View from the Pillion - Destination Italy

Dan's daughter, Karin, has joined us for the rest of our tour (same spelling as my name but different pronunciation). We had all encouraged him to invite her and it is great for Dan to be able to spend some time with her. She is very sweet and a lovely addition to our friendly, easy going group. Moving right along, we are leaving Slovenia again and taking wide gentle roads at first, we are soon in Italy. The only change is the signs along the road which are now in Italian. 

Our first stop is the amazing little town of Venzone which we enter on a narrow road through the town wall right into the town square.

Dan tells us the story about how Venzone was virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1976 but by 2007 it was completely rebuilt, using the original stones. It's a testament to the determination of the citizens.

Today it's a cheerful, pretty place. Located in the centre of a lavender growing area, it is all decked out in lavender finery and plenty of the shops specialize in all things lavender.

Looking at the photos of the destruction, it's amazing how it was all put back together.The cathedral took the biggest hit. It was lovingly restored but the interior clearly shows the signs of devastation. Bits of masonry that didn't quite find a home in the reconstruction are preserved in neat piles.

Back on the bikes, we head to the Dolemites along the much anticipated twisties. We're in a good groove today. The views are lovely. From mountain top to green valleys; everything looks rich and lush. The buildings seem to be mostly wooden and all have overflowing window boxes of geraniums and trailing flowers. We cross several dry, stony river beds which we decide are mostly for snow run-off. We also cross the flowing Reka River which we encountered in the caves the previous day.

Our lunch stop (memorable thin crust pizza) is in the valley at the base of craggy cliffs and is the start of the mountain roads climbing up to the Alta Badia area, It's renowned as a ski area, but also for the amazing hiking and other outdoor sports. No skiing now of course. But en route we see plenty of chair lifts, several of them operating.When we reach Cortina is has started to rain. So we shelter under the cover of a hotel entrance to put on our rain gear. Even though the rain slows down, the roads are wet and the traffic is heavy and slow. It's not too much further to our hotel in the centre of Corvara, where we are welcomed by the smiling face of Primož who has got there ahead of us as usual with our luggage.

Corvara is clearly a ski-town but caters equally well to hikers, motorcyclists and all kinds of outdoor enthusiasts. We take time after freshening up to walk around the town and see its quaint shops and beautiful surroundings. The commercial area stretches along the main road, but the residential area stretches up the lower slopes of the mountain. 

 

The view of the town nestled in the valley, is sublime. 

View from the Pillion - Lošinj Island to Brda

Today we will be riding from the glorious Adriatic seaside, through the Istrian Peninsula and eventually to the wine region of Brda in Slovenia. It will be a busy day so we are up early on our way to catch the ferry from Cres Island.

 It's only when we're on vacation that we're up early enough to see the sunrise!

The road to the ferry dock at the northern tip of Cres Island is busy with vehicles all trying to make it in time for the next departure. Dan is an expert at passing long lines of traffic and we all dutifully follow. Motorcycles seem to have their own rules here and are treated with respect by the other drivers. As we get closer to the dock, we cut right up to the front of the waiting line of cars. No one seems to object and we are right there ahead of the queue with other bikes, waiting to board, before our ferry has even docked. 

The ferry takes a lot of vehicles aboard and I am just glad we don't have to disappear down into the hold the way we see some of the cars doing. The bikes are loaded first so that we'll be ahead of most of the traffic at the other end. At least that's the theory.

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After the ferry it's a relaxed ride through lovely countryside. At our lunch stop we have a great view of the medieval town of Motovun perched on a hilltop, across a valley of vineyards and orchards. Soon after we cross the border back into Slovenia. 

And now we are hurrying to catch the 2 pm tour of the  famous Škocjan Caves. In the rush to get tickets, stow our gear and join the tour, Peter and I somehow get left behind and have to run and catch up. But goofs that we are, we go in the wrong direction in the park and do a lot of extra distance before panting and puffing, we arrive at the cave entrance just in time to join John and June for the tour. We enter a vast labyrinth of long passageways, rocky ledges, caves and crevasses carved by water over centuries. Our guide leads us along dimly lit walk ways, through huge caverns, each one grander than the other, filled with limestone formations. Forests of stalagmites and stalactites, like graceful sculptures, form shapes that are lit to eerie effect. Far below our catwalk, the Reka River tumbles over boulders, sometimes disappearing only to surface further along. The roar of water fills the caves.

Photography isn't allowed inside the caves and once outside we try every angle to try and capture the magnificence of the scenery, but photos just don't do it justice. Apparently the funicular to get back to the top, is not operating today, so it's a long, uphill trudge to the rest area where we left Dan, Kathy and Ross. I haven't brought a hat, so I have to improvise with my bandana.We are boiling hot in our riding pants and boots. By the time we get to the top all we want is a loooong cold drink. 

We all agree it was worth the trek.

 
Afterwards we ride through the Lipica Stud farm which dates back to 1580 and is home to the famous white Lipizzaner horses.We are lucky that the horses are out in the field beside the road - looking very relaxed, not all dressed up and prancing like noble show horses. In my view, Lipizzaners are the rock stars of the horsey world. I have seen them  performing in Toronto and watched a rehearsal at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and I am very excited to see them close up. It is on my bucket list to ride a Lipizzaner; but today all I can do is pat one as it wanders over to the fence to check me out. It gives me a gentle nuzzle then wanders over to greet the other visitors lined up along the fence. I sense that I am the only one in our group that is star struck and soon we mount our motorcycles and head to the small village of Medana in the Brda region for our overnight stop.

