Posted by: veloträumer
Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story) - 12/19/15 11:11 PM
CHAPTER VI
The wine, the sea and a cave:
Mediterranean enjoyment between Triester Karst, Collio & Colli Orientali
Di 7.7. Storje – Sezana – via Basovska cesta – Basovizza – Draga San Elia – via Ciclopedonale Giordano Cottur – Bottazzo – Cascata Ghiacciatta /Val Rosandra (walk, 0,5 h, not the whole valley) – Bagnoli della Rosandra/Rifugio Mario Premuda – Dolina – Prebenico – Stramare/Rabuiese – Ankaran
Ü: C Ankaran 15,65 €
AE (dito): Pasta m. Oliven & Schinken, gem. frittierter Fisch, Pommes, Eis, Weißwein 27,90 € (**)
50 km | 12,2 km/h | 4:02 h | 605 Hm
In Sezana I found some poetry from Srecko Kosovel on different places outside. It’s a tribute to the great poet, living close Sezana in Tomaj at the Karst winery route. From Sezana there is a gravel road to Basovizza, not easy to ride, better for mountain bikes. A short interval on asphalt to Draga San Elia. There you cross a cycling way through the Val Rosandra, formerly a railway track. It’s okay for randonneurs. Inside, half way, there is a very steep road to a bistro (Bottazzo). There you’ll find some bathing places and you can reach the waterfall above. For getting a best view on the waterfall, you can take walk through the Val Rosandra, it’s allowed to ride bicycle there, as well not recommended if not with MTB. I crossed some little villages later until coming down to Koper route. There is big traffic and a bicycle is not accepted some ways, but you must be “criminal”, because no other way. If on the way to Ankaran, traffic is less. Ankaran itself is a place of big tourist trouble, so better stay not there, if possible. Even Italian side is better in Muggia for example.
Mi 8.7. Ankaran – Lazzaretto – Muggia || ferrry (ca. 25 min.) || Trieste (harbour) – Trieste (university) – Villa Opicina – Borgo Grotta Gigante (visit, ca. 1 h, waiting another 1 h) – Sgonico – San Pelagio – Gorjansko (winery tasting, ca. 1 h) – Komen – Skrbina – Zelezna vrata (445m?/345m?) – Dornberk – Zalosce
Ü: C Turisticna Kmetija 10,63 €
AE (dito): Aufschnitt m. Schinken, Käse, Auberginen, Eis, Weißwein 13 € (*)
T: Personenfähre Muggia – Trieste 4,30 € (P) + 0,90 € (V)
B: Grotta Gigante 12 €
B: Weinprobe Strekelj, Gorjansko 0 € (Einkauf Flasche Likör 8 €)
64 km | 12,8 km/h | 4:55 h | 825 Hm
The morning mood on the half island of Muggia is full of refreshing spirit. You look over vineyards to sea and the big ships. The ferry (just persons and bicycles) is not easy to find in Muggia. You should ask local people. Take a look into the small picturesque town. With the ferry you’re direct in the main area of Trieste with the historical coffee houses – something of similar character to Vienna – the other end of Alpe Adria region. Just sit down and look to the people, breating timeless. Many poets have done before so and still do so. Of course, some modern bistros are less charming than the old ones, but the old ones are someway looking jetset-like today. The way out to Opicina you should go the university route. Other ways you don’t find as a foreigner or they are too steep. If you reach the obelisque in Opicina, search the streets through the town. I failed that and had to ride on a busied and ugly road around there.
In the Grotta Gigante you get in season guidance every hour. The Grotta Gigante is the greatest cave, if looking just for one cave room. It’s really worth to visit and different from Postojna or Skocjanske jame. For next I had chosen the Teran route in Italy, the third winery route in the wider Karst region. There are still very small vineyards, even smaller than at Karst winery route in Slovenia. There be back two years later in Gorjankso, I visited once more the vine-dresser Strekelj with a tradition of winery of some hundred years. It’s always refreshing to talk with him. One of his ancestors, Karl Strekelj, played a crucial role in exploring aural folk tradition and for the development of the Slovenian language. The next pass from Komen to the Vipava valley is easy to ride, no cars there. Just in time reaching the winery camping in Zalosce, another thunderstorm started, ongoing the whole night. I put my sleeping bag in the picnic cottage, which is half open. In refrigerator you’ll find the house wine, free for the guests. The restaurant, a good one, was closed, but I got some cold food. Maybe you should phone before, if you want a real dinner. I think, there is a problem with professional service at some places in Slovenia.
