rolled into 100000km!!! Steffi is proud of the bike and her achievements during the nearly 6.5 years :-D Now off to the next 100000km!!
In Rijeka, we went first to Decathlon as Steffi will need an emergency tent for her next leg of the journey. After that, it was time to wash the bikes, or at least get the worst off them, especially around the engine!
In Rijeka, we had a little private garden house booked, which was cute and the owner was helpful. Parking was a bit of an issue as her neighbour was a miscible lady; she observed us parking the bikes, so in the end, we asked for her thumbs up and it worked! Well, at least we might have a guard for the night ;-)
We could do another load of laundry and hopefully, by tomorrow morning, it will be all dry! While the washing was running, we went for dinner just up the road.
You also better grab some dinner whilst you are waiting for the next blog about our last days together in Croatia and what is the final plan from Steffi after Venice ...
Places | Cities:
CROATIA:
Liska Jesenica, Brinje, Fuzine, Delnice, Rijeka
SLOVENIA:
Dol, Stalcerij, Loski-Potok, Predjama, Postojna, Ilirska Bistrica
Driven km | Trip:
Total: 12010 km
Maintenance | Breakdown:
./.
Health issues:
./.
Special thanks to:
Linesman TET Slovenia (www.transeurotrail.org) for the fantastic tracks here in the south!
Schimmelchen to carry Steffi over all these kilometres.
Jadranka for her little garden house in Rijeka.