Spring 2005 in Portugal

Ruins of Morish Castle






Old man in the market



Order! Order created by the winds of Baltic Sea in February 2005

Summer 2004

So lets try to get back to the original roots of this blog - getting up some of the photos that I like & could be presented.
Summer 2004 by the lake Balaton in Hungary. We arrived there at night in complete darkness, imagine our surprise in the morning when we saw these nice platforms. We just steared them with our mounths opened. Usually people have summer cottages, but here they have a summer platforms on the lake. All of them were numbered, I only missed the mailbox! ;)
An average owner of the platform came to the beach in the morning left slippers to the shore and walked with all the rest of the stuff to the platform where the whole day was spent.

Sunset time

Viru bog

Yes, it is hard to wake up early... so so hard. The moments when finally up and out to vitness the sunrise... This is something incredible. It is like escaping from everyday routine to be somebody else... the feeling is just so new and different.
Sunrise, vino, Viru raba


on special request



... from different angle

Vanapagana Pühajärv

At the small lake. A moment to think of the passed 3 weeks.
Maria managed to catch really nice moments and interesting faces on her photos

25h Budapest-Tallinn

... including all the road works in Latvia


Crash in Poland, just before Lithuanian border

Budapest, Sziget festival

This is my second time to be here at Sziget festival.
The place is good very good, but after a long vacation being tired of traveling it is hard to get to right mood.
Finally I succeeded :)
This year only one day at the festival.

Already on the main land

Being a local in Split. This is the place where football fans are gathering before the game to have a beer get to the right mood and then move on to watch the game.


Some photos from Plitvicka Jezera national park

In between the 2 towns of island Vis

It is a military island with all the secrets that military usually leaves behind when it leaves. A story tells that is possible to go from one side of the island to other thought the underground tunnels, crazier version even tells, that it is possible to transport a ship from one side to other through the tunnels.

First attraction of the day is to visit the tunnel that is built to hide a big war ship, back there is our small boat




Second attraction of the day is to repeat the fun we had 2003 in Omiš to surff behind the boat.


Third attraction: visiting Drazen’s parents in the middle of the island. Having a very good lunch and drinking Vana Tallinn. Singing with the village singer who was on the way home to have a dinner but got attracted to visit our dinner. He was caught by his wife later on cause we started to sing and his wife heard us and got extremely angry. Aah, these things happen :)

Lunch at Villa de Drazen. Behind there is the only filed of the island, called The Field. During the war times they were able to turn it into airport within 24 hours.

Fourth attraction: visiting the other town Komiše where there was the annual fisherman’s day. Way too many people, very good smells of grilled fish. But we were so full after eating at Drazen’s, so we could only drink. As Drazen told, visiting the fiesta is very simple: you take a beer drink it and walk along the main street to the one end of the village. Turn around, drink some beer and walk back. And this way several times. So this is exactly what we did. At one point witnessed the fireworks, but continued our walk. Finally we were nice & drunk. Around 3 o’clock in the morning it was time to start going back to home – to the other town on the island that was 10km away.
Drazen said as we didn’t drink that much it is ok to drive. Hmm, I was rather drunk and if I remember correctly Drazen was drinking more than I did. We took the old road with all the curves, as the police will most probably be on the main road. Demn, these were fast curves! I was thanking the car we caught up, cause we were not able to pass it, so it slowed us down to 80km/h :)

Unique dinner at Senko’s place

By the way Senko is a Croatian writer.
Usually in the restaurants you will order what you like. At Senko’s place you will get the dishes he is making for this particular day. Actually to be able to eat in his place you have to be invited.
To be honest Senko’s place is his small house by the sea. For getting there are 2 ways: by the sea, we didn’t take this way cause our boat’s (the boat of our host) lights were not working, so it would have been very dangerous to return in the evening. Or with a car and to leave it up the hill and then a 30 min walk to the house.
A small house without an electricity. Haven’t ready any of his books, but have tasted his cuisine, this is something extraordinary.
Starter: sardine with beach,
Soup: a sea weed soup
First main course: pasta penne with beans
Main main course: octopus cooked with potatoes + something more.

All of this was just excellent!

