TRAVELS IN SLOVENIA IN OCTOBER 2013
Travelling with a Sprinter Van, Lunar Caravan and Paul Hewitt Bicycles Margaret and Barry Williamson October 2013 (Continued from: Travels in Austria September 2013) Introduction After a winter in Spain and Portugal, May in England and June in Ireland, we took the Stena Line ferry in early July 2013 from Harwich to the Hook of Holland to begin our journey through northern Europe. The initial focus was on cycling the Fietspads of the Netherlands and the Radwege of Germany; later we moved further east into Austria, following the line of the Danube to Vienna before turning south into Slovenia.
OCTOBER
2013
TO
SLOVENIA
Klosterneuburg nr Vienna, to Camping Center
Kekec, Maribor, Slovenia - 175 miles, elevation 985 ft
Open
all year. www.cck.si ACSI Card rate €17 inc tax
and 16 amp elec. Free showers. Free WiFi. N 46.5355 E 15.60508
The first day of October was warm and sunny,
following a dull cloudy weekend – a new month and a new country lay ahead. Escaping
Vienna was busy and complicated: along B14 towards the city for 5 miles, then
over the Danube North Bridge to join A22 southwards, recross the river on A23
and finally joinA2 at 15 miles, heading past the airport and Wiener Neustadt towards
Graz. Paused at Guntramsdorf service
station at 24 miles to check tyres and drink coffee, then on to Loipersdorf
services for a lunch stop. The restaurant, packed with an American tour group,
only offered an expensive a la carte
menu with waiter service, so we made a sandwich. At Graz, after 131 miles,
exited onto A9 and continued south into Slovenia.
Gralla, the last Austrian services before
the border, sold the Slovenian motorway Vignette - €15 for a week, €30 for one
month or €95 for a year – pay with Euros or credit card. This applies to
vehicles up to 3.5 tons (no extra payment for a caravan, nor is the caravan's
weight taken into account). Vehicles over 3.5 tons do not buy a Vignette but
have to pay individual tolls along the motorways as they pass checkpoints!
Armed with a one-month Vignette, we crossed
the frontier at 157 miles, elevation1,000 ft, after a lovely drive through
Austria (up to 2,500 ft). After 13 Slovenian miles, we took exit 5 (Maribor
Centre), turned left and followed the SatNav (and brown signs for a ski lift -
but not a campsite) through the busy streets of Slovenia's second largest city.
We noticed that fuel was considerably cheaper than Austria.
The newly created little campsite, to the
west of the city near the foot of a ski run, came as a pleasant surprise, with
tidy level pitches, excellent facilities and a very friendly owner.
At
Maribor
Maribor is on the River Drava (a tributary
of the Danube) in the northeast corner of Slovenia, bordered by Austria,
Hungary and Croatia. It's a wine-producing area and we were given free bunches of
red and white grapes from the camp's own vines - very sweet and distinctive in
flavour. See www.visitmaribor.si.
There are a few shops just 5 minutes' walk
from the site, including a bakery, post office, a small supermarket with bank
machine, and a hairdresser run by twin sisters and their mother. The twins gave
us each coffee and a good haircut while practising their English.
At the nearest Hofer (= Aldi) store 4 km away,
amongst 'foreign' goodies like marzipan Stollen
cake we found several 2-hour episodes of 'Midsomer Murders' on DVD at €1.99
each, in English with a choice of Croat, Slovene and Serbian subtitles. They
must given a strange impression of English village life!
The Hotel Merano, near the campsite entrance,
was an excellent place for lunch or dinner, with home-made bread and desserts and
a glass of local wine: very reasonably priced and a young English-speaking
barman. In fact, everyone we met was extremely helpful and friendly, while
telling us of the country's current problems of unemployment and youth
migration to Austria in search of work.
There was a local bus service into the
centre of Maribor, that lies on the north side of the river, or an easy ride on
a marked cycle path to and across the Glavni
Most bridge (see below).
