Abandon all maps, ye who enter here...

Day 129

Mileage 11490 (18491km)

Venice side 'street'

From Rome we turned North towards the ancient City of Assisi in the Umbrian region East of Tuscany. An endless blanket of vineyards and olive groves covered the rolling landscape with Roman forts and medieval settlements capping the peaks on either side of our route. Upon arriving at the campground near Assisi we were immediately adopted by a very kind Italian couple who insisted on feeding us in exchange for some tales from our journey and a few songs on the guitar. With such warm hospitality and amazing food we stretched our stay and rented a couple of bicycles to explore the pristine city at a more leisurely pace. The steep, cobbled streets and immaculate buildings displayed little evidence of the earthquake that devastated the region in 1997. If anything, it all appeared a little too perfect with reconstruction so recent it had little chance to weather and age like other towns of that period. On our third day we bade a sad farewell to our new found friends and made our way indirectly to San Marino, the world’s smallest republic. Taking a maze of rural backroads we crossed the border without even realizing it and were soon winding our way up the side of Monte Titano and into the capital where the Three Towers of San Marino overlook this lilliputian country. With a population of approximately 33,000 people the Sammarinese people enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world which we suspect may have something to do with the exercise they get from their steep streets and endless steps. 

Sunset in the Venetian Lagoon

After a short stay in San Marino we coasted downhill towards the Adriatic Sea determined to complete or Italian experience with a visit to Venice. A Polish/Ukrainian couple we’d met in Rome had recommended a campsite to the East of the city so our route curled around the North side of the marshy Venetian lagoon before turning back along the peninsula to Punta Sabbioni. Our camp was an easy walk from a ferry terminal which ran regular shuttles between some of the 118 islands that make up the city. We had been forewarned by fellow travelers to expect to get lost in the warren of alleys and canals that carve up the small city so in order to avoid this we simply abandoned our map and wandered aimlessly. Without a destination it is impossible to become lost and as we dodged frustrated tourists spinning their maps this way and that we stumbled upon some of the less visited parts of the city. We caught occasional odd looks from the shy locals as they wondered what we were doing in ‘their’ part of the city. Venice is a truly remarkable place, once a major maritime power, its former wealth and extravagance is still evident in the wonderful, yet crumbling, remains. It would be difficult to imagine such a ‘floating’ city if it didn’t already exist. One local we spoke to, who’d lived there for several years, joked about how each time she goes from A to B she discovers a new street. 

Venice at night.

We spent a meager two days in Venice without ever getting truly lost, is it even possible when you’re on an island? As the sun set on our last evening we enjoyed a delicious picnic on the side of a canal watching romantic couples drift by in intricately detailed gondolas. Olives, cheese, bread and tomatoes washed down with a local red wine provided a fitting last supper for our time in Italy. As we gathered our belongings a plump rat scampered past our feet before diving into the narrow canal and swimming off towards a sagging house upstream.

New terrain and a challenging language welcomed us as we crossed the frontier into Slovenia, a country we both know so little about. The early signs of Autumn were beginning to show on the vast expanses of forest that coat over 50% of this republic, a reminder of how long we’ve been on the road. As our route climbed into the Julian Alps a light drizzle was accompanied by a significant drop in the temperature and we added layers to counteract the chill. While pulled over to compare our map to the confusing road signs another long distance biker from Serbia joined us to take photos and share stories, his positive attitude and beaming smile quickly made us forget about the inclement weather and our damp spirits. Suitably encouraged, we pushed onwards and upwards into the Triglav National Park settling for a campsite near the village of Boh. Bistrica. Within minutes of setting camp and cooking dinner a torrential downpour began that lasted well into the following day. After a long night of thunder, lightning and relentless rain we packed out soaked gear and retreated to a warm, dry hostel in the nearby town of Bred. 

Our first taste of Slovenia

Two nights in Bred gave us the opportunity to dry our gear and plan the next leg of the journey while enjoying some of the local hikes and sights. We had booked ourselves into the Traveller’s Haven only to discover it was owned by an Irish couple from Armagh. With covered motorcycle parking and spacious rooms it made for a perfect base to explore the local network of trails that spread out from the lakeside village. 

Bled, Slovenia