Trans Slovenian Express

This country is smaller than it looks and I feel like I am breezing through it. Too bad too; it's so lovely. But with Slovenia comes my "downhill", third leg. If you look at a map, from Gibraltar to Andorra was upwards, Andorra to Slovenia was across and now from Slovenia to Istanbul is down. Of course it's not really down, there's still lots of mountains to climb, but there is an illusion looking at a map that allows my mind to think that I am just sliding down.  I have, in fact, climbed my first mountain yesterday, the first in nearly two weeks. It was wonderful!

I've had time to absorb Venice more. Arriving by ferry from the islet into the San Carlos Square stop was like cruising right into an old master's oil painting. Up until this week I have only seen Venice that way, in fine art museums; the bulbous clouds, the baby blue, powder sky, the row of opulent old buildings in various states of life and decay and color lined along the lapping lip of the Grand Canal with all the boats in the water. Marvelous, simply marvelous. The only thing NOT in those paintings are the hordes of people. I knew to expect them in June. Everyone wants to see Venice. And who can blame them? But for me, Venice came most alive when it was deadly quiet....early morning.

My first morning in Venice I just strolled for hours before the shops opened. I walked the Rialto Bridge with no one on it. I went to the Jewish "ghetto" and got lost in the maze of lanes and streets and small bridges that makes Venice exciting. It is a city with no cars so it was perfect for me and my day "off" from walking. I still got to exercise but on a lighter scale.

The morning I left Venice was even better. Since I arrived in Venice with no reservation for a place to stay I just picked an area to scout for a bed since I was clueless about the city. The only direct ferry to Cavallina islet, my reentry walking point after leaving Venice, was from San Marcos Square so I decided to find a place there. The info center was no help so I asked around. And in a little-lane restaurant a waiter went to the building across and rang a buzzer to a friend. There, in an unmarked building, was a room in a kind of hostel/hotel/b&b that was nice, clean and quiet and priced just right. I stayed two nights. When I left on Tuesday morning it was early AM and I found myself in San Marcos plaza alone. It was incredible. Venice came to life in that still square. Slowly the dawn colors tinted the Doge Palace and the Basilica and the buildings all around. At the water's edge the pastels of morning light turned the place into magic. I shall never forget it.

However, I was glad to leave Venice. That whole "body shutting down" thing I last blogged about was wrong. My body was ecstatic to leave & start walking again. What it had trouble with was all the busy-ness. There is a trait I have. When I absorb too much info without the time to process it I go into automatic shut down mode. Which is why I was so tired in Venice. My body and mind couldn't take it all in. I have not been in such a big and frenzied place on this whole trip. To give you an idea: a few days earlier walking through a small place called Rolo, a young Pakistani man helped me with directions. That whole flat area between Parma & Venice is an economically troubled region so consequently land is cheap and there are communities of Punjabi Indians, Pakistani, some Chinese and even migrant African workers plus the older school Italian farmers that have been there for eons. This man was so excited to help me. He said, "I think you are the first American to come through Rolo". Most of where I am walking is like that. The people don't see tourists and neither do I. So the bombast of Venice threw me and my body into a tizzy.

I left Venice, walked through Cavallina, on the lagoon side of the island, and afterwards, hopped onto the smallest roads I could find because I could not deal with heavy traffic which exists all around Venice. I went through Cortellazzo, Torre Di Fine, walked atop levees that ran along rivers, hit a super cool back road where a guy had to open a gate 2 miles down the road in order for me to continue (he also left me a bag of fresh walnuts from his trees....very agricultural area:corn, wheat, veggies, fruit & nut trees). I went through S. Giorgio Di Livenza, Precenicco, San Giorgio di Nogaro, etc.

What I've been amazed with is how many older people are out & about on bikes and with no helmets. I am talking men and women in their 70s and 80s on roads with trucks and cars, some just doing shopping. The women are all dressed up in dresses or skirts and ride simple older bikes. I loved them all.

My last day in Italy was a bit tough. It was hot, at times the road was very heavy with traffic. When it is that way I feel very violated by each vehicle passing. It is like each one plows through me with a total disregard that I am a human being. I am pleased there has not been not too much of that kind of walking that I've had to do so far. I met a bicyclist who stopped to talk. He was an Iraqui man who lives in France. He had just bought the bike two days earlier after walking around (true wandering, no intended "goal"), for two years in the Middle East and eastern Europe. He was rail thin and said he got by on 30euros A MONTH which I found hard to believe. He ate discarded foods from stores and also camped. He seemed happy. He had a lot of enthusiasm for my walk too, to meet a fellow, like-minded road warrior. And I found it comforting to talk with someone who could understand where I was inside because this walking does change you.

