Hello, my name is Michael, I’m a passionate Swiss cyclist.
In this episode I’ve been cycling to Triest and then onward to Slovenia. From Triest I made a day loop to Piran and then I cycled to Ljubliana and the Slovenian mountains. It’s the second week of a 5-week-trip through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. This journey began on August 29, 2021 in Domodossola (Italy).
I use English as a video language even though it’s not my mother tongue and it’s also a little rusty as I’ve barely used it in recent years.
Travelling with a loaded bicycle (I always have camping equipment and a stove with me) is my big passion and over the last 25 years I’ve done many bike trips.
Yes i’m in slovenia yes holy moly i got a strong headwind The last 30ks were terrible always on busy really busy roads so not my cycling at all but now i’m on a quieter section I still have to deal with a quite heavy headwind ah 32 k’s to go i just had a coffee in the last big town and finally i got some wi-fi i had some internet connection so i could book a room I reached the sea So 10ks to go into trieste i’m a on a nice downhill it’s into the city it’s very steady goes in a little bit down uh traffic is okay most of time there is a little shoulder on the right not always but it’s fine fine and i saw the sea i saw the sea
I’m so happy being on the sea again again Foreign Alrighty meanwhile that’s no surprise anymore leaving the yes of course is on the cycle path what else i’m just on the way to piranha i’m making a day loop By the way i’m greeting you with a lot of sunshine with very nice temperature around 26 27 degrees I did some decent climbs short but steep To get out of the earth it’s quite a bit of hard work anyway I’m on a path I’m on a path again it is good all good Yes i’m in slovenia yes there was no sign at all of a sudden i’m in slovenia there are no borders so but the number plates on the car shows i’m in slovenia and the riding the signs are i can’t hardly read it yeah but they got the cycle path you won’t believe
Of course it’s next to the highway not that nice but i don’t want to complain no i’m safe here that’s a roundabout for cyclists So far the car drivers are very friendly they give me way on a crossroad they let me pass so good impression first impression very good So So What shall i say it’s the perfect infrastructure Hey that’s the way it should be everywhere everywhere Can you believe it there’s no car only pedestrians and cyclists hi along the coast so nice I can get enough of it so great hey oh leo So So Do Good morning on day 11. sorry i just had a very very steep climb one of the steepest since a long time was short maybe about one kilometer but before i tell you i had to push there were sections they were so steep i couldn’t i couldn’t ride it even in my granny gear
But i i’m on the way out of ts then i’m heading i’m heading towards ljubljana which is about 95k from here but it will be the most hilly uh part of my trip so far i got about 1500 meters to climb which is fairly enough i would say huh
Um but the weather is good i have to deal with a quite a strong headwind coming from the east northeast but i will see how it is [Applause] Oh with that mountain range i have to come somewhere somehow somewhere and somehow yeah no way even my lowest gear are not low enough it’s so steep it’s so steep you can’t see it on the screen but i tell you it’s steep and if i have to
Push the bike that means it’s the okay let’s walk for a bit Holy moly i’m holy slowly this is tough going oh yeah Downhill it seems i just reached the first ridge reached the first ridge yeah yeah i will see Wow So So This sucks oh it’s so steep and the path is actually not suitable for my touring bike it will be good for bike packing but with my heavy loaded touring bike this is not fun at all i should stick at the ass filter that would be better i mean it’s very remote here
It’s very silent it’s nice in the forest but it’s hard going i tell you i and don’t make any progress Very hard going I don’t know what to do i can’t ride on here it’s really frustrating i’m just checking the map and i have to make a d2 but this is not suitable for my bicycle this is not even suitable for a bike packing this is just for mountain biking whatever i don’t know commute
That’s not the way for a loaded bicycle no touring bicycles on that path alrighty It’s it’s getting worse amazing now i also have to cross the creek ah anyway it takes all of me today that’s for sure Oh back on asphalt rather cope with some traffic than with this rocky path i It doesn’t work for me i mean it’s not possible with a touring bike that small tires and so heavy loaded you can’t ride one of these trails no way so i rather stick on asphalt There’ll be a temptation oh Oh still got 50 k’s to go well i’m quite exhausted uh yeah yeah Be So Oh what a day i’m a nine case out of ljubljana so it was tough going today mainly because of the hellwind the wind was really strong all day long wow yeah but i made it i made it i’m always amazed the about the energy i can release if it if it’s necessary
