Perfect Piran
Croatia Stage 19 – Tue 9th Jun 2015 – Novigrad to Piran, Slovenia (44 Km)
From the hotel Nautica where I was staying in Novigrad I headed North-East along Route 06 from the Istria-Bike website. Much like yesterday this was riding at its best, picturesque countryside, divine little towns, good sealed tertiary roads, on a warm, early summer day under clear skies. My route wound around through well-ordered olive groves, vineyards, cherry trees, fig trees, mulberry trees, farm-yards with goats, donkeys, and lots of ducks, chickens and roosters. Confession time … I did stop to sample some of the delicious cherries that have been tempting me all tour.
With not a care in the world I turned off onto the Parenzana bike route, which runs along what used to be a railway line before trains became uneconomic here. If you like bone-shaking, rocky paths, and have a mountain bike with shock-absorbing, pneumatic suspension, and fat knobby tires, then the Parenzana is the route for you. The Parenzana sign-post proudly announces “the route of health and friendship”, but I experienced neither.
The Parenzana took me right to the Slovenia border where I had no problems getting my passport stamped, although she did look at me funny when she asked where I had ridden from and I replied Dubrovnik. The next 15 Km ride into Piran was a sheer delight, on an amazing off-road bike path that followed the coast on my left and with rolling hills on my right. The Tuscan style villas and pencil pines on the hillside made me think I was back in Toscana or Umbria.
Piran is as near to perfect as a medieval seaside town can be, and I am staying in a lovely apartment called Vila Piranesi, the pink-coloured building overlooking the harbour and the village square (you can see it in a couple of the photos). I am off to explore further now and no doubt will add some more photos later.
Hi Kevin
Looks a great place, UK at the moment is 14c and overcast. have a nice trip.
Brian
Hi Anthea and Brian.
Good to hear from you. I hope the weather warms up before I get back to London on Monday. I have been spoiled the last couple of weeks with blue skies and temp in low 30’s every day. Have had a fabulous ride and can’t believe it is finished already. It doesn’t seem like more than 3 weeks since we were sitting on that delightful terrace at Villa Maslina in Neum!
Cheers,
Kevin.
The photos are a delight to look at. It was a great day when digital was resurrected or these lovely photos would have cost you a fortune to develop. God bless the person who came up with the idea of digital camera and photos. Well my dear Kev all good things and times has come to an end and so it is with you. As the saying goes “You came you saw and you conquered”. You have achieved your goal well done Mr Ellwood. I am proud of you and hope that your next “leg” of your journey will not be a problem with the bike. You may have to ride across the Chanel if there is a problem with the bike.Melx