Beach (rocks) next to Senko's home


Senko's kitchen

On the beach

Slovenia - Italy (20min in Italy) - Ljubljana - Zagreb - Split - island Vis

During the Yugoslavian period Vis was occupied by army. For many years it was closed for non Yugoslavians.
Island has 2 small towns and some small villages. We stayed in a villa with a view to the main town Vis and its harbor.


View from the balcony at night

Biking in Slovenia

In Maribor we had to cancel the planned trip due to our medical condition
In Bohinj we were riding in the mountains. Though it is not allowed in Triglav National Park. Old tree leaves on the very narrow steep and rocky paths made riding extremely dangerous.
Also we were riding around the lake Bohinj, of course this was also forbidden. How else! :)
In Kranska Gora on asphalt to the top of Višic. On the way back to camp we found a dry river bed to ride.
In Bovec the ascent from 400m to 2100m on asphalt.

Overall impression: Julian Alps are really not that good place for mountain biking. At least the places we went. It is asphalt and if you finally find a nice small track it is guaranteed that within 50m you will notice sign where is a bike with a biker and a red stripe on both of them.

To the Mangart 2100m

The grande finale of this trip. We wanted to ride on the highest road in Slovenia. The ascent will be from 400m (Bovec) to 2100m (Mangart) on asphalt. The weather is foggy and a bit rainy, it remains like this during the whole way up. Only few cars passing by most of the time we are “climbing” on over own, thinking our own thoughts. And there is plenty of time to think. To make this 31km up to the hill it takes around 6 hours. This includes a tea and apple pie break in one lonely cottage just few kilometers before the top.


In a tunnel

Rest before the final climb

Finally we are up, it is sunny above the clouds. And we are like at the end of the world: one side is the road with all the serpentines. Other side is a drop to emptiness. Sharp down and time to time from between the clouds we can see some lake and forests somewhere far down.

You can imagine coming down from there – all the clothes we had with us on, as the temperature was just a bit above 10 degrees. Speed 60 or more. Coming from daylight to black tunnels seeing nothing but just a white dote at the end of tunnel, still speed.

Over the edge

Bohinj compared to Bled

Both of them are nice small lakes with clear water and a lot of tourists around them.
Bled has all these fancy hotels, business seminars, even the camping was not like camping you see usually (electronic keys to entrance etc) and all the time too many tourists around.
Bohinj is just 35 km further to mountains from Bled. The atmosphere there was completely different. Also many tourists around, the camping we got there was like a small overcrowded paradise under the big trees. Just step in if you find a place then come to the reception and pay if not then …
When we arrived to the lake then in one small village it looked like a surfers center – everything in lights and party party party.
The overall image of these 2 places where: Bled is a nice civilized euro tourist place, but if you want more wild and a bit bohemic feeling then move on to Bohinj. Keep in mind that I said “a bit“, cause still this is all Slovenia, that is like a small model of Sweden with all the regulations and rules etc.


Lake Bohinj


On the forbidden tracks

Dead in Slovenia

Hey travelers, something to remember: even the canned food cannot resist the heat up to 40 degrees! The last evening in Slovakia we had one of these cans. Next day the best thing to do was to lay and hang on. Finally during the noon when we got moving towards Slovenia, it took around 100 km to find a pharmacy to get some pills. Try imagine how is it to explain in fluent Slovakian that I want a coal pill (pointing my belly, then a small decorative tree they had in pharmacy as the coal should come from tree and then telling that the colour is usually black by pointing my black shoe). Anyway when being so dead it was not even funny.

All this resulted that during the stay in Slovenia we have been eating only fruits.
On third evening after getting sick we decided to go to a nice small pizzeria in Granska Gora. Result: at night around 3 both of us woken and semi-dead.

Last day in Slovakia

This blog was supposed to be for photos. Mostly till now it has been bla-bla. Actually we have not been making that many pictures. When biking we are trying to keep our bags as small as possible, only liquid, some food, first aid stuff. This has resulted that there is no space for camera anymore.

Though Esko is playing with video camera & time to time I have also been taking some photos.

One picture form the moving car. This sad landscape continued for many kilometers.