Yeah it’s done a lot of climbing as well about 1500 elevation meters but that’s that’s okay so now i have no clue where to stay [Applause] my plan is just riding into the city there’s probably a tourist information and i will check out if they will find a place for me to stay
[Applause] i made it i made it i’m in the center of lumiana wow Wow what a beautiful city i hope i can stay one day just making a rest day tomorrow beautiful i would like to explore it [Applause] Good morning i’m greeting you on a another sunny lovely day it’s the it’s day 13 today friday and i’m just riding out of ljubljana i stayed here tonight a very very nice city oh i loved it i could stay longer here such a nice place i found a good place to sleep or
Yeah you heard that before and now i’m on the way to grand square this is a quite a famous skiing station in the mountains very close to austria so i’m having a quiet hilly hilly stage in front of me that’s why i’m here for so i decided to make a a loop around
Around the slovenian mountains just for two days i will come back tomorrow night to ljubljana going to stay one night more here and then i’m heading to the coast back to the coast current towards croatia yeah all good so far i did enjoy ljubljana i do enjoy slovenia it’s different
It’s different to italy it reminds me a bit to poland yeah ljubljana has a kind of a charm like krakow in in poland it’s a it’s a city full of students it has a lot of cafes a nice pedestrian zone yeah good place good place to be alrighty So So I’m pedaling very very easy along absolute quiet road ah it reminds me to switzerland it could be in switzerland here it’s so similar i see mountains fields villages [Applause] it’s not even one cloud in the sky perfect weather for cycling it’s good to be here I think slovenia got a quite a decent network of cycle routes as well there is a route from ljubljana to grand square which i follow now and uh it is sometimes on cycle paths but mainly i would say it’s on It’s on the road like that it’s minor roads with little traffic on it very scenic i would say So far what i noticed here in slovenia it’s quite a developed country i would say according to their cars they drive they’re white quite modern cars but compared to italy the people are more reserved they’re not as open as the italians the italians they greet all of them they say ciao
When i pass them while i’m cross them here the people are much more reserved i wouldn’t say they are not friendly they are friendly but they may be a bit more shy or they are not used to it to greet each other even strangers and the other thing is water supply
It’s not that easy to find drinking water like in italy in italy every town every settlement had a fountain they mostly work but here there are no no fountains so far i didn’t see it so Yeah either i have to ask people or i go and buy i hate motorbikes i have to say i hate them they just made a lot of noise they are dangerous but anyway they got their ride as well i know i know so i i’m enjoying once more
Nice cycling today the wind is no issue i even got a soft breeze tickling my back i would say yeah it’s not bad Hello nice baby cow Hello Me It looks like i’m back in switzerland I left bled um about 20 k’s ago since played that’s that’s quite a big town between ljubljana and granski agora Since played since 20 case the road is jammed there’s actually just one long traffic jam Crazy 20 case one car follows the other car No space in between my i’m faster on my bike that’s for sure i just don’t get it It is so nice sitting on a bicycle being outside get out there grab your bike do some exercise don’t pollute the air just breathe it fresh air that’s my mantra for today The man drove us happy cyclist What the pity it’s closed i would like to have a coffee here So I’m on a cycle path between blade and granziagora a very nice cycle path and look at that they got the repair station here as well like i had it somewhere in italy it’s great what a nice infrastructure So Good morning oh i’m not an himalayan expedition i’m just slept close to the river and it was quite cold Towards the morning so i had a lovely night although the motorbikes the harleys harleys they were on the road till about nine or ten o’clock in the evening what a stupid vehicle hey how can you allow such an engine that makes so noise Ah i had a good night’s sleep woke up several times just had to pee yeah now i’m starting today What do i have for breakfast i will get a tea Some cranberries and dates and here is cinnamon and i got some rice drink with almond here i’m boiling my water Hello good morning so nice start into the day another sunny day i’m heading back to ljubljana i booked a room there where i slept before and from there on i’m going back to the coast ah but now i’m i do enjoy once more the lovely ride on a lovely bicycle path This is granny quite a nice place You