Cycling
Into
and around Maribor, and along Drava River to Jelovec and back (33 km) – From the campsite 'Cycle Route D2' starts as
a gravel track, bypassing the local shopping centre and roundabout, then
follows the main road into Maribor on a separate safe pavement. We were
impressed by this provision for cyclists (compare with England!) After crossing
the Glavni Most bridge, we took the
'Drava Cycling Route' westwards. A pleasant ride past the old vine house (home
to Europe's oldest living vine) and through park land until the riverside cycle
path ended abruptly at Jelovec, where the route joined busy main road no 1
towards Dravograd and Austria.
Returning to Maribor we explored its partly
pedestrianised old centre, with city hall and plague monument, cathedral, university
(hence an excellent bookshop), castle/museum, Franciscan church, wine cellars
and market place, complete with hot chestnut vendors. It was warm enough to sit
outside a pavement café enjoying excellent coffee and cakes (as good as
Austria's at a much lower price!)
Then we crossed the Drava on a footbridge
and cycled the riverside footpath east for a short way until the waterfront
became industrial. We paused to admire the work of two artists who had set up
their easels to paint an almost Parisian scene of the wide river curving away
beneath the bridges and the old town across the water. Very rive gauche, though we're on the right
bank. A Slovenian cyclist (from Ljubljana, the capital) stopped to talk, saying
it was indeed a nice country for tourists but not to live in any longer. He
bitterly blamed the EU and especially the Euro currency – sentiments often heard.
Turning back, we took quiet roads to rejoin 'Cycle Route D2' to the campsite,
rounding off a lovely afternoon with an excellent chicken dinner at the Hotel
Merano.
A
Drive to Dravograd
On an overcast morning we took a drive
westwards along the north side of the Drava to Dravograd (40 miles from camp),
looking out for signs of the Drava Cycle Route beyond Jelovec. There were none.
Here, just 8 miles from the Austrian border, we searched for a bite to eat. The
two cafes only served drinks, the only food available being a pizza slice or a
burek (greasy cheese pie) from the bakery but they were neither hot nor tempting.
The Tourist Office had closed for lunch and the town was a depressing contrast
with vibrant Maribor. We headed back, shopping at another Hofer (Aldi) store on
the way.
Winter
Planning – Greece?
With reliable free WiFi (therefore free Voipwise
phone calls), we spent some time forward planning for the winter months. It was
hard to decide whether to continue south through Italy to Sicily, or take a
ferry to Greece from Trieste or Venice, or indeed whether to leave the caravan
on site and take a side-trip in the Sprinter to Croatia first. How fortunate we
are to be able to have such choices!
After some research, we provisionally booked
a 'camper deal' (free cabin and meal) with Minoan Lines, running 3 times a week
fromTrieste via Ancona and Igoumenitsa to Patras, with the unsocial departure
time of 0530 hrs. Tickets to be paid for on collection in Trieste, leaving time
to reconsider. See www.minoantrieste.it,
then phone the agents Hellenic International on +39040363242 for the best deal.
They offered a better fare than the ANEK ferry from Venice.
Keeping
up with the News
Barry now starts every day with the Guardian
thanks to a Kindle subscription, supplemented by Radio 4 when we have good free
WiFi, as here. As well as the usual news programmes and plays, we listened to
an excellent tribute to Seamus Heaney who died at the end of August – 'Yeats
and Heaney: A Terrible Beauty'.
Maribor to Camping Danica Bohinj, Bohinjska
Bistrica - 122 miles, elevation 1,690 ft
Open
all year. www.camp-danica.si ACSI Card rate €17 inc tax and 6 amp elec. Free
showers. Free WiFi. N 46.27438 E 13.94798
The warm weather turned showery as we
followed signs for Ljubljana to join the A1 motorway heading southwest. At the
toll points for vehicles over 3.5 tons, we drove straight through in the
'Vignette' lane. It was a lovely journey through sheep-dotted hillsides and
woodland, climbing to 3 short tunnels at about 1,780 ft near Trojane, with
splendid scenery in the Alpine foothills. After 70 miles we exited onto the H2
dual carriageway ring road, to circle to the north of Ljubljana. At 77 miles we
took the A2 northwards, pausing for lunch 12 miles later on the services at
Kranj, near the capital's airport.
