September 15, 2019
Sunday September 15th Crossing the Border- From Gruiosla Austria to Maribor Slovenia.
It’s a flying start downhill to Bad Radkersburg. It’s a pretty town with a centre that’s enticing enough that one might stay and sit in the sun enjoying a coffee. But for us, Slovenia awaits and Maribor is a good 70kms away. We take the road and find the signs for Eurovelo 9 and Radweg 2.
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In fact Slovenia is just across the river, but we continue on the Austrian side till Spielfeld. It’s a very flat track and we’re able to continue at pace across open flat country and through woods. It’s Sunday and the track is well patronised by locals out for a jaunt.
The border comes up quickly- in the distance we see long queues of parked trucks and are a little doubtful about continuing on what seems to be a major road. It does have a shoulder though, and we’re soon crossing over into Slovenia. I consult a chap in the i booth and he gives me a map and enough information to confirm Ann’s map and we’re on our way. The route is now simply labelled R1 and is reasonably well signposted, with a couple of exceptions.
We have to continue on a road with cars for a short while until we have directions to turn off onto a quiet and soon, extremely steep, road. We’re reduced to walking the first 30 metres. By good fortune we meet a German couple at the top who give us some useful advice about how to find our way into Maribor.
We are soon entering the city along a narrow but clear cycle lane. Arriving at an ice cream stall near the centre, we order 2 cones and consult the accommodation oracle. Not 300 metres from us, the Uni Hostel is offering rooms for $89 NZ. Done!
We arrive, stow our bikes and bags in a large room with white walls and a comfortable bed. There’s also a kitchen with a fridge. The building itself is a mix of old and modern minimalist- an old building with a white marble interior and a wide marble staircase. We walk out into the warmth of the evening square and sit down in a nearby kebab restaurant, savouring another border crossing.
Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 2,277 km (1,414 miles)
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