Day 21 – Slovenska Konjice to Maribor

Day 21

KM 41.2 (easy day)

Saddle Time – 2.17 hours

Avg – 18kmph

After a really good sleep, I awoke to see blue sky out the window and 27 degrees – PERFECT. My mind was in a better mindset today and it also helped to know that I only had to do 40km. I always wanted to see Maribor as I have read that it is a really nice town. I ordered a coffee and some toast (to go with my already eaten fruit and nuts). I ate 5 pieces of toast – I was a hungry man.

Off I set and rode through awesome little towns again and even though it was a short distance – I did manage to stop at three places for a checky checky and a looky looky.

So far, everywhere i’ve gone on this trip, when you sit down for a coffee or whatever – you can sit anywhere even if it’s right outside at the other end of the establishment you always get served and you can pay your bill right there and then. They always put the change not in my hand but on top of the receipt for some reason – even when I have my hand out which is weird. Great service though – In Australia it’s always ordering everything from the counter so it has been hard for me to get used to – I always get funny looks when i’m standing there wondering what’s going on – i’ve worked it out now. Also – everyone starts speaking to me in German here – I’M NOT GERMAN PEOPLE……I am trying to ask for things in Slovenian at least to show some respect but get lost after the first three words he he.

I haven’t had to use electricity to charge my phone or ipod yet as my inbuilt dynamo hub has generated enough electricity to keep everything charged – it’s awesome.

I haven’t read much of my book yet – By the time i’ve sorted shelter, food, setup camp, cooked, cleaned, done my journal (which i love doing) I am buggered – but that’s ok – i’ll get around to it. I like doing the journal – It is good for people to read what I am up to but also it helps me keep it documented for alter use but more importantly – it sometimes helps me to realise why I am doing this. It helps talk things through sometimes ya know.

Thought for the day

I love being on the road. That feeling you get when you’ve sweated for hours and climbed hills and cursed the twentieth corner that goes up and up and then descend on down at 70kmph into an unknown new town on the nomad hunt for something delicious and watch the world go by.

Oh yeah back to my day….I rocked up in Maribor and apart from the bad coffee (there you go Keith) this town doesn’t disappoint. It’s a very artistic/rustic town that you could walk through for hours and that I did. I went to a place where it has the oldest growing/wine producing vine in the entire world. I asked how much a bottle was and they said they only produce 100 every so often and give them to the mayor and they give it to royalty or president etc etc – he did say he saw a bottle  on ebay once for $5000 but they could go for up to $10,000. It was interesting. The guy showing me around there was a cyclist and he pulled out heaps of maps and gave me some good advice (wish it I met him earlier but it seems as though I did a lot of what he drew out for me) – I will definitely come back to this country – it’s worth every second of it.

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around and soaking it up. I found a nice hostel in the city for 17EUR. It was a bakery from the 1700’s and they renovated it last year and it is awesome – I am in a room by myself too so that’s even better.

I also spent about 30 minutes in a bakery talking to the owners – about jobs in Slovenia and the workforce and her chain of shops. Apparantly walk in self service bakeries are not big here and they have the first of their kind in all of Slovenia – interesting convo out of the blue but a memorable one – she had a great personality and a hard work ethic…the end

Today’s Map

Total route so far 

Until tomorrow…………….Red signing off.

I still kick myself that I am here on my bicycle

Maribor from main bridge

Maribor side streets – coffee shops everywhere

OK!

over 400 years old wine producing grape vine

Oldest wine producing grape vine in the world

Maribor

Maribor nearing sunset

My Hostel

At house across the road – I think it says ‘We will shoot all tourists so piss off’ and so I did

You won’t see this Australia – art house next door to my hostel – lets just say we have some characters next door he he