The guest house, in a picturesque setting overlooking fields and orchards, is dressed in flower baskets and vines. Dinner, of course is scrumptious and the local wine is as usual, excellent.

Rest day - at the Croatian seaside

Even Tony the Triumph Tiger gets to relax by the pool today.

It seems appropriate to start the day with champagne and orange juice at the hotel's buffet breakfast. To call it a buffet is an understatement. It's hard not to overindulge at this sumptuous spread!                       For Peter and I relaxing means exploring so we set off through the back streets of the town - some of them so narrow that we wonder how the little Fiat we see parked outside a house, got there. You can't get lost; eventually all paths lead back to the sea front. 

Following the path that goes along the water's edge, we take a look at the highly rated Revenska Beach. It is said to have "soft" stones, whatever that might mean. It's too crowded for our taste so we pass through and continue on the path which meanders from cove to cove. Some of the inlets have small stony beaches where people sprawl in the sunshine. Others climb down the cliffs and settle on sloping rocks beside the sapphire-blue water. 

When we are hot from walking we find a spot where we can drop into the sea. The waves roll into shore strongly and steadily. It is hard work swimming against the tide and trying not to drift too far along the shore from our access point. I am a bit nervous about being dashed against the rocks.But the water is glorious. We sun ourselves like lizards for a while before wandering along to the next beach.

And that's pretty much how the day goes, from rock ledge, to inlet, to beach and eventually back to the hotel pool. We linger at one spot where the water is calmer and avoid the beach which looks so inviting, but is razor sharp underfoot. I indulge myself with blood orange chocolate gelato for lunch. Peter downs a beer; you can almost hear it sizzling as it goes down.

Before heading out for dinner, we take advantage of the hotel spa, which we discover is free to hotel guests. We do the circuit of sauna, cool shower, steam room relaxing room and Jacuzzi with jets that massage the whole body. All in all a totally languid, relaxing blissful day.

View from the pillion - on the way to Lošinj Island, Croatia

We're ready to leave the luxury of our castle room to be on the road by 8 am. It is no easy feat making a selection from the elegant breakfast spread in the dining room. I am trying to be sensible since we have such amazing food options every day and I'm afraid my riding pants won't do up before the end of the trip.

Once over the wooden moat bridge we set off at a brisk pace heading once again through verdant landscape. The weather is perfect and the roads are smooth and curvy. At one point Peter decides to pass the pack and he tucks in behind Dejan. There is a long length of road, where they pick up the pace and we are flying along at high revs. Dan rides so well; he is awesome to watch. Peter does well keeping him in sight as they sweep around corners and fly along the straights (which are few). It is exhilarating! 

The day continues in this way and we cross the border into Croatia, where we go through border control and have to produce our passports. Then we have to find an ATM so that we have Croatian money. Euros are not accepted in Croatia.

Now we have to race at full throttle, past long lines of cars, across a toll bridge onto Krk Island  to catch the ferry. It is touch and go; the ferry is already loaded, but Primož has got there ahead of us with the van. He has our tickets and has managed to stall the departure with some kind of sweet-talking ruse. We hurriedly ride on board and stow the bikes. It is a pleasant 25 minute trip to Cres Island.

On Cres Island, Dan leads us up a narrow, rugged road to the tiny village of Lubernice which has perched on this rocky outcrop high above the sea for the past 4,000 years. Its current population is reduced to about 60 people. But, because of its scenic location, it's a popular spot for day-trippers and the locals are outnumbered by visitors who clamber around the rocks and enjoy local cuisine in this out of the way setting.

We're in luck, the specialty dish that takes half a day to cook, is available. Our server brings enough food to feed a small army. The hearty meal of lamb, gnocchi and potatoes is pretty good, but also very expensive and we spend most of our newly acquired Croatian kunas in one sitting. The server gets a huge "doggy bag" of left overs in lieu of tip. (Not that tips are expected or common in this part of the world. Peter and I, the Canadians in the group, are still wrestling with that concept)

It might be a rocky, windy outpost, but the views in every direction are spectacular.

The terrain is very different from the bucolic landscape we travelled earlier in the day. There are rocks everywhere including scattered on the road. Rock fences line the edges and form the basis of every built structure. We negotiate the return ride back to the main route to Lošinj Island and our destination, Vitality Hotel Punta in Veli Lošinj. En route Dan makes a point of showing us the way to Mali Lošinj which is the biggest settlement on the island, but once we pull up to our hotel, and see the infinity pool which seems to merge into the Adriatic Sea, we lose any motivation to venture too far from this inviting spot.

The location of the hotel at the edge of town, is excellent. Our room is lovely and we particularly appreciate the well-placed glass brick wall in the bathroom, making it feel spacious and bright. The hotel also thoughtfully provides plastic baskets, complete with beach towel for each guest to tote their stuff to the pool. And this is the first thing we do. We splash around in the glorious seawater pool and relax poolside until, wow, it's time to get ready for dinner already!

Dan and Primož take us on a short stroll through the village centre, which is ridiculously quaint, with colourful buildings edging the protected harbour.The main street is really a waterway; an inlet from the sea. Boats are tied up close together, practically encroaching on the town square and the pedestrian streets wind around the buildings and beside the water. Not too shabby a place to spend our day off.

Most of our dinners are included in the price of the tour and each evening we have a new experience in delicious eating. Tonight is no exception. I choose the sea bass; very simply prepared with julienne zucchini and truffles. And I try a grapefruit radler to drink which is pretty much a pre-mixed shandy. Very refreshing.