Mountains loomed out of the low cloud ahead and
around us as we took exit 16 (Lesce) at 105 miles. Then we drove west, through
picture-perfect Bled along its misty lake with an island church, all set beneath
a towering pinnacle topped by a castle. We've previously stayed on seasonal
Camping Bled at the head of the lake but now we drove southwest, a gentle climb
following river and railway up the Bistrica Valley to the village of Bohinj,
popular with walkers, and its riverside municipal campsite.
Outside the high season, reception is only
open from 5-6 pm but the 'Allo Allo' pub at the camp entrance opened the
barrier and supplied a key to open an electricity box! The restaurant next to
'Allo Allo' offered a gourmet menu featuring local trout, venison and game – at
gourmet prices. The rambling campsite has a lovely setting by the clear shallow
River Bistrica, though the grassy pitches were very muddy and heavy rain still
fell. We joined just 4 other vans near the small winter facilities block, which
was heated and clean, and checked in when the receptionist arrived.
At
Bohinjska Bistrica
Our intention was to walk, cycle and drive
in the Julian Alps, site of Slovenia's highest peak, Triglav (at 2864 m or
9,451 ft), but the weather was against us.
Next morning a fine shower misted the still landscape.
We took a 5-minute stroll into the village to shop at the Mercator supermarket,
with a treat of a hot roast chicken. The Tourist Office had a range of free
leaflets covering the local highlights, such as walks to two waterfalls, a boat
trip across the lake and a cycle route. We hoped it would dry up in the afternoon
but the forecast was not promising.
In fact it poured more heavily as the wind
rose and shook the trees into a realisation of autumn. Watching the river rising rapidly, we
decided to retreat to Ljubljana next morning unless the rain stopped.
Bohinjska Bistrica to Ljubljana Resort (Hotel
& Camping), Ljubljana - 45 miles
Open
mid-March to mid-Oct and 20-31 Dec. www.ljubljanaresort.si ACSI Card rate €17 inc tax and 16 amp elec,
plus €2 'registration fee' on first night. Free showers. WiFi €2 for 24 hrs (or
free near Reception). N 46.09752 E
14.51870
After a night of steady rain, yesterday's calm
clear river was rushing turbulently past the windows, our pitch thick with mud
and fallen leaves. With regret, we packed up and left before the Bistrica broke
over its banks. There was fresh snow on the surrounding peaks.
It was 17 miles down through Bled to the A2
at Lesce, then 25 miles along the wet motorway to exit 13 for Ljubljana. Follow
signs or SatNav for another 3 miles to the so-called Ljubljana Resort,
consisting of a muddy campsite and some hostel-like cabins offering B&B to
groups and backpackers. The heated pool complex, fitness room and other
advertised attractions are all closed off-season.
The off-hand receptionist demanded two
passports (as well as ACSI ID card and ACSI discount card) before we could
drive in. We insisted she photocopy and return the passports. She also told us
the barrier would be locked from 1 pm to 4 pm, with no entry or exit. This
proved quite untrue, as it was only lowered at night.
The toilet/shower facilities were basic,
unheated and miserably cold, the only reason to stay here being easy access by
bike or bus to Slovenia's charming little capital. Or, in our case, the
campsite's proximity to a Mercedes commercial vehicle garage, known to our
Sprinter van from a previous visit to Slovenia.
It was already noon and still raining as we quickly
settled the caravan, had lunch and took the Sprinter round to AutoVommerce,
less than 3 miles away - the site of various vehicle repairers, dealers, tyre
and exhaust specialists. Our van had not been running well since Austria but
the Friday-afternoon mechanic at the Mercedes workshop could not identify the
cause. His English/German speaking manager was apologetic and made no charge.
At
Ljubljana
The city (its name meaning 'lovely') is well
worth a visit, the sights including an impressive castle and architect
Plecnik's dragon bridge over the Ljubljanica River. See www.visitljubljana.si. We might have
cycled in to revisit the old centre but rain continued to pour all the next
day, so we stayed on site catching up with laundry, baking and writing. A short
drive for a fill of diesel and a visit to the local Lidl demonstrated that the
Sprinter had not been improved by the mechanic's tweaking.
