Snacking through the Alps

We began our day in France, under the ever watchful eye of the local castle.  Our only goal to get breakfast at the bakery that the information lady had assured us would be open on Sunday. Anyone that knows us and our travels knows that when we decide to do something patently foolish, like ride an entire day in the wrong direction just for a breakfast, something will go awry.  Yep, the only bakery in town open on Sunday is closed for vacation most of the month of July. While we all agreed that this was a fitting end and certainly well within our experiences of travel, spirits were not particularly high. Hunger was fairly high, and there was nowhere to get food. Liv broke out the bananas and peanut butter which helped a little, and I asked at the local coffee and bar and wine restaurant about breakfast. She suggested the closed bakery which we had already found on Google and knew was never opened on Sunday. Without a better plan, I decided to go and see if I could ...

After three days of travel across the continent, we made it to Trier, Germany, and set up camp in a lovely campsite on the banks of the Mosel River. It was there that we learned that Grandpa Gifford had passed peacefully in Bend, Oregon. We sat in a circle in the dappled light next to our tents and cried and laughed and shared memories of Grandpa. We are incredibly thankful to Uncle Mark for being with Grandpa at the end and for dealing with a long list of logistics and decisions. We weighed the possibilities, including rushing to Weisbaden to box the bikes and boarding a flight to Portland. But Grandpa loved both Germany and bicycles with all his heart. If I were to guess, I would say Germany was his favorite country, and cycling his favorite hobby, along with enjoying a glass of wine with Grandma Gifford. Dave has wonderful memories of exploring Trier with his dad. And so, here we are still, thanks to Mark.  Trier has a fabulous Roman bridge, which is the oldest bridg...

Well, it turns out that going through 3 different countries does take some time, even if not riding. It feels like a long time ago when we were in Trieste, loading our bikes onto the trailer and beginning a day of driving to retrace our ride from Salzburg.  It was interesting and fun to recognize little spots that were particularly difficult to navigate, or places that we knew were far more beautiful from a different angle or at a different speed. Our driver did a great job, and since we ended in a different location than most (we went to Trieste instead of stopping in Grado), we had the 9 passenger van to ourselves, and eventually passed the 30 bike trailer behind the motor coach that was the company's normal.  He dropped us and all our gear behind the train station, which isn't far from the campground. We had prepaid weeks ago when the campground was full, but found it only half full on our return. We opted to not go shopping, and just dined at the gasthaus at th...

Just a quick post about our two-night stint in Slovenia. Due to a very stormy forecast, we decided to skip the Slovenian Alps, Lake Bled, and the tantalizingly turquoise Soca River Valley and head straight to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. After a long journey (taking back roads to avoid tolls because it took us a while to figure out the Slovenian e-toll thing), we checked into an Airbnb in the old part of town. It was huge and quiet. The kids had an entire suite upstairs. Sunday -- not much open. Falafel for supper. The skies cleared for most of Monday and we were able to climb the hill to the castle, explore Tivoli Park, admire many statues and outdoor art installations, and eat some amazing pizza for lunch (best yet, made by a guy from Macedonia). We bought produce at a beautiful outdoor market and cooked at home for supper. Our plan had been to visit museums, but...

Yesterday felt like just too much of a recreational beach day to blog about. We rented a sit on top kayak and SUP from perhaps the nicest shopkeeper to ever live, and vigorously crossed our little bay to the other shore where some jumping was required  Followed by a strong cardio workout  With some snacks. Then a vigorous return journey so that we could get naps during the heat of the day. Another amazing dinner at the refurbished 250 year old olive pressing plant become restaurant, and then a nice perambulation through town at sunset.  Today we planned great things, and so after a nice non muesli breakfast, we launched off several miles by car to a 4000 year old village with what was called the finest beach in Croatia.  There is some dispute over numbers for the town - 6 residents, 9 churches- but it is lovely regardless.  The trek to the beach is longish...