Sunflowers

I finally found my sunflowers. These are for you Grandad.













Thank you everyone for your words of support.

Ptuj

Ptuj is a quaint little town.
These photos are from a day cycle I did to a wine region called Jeruzalem, after changing my mind of going to Murska Sobota as I was staying in a really neat place with a really nice lady and a great breakfast, plus it was raining. As you can see, it became fine!!!

Enroute to Ptuj

As I lost the photo of the 20 incline, here is one at 16!!!! Beautiful countryside eh!!!

My Nana and Grandad

Just so you both know that you have been with me thus far for all my travels, and I will continue carrying this photo with me for the rest of my travels.

I love you both.

Loving Slovenia Country

Hi All

Well I am back in Ljubljana from three nights in Lake Bled. I originally planned on a one day out and one day back trip, then decided on two nights, but once I got there (and got over the fact that my hostel was 10km out of town but HAD AWESOME COOKED breakfasts!) decided to stay three nights!!!!!

Hope you like the pictures.
Got rained on on the way back here to Ljubljana and donćt think the weather is looking the grandest for the next week, however, plan to hit the road again tomorrow for about another 7 days to make it to Vienna, via Lasko, Ptuj, Murska Sobota, Maribor, Graz (Austria) and somewhere else!!!

Love TK

Bled Country

Enroute back from Vintgar Gorge, the Karaw Alps in the background. The hostel I was staying was at the base of a 2235m high mountain, STUNNING to say the least. These little churches are all over the countryside.

PS Spot the Kiwi!

Bled Travellers

I met all these guys in Ljubljana. Jamie (Vancouver), Liz (US), Me (NZ), Hunter (Portland) and Sarah (Texas). Liz, Hunter and Sarah are doing a 2 week residency in Bled for a Writers Literature programme they are completing.

Bled Culinary - Krema Snezna Rezina

Here is the Bled speciality - it is pastry, whipped cream and custard, and whilst one thought one would not like it, ONE DID!!!!

Vintgar Gorge

Vintgar Gorge is flanked by steep slopes overgrown with beech forests and a tourist trail was constructed through it in 1893. It is 1.6km long and is full of waterfalls, rapids and erosion potholes. The walkway is brilliant and trails, narrow passages and bridges allowed us to view the entire gorge. I did a day walk from Lake Bled (about 4km away) to here with one of the Canadian girls I had met in Ljubljana.

More piccies, really reminded me of NZ.

More piccies ....

I have more but I'll stop now!!!

Bohinj Day Ride

I did a day cycle out to Bohinj and the lake, about 32kms from Lake Bled, following the Sava Bohinjka River to Bohinjsko Jezero Lake. En-route there were kayakers in the River, deer statues! and more beautiful views. Princess Delores even had her own unique park!!

Bled

Above left is a picture of the wee Church on Lake Bled itself. One could swim there or take a gondola if not so keen on the swimming. Right is the Castle at Lake Bled. During winter, the lake freezes over and one could even skate to the Church!

Above is the countryside around Bled. These are the hayracks, called Kozki and Toplarji, which are used to dry the hay out quicker, they can either be single or double.

More en-route shoots!

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is a beautiful city, with great architecture, caffes, and lively life all through. There are old villas which are now used as Embassies, and it is a city full of culture.

Slovenia Thus Far

Initial impressions:
- Beautiful countryside outside the big towns, lushious green, Canadian forest like (expecting a beer to jump out at me at any minute whilst cycling!), heaps of cycle lanes in the big towns, little towns that have an Austrian feel (waiting for Sound of Music hill running!!!)

Now I canćt wait to see more!

Me and the Caves!!!

Skocjanske Jame

Well I finally did a touristy thing enroute to Postoyna from Koper. I stopped at the Skocjanske Jame (caves) and went through, took 1 1-2 hours, gave me a break from the 30 degree heat during the 70km bike ride, and was awesome. Unfortunately we were unable to take photos in the caves but they are 6km long of which we walked 3km, 145m roughly underground and the largest water cannon through them.

