peaks and velleys-

slovenia is sweet!!!! if anyone out there wants do discover an entire country in 3 weeks come here!! my route? from the 'thernal' springs i went west to historic ptuj (pronounced patooey, like spitting:) and i spit off the nearest bridge. duh, had to do it. then through some sweet valleys and hilly wine country, 14% grades!!, then north to a mountian bike camp where i spent two days off biking up and over the slovenian alps and through an old iron mine-straight thru the damn mountian!!! that was wild. then up and over the alps again to historik kamnik and over to lake bled and the famous bled island and church. its a cool church on a tiny island in a lake tucked into the triglav julian alps national park. nice. then the big one, a huge mountian pass topping off at 1611meters and with 50 switchbacks...never climbed anything like it. ( 24 switches up at a 14% grade and 2400 vertical feet in 8 miles ) as far as slovenians are concerned its the top of slovenia and the mountian of triglav, which comes into view from the pass is the symbol of the country...or some thing. then i drained out to the slightly italian coast for a splash in a polluted port, swimming with oil rigs...and now im in postonja, one of the best caves in the country and off to the capitol tomorrow. the best town i went through?? radovna...i challenge you to find it on a map!! the guy at the mountian bike hostel gave me a earload of information about where to go and what to see in the country, and 9 times out of 10 he was right on. i did plenty of dirt roads, which they call mecadum out here, and the steepest grade yet...18% ouch.

the bike trip run down...
turkey: 6/6 - 7/1 547miles

bulgaria 7/1 - 7/14 399miles

romania 7/14 - 7/31 472miles

hungary 7/31 - 8/6 176miles

slovakia 8/6 - 8/17 285miles

czech republik 8/17 - 8/31 297miles

austria 8/31 - 9/5 202miles

hungary (again) 9/5 - 9/16 390miles

slovenia 9/16 - 10/7 570miles

woah...

slovenia-the smallest country and the most miles...ive also figured out how much altitude ive ascended and descended in this country ( this is what i do when i dont have a book or pipers ear to blab off to ) up 16,591feet and down 16,820feet...i think. but im not bored enough to recheck...this will have to do:)

peace-
timo