The last days in Slovenia and the start of Hungary

 Due to the forecasted temperatures predicting to be in the mid 30’s we decided to hit a thermal spa where we could bake in a sauna instead. Firstly we did a pre spa run which was nice and flat next to the river. The spa was in a town called Lasko (as per the Slovenian beer). We ensured we had enough food to keep us going and spent the day chilling and baking. The saunas were very quiet and we were the only 2 in the Turkish steam room when they dished out the honey for their version of an onsen. We parked back at the same space as the previous night as it was nice and quiet and had free electricity! We then hop-footed it onto the bikes for a quick cycle down the same river we ran that morning in the hope that we were not too late for the famous beer fountain of Zalec. This included buying a beer mug with a microchip in and then helping ourselves to the 7 different beers on offer, one of which was radiation green. They were all really nice and some guy who looked uncannily like Jason Alexander from Seinfeld tried to flog us some cheap beers he had in his bag. When he asked me why I wasn’t interested I had to refrain from saying that I was taught from a young age not to accept sweets from strangers. We tipsily rode back to the van and called it a night.

Next morning we drove up to Celje castle but was disappointed that we couldn’t get into the grounds and it didn’t look impressive enough to actually pay to get in. We drove to Slobenj Gradc where we were drawn in by a long cycleway up to Dravograd (a very boring town) but we did get to quickly cross the border into Austria. All in all it was 60km which was a warm up compared to what we had lined up in Hungary. We then chilled for the rest of the day at the camperstop.

Next morning we got the TRX out and hit the outdoor gym for a good work out as it was a decent gym set up. Afterwards we had a shower then headed in the van to get some groceries before getting to a town called Ruse where we got the bikes out and headed into Maribor, which is Slovenia’s second city. It only has a third of the population of the capital and not many must see sites but we wanted to see it anyway. We got in an parked up the bikes and god could we feel the heat today! There was no respite from it anywhere. We decided to walk through the old town and just see what there was but we soon noticed quite a few police around and the more we walked the more we saw. We then saw some interesting looking people around who wouldn’t look out of place in a motorbike bar and they were all heavily drinking. We did a bit of googling (well quite a bit actually) and found out there was a big football match on later between Maribor and a town in Bulgaria and most of these people supported Bulgaria and had the caption on their Instagram as ‘hooligans’ so we decided to stay clear of the area. We did manage to see the Liberation Monument which is a large sphere with many different faces on it to represent 200 people killed in WW2. We also saw the cathedral, the main square and many other buildings. We also went to see the worlds oldest vine which is 450 years old and still produces wine. After walking for awhile we decided we were hot enough so we cycled a little out of town to get some vegan ice cream and some cakes for later before we headed back to the van.

Once back at the van we met some Americans who had bought a van in France and were spending a couple of years travelling Europe. We sat and had some drinks with them while we traded stories of different countries and experiences before we had some dinner and headed to bed. The next morning we got up and did a run down the bike paths we had used the day before which meant that it was mostly flat and then had a shower before setting off to the expo centre Murska Sobota which is a large centre on a lake. We had a little look around before we settled on the lake, with free beach chairs and umbrellas, and relaxed for a bit. The water was lovely and warm and the beach area wasn’t that busy and we chilled there for the rest of the day. It was a lovely area with nice walks around the lake, nice showers and toilets and great bike routes (for those that wanted to cycle – we were taking a break after the last couple of days). We decided to spend the night there and were in for a treat as the thunder came in around midnight to give us a great show but it did keep us awake for awhile and even made us jump a couple of times as it got so loud.

The next morning we had a lazy morning as the rain persisted and it was a bit of a miserable wet day (although the temperature was still in the mid 20s and it was nice to have a cooler day). We decided to get some admin done and sat in the café at the Expo centre for a couple of hours and get a few things done. This was quite productive and a useful way to spend the time and in the afternoon we continued this in the van with a little outing to the supermarket.