Croatia

Things I will miss about Croatia:
- Sea
- Swimming everz daz
- Lavendar (even though I am not a fan of Lavendar!!!)

Things I will not miss about Croatia:
- Men in speedo's!!!
- Nude sunbathing (therećs onlz so much one can take!!)
- The bugs that are determined to flz into me as I cycle!
- The switching of the 'z' and 'y' on the kezboards (well actuallz, this is probablz more for all zour benefits!!!)


Best waz of seeing Croatia:
Preferablz bz boat supplemented with a bike, be careful though if zou have a sailing boat - not a hell of a lot of wind!!!!


What I missed:
- Islands Rab, Pag, Krk, Dugi Otok and Mljet (oh well canćt do everzthing!)


What I saw:
- Islands HVAR, Korcula, Solta, Peninsular???? (Canćt remember the name and donćt have map with me), Losinj and Cres (which included four other islands enroute on the Ferrz!)

Bugger about camera being stolen - oh well.

Total distance in Croatia

3 weeks and 2 days: 1205.4kms

Rovinj

Rovinj is a quaint little town up the Istria Coast, very touristy though. Aand it was amazing how on one side of the town, the main walking street just dropped into the ocean!
Bruno here from Swityerland was my cycling buddy for the majority of the day, we met just out of Pula and stayed cycling all the way to Porec. Saying that, I have managed to pretty much not get lost on my trip thus far, and we took two wrong turns, and ended up doing one massive amount of gravel (more fit for a mountain bike - poor princess) and a rather big hill!!!

Pula

The Ampitheatre in Pula is one of the most well-preserved in the world. And it is just sitting right there, on the street!! The other photos are of the Kathedral and ChurchOld Town Hall in Pula.

RABAC Camping

This is a post for Jan and your wife (canćt remember how to spell zour name sorrz!!!). Zour email address was in with mz camera, so fingers crossed zou still have the link to this web page. Drop me an email at t_kite@yahoo.com
I hope the rest of zour trip was great. Thanks for the chair, the coffee and the highlighter!!!

Cres - mainland - Labin/Rabac - Pula

Hi All
Just a quick one from Pula. Unfortunatelz I am unable to post anz pictures as have had a mishap with camera which I am in the midst of sorting. Had some great pictures once back on the road of Cres and the town Cres, mainland, Rabac and Pula. Once again, pictures of the second drawbridge which was manually rotated by a man each morning and evening!!!! Cres was verz hillz!!!!!! And the mainland even more so once I had crossed bz mz last ferrz ride. There was a photo of the 20 deg incline I had to push Princess up (4.5km!!). Great ride into Labin and then into a camp ground in Rabac - a real nice but touristz beach side town. Funnz, was trzing to find a site for the evening and started talking to a couple from Holland who had seen me two previous times cycling mz little heart out, once down Dubrovnik waz and the other time thez couldnćt remember!!! Funnz how third time, I finallz talked to them. Had a great picture of them, however, that cannot be posted now either. Enroute to Labin, I hit the 1000km in Croatia mark, and in under 3 weeks. Todaz, it was back on the road and into Pula - nice ride, through countryside that reminded me of Vietnam or Cambodia (not that I have been there!!!!) and Tuscany (grape vines - thez reckon that internal Istria is the NEW Tuscany). Had to have Princess relooked at, as had the same problem with the back tyre not being 'true'. Fingers crossed though, she is all good now.

Must dash, have to sort out the camera / insurance etc.
Loves

Mali Losinj Accommodation

Ruzica here allowed me to staz in her house, for about the same price as a hostel, gave me dinner (first chicken I have eaten in a LONG time) and breakfast. No wonder I decided to staz another night. She speaks limited English, but now calls me her 'baby'!!!

Mali Losinj

Welcome to Mali Losinj, an awesome island that I ended up giving mzself a daz off in. In the morning, I went and watched the drawbridge swing to allow the boats through, then did a 20km daz cycle around the peninsular, with awesome water for swimming!!

And as for the sunset!!!!