So after a stormy night at least it has ceased raining in the morning. And since we have plenty of time to catch our train in Villach we sleep in a little before indulging in a luxury breakfast of bacon and eggs followed swiftly by a pancake with chocolate sauce. That should keep us going until well past lunch time. In the bar/restaurant the wood fire is already blazing. Probably to keep its regulars nice and warm.
We take our time to break camp and try to dry out the tent before packing it. But that turns out to be useless. The tent is definitely no longer waterproof.
By about 12:30 we’re ready to hit the road. After saying our goodbyes to Markus we steer towards Vršič pass again. The river has turned a milkish green color from all the debris the rains washed out of the mountains.
Although we hadn’t originally planned to leave Slovenia this way, Vršič pass forms an appropriate end for our trip. It was this very same road where we got started a little over 3 weeks ago. The weather was a bit better at the time though. There’s plenty of fresh snow on the peaks around us. That’s not the only change in the view. All over the slopes the pines that still stood tall and green 3 weeks ago are now scattered all over the place, blown and washed away by what must have been a massive storm in the mountains. What we experienced on the camp site in Kobarid was only peanuts compared to what passed on these slopes.
We arrive in Villach an hour early and are forced to take shelter in a gas station cafe from yet another rain shower. By the time we have finished our cappuccinos it has dried out again and we proceed to the railway station. Check-in proceeds with German precision and before we know it the bikes are strapped down again on the DB Autozug.
Some more snow along the way…
And that more or less concludes our trip. And probably the trip of this well-equipped gentleman as well.
As is tradition for us we decided upon next year’s destination during the Christmas break. If all goes according to plan we’ll be crossing the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Ukrainian Carpathians and Poland.
Thanks for following along!