The next morning we got up and headed to the huge outdoor gym the Expo centre had for a good workout before having a shower and heading to Orseg national park in Hungary. We parked up and headed to the open air museum where we looked around some old houses and farm buildings before going to see their goats, donkeys, chickens, ducks and rabbits. We then walked down the road where there was a herd of Bison who are being reintroduced into the area after being over hunted to the point of extinction in the early 20^th century.  They were huge, much bigger than we had thought they would be, and we got very close as one was having a drink of water next to the fence. We carried on down the path to an observatory where you can get a good view of them but they were all at the other side of the field so we ended up making our way back to van for the night. We did a quick run the next day taking a slight diversion for a stray dog as we were not sure how well behaved Hungarian dogs were yet. We then made our way to Lake Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe stretching over 100km wide. We were very surprised to see enroute to the lake a Tesco Superstore. We stopped to take a look and decided to stick with Lidl!

Given the sheer size of Lake Balaton you would think it impossible to cover it’s entire perimeter in Lido’s. Well Hungary have made a good go of it. Entry is normally only £2-3 and you get well maintained toilets and showers as well as easy access to the lake so all in all it’s a bargain. It’s school holidays so it really busy but it was all very civilised with countless paddleboards and inflatables on the water. We moved to a different lido car park for the evening and was surprised to learn that after 7pm they open the gates and let everyone in for free. We then made plans for the nexts day big cycle around the lake. Every year a cycle event takes place called the Balatonkor where thousands of people set off at 6am to cycle the 200km perimeter. Our previous longest ever cycle was 100km and 200km may have been pushing the ebikes 2 batteries to the limit so we did a 140km loop which involved a short ferry crossing. There are plenty of cyclepaths and when on the road it was very safe. The first 50km to the boat flew by and we were blessed with some overcast weather. The next 40km was still good although we realised we had strapped the second battery too tightly to the panner causing it to bend slightly and causing the panner to tap the back tyre when going over a bump. We swapped batteries at the 90km mark and then started to feel the effects of the long distance cycle. The next 30km was only made bearable by the promise of ice-cream we had booked-marked in a town enroute. It was at this point we were taking breaks every 10km just to ensure we were drinking enough fluids. The ice-cream could have been rubbish but it tasted amazing at the time, with lots of vegan options. This gave us the boost we needed for the final 23km. We also became very aware why, the day before when driving around the lake, we would see people randomly at the side of the cycle path having a drink as you would have vast stretches of cycle path with no real designated place to stop. We were very happy to be back at the van and vowed never to get on the bikes again. We spent the next hours trying to eat the 3000 calories burned before heading for a dip in the lake, followed by a shower and then a much deserved beer!

Next morning we tried to lie in however we were rudely awoken at 6am by the gardener who was strimming. This coupled with the couple who were having an argument the night before at 10pm before both storming off on foot leaving their car idling until about midnight – Hungary must be a very safe place!

Today we got up and headed up to the castle above Szigliget which has great views over the lake and surrounding area. We paid and went in to have a look around and saw the different elements of the castle which was built around the 14th century and was added to over the years. This afternoon we have chilled by the lake on the paddleboard. We practiced both standing at the same time which is something we only tend to do on flat calm waters. I convinced Catherine to play the game where we both stand facing each other and try and topple the other one off without touching them. This little game taught us that our paddleboard is extremely stable and we physically couldn’t swing the board side to side enough to fall in. This meant that when it came to paddling again whilst both standing we were far more stable now we knew how hard it was to actually fall in.

A bird found on our cycle to Dravograd 

Maribor square

The worlds oldest vine in Maribor

Grapes on the oldest vine

A lovely sunset taken from our campersop at the expo centre

An old carriage in the open air museum in Orseg national park 

Goats in the national park

Rich loves goats - Orseg national park 

The bison up close in Orseg national park 

He was a big boy!

The Eurasian horses also with the bison in Orseg national park 

The castle above Szigliget near the lake

Inside the castle

The views out into rural Hungary

Just a small sight of the huge lake Balaton

more views from the castle

and a final view of the castle near lake Balaton

Rich drinking green beer from the beer fountain in Zalec

The beer fountain machines

our little detour into Autria

and back to slovenia

Now into Hungary

Ice cream on our mammoth bike ride 

time for a beer after the long bike ride, Rich was soo glad he was back at the van and the beers only cost £2 each!

