Another group of cyclists arrived about 11pm last night and chatted & laughed & partied with their friends until midnight, then decided to set up their tents, pump up their air mattresses, shine their flashlights around camp and into my tent, before finally settling down about 1am. So much for a last good memory of Slovenia.
When we break camp at 6am in the morning, Nelson's (CDN) Garmin gives a reading of 5.6C, explaining why most of our group has on their leggings and jackets for breakfast. Temperature is transitory because clear skies suggest it should hit the mid-20s later on today.
Riding with a group of six today, through the hills and into town with the 'rush hour' traffic, the Slovenian/Italian border shows up at the 7km mark, then it's on through town and into the countryside.
Town and street sign names are decidedly Italian, with lots of vowels and none of the superscript markings that characteristic of the Slovenian (and Hungarian) language. Architecture has changed too, with more red tile on the roofs, and little Catholic churches with tall steeples perched up on the hillsides. Gergo has another bit of twisted humour when he detours us through the gravel backstreet of a town, just because it connects the two roads that we have to travel - he enjoys these little detours.
Lunch is at 62km in a parking area adjacent to a smoothly-flowing river where future Olympians are practicing their sport.
After lunch, Kevin (AUS) and I are out into the open fields, lots of corn being grown in this region, apple orchards, and an increasing incidence of vineyards. One vineyard is advertising Merlot at E1.20 per litre and CabSauv at E1.30 per litre; I presume that you p7rovide your own container.
Now the road is getting a bit scary because Gergo has us leaving a bike path and climbing up onto an elevated two-lane highway with steel fencing on each side - it's not advertised as a "motorway" but the traffic is fast-moving and intimidating so I'm relieved that the orange marking tape tells us we're heading in the right direction.
2km short of our destination I stop at a Penny Market for my usual supply of grape juice and the choices are predictable - Vino Veneto seems to occupy most of the shelf space, but the prices are very reasonable.
Just a short ride further and then a sharp right turn into CasaMia, which is little more than somebody's backyard lawn with a shelter in case of bad weather. Che usual suspects have arrived ahead of me, Chris (CDN) & Cindy (USA) and Kevin (AUS), so it's time to pick a tenting spot and wait for the TDA van to return from shopping.
Tents set up in the back yard, lots of time to "schmooz" with each other, rider's meeting at the usual 5:45pm, then the announcement that it's Pizza & Beer night before our grand entry into Venezia. Many couples have decided to stay in an outside hotel tonight, so there's far too much pizza and far too much beer for us to finish. But we'll give it our best shot!
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