Jenny & Ahmed's Cycling Adventure

Paths 2 The Soul - Episode 016

Break at Camping Lazar (11 to 14 May 2025)

Countries Visited :

A heartwarming experience at Kamp Lazar...

Kamp Lazar (Instagram: @campinglazar) is much more than just a campsite: it’s a crossroads of souls, smiles, and stories. Thanks to Mineja, her gentle energy and sincere attentiveness, these few days were marked by unforgettable encounters, a masterclass with Nonna Maria, evenings around the fire, and the quiet magic of the Soča River. A true heartwarming experience that we leave with hearts full of gratitude.

A Sunday by the river...

Today, a real rest day… or almost! No cycling, no hiking, just a bit of blog work. We wake up slowly, without stress. The night rain left the tent damp and the shade lingers until 8:45. Ahmed gets ready while Jenny enjoys a nice hot tea in her pyjamas, before a breakfast of banana-cereal-milk. The sun finally rises, and we get on with practical tasks: laundry, tidying, writing. Jenny puts on her Sunday summer outfit: tank top, shorts, sandals, pure luxury. Around 11 a.m., we head to the river, directly accessible from the campsite: fine sand, pebbles, turquoise blue water… a little paradise. On the way, an unexpected encounter: a small scorpion! We settle there for the day, feet in the water to soothe our tired legs, alternating between shade and sun depending on the mood. At noon, Jenny prepares cheese and pepper sauce sandwiches: simple, tasty, and within budget. Around 4:30 p.m., the shade takes over the riverbank, so we head back up to enjoy the sun at the campsite until 6:30. Episode 5 gets published, then Jenny does a bit of yoga, greeting the sun and the mountains. Dinner is simple: rice, peas, tomato sauce (Egyptian-style, of course). The evening is a bit tense due to blog-related stress. Jenny ends the night solo with a Kobariški štruklji because she still doesn’t want to miss a single chance to enjoy this delicious dessert.

Between blog work and warm conversations, Mineja’s surprise invitation...

Second rest day at Camping Lazar (Instagram: @campinglazar), but not an inactive one. The sky is overcast, the air is cool, and everyone is busy: Ahmed spends the day on the blog, Jenny works on the texts and a series of videos about animals. The morning begins with shopping at the Planika supermarket: bread, eggs, milk… the essentials. Quick breakfast, then we get to work. Around 11h30, we prepare delicious sandwiches with omelette, marinated peppers and onions, which we take to our favourite spot by the river. We spend a while there, until the rain forces us to rush back. We take shelter under the restaurant’s awning, with its beautiful wooden tables. There, we finally meet Mineja, very friendly and super cool. Jenny tells her about her addiction to Kobariški Štruklji and so she offers a cooking master class with her grandmother and the chef, to learn how to make them (as long as the recipe remains secret of course!). It’s planned for Wednesday morning, even though we had planned to leave on Tuesday. Big temptation. In the meantime, we eat jam-filled fritters, but the cold and rain return. We run to the shower and get dressed warmly. The campsite is filling up: neighbours with a car and tent, a family with two young children in a campervan, etc… The atmosphere changes, more lively. A short break in the weather, we use the chance to cook gnocchi with tomato sauce, with a pepper salad and some local cheese. Right after that, the rain comes back, so we quickly pack everything. We take shelter again, with a yogurt for dessert and we answer the aloSIM questionnaire (Instagram: @alosim_app), our eSIM partner who provides us unlimited data during our journey. While preparing tea, Jenny runs into our German neighbour, André, who invites us for a drink. We rush to finish our aloSIM answers, then join them. We spend an evening full of conversation with André and his lovely wife Susanne: anecdotes, existential discussions, shared thoughts about the search for meaning and what we’re looking for through travel. At 22:00 pm, we return to the tent. The rain stopped just in time to let us slide warmly into our sleeping bags. We send the questionnaire to aloSIM, and watch the second part of our Indian crime movie. The rain will return during the night...

Croissants, brazier and beautiful souls by the Soča...