A week of activities

 We relaxed at the campsite for a few days which was really nice. It wasn’t a real campsite, it was a unofficial rustic stop. The kitchen had a couple of taps and a hob which worked, a fridge freezer which didn’t and some tables while the bathroom had some toilets and a cold shower but it was a great place to be. Everyone was really friendly and we chatted to lots of people from all over. Our neighbours had a lovely dog called May who loved to come over when we had food and even when we didn’t. We did a couple of different walks to waterfalls but you couldn’t swim in either of them and as it was getting bloody hot we decided to swim in the river on the walk back from the furthest one. That water was freezing as, like most of the water around here, it was glacial! The first waterfall we visited was Slap Virje which was about a 20 minute, mostly up hill, walk from the campsite and it was a nice little waterfall which you could get quite close to. The second one was Slap Boka and this said it was 30 minutes away but actually it was about an hour away and while this one was much higher, 144 meters, you couldn’t get that close to it which was disappointing. We also cycled into Bovec on the Tuesday which was a bit of a climb (100meters) but we wanted to get a couple of bits from the supermarket and have a wander around the little town. It’s a cute town with some shops and lots of activity centres selling everything from hiking, rafting, kayaking to paragliding and canyoning.

 

Finally Wednesday rolled around and we had the morning to chill and prepare for the scary afternoon in the canyon. There were choices of canyon from the beginners one to the more advanced one and for some reason I have chosen the more advanced one meaning that the jumps are higher and the rappels/abseils are higher. We cycled down to Bovec and tied the bikes up before having a quick bite of lunch I had packed and then headed into the office to prepare for the trip. We had to sign our life away and then got measured up for shoes, socks and neoprene suit and wait for the others to arrive. Finally the other family arrived and they were from Belgium and luckily had also been canyoning before but the father was a little scared of jumps so I was in good company given I am scared of heights yet I planned and booked this!

 

We jumped in the van once we all had our stuff and headed off to the canyon and then suited up before we climbed up 200 meters to start the descend through the canyon. It was lovely when we got in the water for the first time as it was cool, around 8degrees which was nice after all that climbing. We then started descending and it wasn’t long until we got to our first rappel down a 15 meter rock face. It took a couple of deep breaths but I managed it without too much issue and we carried on and did several slides down the different rocks and scrambling in between the canyon walls on the way down. There was one slide where the guide held us over the edge of the first section and we slid down the second section and both Rich and I messed our landings on this one, I went in butt first while Rich bounced off a ledge so this wasn’t our favourite one!

Next came the big one, it was a rappel down a 45 meter waterfall, although we weren’t rappelling, the guide was lowering us down a bit like an elevator but this meant you didn’t have any control over it. Rich went over and down he went and said it was very scary and you got pelted by the waterfall but also went behind it which was nice. I tried to do it but given the view from the top and the sheer height I decided to give it a miss and walked down instead. It was just a little too high for me!  Once down we caught up with everyone else and carried on down the canyon, there were a couple more slides and the jumps started which were a bit scary. The first one was about 8 meters and involved jumping off the side but not too far as there was a rock wall in front of you (although I doubt you could actually hit it but it appeared close) and down into the deep blue water. Next was another two big jumps around 6 meters into the water but without the rock wall on the other side which made them easier. Now it was just the final rappel down the 20 meter rock face/waterfall. This was a little slipper in places and you had to step across the waterfall and then at the end you swung back across under the waterfall but we all made it down safely and carried on down a couple more slides until we made it to the bottom and had a short walk back to the van to get changed and drive back to the town.

Once back we picked up our stuff and went for a well deserved beer and some vegan Pad Thai at a local restaurant. We then had a decision to make, the football was on and one of the bars would be playing it but it wouldn’t start till 9pm over here and it would make for a dark cycle home and we still had an hour or so to kill before it started. We decided to risk it and head back to the van and hope our data would let us stream it. Luckily it did and apart from a couple of times when it buffered we managed to watch the match on the laptop outside the van before we headed to bed exhausted (and glad it didn’t go to extra time!).

