Day 01 - Ljubljana, Slovenia to Kočevje, Slovenia

The Mediterranean Unicycle Tour got off to a bang with national TV coverage in Presernov Trg, the Town Center of Ljubljana. Irene, Beau and Roger were interviewed, along with Petra, our Slovenian organizer. After a brief demo for the camera crew, we hit the road, our guest rider Jure leading us out of town.

Today's ride was slightly over 60k in distance, with a modest 415 meters climbed. Most of the elevation came in the first half of the ride, with the road rolling and then flattening out for long stretches toward the end. We passed numerous large fields that seemed to go on forever, to the horizon and beyond, as well as the edges of large forests. The scenery is a treat for the eyes, as are the graceful small churches that dot the golden landscape. Heat was certainly a factor: with few clouds, the sun bore down, though we know far more merciless days of sunshine lie ahead. Sun screen was a must.

The bad news: AJ and An'So were not able to ride with the group today, their unicycles still in transit to Slovenia. The good news: AJ's luggage finally arrived this afternoon, and he'll be ready for tomorrow. And though An'So is having less luck finding her uni, Jure has kindly offered to lend his Coker at the border crossing as we head into Croatia.

The riders spread up into smaller groups, as invariably happens, but we joined up frequently at breaks, and took in a fine lunch with delicous pizza (and a few beers for those of age!). We rode together as a group into our day's destination, Kočevje and were greeted by more unicyclist friends of Jure and Petra. We haven't spent much time in this town, but it is notable for a large stone church in its center. At dinner, Simon (one of our hosts'friends) presented us with wooden bear necklaces, bears being particularly populous in Slovenia's forests. Having grown so fond of Slovenian hospitality and natural beauty, we will be sad to leave it all behind so soon. Tomorrow already brings us to Croatia, and more adventures.

Quotes of the Day:
"Petra, you rock my world!"
-Irene, as Petra lavished a cart's worth of fruit on us at a rest stop.

"Where do dogs go?" "The pound"
-Rob and Beau, as they pounded fists.

Rob to Beau: "How do you want to split this?"
"Cut it down the middle the long way."
Andy, referring to the boy's large plate of flat pasta.

Slovenia Words/Phrases of the Day:
Hvala (Thank you)
Cevapcici (sausage)
Vada iz pipe (tap water)
Kje pa imas drugo kolo? (Where's the other wheel?)

Guest Rider of the Day: Jure
How long have you been riding unicycles?
Five years.

What is your favorite kind of riding?
Trials. I saw it for the first time at UNICON, and was thrilled by the challenge.

Have you ridden on other uni tours?
No, but I have done long solo rides. And I was the only uni rider in some bike races, even beat some bicyclists to the finish.

What was your favorite part of the day?
The start: the feeling that this is my first tour, and being a part of MUT.

What was your longest ride?
Before today, a 42k ride on a 24 inch wheel.

Anything to add?
I hope to see you all at UNICON, and to join a whole tour some day. Also, thanks for coming to Slovenia, and for the unicycle demos.

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Created: Saturday, June 23, 2007 08:28