D27 Trans Europa Ljubljana – Gorizia

What a complez mess we make of the world. Gorizia is an area fought over, particularly during WW1 when the Italians were fighting against the Central Powers (Austro-Hungarians, Germany, Ottomans and Bulgaria), where it was bitter front line fighting. It switched back and fore, contested by Yugoslavia and finally ended up in Italy in 1947. The Yugoslavs created Nova Goricia instead. Today it is run as one Municipality across the border – as things should be.

It is also European City of Culture 2025. Not that you’d know it on a hot July day – like an empty Clint Eastwood cowboy film with the tumbleweed blowing down the deserted streets. Good news is a couple of gellato places were happy to help our sugar content.

The route here went over a wee mountain pass after a glorious cycle path out of Ljubljana for 10km or so. A sweeping descent to bring the smile to the brakes who were enjoying their day in the sun.

Stereotype warning if such things offend you. Slovenia was almost litter free all the way. Cross into Italy and there it is. Perhaps the Slovenians bring it here on their shopping trips.

The other judgement was a coffee stop in a town with a New Town – Ljubljana feel to it (Vrhnika) with new housing developments. Silly me, it’s of Roman origins on a strategic crossroads between the Amber Route and another one going East-West.

Tomorrow we pass South through a town we last went the West-East on the Orient Express trip. I’ll be looking for the welcoming bunting…..