Do 9.7. Zalosce – Dornberk – Prvcina – Vogrsko – Jezero Vogrscek – Sempas – Ozeljan – Kromberk – Vratca (403 m) – Ravnica – Preval (336 m) – Solkan – Gorizia – Piuma – San Floriano – Hum – Kojsko – Gonjace – Mejnik (321 m) – Smartno – Dobrovo – Neblo
Ü: C wild 0 €
AE (Gostilnica Pr'noni): Meeresfrüchte, Roastbeef, Gemüse, Bratkart., Rotwein, Pfannkuchen m. Eis 43 € (****)
70 km | 11,1 km/h | 6:09 h | 1130 Hm
There is a local cycling way to cross from Dornberk to Sempas. Some parts turned out muddy at the beginning and I got on the route just later at the storage lake Vogrscek. A short part is gravel part, later you are again in vineyards. In Ozeljan there is another winery camping. I decided to climb up once more the Karst breaking off in Kromberk (castle with art gallery) and so came back to the pass with the view on the Soca bridges at Solkan. If you want to ride the Soca north: There is a new cycling way from Solkan to Plave, so possible to ride without cars on the other bank than the road. A most inspirational area is the Collio wine region (Goriska Brda), most parts Slovenian, some Italian. Your eyes are enlightened with the golden-green colours of the smoothed hills on all sides. You cross a lot of small villages, most of them on the top of the hills, with great panorama. The hills are easy to climb, for most of the time. The most important villages in Slovenia are Smartno and Dobrovo. Smartno is very quiet and small, with fine restaurant; Dobrovo presents a big castle on the hill (with restaurant and gallery). Even you can follow a poetry path remembering to Alojz Gradnik, but even other poets. I had gone down for Neblo, even there I found a very good restaurant, many Italians coming to that place.
Fr 10.7. Neblo – Helevnik – Golo Brdo – Ponte Iudrio – Prepotischis – Castelmonte (618 m) – Cividale del Friuli – Ponte San Quirino – Pulfero – Stupizza – Robic (250 m) – Staro Selo – Borjana – Podbela – Napoleonov most – Breginj
Ü: C wild/privat 0 €
AE: Selbstversorgung + Bier 4 €
78 km | 10,6 km/h | 7:10 h | 1735 Hm
It’s another remote route to Golo Brdo, one hard climb including. It’s a mixed landscape with winery and wood, sometimes panorama to the plane in the west. Be down, you can follow a gravel road along the border river Iudrio/Idrija (Slovenian bank). At the end of this way, you have to cross the river and go back for short. There is steep road to Prepotischis. There is a sign-post for a cycling route to Castelmonte, but you shouldn’t follow that way. Above Prepotischis you reach a gravel road, which is not possible to ride. You have to push your bike, but even this is not possible really, because always too steep. Be better, search the better road north of this way. Contrary there is an easy ride down to Cividale. This nice town is worth to visit and you get some specialities like San Daniele ham. It’s easy to ride on the Natisone valley, bathing possibilities you get more in the higher parts. Of course, the road is nearly flat; it’s the easiest way crossing from Italy to Slovenia or vice versa. On Slovenian side you find the Napoleon Bridge close to Podbela, close to it a camping with pizza restaurant. At the Nadiza the Slovenians like to go bathing even more than the Italians at the Natisone. I failed to stop in Podbela and there are more steep climbs to Breginj, so time runs away. In Bregenj is a castle, but just with a bar, where you get a beer – nothing more. So situation developed someway funny. I stayed overnight private by a Slovenian inhabitant. Of course, in the evening we had a prominent drinking session.