The next morning we had a bit of a lie in before getting ourselves moved and off this lovely camp site. We headed not far away but across the border into Italy to Lake Predil where we managed to park up and get the paddleboard out. The lake was around 1km long and we paddled around the whole thing before having a swim and a lie on the beach. We chilled there for much of the afternoon before heading to the van for the evening because as its Italy we can park most places overnight. The next morning we headed not far up the road, but back into Slovenia for a big cycle. We got the bikes out and started the shortish (10.6km) cycle up Mangart’s saddle. This included a 960meter climb with gradients ranging up to 14% but with an average of 9%. As when we reached the top we had completed the 960 meters but as gluttons for punishment we did a small loop that was at the top and completed just over a 1,000 meter climb. The views on the way up and at the top were great (although we didn’t stop at all on the way up as it was too difficult to restart). We had a walk around the mountain area but we didn’t climb Mangart as it’s a 5 hour round trip and most of the routes require the use of via ferrata. Once we had spent enough time walking around we jumped on the bikes and headed down which was a lot of fun! We got some good speeds but you can’t go too fast as a lot of the road does not have continuous crash barriers and does have sheer drops. You also have to be aware of on coming traffic and bikes/motorbikes so we had to manage the speed down. Once we were down at the van we had some very much needed food and then popped back to the lake we were at yesterday for a dip to cool down before we headed back towards the lake Bled area for the night.

We made a mistake where we parked however as it was near a railway on which several trains went by over night and disturbed us. The next morning we got up and headed up the mountains to a place called Pokjuka where we managed to find a space to park and headed out on a hike. We walked for several hours up to the start of the main climb of Triglav which is the highest mountain in Slovenia. Most people, who are climbing the mountain do it in two days and climbs to one of the two huts before summitting the next day. We did consider doing this but again to summit you need to use Via Ferrata which we are not trained in and with my fear of heights I’m not sure I would be any good at it. We reached the bottom hut which was still a long walk and then headed back to the van to complete the 17.5km hike and climbed 900meters (we did consider adding on to it to make it the 1,000 meter climb but it had already taken us 6 hours and we were ready to get in the van and head to our place for the night which is near Lake Bohinj.

The next morning we got up and cycled to the lake which was around 5km away and found a spot on the beach to relax and have a swim. After a couple of hours we cycled around more of the lake before heading back to the van as we have to check out of the campsite and we headed to Ljubljana as it’s the football tonight so we thought we could cycle in to watch it as we knew there was a big screen in the town. We managed to get to the same stop we parked at last time we were here and we cycled into the town, which only takes 25 minutes,  and grabbed a quick pizza before we headed to the now crowded square. There were more Spanish fans than English but it was a good atmosphere to watch the match in and we managed to get a beer to drink while we watched the match and then we cycled back in the dark to the van for the night.

 As it was a bit of a late one by the time we got back we had a chilled morning before we headed out to a town called Celje, which is east of the capital. We parked up and did some laundry as we are in need of some clean clothes and towels and got some admin done. It’s a really hot day so it was nice not to be doing lots of activities but even tasks like the laundry leave us hot and sweaty! We are now planning the next couple of days here in Slovenia but the sun doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and its staying in the 30’s so we have to plan accordingly!

The view from the top of our cycle

The view down the valley from about 1/2 back down on the cycle

Rich happy to be going down hill. There were 5 tunnels to go through along the route

The valley from our hike, it was a similar set of views but still stunning

The mountains we had to hike through to get to Triglav

Some of the smaller mountains on the hike

Lovely little flowers we found

The hut we reached and turned around at. This one is the better one to stay at as it has running water but its a couple of hours from the top of Triglav

The mountains of Triglav park

Our hiking path

Cows in the valley

Rich telling me to hurry up and get in the River Soca after visiting the waterfall Boka - it was bloody cold

lake Predil in the mountains

The other side of the lake which we paddled to

Rich having a paddle on his own on lake Predil

Mangart hiding behind the clouds

More views from the top of our cycle to Mangarts saddle

And another one

Mangart didn't come out of the clouds the whole time we were up there

Another view

View of the road we cycled

Another view from the top of the cycle

Bohinj camperstop

Paragliding people at lake Bohinj

Rich Swimming in Lake Bohinj

A nice view without him

Watching the football in the capital

Rich starting the rappel 

He seems to enjoy it

It was higher than it looks - around 15 meters high

And my turn was up 

It was slippery but I made it down 

One of the many slides we had to do

Rich on his way down the slide

This was the one he held you on then dropped you

I went in bottom first

But it didn't bother me too much

Rich on the big rappel that I didn't do

It was very high - almost 50 meters

Finally down to the ground

Now he just had to untie himself and swim across the water

The whole height of it

Our next rappel - this one was 20 meters

Slap Virje waterfall

Slap Boka

A final view from the cycle

Another view from the hike