Another rainy night, but the tent held up well, and we slept soundly. Ahmed gets up at 5h45, Jenny stays warm until 7h45. The sun doesn’t reach our spot until 8h40, so we take our time. A quick wipe of the tent and panniers, then breakfast. And then, surprise from Susanne: fresh warm croissants, that André went to get early this morning. A lovely gesture that lights up the day. We enjoy a good tea, then settle in the sun to work on our media. Around 11h, we go shopping in Kobarid. A stop at the post office, then we meet two American cyclists, Jeff and Kevin. Friendly and motivated, but the accent, ouch (according to Jenny)! Coffee break, the first in three days, then off to the supermarket. This time, we try the counter sandwiches and grab a big jar of mayo (420g, long live savings!). We don’t forget the little biscuits for our evening at André and Suzy’s. Back at the campsite, we prepare lunch: sandwiches and vermicelli soup. We take the opportunity to boil the eggs to optimise the gas, clever! We eat in the shade, then head to our favourite spot by the river. Ahmed sets up his “office” there, Jenny writes and plans her animal videos, before strolling with her feet in the water. André and Suzy join us. Still just as beautiful, this spot. When the shade comes, we head back up. The campsite is filling up again. We notice we’ve really colonised the area: tent corner, kitchen corner, office corner, and our nomadic table that travels everywhere! Jenny does her yoga session facing the setting sun. Dinner is a real treat: pasta with onion fricassée, spinach and pepper sauce. Then, dishes, tidying… and a short walk to the Napoleon bridge to enjoy the evening light. On the way back, we spot a young woman alone. dressed in red. At the campsite, a group of Polish bikers has lit a fire in the large brazier. The atmosphere is magical. We go to greet them spontaneously. Deep conversations, freedom, travel… Ahmed connects well with them. Jenny chats with Maria, the young woman in red (Instagram: @missvanlife), an inspiring solo traveller. Hats off to all these women who dare to set off alone. This moment around the fire is powerful, human, sincere. We end the evening at André and Suzy’s with our little biscuits. They offer us drinks, and we pick up our conversations as if we’d never left.

Masterclass with Nonna, last moments at Camping Lazar and walk on the Walk of Peace...

Very early wake-up for Ahmed, around 5h30, to peacefully enjoy the facilities before the crowd. Jenny stays warm until 7h. Today is the famous cooking masterclass at 10h, so we start the day with a good breakfast. Ahmed works on the website while Jenny gets ready for the class. It’s also time for goodbyes. We leave with emotion André and Susanne, two evenings full of shared moments in our minds, but also the Polish bikers Jack, Arthur, Rafael, Pavel and Pietrosky (contact us if you read this message), Ahmed really connected with them, and Maria (Instagram: @missvanlife), whom Jenny hopes to see again. At the reception, our German camping neighbour surprises us: he speaks Korean! Lazar really is a true crossroads of great encounters. Mineja arrives with her grandmother, Nonna Maria. Jenny is a bit intimidated, but luckily, Nonna also speaks Italian. The chef is running late, which makes her a bit impatient, you can immediately feel her organised nature. The cooking class was initially meant for the two chefs of the campsite restaurant, but Jenny was invited by Mineja, just like the other staff members. Around Maria, we form a great team. She teaches us the techniques, the dough, the filling, the assembly. The chef takes over for the cooking. We all get our hands into the dough to make the famous štruklji, but shhh… the recipe stays secret. You absolutely have to go to Kamp Lazar (Instagram: @campinglazar) to taste them! Sharing this moment in the kitchen with Nonna Maria was, for Jenny, like reconnecting with a fragment of childhood beside her grandmother Madeleine. Cooking with mothers and grandmothers, are there any more precious memories than those? At the tasting, we can tell the dough is a bit too thick, our amateur hands are partly to blame, but it’s still a delight. Nonna invites Jenny for a coffee, they chat a bit, she knows everyone here. Before leaving, we take a few pictures in front of the establishment and exchange sincere goodbyes. We then stay on the terrace. When Mineja returns, we chat a bit. She took over the management of the family campsite, a real challenge. She is smiling, gentle, and impressively calm, she’s a wonderful young woman 🤍💙❤️ We thank her from the bottom of our hearts for everything she did for us. We head out for a short walk to the centre of Kobarid, enjoying the beautiful light over the Soča. Ahmed spots yesterday’s trout, still in the same place. We try the Planika supermarket, but the shop assistant is so unpleasant that we turn around. Fortunately, in a small minimarket on the left, we’re warmly welcomed. We buy bread, spread cheese, tomatoes and chips. We then begin the climb on one part of the Walk of Peace (Pot miru), a historical trail crossing Slovenia and Italy, retracing the First World War (over 230 km, 300 historical sites, 15 possible stages, a moving itinerary). We start with the way of the cross carved by Tone Kralj, very expressive, with a strong symbolism of human suffering. We reach the main monument but first choose to eat our sandwiches in the forest. They’re a bit dry, despite the 8 portions of cheese… Then we visit the ossuary: built in 1938 under Mussolini, it honours over 7000 Italian soldiers who died at the front. Three circular levels, a large cross at the top, and a splendid view over the valley. Jenny looks for the name “Manini”, like her Italian great-grandfather. It’s a very unique and impressive monument, especially due to the scenography of the stairs. We continue the walk through a magnificent green forest, then find a road that brings us almost directly back to the campsite. Jenny treats herself to a yoga session facing the mountains she loves, while Ahmed works on our blog. When the sun sets, it’s dinner time: pasta, pepper and tomato sauce. Strawberry jam yogurt for dessert. Jenny calls her mum. The campsite feels calm without André and Susanne, so we light a fire using the fire starters given to us by Mineja. It’s magical, soothing. Tonight, the stars shine above Kamp Lazar. Tomorrow, we leave… but this place will remain a true heartwarming memory, we highly recommend spending a few days, a few weeks here… And above all, don’t forget to taste the Kobariški štruklji!

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Stay tuned for more in our next episode…

Jenny & Ahmed