Sa 11.7. Breginj – Ponte Vittorio Emanuel – Platischis – Sella San Antonio Na Privale (790 m) – Zore (766 m) – Zuffine (1003 m) – Subit – Attimis – Passo di Monte Croce (267 m) – Nimis – Torlano – Val Carnappo – Monteaperta – Villanova (690 m) – Tarcento – Artegna – Gemona
Ü: C Gemona 0 € (k. P.)
AE (R Frank & Jo'): Risotto m. Pilzen & Spargel, Brancini, Bratkart., gegr. Tomaten, Pannacotta, Weißwein ? € (***)
84 km | 11,6 km/h | 7:09 h | 1570 Hm
Until Attimis down in the plane, I followed local roads, which were very small, sometimes critical. You pass a lot of wood areas, and it’s always going up and down with steep climbs. I got very tasty goat cheese and yoghurt at the Acienda Agricola Zore. In Nimis there are winery hills for some exclusive wines, and you can see it in the noble villas around there, especially later in Tarcento with the Villa Moretti. But my way through winery hills I took on my last day. I preferred to go again into the shadowed valleys. The Val Carnappo is even better than Natisone valley. It’s more idyllic, smaller and you’ll find better bathing places. Going to the end of the valley, there is steep climb to Monteaperta. Through a wood it’s now easy to for Villanova. If you are better in time, you can visit another cave there. I got down, crossing the route of my last day, and finished with a fine fish dinner in Gemona.
Music: The composer and jazz pianist Roberto Magris is a prototype of identity of Trieste region, itself representing the idea of Alpe Adria at its best. He lives on both sides – in Trieste (not Italy really) and Slovenia, with private and musical roots in the different traditions of the Alpe Adria region between East and West (even during critical Socialist era). Quite modern, he is a musical cosmopolitan, touring all over the world and working on his own label in the USA. Full of harmonic innovations, Magris creates a transcultural musical world of own character, not missing the jazz tradition as an enforcing music all over the time and as an universal musical language. He marks himself as „an alien in a bebop planet“: Roberto Magris/Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica Città di Verona/Marco Pasetto: „African Mood” (7:01 min.)
Photo gallery chapter VI (187 photos):
to be continued
The wine, the sea and a cave:
Mediterranean enjoyment between Triester Karst, Collio & Colli Orientali
Di 7.7. Storje – Sezana – via Basovska cesta – Basovizza – Draga San Elia – via Ciclopedonale Giordano Cottur – Bottazzo – Cascata Ghiacciatta /Val Rosandra (walk, 0,5 h, not the whole valley) – Bagnoli della Rosandra/Rifugio Mario Premuda – Dolina – Prebenico – Stramare/Rabuiese – Ankaran
Ü: C Ankaran 15,65 €
AE (dito): Pasta m. Oliven & Schinken, gem. frittierter Fisch, Pommes, Eis, Weißwein 27,90 € (**)
50 km | 12,2 km/h | 4:02 h | 605 Hm
In Sezana I found some poetry from Srecko Kosovel on different places outside. It’s a tribute to the great poet, living close Sezana in Tomaj at the Karst winery route. From Sezana there is a gravel road to Basovizza, not easy to ride, better for mountain bikes. A short interval on asphalt to Draga San Elia. There you cross a cycling way through the Val Rosandra, formerly a railway track. It’s okay for randonneurs. Inside, half way, there is a very steep road to a bistro (Bottazzo). There you’ll find some bathing places and you can reach the waterfall above. For getting a best view on the waterfall, you can take walk through the Val Rosandra, it’s allowed to ride bicycle there, as well not recommended if not with MTB. I crossed some little villages later until coming down to Koper route. There is big traffic and a bicycle is not accepted some ways, but you must be “criminal”, because no other way. If on the way to Ankaran, traffic is less. Ankaran itself is a place of big tourist trouble, so better stay not there, if possible. Even Italian side is better in Muggia for example.