The idea of 3rd day was to keep a slow profile and ride at the height we were living - 800m. Result 57km. And finally couldn't stop going to yesterday's track and climbing half the way up and then down - just to get the adrenalin. Besides adrenalin I got a flat rear tyre and damaged rim.

High Tatras

Rock in up and rocks down

Hmm, interesting my legs are OK. No pain in muscles. But guess what, fingers are hurting. Painful to hold the handlebar with one finger on the breaks.
Today is the day for 1:1 gear - the easiest gear.
Basically what we did was climbing up the hill to the gorgeous lake and racing down the afterwards. It all made together 27km. I think this was the best track to try. When going uphill I often thought that this is impossible by bike, but somehow we did it.
And when coming down at one moment Esko explained why he was falling several times "it is impossible to read so much information and act simultaneously".
This was one of the best rides:
1. very technical uphill, physically really demanding
2. beautiful lake and cottage up there - super view and provided food, we were starwing after the uphill
3. very technical downhill providing big portion of adrenalin

First ride in Tatras

High Tatras – khm 8km uphill for the beginning. What a warm welcome:). It goes even better, the first hiking track is also asphalt full of hikers. The gear combination is getting close to 1:2 (In other words: front gear wheel the smallest, back gear wheel second largest).
To be honest in Estonia I didn’t understand why the hell we have this smallest front gear wheel on the bikes, especially when everybody is doing everything to get the bike as light as possible. Now I know! :)

At the end of first road there is even a hiking trail going higher. Demn, but the thing is that everybody coming down are nodding their head when looking us and saying something in Slovak or Polish. Then finally one Danish guy stops to tell that we are a bit crazy going there by bike. After a short talk and few hundred meters further we realised indeed, that this track can be done… but maybe some other time, and definitely without bikes.

The rid! We took another hiking trail. First going along the mountain side, often had to carry the bike on our back. And then at one point the descent starts.
Fast down, trees, soil and big rocks. Speed for this terrain hell of a fast. I am used to break with only one finger, there at some moment my fingers were getting so tired that couldn’t hold anymore. When down hands and legs are shaking for some time.
Adrenalin!


Lost in nowhere. As our Slovakian language was not that good to read the warning signs, so we finished up in the area where storm had thorn up the trees and "lucky us" the bicyclability was up 0%

Loosing my hair and 76km/h

Morning. I lost my hair. It was a camp in Poland. Aneta and Esko did the job really well with the hair cutter.

Near Krakow in a place called Pieskowa Skala the fun starts! A nice place and not full of hikers and this kind of stuff. An old castle(s) or monasteries (in Poland it is hard to get what it is, but it is always safe to say monastery/church, cause this is what it usually is). So the first ride took us immediately down from a hill including a big portion of adrenalin. Single track in old forest. First taste of speed and bicycle handling when surprised by some rocks and roots. Heh, perfect! These the couple of hours we were riding we also made our speed record 76km/h on asphalt.

The night blessed us already with wild camping at the beginning of Tatras in Poland. Top of the mountain with the view to some Polish city lights – don’t ask the name. To make the feeling ultimate, we decided to have the evening beer on the roof of our minivan. The van was not designed to carry 2 persons on the roof, so to make our dream true we had to distribute our bodyweight as evenly as possible evenly … and then still to drink the beer…. :)

4.86km in Lithuania

One of the ideas of Esko is to bike in every country we are visiting. Ok, Latvia went fast, didn’t do any kilometres there. Lithuania = 5 good kilometres to a lake to wash.

Vacation plan and start

It is 22nd of August and we are on the way, the was to spend next 3 weeks in a way we have had it never ever before. Planning the trip actually started almost 1 year ago. Then the dream was to go mountain biking in Alps. With around 6 people. Etc.
In the beginning of the year we started thinking of getting a VW Turtle minivan, to renovate it go with it. By then the dreamers were only Esko and me. Others somehow one by one managed to disappear.
So bikes are fixed (new front derailleur for both bikes, overall service), car had been in service, we have a rough idea and printouts of the places we could bicycle.
Plan: Slovakia and biking in High Tatras, Slovenia and biking in Julian Alps, Croatia and sunbathing on Vis island, Hungary and dancing in Szieget festival. I like when the plan in crystal clear ;)