

Today we left Slovenia and walked across the border into Italy. We made our way across Slovenia on the Jacobova Pot between the Hungarian and Italian borders in 13 days and 323 kms. We have now come 751 kms from Budapest.
The Camino in Slovenia is well signposted for walkers and cyclists and is enthusiastically supported in person and on line by the Jacobova Pot Association. It’s a wonderful experience and takes you through some beautiful cities (Ptuj and Ljubljana) as well as countless quaint hamlets nestled in a gorgeous landscape. The people we met were amazingly helpful and generous.
This will not be our last trip to this wonderful little country.
My last story from Slovenia involves my search for a coffee. Normally I’m very independent in making my own, but two days ago I accidentally burned out the element of my coil water boiler.
Halfway through my ride today I came to a small town that looked like it might have a café. As I was looking on my phone an older man stopped his moped and started asking me questions in Slovenian. When I explained I only spoke English he was happy to switch to German. He did recognize the word “coffee” and said there was a place I could get a small one. I followed him up a street to what looked like a small hospital or outpatient facility. He ushered me passed a guy at the front foyer who wanted to know what I wanted and brought me to a bank of vending machines. It was tricky to figure out who were staff and who were the clients, except by the open friendliness of the folks hanging out by the machines. My friend insisted on buying me the coffee. Even out of the vending machine it was heavenly. A woman in the next chair started chatting to me in Italian when she realized I couldn’t speak Slovenian. She asked me if I would buy her a coffee because she had no money. A staff member looked a bit concerned at our money exchange as I gave her fifty cents for the machine. We sipped our coffees while she listed off her favourite pop singers: Shakira, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. She repeated asked if I would cycle to England because I speak English. As we talked another quiet smiling gentleman squatted down beside my chair and remained there throughout our conversation.
I pulled out my sketchbook to show them the map of my trip. This excited my coffee angel and he asked me to stay there. He came back with an envelope filled with his own colourful drawings of the stations of the cross. He wanted me to have them, but I explained that I was traveling for months and couldn’t carry them. He understood and shook my hand as I returned them. As I got up to leave my new friends followed me out to see my bike and wave me off. The smiling gentleman opened an antique cigarette case and offered me one of his cigarettes. I thanked him and declined, waving as I rode off.





That place sounds like the makings of a great Netflix series!!!
As always, loving your pictures and your descriptive narrative.
You two would have made so many friends there.
Sometimes funny things just happen. The odd things you can count on.
A highlight for them as well as you 💫👍💫
Love this 🥰👍🥰 made everyone’s day -all of you who had the experience & now us who get to read about it👍😊👍
Thanks Raine! They were our people!
Love your route map. Something that transcends time and place and will provide an amazing anchor for fond memories. And your phrase, “I explained I only spoke English so he switched to German” is my favourite chuckle of the week; thanks!
Yes, it was hilarious!