8AA Alpe Adria - 3 countries on 2 wheels
We met in Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, known as a friendly city. On our city walk, we learned about the myths and stories of the 'Wörther Mandl' and the winged dragon, the 'Lindwurm.' We visited the oldest pedestrian zone in Europe, a beautiful church, and ended our tour at the 'Old Lemon Tree.
The weather forecast was brutal - heavy rain, thunderstorms, flooding. In the morning, however, it looked pretty good and we all got on our bikes quite optimistically. But a few kilometers later, we were right in the middle of the storm. Luckily, the van wasn't far away. We loaded the bikes and made it to Tarvisio dry.
We follow the Fella River for most of the morning. It's still mountainous, but the route heads steadily south. The cycle path runs along an old railroad line and is absolutely spectacular. It changes sides of the river, zigzags under the highway, disappears into tunnels, runs over adventurous bridges, is well developed and mostly paved - a delight. We are in Carnia. In 1976, the worst earthquake that Europe has ever experienced caused incredible destruction here. There is no trace of this today. The villages have risen like phoenixes from the ashes, becoming architectural jewels, lovingly restored and rebuilt. Tourists are very welcome and are spoiled not only by the landscape but also by Carnia's culinary delights. And speaking of culinary delights: in the afternoon wie reach San Daniele, the ham capital. It is delicious, it melts in the mouth and goes well with a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio from Friuli. What a day...
The mountains behind you, the sea ahead. Take a deep breath: that's what Italy smells like! But before we can enjoy a fish soup by the sea or a boat trip through the lagoon in Grado this evening, we still have to pedal a bit and visit a few sights. First there is Udine - the provincial capital, followed by Palmanova with its 9-pointed cityscape and last but not least the cultural highlight of the day - Aquileia. We all know the great Roman sights, such as Pompeii, the Colosseum in Rome or Paestum. But Aquileia seems to be one of the more hidden treasures. The basilica is an architectural highlight and the mosaic floors are among the most beautiful to have survived from Roman times. But then we have well earned the Mediterranean charm of Grado and are ready for a wonderful sunset.
The plan for today was to follow the river Isonzo to Gradisca, having a nice lunch there and continue to Gorizia, right at the border to Slovenia. The reality was a 20 km bike ride, thunderstorm and pouring rain. We loaded the bikes and our guests and went to Gorizia by van. So nearly no pictures today
Today we cycle along the Vipava River, through vineyards and orchards, past castles and picturesque little towns. We are in the Karst region of Slovenia. The Postojna Caves, also known as the Adelsberg Caves, are world-famous. A gigantic underground cave system that we will explore in the late afternoon. And we were very lucky with the weather.
The weather forecast was 90 % chance of rain. So the group decided to load. We visited the Predjama castle in the morning by van. Very interesting and very scenic. The rain stopped, so we unloaded and cyceld to Ljubljana, the lively capital of Slovenia. The Art Deco Hotel in the very center of the city is a treasure (thank you Sarah) and it gets even better - we will spend 2 nights here and a well-deserved and interesting rest day.
Today, we are enjoying our well-deserved rest day in the beautiful city of Ljubljana. Instead of taking it easy, we went on a guided tour through the city and learned a lot about the fascinating architecture and the rich history of Ljubljana and Slovenia. The charming mix of old and new, the Art Nouveau buildings, and the works of the famous architect Jože Plečnik particularly impressed us. Meanwhile, Vickie, Paul, and Petra were not idle – they took the opportunity for a 40 km "rest day ride" through the scenic surroundings of the city.
Ljubljana - what an enchanting city. Everyone has fallen a little bit in love. Nevertheless, we have to move on - Bled is waiting. Although the weather forecast was once again very different, all the different apps and online forecasts had one thing in common - not good. Nevertheless, we got to Bled dry, had a delicious lunch by the lake and when we arrived at the hotel, the rain arrived with us. Some days you're just lucky....
Time was flying. It is our last riding day today. Everybody is hoping for better weather. The Equipe Tour de France did make it over the Loibl Pass (appr. 5.000 feet high). We climbed on the Slovenian side up and fly down on the Austrian one. On top we visited the Mauthausen Museum, which everybody was impressed of. A hot soup, a Schnitzel and a warm tea made us fit for the last strech. Everybody made it safely to Klagenfurt. Not so many pics - too foggy, too rainy