After a peaceful night at Pension Heidi we farewelled the hunting lodge style hall of antlers, luckily not too many stuffed birds with beady eyes and peddled off towards the border. Petra the owner had rustled us up some sandwiches to take with us as we had no idea if anything would be open in Slovenia.We had a cycle path right up to the border with Slovenia then it literally just finished in a bed of nettles.

We cycled into Lendava the first town over the border and yes everyone was coming out of church and going to the cafes for coffee and cake. We joined them, hubby very happy it looked like Slovenia wasnot going to be too rural.The cycle paths werenot terribly well signposted but luckily we had picked up a great detailed cycling map from Freyt &Bernhardt in Vienna so no problems navigating. I had hoped to miss a big cycling path detour of 8kms and just go along the road, but the road clearly said “No cycling”. We obeyed the no cycling being our first day in Slovenia. The detour was through pretty villages, plenty of storks in tbeir nests feeding their babies, frogs croaking away and one church service being loudspeakered outside the church as the church was so full.I realised it was Ascension day and all the children were taking their first communion as we saw them later coming out of another church in their pretty white dresses/robes.

We did get a little lost in one village so had to resort to google maps as there was not one signpost within the village of where to go. Our planned lunch stop was in Beltinci but as we peddled through we didn’t see any restaurants open. We stopped at a pub and as they weren’t cooking any lunch the owner directed us to a castle in the park. Yes, in german as german still seems to be number 2 language even in Slovenia.Hubby was in disbelief as the castle was derelict in parts, when I said there was meant to be a restaurant in there. Sure enough I found it, there was no sign or anything. Great lunch and nothing fried .3 courses for the pricely sum of 9 euros each, no charge for bread and tap water was freely supplied, great.It seems the castle is being renovated and they already have some rooms ready for you to stay in.

After lunch we headed off to Izakovci where there was meant to be a ferry across the river Mur and a historic water wheel. We reached the river which was surging past almost in flood but no sign of any ferry. So hubby went off taking photos muttering away “we”ll have to cycle all the way back up to the road and then all the way around to a bridge, its going to take hours”. Meantime a lady popped out of a wooden hut and started talking about where we were cycling to and from, in german. So I mentioned we thought there was a ferry here and she replied yes there is, I sell the tickets and just a little further down there was a barge ferry on a cable wire across the river driven by the current. A lot more relaxed then german or hungarian ferrys we were told to board without any crew on first and allowed to disembark when it was only half tied up.The cost a mere 3 euros and it ran just for us!

A beautiful cycle track through the forest took us through to the village of Krapje and then it was only a few kms to Banovci where I’d booked a night on a tourist farm. I was not looking forwards to it but it was fantastic newly renovated with a balcony even a washing line on it for us, and a view out over the farm. I was welcomed with a glass of honey schnaps and they sold honey to die for but I would have died if I’d added it to my luggage.Hubby settled down to a movie, yes even english movies on the tv, what a treat.A peaceful nights sleep and we woke to a cloudy day. It was meant to be just a bit of drizzle forecast for lunchtime. Breakfast I tried what I thought might be spring water, no it was schnaps. Schnaps for breakfast!!Then I thought Id try what looked like minced egg white, no it was lard dripping disgusting..More honey was required to get rid of the taste.

We set off deciding to try and follow routes allowing cyclists on but this meant some elevation through the hills. After a relatively flat 60kms the day before we were’nt really in the mood for hills. Our bike path took us into the the town of Ljutomer where we made the tourist officers day by popping in.She was listening to australian gospel music at the time I did’nt know we produced any!She was very helpful and directed us on to where our route started to Pjut and blessed our bikes for us. She assured us we would have 2 angels flying with us , tnose angels didn’t seem to pick my bike up the hills though!It wasn’t long before the rain started in earnest the headwind began and the hills got steeper, on top of that hubby hadn’t had his morning coffee and there wasn’t any places forthcoming.Eventually we found a large pub in Savci for a welcome coffee and hot chocolate. Yes, Slovakia does normal hot chocolate not the thick sludge of Hungary.

The rain continued as we entered Pjut we stopped at the first “Gostina” we came across for a late lunch and just asked for menu of the day, we were hungry. Just the place to stop as what came out wasn”t just a bowl of soup for our first course, a whole tureen was placed on our table. Great!! We stopped at the railway and bought our tickets for Ljublana for tomorrow. We thought we had to reserve our bike places but she said no just put them on the train, very mixed information.!!

Onto our historic bed and breakfast it used to be a tannery in the middle ages, the current owner was born in the house but fled under communist rule. The house was then totally wrecked and his very elderly grandma bought it in the 1990s and it has now been restored.We had booked a room in the bed and breakfast but we have ended up in an appartment in the roof, very nice.Plenty of history in the town we have the morning here to see the castle and finally a mediavel library seeing as we missed the one at Melk Abbey.Then onto Ljublana for a 4 day city break so last blog for a few days.