September 8, 1998
Ljubljana to Novo Mesto
We got off to an early start this morning, after waiting around until 8:30 for a clothing store to open which had a great shirt in its window for only 400 sit ($9) that we had spotted yesterday. After that, we struggled to find a route out of the city, aiming southeast for Dolenska and the Krka Valley. We took several wrong turns, including one embarrassment in which we asked directions from a man passing by, ignored them because we didn't trust them for some reason, and soon discovered he had been right. We were relieved when we backtracked to find that he had moved on so we didn't need to sheepishly pass him again.
After about 20k we escaped the urban environment and found ourselves once again in pastoral surroundings and beautiful panoramas. The country is different here, with lower hills as we move downriver and away from the Alps. Late in the morning we passed over a small ridge and dropped into the upper Krka Vallley, where we had lunch in the tiny riverside village of Krka. After stocking up at the market in cheese, bread, raisins, hazelnuts, cookies and beverages, we sat by the river's edge to eat. Soon afterward I was nauseated to discover that I had unwittingly purchased buttermilk. Gag!
The entire Krka Valley, which we were to follow for about 100km, is lovely and great for cycling. The finest site of the day was an operating millwheel on the bank of the river, but the whole ride was dense with attractive churches, castle ruins, fine wooden farming buildings and beautiful countryside. The day, which began with threats of rain, gradually warmed and cleared, giving us the best of cycling conditions.
Another highlight of the day was the lovely twin spired church high above Zuzemberk. We cycled up to view it at close range, and to enjoy dramatic views of the valley below. The church was rebuilt in the last few years, beginning in 1993 - the old one it replaced was apparently bombed to ruins in 1944.
We ended the day at Novo Mesto where, after a fiasco of an attempt to find a cheaper room, we ended up at the only hotel in town, the business class Krka. We had stopped by here earlier, and they generously referred us to a cheaper pension a kilometer away. After three kilometers though we turned around and sheepishly returned, glad that they would still accommodate us. It was expensive (15,000 sit) but elegant, and served us an excellent breakfast the next morning.
We found Novo Mesto to be somewhat disappointing. Its small historical center has several attractive structures in it but the town is being strangled by traffic, making it difficult to walk around, cross the street or enjoy its sights. There are also very few dinner options. We ended up in a not too inspiring pizza restaurant - one of a chain, which I dubbed the Slovenian Pizza Hut; but we enjoyed our servings of spaghetti and gorgonzola well enough.
Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 75 miles (121 km)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |