Ever since the beginning, Slovenia is a country I’ve really been looking forward to cycling through. Before setting off I’d heard so many great things from people who’d been rolling though the country before me, and my expectiations were dangerously high as I crossed in from Austria a week or so ago. Luckily though, I was gonna be far from disappointed.
My initial plan was to pass through eastern Slovenia in a day or two, and then go straight for Croatia. But as I was approaching the border on my second day I just didn’t feel ready to leave so quickly. And after something like a 30 second deliberation (going like: Yes! No.. Yeah? Wtf? Ehh. OK, screw it. Haha, let’s go!) with myself I simply decided to say ‘So long, Zagreb!’ and take a right. A right that would give me three more days in Slovenia, and a feeling of freedom I can’t find the words to describe.
Others have talked about Slovenia, with it’s vineyards and lush rolling landscapes, as a visually gorgeous country. And I couldn’t agree more. For me though, what made me completely fall in love with Slovenia was – once again – the people I met there. Night after night I found myself in the homes of generous and curious people I bumped into along the way, and I couldn’t have asked for a better time. I was so happy to find out that Slovenians actually speak English really well, and to finish off each day of cycling with some proper conversation was great.
What I really love with these homestays is that you never, never know what to expect as you agree to step inside a stranger’s house to share the evening together. A day in the saddle is always filled with so much impressions and unexpected events, but for me the feeling of adventure is definitely peaking just as I cross that threshold and the only thing I know is that I don’t know what’s coming.
Throwing myself in and out of the so vastly different lives people are living really is extremely rewarding. Spending one night with 30-year-old Borut in central Maribor, having pizza and cracking jokes about communism – and the very next one in the middle of nowhere, listening to an older couple telling their stories from ‘the beautiful days of former Yugoslavia’ with a nostalgic glimmer in their eyes. There’s simply nothing that can beat that.
So, what about the cycling? Well. It’s been great. The sun is smiling at me and instead of choosig how many layers of clothing to use I’ve been deciding on what sunscreen to use. Awesome. And yeah – the vineyards and green landscapes people were talking about were just as beautiful as I’d been told. Slovenia is definitely hilly, but who cares about some climbing when you’re always rewarded with a postcard view and then a nice downhill? Every day everything seemed to become a little greener, and I wish I could come back to see it all again in its prime in a few months.
Right now though, I’ve continued into Croatia and the Adriatic sea. But as usual, you’ll hear about my time here in the next blog post. (Teaser: It’s pretty damn nice.)
Have a great weekend!
Fredrika