Off the red roads I went to Turnaco on my way to Doberdo Del Lago when locals told me it would be way easier to go all the way north and then over to get into Slovenia. On the map that looked super long so I decided to go the map route. Well, guess who had to walk a whole lot of extra miles and up a steep hill onto a road that turned into a trail that splintered into several other trails to where I thought I was suerly lost? Yours truly. I was so mad at myself but the fact is- and I realized this later in the day- not every moment in life is a pleasant one, not every decision is the "right" one. As it turns out though, this one was a "right" decision. Sometimes, you just don't realize it until later, when it reveals it's charming secret.

At Doberdo I had to end up going north anyway to Marcottini and then from there I was told I had to still go further north because the border crossing from there was not open. I was hungry, hot, and disgruntled. Then, in the middle of nowhere, a restaurant appeared and I told myself, whatever it costs, I would buy myself a nice last meal in Italy. So I went inside. It was early so no one was eating inside. But the owner greeted me and asked me what I needed. I said FOOD! He told me the cook wasn't in yet but he would prepare me something "great".

The owner's name was Robert. He was so cheerful, so friendly, so wanted to help me. When he found out about my journey I was ordered to sign his guestbook. He told me to relax. He got me orange juice and then a frittata appetizer with pesto and then a huge, delicious plate of gnocchi. He told me it was on the house. He allowed me to shower in the basement, gave me water and a sandwich to go, gave me several hugs and congratulations for my journey. He kept asking, "what else do you need?"

What can I do to make this person feel good?

I was so touched, I cried. "You should be happy", he said. Oh, I was. I was very happy. But walking and being vulnerable as I am , also brings out emotions that don't always surface as easily. And they were out then and there. Robert was Slovenian but this restaurant was just inside Italy. It had been his parents' place and after his brother died (who I think was running it), Robert came back to give it a try. He deserves much success and I wish him all the best.

This day turned out to be a pivotal one for me. I will never forget Robert or that moment.
What can I do for you?
Weeks ago, during a torrential downpour with crashing lightening and thunder I sought refuge in a church. Some prayer circle finished and the nun came up to me and told me I had to leave the church. We opened the church doors and the weather was horrible. I asked her, "where can I go?" and she shrugged her shoulders. And with the biggest smile on her face she said, " I don't know. Out you go".
I will never forget her either.
Both of these people are teachers in my life.
To be or not to be.....that is the question.

I walked a few kilometers more from the restaurant & crossed the border very quietly into Slovenia late on Thursday. It has felt wonderful to be here. It is quieter, simpler, prettier. Yesterday I got to know the place a bit more. It's woods, then a small village, them more woods again. There are hills, the land is not flat. The mountains are all around. I went from Opatje Selo, where a man found it hilarious that I wanted to walk to Komen when he offered a ride. In Komen I sat with a young man under a cherry tree and he talked about the area. He was on break from restoring the gothic frescoes in the old church. Apparently a lot of treasures in Slovenia were decimated in the wars. Stanjel was very charming but Stjak was dreamy, perched high up in the mountains. The views of the Slovenian Alps were stunning. I could not take my eyes off them and spent a lot of the day just admiring the beauty. My camp last night was phenomenal with this vista of these majestic mountains and a superior valley below. The sunlight wrapped up all that nature into unbelievable beholdings.

I have a special affection for Slovenia because one of my favorite bands, Laibach, is from here. I've heard their music playing in my head all day today. Their heyday was years ago. They have always been controversial and the government, years ago, pushed them out of country because they poke fun of nationalism. But most of their work is parody. They have redone the whole Beatles, Let it Be record (except the title track), have covered Macbeth, a whole record of their own versions of National anthems for various countries, a disc called Jesus Christ Superstars and a disco, NATO record.

Today I have been though Vrabce, Senozece and now am in Postojna. The food is different, the language is very different, the prices cheaper, the feeling is a world away from Italy.

By Monday morning I should be in Croatia. I am heading towards the National Park that begins with a "P" and is famous for their lakes (map not handy). I saw pictures of it years ago and told myself, SOMEDAY. Well, that someday is soon. It is in the interior of the country near the north. I am not going to the coast.

Tomorrow begins week 12 (or as i now say counting in reverse, week 7). The countries are all smaller. I will go through them faster. In fact, it will be 9 countries during the rest of this leg. I have some trepidations about a few places further on but it's all just one day a time right now.

The Iraqui bicyclist I met told me Italy was so busy, the roads turmoil. That was the reason he got a bike, to get through it. He told me, once you get out of Italy and into Slovenia then "you are free". It has felt just like that.