Slovenia into Croatia

Today was our first big A to B ride, from Piran in Slovenia to Motovun in Croatia, a distance of 69km. We had an early breakfast, dropped our bags to the Odyssey team, and got our bikes ready. We were on the road by 8.30 and had lovely views back across the Slovenian coast as we climbed into the hills and into the Portoroz hinterland.

I mentioned climbing, and there was quite a lot; I'm not as prepared as I should have been, and I'll pay for it tomorrow 😆 My road ebike is pedal assist, which means you still have to use those legs, and the first 28kms were climb after climb! We stopped in Marezige at a lookout and loaded up on fluids and fruit - the food on this tour is fantastic.

Lunch was another 28kms away, and I just kept spinning those legs, but I did struggle to be completely honest. I keep telling myself I will ride myself fit! Sometimes, it's best to lie a little to yourself! For those who like the numbers, we climbed from sea level to 401m at the highest point. We also crossed the border into Croatia, although there are no border checkpoints anymore. We've added two new countries to our list on this trip so far!

Lunch was at the foot of a castle ruins, which we could see from a distance a way - a beacon 😄 🤣 Lunch was perfect: pasta salad, salad, bread, cheese, and more fluids! I've gotta say, this really refuelled me; it was just so good. The mozzies, however, also liked refuelling, and I was their favourite food!

It was a relatively easy roll into Motovun, about 11kms, except for the last 1 or 2 kms, where we had to climb up to the walled city and our hotel! Gayle opted for a ride in the van from lunch, which was very sensible; whereas, I did the ride and survived, at least for now! A total of 10 hill climbs completed, and my bottom may never be the same again!

In the arvo, we freshened up (i.e., I had a cold shower to cool down and wash the sweat away) and rinsed our cycling gear; mine was soaked with sweat even though it wasn't that hot.

I got us a couple of beers from the petrol station across the road because I know how to show a lady a good time! We're replacing fluids and electrolytes! We met up with the team at 5.50pm for apero before another hill climb (we walked) for dinner in the old walled city!

It's looking likely to rain tomorrow, so we'll opt to have a sleep in and chill. We'll go in the van to our truffle degustation for lunch.

We walked up a fairly steep hill; it's a change from cycling up them at least, to the restaurant for this evening. Isi worked her magic to get us a table outside - the rain is not here yet. We sat next to Dan and Alex, a lovely couple from the USA, who split their time between Seattle and Palm Springs. On the other side of us, we have Judy, a real estate agent from California (everyone knows Judy) and Liz and Russ from Melbourne. There's an eclectic mix of people from varied walks of life, which makes for great conversation.

Dinner was once again a spectacular feast, with many courses of way too much food. We were exhausted, so we walked back down the steep hill, watching the lightning as we did.

It's been a big day, but one we won't forget!

PS, I steal photos from others in our group!もっと詳しく