First border

Today I am moving through the mountains, but away from the mountains. It goes up the Savinja to Solcava and then over the 1200 m high Spodnje Pass into the Meza Valley. Everything is idyllic until Crna, but from Mezica onwards, industry, traffic and river pollution increase. And unfortunately also the rain. Then I find Dravograd quite disappointing. Unfortunately, contrary to my expectations, there is no campsite here either. I drive a bit downstream along the Drau River and find a hiding spot in the bushes. The first night of wild camping means being as invisible as possible and getting along without an outlet. But the night is restless because of the noise from the road on the other side of the valley.

The next morning it is still raining, unfortunately. So I pack everything up a bit damp and look for the next cafe to have a coffee and ask for a charging possibility for the bike's battery. I have breakfast under the shelter of the supermarket. Not so idyllic, but practical. On the bike path, I meet Jutta (with an e-bike) and Martin (without). We ride together until Maribor, I enjoy that. We go down the Drava Valley and also over to the side valleys, because otherwise we would have to ride on the noisy main road in narrow valleys. After passing through the Fala hydroelectric power plant, our paths diverge. I ride to the really great Kekec campsite. The sun shines for 1 hour and I can pack the tent dry before setting it up. It is 5km to the city center and it is difficult for me to leave because it is raining again. Maribor has charm, maybe because not everything is perfect yet. There is still a fight against decay in many corners. Spontaneously, I buy a new brake set with a cable at a bike shop that is already closed. That's technology I can handle. The hydraulic handle from Magura has lost oil again 😟. Back at the campsite, a heavy thunderstorm starts and I am happy to be able to cook, eat and work under the protective roof.

Tuesday I ride through the steep vineyards from Maribor to Lake Pernisco. Despite the gray sky, I still take a bath. The water is warm, maybe because the lake is not deep. Quickly, I reach my first border and I am waved through to Austria. Upstream of the turbulent, brown Mur, I head to Graz through small villages. Everything is still well-kept and richer than in Slovenia. After the city tour, I can sleep in a bed tonight. Paul from Warmshowers is so spontaneous and takes me in. We spend the entertaining evening in a rocking game pub in his neighborhood. Thank you very much for that, Paul.