Mi 8.7. Ankaran – Lazzaretto – Muggia || ferrry (ca. 25 min.) || Trieste (harbour) – Trieste (university) – Villa Opicina – Borgo Grotta Gigante (visit, ca. 1 h, waiting another 1 h) – Sgonico – San Pelagio – Gorjansko (winery tasting, ca. 1 h) – Komen – Skrbina – Zelezna vrata (445m?/345m?) – Dornberk – Zalosce
Ü: C Turisticna Kmetija 10,63 €
AE (dito): Aufschnitt m. Schinken, Käse, Auberginen, Eis, Weißwein 13 € (*)
T: Personenfähre Muggia – Trieste 4,30 € (P) + 0,90 € (V)
B: Grotta Gigante 12 €
B: Weinprobe Strekelj, Gorjansko 0 € (Einkauf Flasche Likör 8 €)
64 km | 12,8 km/h | 4:55 h | 825 Hm
The morning mood on the half island of Muggia is full of refreshing spirit. You look over vineyards to sea and the big ships. The ferry (just persons and bicycles) is not easy to find in Muggia. You should ask local people. Take a look into the small picturesque town. With the ferry you’re direct in the main area of Trieste with the historical coffee houses – something of similar character to Vienna – the other end of Alpe Adria region. Just sit down and look to the people, breating timeless. Many poets have done before so and still do so. Of course, some modern bistros are less charming than the old ones, but the old ones are someway looking jetset-like today. The way out to Opicina you should go the university route. Other ways you don’t find as a foreigner or they are too steep. If you reach the obelisque in Opicina, search the streets through the town. I failed that and had to ride on a busied and ugly road around there.
In the Grotta Gigante you get in season guidance every hour. The Grotta Gigante is the greatest cave, if looking just for one cave room. It’s really worth to visit and different from Postojna or Skocjanske jame. For next I had chosen the Teran route in Italy, the third winery route in the wider Karst region. There are still very small vineyards, even smaller than at Karst winery route in Slovenia. There be back two years later in Gorjankso, I visited once more the vine-dresser Strekelj with a tradition of winery of some hundred years. It’s always refreshing to talk with him. One of his ancestors, Karl Strekelj, played a crucial role in exploring aural folk tradition and for the development of the Slovenian language. The next pass from Komen to the Vipava valley is easy to ride, no cars there. Just in time reaching the winery camping in Zalosce, another thunderstorm started, ongoing the whole night. I put my sleeping bag in the picnic cottage, which is half open. In refrigerator you’ll find the house wine, free for the guests. The restaurant, a good one, was closed, but I got some cold food. Maybe you should phone before, if you want a real dinner. I think, there is a problem with professional service at some places in Slovenia.
Do 9.7. Zalosce – Dornberk – Prvcina – Vogrsko – Jezero Vogrscek – Sempas – Ozeljan – Kromberk – Vratca (403 m) – Ravnica – Preval (336 m) – Solkan – Gorizia – Piuma – San Floriano – Hum – Kojsko – Gonjace – Mejnik (321 m) – Smartno – Dobrovo – Neblo
Ü: C wild 0 €
AE (Gostilnica Pr'noni): Meeresfrüchte, Roastbeef, Gemüse, Bratkart., Rotwein, Pfannkuchen m. Eis 43 € (****)
70 km | 11,1 km/h | 6:09 h | 1130 Hm
There is a local cycling way to cross from Dornberk to Sempas. Some parts turned out muddy at the beginning and I got on the route just later at the storage lake Vogrscek. A short part is gravel part, later you are again in vineyards. In Ozeljan there is another winery camping. I decided to climb up once more the Karst breaking off in Kromberk (castle with art gallery) and so came back to the pass with the view on the Soca bridges at Solkan. If you want to ride the Soca north: There is a new cycling way from Solkan to Plave, so possible to ride without cars on the other bank than the road. A most inspirational area is the Collio wine region (Goriska Brda), most parts Slovenian, some Italian. Your eyes are enlightened with the golden-green colours of the smoothed hills on all sides. You cross a lot of small villages, most of them on the top of the hills, with great panorama. The hills are easy to climb, for most of the time. The most important villages in Slovenia are Smartno and Dobrovo. Smartno is very quiet and small, with fine restaurant; Dobrovo presents a big castle on the hill (with restaurant and gallery). Even you can follow a poetry path remembering to Alojz Gradnik, but even other poets. I had gone down for Neblo, even there I found a very good restaurant, many Italians coming to that place.
