The salt flats are home to over 200 different species of birds, some are rare and endangered. This white egret is one of the most common birds here and is able to eat in the salt flats and remove the salt as they process the food.
Looking out at the Adriatic with Italy in the far distance.
Yesterday we broke one of the number one rules of bicycle touring...we climbed a super steep hill to get to our accommodation when it wasn't necessary. We looked at the reviews for Stare Sola Korte on Booking.com and it sounded great - plus it included breakfast at a low price. It was advertised on the Slovenia Bike map and the ad said that it was conveniently located close to many bike routes. However, eight kilometres of strenuous climbing up one switchback after another and we finally arrived at our hostel in a tiny village that looked down at all the other hill towns below.
The hostel/hotel had been the village elementary school. Presently it is a combination of multi-bed hostel rooms, doubles with shared bath and apartment-like rooms. They had a fleet of e-bikes that they provided free to their guests. Yes, it was a brutal climb, but all in all it was a great experience.
As we were riding along the relatively flat section entering Korte, Barry reflected that this is probably one of the great rides in Europe. Olive groves, charming tiny villages perched on the hillside, vines of grapes, and the views...We were getting the beauty of Tuscany without the crowds. Beautiful.
Mary Ellen walked down this hill, taking photos and Barry slowing "rode down", mostly walking the bike while sitting and lightly using the brakes.
Coming down we rode in the direction of Piran. It turned into an 18% grade that tested our brakes. We ended up coming down to the beautiful salt flats and a lovely ride to Piran.
On our ride down we could see the salt flats stretch below us in Piran Bay
We came around a corner and found this truck pulling a gigantic crane up the narrow road. The road was so narrow and steep, that it was quite an enterprise for the driver to navigate. They had to pull it all the way up from sea level.
Barry used his feet to save our brakes. The route down to Portoroz is shorter but far steeper than the route we rode yesterday from Izola. We are grateful we came up the route we did yesterday. Today it is consistently 18% gradient without breaks.
When we got back to sea level, we joined the Parenzana Bike route. This is a route that follows an old railway line that goes from Trieste, Italy to Porec, Croatia. Sections of the rail line were so steep that the passengers on the train had to get off and help push the train up the hills. We followed this route to Portoroz which is like the "golden mile" you find in many resort areas with casinos, 5 star hotels, etc. Our mission was to get to Piran, considered one of the prettiest medieval towns in Slovenia. We went off the Parenzana route to get to Piran. Wow, it more than lived up to what he had hoped for.
The salt flats are home to over 200 different species of birds, some are rare and endangered. This white egret is one of the most common birds here and is able to eat in the salt flats and remove the salt as they process the food.
Piran is totally different from its neighbour, Portoroz. Both are popular ocean side destinations, but Piran is knows for its medieval charm and Portoroz is characterized by many towering hotels and casinos.
While we were riding around the sea wall in Piran we heard someone calling us. A woman raced after us and said that she had seen us earlier in Portoroz and she wanted to help us. We said that we wanted to climb the church towner. Martina told us to follow her and she would show us how to get there and show us the best route out of Piran.
The gigantic port of Koper, Slovenia. We have decided to stay here in Koper as the day is winding down. We found a wonderful hostel. During the school year it is used as a university student residence. For 54 euros we got a studio apartment with a kitchen and a panoramic view of Koper. They cleaned out a shipping container in their parking lot for us to store our bike in. The two young women at the reception were incredibly helpful and accommodating. As there are severe thunderstorms forecast for tomorrow we have decided to stay for 2 nights and do some sightseeing.
