From Italian friends… to Croatian friends! The spell of hospitality...

After a sleep climb from Triesto to the Slovenian border, we say goodbye to Antonio, who has taken out his mountainbike for the occasion.

We follow a dirt road that a previous host showed us. We find this designed road quite challenging, as it is actually much more of a mountainbike or hiking track! A lot of hiking and ‘potatoe sac’ movements on the bike. But wild and deserted, exactly what we want!

We cross the Slovenian and Croatian border that day, both border signs placed in a quite landscape inhabited by one custom officer.

We do our first wildcamping in a national park not far from Lanisce. You hear the birds and nature around you. We understand the importance of water as we need to be frugal with it that day. We don't see anyone after 2pm except from two Croatian teens on a motorbike.

The next morning we bump further on the same dirt track. Finally it ends in a high-above-the- coast-situated village where we feel like meeting again civilization.

It’s a hot day of steep climbs with beautiful views on the coast now and then. At the end of the day we are exhausted, but some Croatians see us passing by and invite us in.

We are smothered in warmth, drinks (of course – Rakija) and the best food we can imagine (really ukusno!). We begin to talk and tell them about our cycling project. They warn us to be careful in the further countries we go, and to follow the coastline – no there is nothing to see in the mountains.

Unexpected, they offer us an apartment where we can sleep,plus some extra food to take along our route (vacuum packed sausages). Can someone explain me what magic spell has brought this hospitality on our route this month? It is unbelievable.

Time after time we can’t believe our luck.

Is this coincidence? Or should we learn something of this ever-so offered hospitality?

I learn something from every host, I hope to offer them the same experiences.

I carry a bag of stories with me, little and big stories of human kind.