15079

Slovenia: Happy Birthday Andreja

Another day, another birthday. Today we made a surprise for my sister Andreja. Welcome to another decade.

Wrapping the car.

Water balloons.

 

Happy birthday sister. 

Special task if you want to get the present - wire up the electric bike.

Like an engineer.

It's working. Happy Birthday!

15078

Slovenia: Happy Birthday Tina

Our friend Tina will celebrate her birthday tomorrow and we have a habit to surprise the celebrant a day before. Many of us gathered on her home place and started celebrating. Cheers Tina!

  

Happy Birthday Tina.

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable item "Travel Firefighter", TB65TH2):
- #B02 - PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8KVND
- #B13- PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8V4M3
- #B14- PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8V4R0
- #B15- PST / Trail Along the Wire, GC8V4T2

15074

Slovenia: Climbing to Podraška Tura

Our motorcycling weekend continued (Day 1), but for today, Nada and me had slightly different plans. We decided to go climbing. Nada chose a route called "Smer skozi okno - Route through the window", V/III, 120 m, that we prolonged to Nikolajeva smer, IV/II-III, 375 m. The heavy pitches were very nice and we were advancing as expected and after 4 hours we were standing on top of Podraška Tura. We continued to Gradiška Tura and descended via hiking rote back to our motorbikes. After the hydration, our motorbikes took us back home.

 

Church of St. Miklav (local name for St. Nicholas) lies on the southern slopes of Nanos mountain. The church was built at the beginning of the 17th century, which can be seen from the year 1608 carved into the Late Gothic stone entrance. Due to its remoteness it was exposed to thefts, destruction and gradual decay. The church was last renovated between 1991 and 1993.

  

Our maps for climbing.

 

The first pitch took us to the natural window, where also the name of the route comes from.

 

Straight through the window.

 

Preparing for the hardest part.

 

In the chimney, V-.

 

We both made it through the difficulties.

 

We continued on less difficult part, where we continued on Nikolajeva smer, named after a church that we saw from above.

 

We had one more detail and then we reached the top of Podraška Tura.

Nada and Tuši.

We continued to Gradiška Tura.

Approaching the 793 m high summit.

The faces of Gradiška Tura and Podraška Tura have the best-known Alpine routes, which are great for climbing even in the middle of winter.

The summit offers amazing views to Vipava valley.

We were thirsty, so we left the summit and headed to the valley.

Climbing to Podraška Tura.

2 day motorbike trip

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "OceantagZ", TB5NYN3 and "Travel Firefighter", TB65TH2):
- Sv. Miklav, GC3A0WA
- GRADIŠKA TURA 793m, GC4T9EX, where I dropped of trackable item "OceantagZ", TB5NYN3

15073

Slovenia / Italy: Motorbike trip to Soča mouth

After a long time, Nada and me decided to go on a motorbike trip. We decided to explore the lower part of the Soča river, that runs from Slovenian side over Italy to Adriatic Sea. In the end we refreshed ourselves in the Adriatic.

Quick navigational stop near Most na Soči.

Crossing The Emerald Beauty. It is said to be one of the rare rivers in the world that retain such a colour throughout their length.

Blue Horse, Thunder and Nada near the mouth of Soča river.

 

We walked the rest of the way. 

 

Observation tower offered a good view to the river mouth.

Playing with the camera.

View to Punta Spigolo.

Freshwater marshes, but also vast salty wetlands, reed beds, woodlands and grasslands: the mouth of the Soča Reserve is the ideal habitat for many animal species and, in particular, for resident and migratory birds.

Tuši on observation tower.

Jellyfish in the water.

Back to the motorbikes.

Hot summer day was perfect for walking with motorbike shoes.

 

Boats in the side channels.

Time for stage 2.

Free living Camargue horses.

The Nature Reserve of the Soča River Mouth stretches from the Soča Mouth to the Po River Delta in the immediate vicinity of Venice, filling a surface of 2400 hectares.

Birdwatcher Tuši.

The Reserve welcomes a huge number of migratory birds from approximately three hundred species.

The reserve consists of a fair array of environments which shelter a vast diversity of plant and bird species.

Photographing from observation posts.

Happy birds.

The Camargue horses could be seen from many angles.

Ducks on their swimming adventure.

Just simple nature.

 

On the side of Quarantia Canal.

Nice hiking path from one observation post to the next one.

There are about ten thousand living species of birds.

Spider - successful hunter.

The Camargue horse is an ancient breed of horse indigenous to the Camargue area in southern France. Its origins remain relatively unknown, although it is generally considered one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world.

The Camargue horse was introduced in the 1970s to the Po delta in Italy, where under the name "Cavallo del Delta" it is treated as an indigenous breed.

Leaving birds and horses.

Nada and her Canon.

Lonely fisherman.

 

Refreshment in the Adriatic Sea in Solero Beach.

261 kilometres

Geocache found:

- (SpanaT) Isola della Cona, GC5JP93, that received a visit by trackable items "OceantagZ", TB5NYN3 and "Travel Firefighter", TB65TH2