Jenny & Ahmed's Cycling Adventure

Paths 2 The Soul - Episode 014

From San Giacomo to Kobarid (08 to 09 May 2025)

Countries Visited :

Entry into Slovenia, country #9

Two days full of encounters and emotions, between the final moments in Italy and the discovery of Slovenia’s enchanting landscapes. Unplanned detours, a symbolic border, and the magic of the Soča River to crown this transition into a new chapter of our journey.

Encounters and detours on the road to Cividale...

San Giacomo → Cividale Del Friuli - 57.9 km 🚴

This morning, we leave our extraordinary host family with emotion. After saying goodbye to Rebecca, we have one last coffee with Cibele, José, and Ginevra, who are flying to London. Warm farewells after some truly beautiful shared moments. We already know before leaving that we’ll miss them dearly 💚🤍❤️ We feel like storytellers, messengers of tales. We set off under a heavy sky, but without rain. The day is splendid: quiet little roads through fields, sublime countryside, almost no traffic. We pass near San Mauro Church (Special Shout Out to a friend of ours in Brussels whose birthday it is today), then in front of Arcano Castle and its fairy-tale-worthy rose bushes. In the protected area, a dog comes barking at Ahmed before running back to its farm. Then we spot some storks near a reintroduction park (Oasi dei Quadris). Komoot then takes us into a forest: gravel path, magical atmosphere… we pass a turtle that immediately hides. But further on, a big surprise: the stream is impassable! We try a detour, but it’s too steep. We turn back. A big push, but we finally get back to the road. Picnic break in a park on the edge of Udine with a delicious Greek salad. Right across: a gluten-free ice cream and pastry shop. We give in to some original and indulgent ice creams: a real delight! The road continues quietly, between fields and green lizards with blue heads. Beautiful and fast, we try to film them. Arrival in Cividale del Friuli, a charming town with a stone bridge reminiscent of Spain. No time for visits, but we still take a few photos. Then we move away from the centre looking for a spot to sleep, and we come across two acrobatic goats! Jenny then asks at a pool bar: a young girl acts as an intermediary, and the bartender agrees to let us pitch our tent for the night. Toilets remain open, a perfect spot. We share a drink with them, there’s a nice Thursday evening family vibe. We end the day with well-deserved pizzas. When we return, everyone is gone, the pool is lit up… it’s calm and beautiful. We sleep really well...

From Italy to Slovenia, towards new discoveries...
Cividale Del Friuli → Kobarid - 29.9 km 🚴 + 7.0 km 🚶

The pool teased us all night (well, Jenny that is), lit up like an invitation… and at 6:30 am, she gives in: swim cap, goggles, and off she goes for laps in the very cold water! Meanwhile, Ahmed takes down the tent and packs up. A huge thank you to the bartender who offered us this unexpected place to sleep. Today, we cross the Slovenian border. Not many kilometres planned, but a few climbs, headwind, and an empty stomach to start… We stop before the last little Italian village to have breakfast in a parking lot. Just after, a beautiful encounter: an 89-year-old man and his friend, both former miners in Liège, speak to us in French about their incredible lives. They now live here, one of them with his daughter. A truly precious kind of moment that we fully savour. The border isn’t far now. A misleading false flat, construction work, and a “Slovenia” sign covered in stickers: not very photogenic, but symbolic. Once past the border, the scenery slowly changes: very green mountains, flower-filled meadows, peaceful atmosphere… but our energy is fading. The path turns into a stony trail and we move slowly. A remnant of a World War I railway crosses the forest, it reminds us of Val Gardena. We regain a bit of energy with some sweet dates. Along the way, we notice several signs for EU-funded projects. And it hits us: we don’t know a single word of Slovenian, not even “hello” or “thank you.” We’ll need to learn fast. Once in Kobarid, we discover the famous dairy, its factory shop, and above all… the Soča River, this turquoise river is simply unreal. The Napoleon Bridge offers stunning views, we stop for a long time, in awe. We then follow the valley along a winding little road that leads us to Camping Lazar (Instagram: @campinglazar), where Mineja, a friend of Carlotta, offered to host us. She’s not around but told us to settle in freely. Tent pitched, bikes locked, table spotted: we take a breather. We’re very hungry. Off to the grocery next to the dairy for a few things, then we explore the centre of Kobarid. We find a bakery-grocery: burek and cake on the menu. Back to the campsite. We spend the afternoon on internet, looking up hikes nearby and preparing dinner: pesto pasta (we’re finishing the jars), fried peppers and onions, accompanied by two local cheeses, the cheapest ones, but full of flavour. To thank Mineja (and because Jenny remains a hopeless foodie), we end the day with a traditional dessert at the campsite’s restaurant: a Kobarid specialty, generous, sweet, melty… and totally approved.

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Stay tuned for more in our next episode…

Jenny & Ahmed