In the evening there was a surprise knock on
our door – we had been recognised by Ann Speirs, a motorhomer who has kindly put
some of her adventures onto our own website (A Broad Abroad). It was lovely to meet
in person and we were only sorry that she was leaving early next morning – as
were we, since the campsite (though not the 'hotel') was about to close until
December.
Ljubljana to Camping Center Kekec, Maribor -
78 miles, elevation 985 ft
Open
all year. www.cck.si ACSI Card rate €17 inc tax
and 16 amp elec. Free showers. Free WiFi. N 46.5355 E 15.60508
After much discussion and deliberation, we
decided to return to the comfortable campsite at Maribor and seek a second
opinion about the Sprinter from another Mercedes garage. At least it had
stopped raining and the sun appeared as we drove south to join the H3 Ring,
then east to meet the A1: 4 miles in all. Driving back to Maribor, with a lunch
break on the motorway services, we took the first Maribor exit for the now
familiar route to the campsite, tucked away below the hills of the ski resort
(see the beginning of this article).
Settling back in, we very much appreciated
our surroundings and the excellent free WiFi, enabling us to listen to Evelyn
Waugh's 'Sword of Honour' serialised on Radio 4.
Back
at Maribor
Next morning we visited the Mercedes
commercial vehicle garage in the automotive area of Maribor and made an
appointment for the following day. Then on to the Bauhaus shopping centre (on
the way to the motorway) with OBI (a German DIY emporium) and Leclercs
supermarket. The cashier in Leclercs proudly told us there are only two of
these 'French stores' in Slovenia, the other being in Ljubljana.
Early next morning, we left the Sprinter at
the garage for inspection, then walked into the city (about 2 miles), with a
coffee break at the Europark shopping mall before Titov Most bridge. Too
cold for loitering in the pedestrianised old town, we kept warm browsing an
excellent bookshop and drinking more coffee until Rado, the Mercedes garage
foreman, rang, speaking patiently in German. After a taxi ride back, we learnt
of suspected problems with the 4 injectors, or the turbo, or both. These
components would be very time-consuming and expensive to replace, with no
guarantee of success – time for further discussion and deliberation!
Back at the campsite, we consoled ourselves
with an excellent meal at the nearby Hotel Merano, where the attentive young
waiter remembered us. The lunch menu (1-4 pm) has the option of adding soup &
salad for an extra €1 per person.
Then we began checking out options and
prices for a replacement van - perhaps another Mercedes Sprinter, or a Ford
Transit, or a Renault Master? We soon discovered, in the words of our mentors Darren
and Martin at Motorhome Medics in Cheltenham, 'if you snooze, you
lose'. Every suitable van found on-line was sold by the time we phoned the
dealer and we really didn't want to drive back to England unless we had
something lined up. After a day of this frustration Martin suggested a VW
Crafter, we found a suitable 2010 model still for sale and the Motorhome Medics
offered to inspect and test drive it, then pay a deposit if they thought it a
good'un.
While considering this option, fate
intervened in the shape of an urgent email from Barry's niece concerning his
older brother, Michael. We needed to be in Hull (Barry's native city, still
home to the rest of the family). In a flurry of phone calls and emails, we
arranged to drive back as quickly as possible. The owner at Camping Kekec was
very helpful, offering to store the caravan free of charge if we wanted to
leave it. We decided against this, uncertain how long we might be away and
where we would eventually spend the winter.
Return
to England in late October 2013
And so the ailing Sprinter towed the caravan,
with minimal overnight stops, through Austria, Germany, Belgium and into France
for the Dunkirk-Dover ferry: a journey of around 900 miles. Arriving in
England, we left the caravan at Camping Briarfields in Cheltenham and deposited
the Sprinter with Motorhome Medics, who had our smart new VW Crafter ready and
waiting, complete with tow bar. It proved a pleasure to drive on its first
journey: 180 miles of motorway up to Hull.
Michael's funeral on 5 November was a very
personal and moving Humanist service arranged by his wife, Sheila, and their 5
children. It was followed by a grand reunion with the extensive family (11
grandchildren and 3 young great-grandchildren), who made us long-lost
travellers very welcome. There was much to reflect on after a strange sad day.
(to be continued)
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