Fr 10.7. Neblo – Helevnik – Golo Brdo – Ponte Iudrio – Prepotischis – Castelmonte (618 m) – Cividale del Friuli – Ponte San Quirino – Pulfero – Stupizza – Robic (250 m) – Staro Selo – Borjana – Podbela – Napoleonov most – Breginj
Ü: C wild/privat 0 €
AE: Selbstversorgung + Bier 4 €
78 km | 10,6 km/h | 7:10 h | 1735 Hm
It’s another remote route to Golo Brdo, one hard climb including. It’s a mixed landscape with winery and wood, sometimes panorama to the plane in the west. Be down, you can follow a gravel road along the border river Iudrio/Idrija (Slovenian bank). At the end of this way, you have to cross the river and go back for short. There is steep road to Prepotischis. There is a sign-post for a cycling route to Castelmonte, but you shouldn’t follow that way. Above Prepotischis you reach a gravel road, which is not possible to ride. You have to push your bike, but even this is not possible really, because always too steep. Be better, search the better road north of this way. Contrary there is an easy ride down to Cividale. This nice town is worth to visit and you get some specialities like San Daniele ham. It’s easy to ride on the Natisone valley, bathing possibilities you get more in the higher parts. Of course, the road is nearly flat; it’s the easiest way crossing from Italy to Slovenia or vice versa. On Slovenian side you find the Napoleon Bridge close to Podbela, close to it a camping with pizza restaurant. At the Nadiza the Slovenians like to go bathing even more than the Italians at the Natisone. I failed to stop in Podbela and there are more steep climbs to Breginj, so time runs away. In Bregenj is a castle, but just with a bar, where you get a beer – nothing more. So situation developed someway funny. I stayed overnight private by a Slovenian inhabitant. Of course, in the evening we had a prominent drinking session.
Sa 11.7. Breginj – Ponte Vittorio Emanuel – Platischis – Sella San Antonio Na Privale (790 m) – Zore (766 m) – Zuffine (1003 m) – Subit – Attimis – Passo di Monte Croce (267 m) – Nimis – Torlano – Val Carnappo – Monteaperta – Villanova (690 m) – Tarcento – Artegna – Gemona
Ü: C Gemona 0 € (k. P.)
AE (R Frank & Jo'): Risotto m. Pilzen & Spargel, Brancini, Bratkart., gegr. Tomaten, Pannacotta, Weißwein ? € (***)
84 km | 11,6 km/h | 7:09 h | 1570 Hm
Until Attimis down in the plane, I followed local roads, which were very small, sometimes critical. You pass a lot of wood areas, and it’s always going up and down with steep climbs. I got very tasty goat cheese and yoghurt at the Acienda Agricola Zore. In Nimis there are winery hills for some exclusive wines, and you can see it in the noble villas around there, especially later in Tarcento with the Villa Moretti. But my way through winery hills I took on my last day. I preferred to go again into the shadowed valleys. The Val Carnappo is even better than Natisone valley. It’s more idyllic, smaller and you’ll find better bathing places. Going to the end of the valley, there is steep climb to Monteaperta. Through a wood it’s now easy to for Villanova. If you are better in time, you can visit another cave there. I got down, crossing the route of my last day, and finished with a fine fish dinner in Gemona.
Music: The composer and jazz pianist Roberto Magris is a prototype of identity of Trieste region, itself representing the idea of Alpe Adria at its best. He lives on both sides – in Trieste (not Italy really) and Slovenia, with private and musical roots in the different traditions of the Alpe Adria region between East and West (even during critical Socialist era). Quite modern, he is a musical cosmopolitan, touring all over the world and working on his own label in the USA. Full of harmonic innovations, Magris creates a transcultural musical world of own character, not missing the jazz tradition as an enforcing music all over the time and as an universal musical language. He marks himself as „an alien in a bebop planet“: Roberto Magris/Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica Città di Verona/Marco Pasetto: „African Mood” (7:01 min.)
Photo gallery chapter VI (187 photos):
to be continued