At about 6:30 tonight, I had an invitation for a bike ride. I hadn't had dinner and was about to go for my own walk, but I couldn't say no. I have a bike borrowed from our new neighbors and I was excited to take it for a spin.
One of my colleagues rode over and we were off. I was a bit worried when she had full biking gear--shoes that snap into the pedals and everything, but I figured I'd do my best to hold my own. And I'm so glad I did! We took a wonderful trip up into "the Carso" (more about the Carso in another post), which I've recreated as best I can in this picture. I really have little idea where we actually were, but I caught some village names and did my best to show you the route. Our path was approximately H-G-C-D-E-F-G-H. (Or it could have been entirely different)
The villages were just as I'd imagined, but I've been here long enough to have a little context. Crumbling stone walls overgrown with vines, small farms with vineyards, orchards and gardens, and little restaurant/bars set among the few houses. There was almost no traffic, and we could have ridden into Slovenia if we'd had a bit more daylight (I would have liked gears that I trusted for that too). The G-C stretch was all uphill, and I finally got some of the cardio work I've been missing since our arrival. Upon returning to G, we agreed a stop for gelato was in order and I enjoyed Chocolate and Strawberry. That gave me just enough energy to get back to Duino.
I can't wait to go back and explore more, and I'm happy that I have a friend to ride with! She promised to let me tag along whenever I want so hopefully by the time our bikes arrive I'll know my way around a bit better. Although I can certainly think of worse places to get lost. . .
Tomorrow I'm off to Venice. I've only heard great things about it, and I'm pretty excited. If you've been waiting for pictures, I'm sure there will be plenty after tomorrow's trip!
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