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Saturday, September 7th - Udine to Bled, Slovenia - 10,879 km
I have made it through the night without getting too wet, too eaten by insects or robbed. I eat bread and cheese I bought in Portogruaro yesterday for breakfast, load up my bike and head east across the plain towards a wall of mountains, the Julian Alps, that designate the edge of Slovenia.
Everything changes abruptly at that line: the terrain, language, culture and politics. It is a completely different world, one that teeters on the brink of war. The mountains rise up menacingly as I approach, but they are also beautiful, and contradictorily sheltering. I have always preferred mountains over plains, having been raised in them. I feel humble and respectful in their presence.
The first mountains are part of Italy. I enter the valley of the Natisone River, which is flat at first but it narrows the further up the valley as the mountains rise. Traffic is very light on this road. The checkpoint at the border is small and casual. I continue up valley with its canyon walls rising 1400 m on either side. It opens up to the broad valley cradled by high mountains on both sides. I proceed nervously, ready to bolt in the direction I came from at the first sound of artillery fire.
The valley is extraordinarily beautiful. I feel I have entered a secret land cut off from the rest of the world. My assessment is partially accurate. To the north, the village of Kred is dwarfed by a massive, forested mountainside that towers above it. Crossing a small rise on the valley floor brings me over a watershed into the valley of the Soca River, with its turquoise-blue water, and to the town of Kobarid.
I take my first break of the day. With over 60 km behind me, I am ready to eat. I find a restaurant with a patio so I can watch my bike. I am excited to be here. The server greets me in English. I am reminded that people in smaller countries often need to speak more languages than in larger countries. I ask her if Slovenia is expensive. She smiles at me slyly and says, "We won't charge you for sitting on the chair, if that's what you mean." Italy is the only country where restaurants charge for that.
From Kobarid, I continue south-east down this wondrous canyon valley, past the town of Tolmin to the confluence of the Soca and Klavze rivers. From there I climb the Klavze River canyon deeper into the mountains. It is a smaller river but equally as beautiful. The climb is gradual for a couple hours until I reach the end of the valley at an altitude of 500m. From there it climbs through a 1300 m pass. It is a hard climb – steep, with hordes of flies buzzing around my head in the afternoon heat. Three kilometres from the top the road surface becomes gravel. The outer edge of the road has no guard rail to protect me from a precipitous drop off the cliff. I don’t dare swat the flies while I am climbing in case I lose my balance and fall over. Because of this, I am now covered in small bites.
This is a remote area with very little traffic. The top of the pass is level for a while before starting to drop. I had to keep my brakes on so not to go too fast on the gravel road. Once it has dropped to 700 m, it levels out again and is once again paved. This is the Bohinj Valley, another truly beautiful and isolated valley surrounded by mountains. It has Slovenia’s largest lake. If I had more time I would have pushed on up the valley half an hour to see the lake, but it was already 6 pm and much of the valley was is shadow.
From here the road follows the blue waters of the narrow Sava River Valley as it twists an turns for another hour. As it opens into much broader valley, the climb a small hill and on the other side Bled Lake is revealed in the fading light. It is a small lake, nor more than four kilometres around, but it is a place of legendary beauty. I had seen photos of this lake months ago and it is one of the reasons I wanted to venture into Yugoslavia in spite of the political strife here. Unfortunately, it is too dark to see much of it tonight.
I check into the Bled youth hostel. My guide says this hostel is very popular. I have not made reservations but there is room. After I check in, shower and change I return to the lobby. The kitchen is closed but they offer me some fruit and breads. I learn that I am only the eighth person to visit the hostel this entire summer, because of the threat of war. I am the only guest tonight, a weekend night. And summer is now over and the students have returned to school, this being the end of the first week of September. Needless to say, the hostel is quiet and grateful for my presence. I chat with the manager who is runs it with his wife. They are nice people.
This is my second day of cycling more than 160 km (100 miles). With the serious climbing I have done today, I am unable to keep my eyes open for long. I am very happy to have made it here.
PHOTO 1: Natisone River Valley
PHOTO 2: village of Kred
PHOTO 3: forested road near Kobarid
PHOTO 4: turquoise Soca River
PHOTO 5: Soca River near Tolmin
PHOTO 6: the Klavze River
PHOTO 7: village of Kneza, Klavze River Valley
PHOTO 8: climbing to the pass
PHOTO 9: Bohinj valley with view of Bohinj Lake
PHOTO 10: a Slovene alpine village
PHOTO 11: Sava River near Bled
PHOTO 12: entering Bled
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