Tomorrow we climb out of the village of Podraga in the beautiful, deep Vipava Valley and say goodbye to Slovenia. It was our first time in the country and certainly won’t be our last.

When we first crossed into Slovenia in stormy weather, one of the members of the Jacobova Pot pilgrim association warned me, through their Facebook page, that the ferry crossing of the Mura river was shut down because of high water and flooding. Since then people have been watching out for us throughout our journey. This cyber community becomes very important on a Camino route where you are lucky to meet another pilgrim in a month. 

Initially we booked most of our accommodation through online sites, but slowly we have moved towards trying the donativo options available on the route. They are all listed in our accommodation list, but with very few details. Without the ability to speak Slovenian, we are unsure whether we will have cooking facilities, beds, a shower or simply a rustic roof over our heads, but we always know we will be warmly welcomed as special pilgrims from afar. 

Three nights ago in Vrhnika we stayed with Bojan Jesenovec in his exceptionally equipped Pilgrim Shelter. There we spent an evening together with another French cyclist who found Bojan’s place through the Warmshowers network. Bojan generously offered us pasta, his own tomato sauce and vegetables from his garden. While we ate our dinner he played us accordion songs from across the globe. 

Yesterday we spent the night in our sleeping bags and mattresses on the floor in the parish house of the Saint James Church in Studeno. Renovations were underway and we were fortunate to have a newly plumbed shower, albeit with cold water. 

Tonight we have beds in what was the Priest’s house in Podraga. It’s set in a beautiful garden with a panoramic view of the mountains and the church. No shower here, or cooking facilities, but we brought food and it was warm enough that we improvised a shower with buckets in the garden. The donativo options are particularly important because in this area we are often staying in tiny hamlets, without cafes, stores or restaurants. 

Bojan contacted a woman, Ivanka, that likes to welcome pilgrims when they walk through the Vipava Valley. We thought we were staying with her, but she was instead meeting us to give us a freshly made Tarta de Santiago. 
She found me at a bar in the neighbouring town and presented me with the cake. She is 70 and can no longer walk Caminos, so she  has worked  as a Hospitalero on the Via Francigena.  When she is home she bakes cakes for the pilgrims who pass.  The Camino spirit is strong in Slovenia, even 3,000 kms away from Santiago.