In and out of Slovenia to Halbenrain: Anita - a good ambassador for Slovenia
Anita - a good ambassador for Slovenia
We had a good stay at Pension Lammerhof . It is comfortable and situated in a spectacular spot with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Yet, what made our stay special here was the wonderful Anita who runs the Pension. Her personality is well suited for interacting with guests and providing any help you may need. When she heard that we were heading to Slovenia, she was quick to point out that the Eurovelo route is very difficult, with impossible hills. In fact, she said that it is very challenging in a car. She is from Slovenia and knows the area well. She created a route for us to follow today - we will be in and out of Slovenia and the route will be mainly flat. Wow! We needed that.
Pension Lammerhof - perched up high with a fabulous view. Our room is bottom right with a patio.
When we rode down the hill to the valley to follow Anita's route, we felt and heard an ominous sound. Barry looked down and said that our new (start of trip) rotor for the disk brake is warped. It was too hot to touch. Oh no, this will not be good unless we can get it replaced. Christian at the Trek bicycle shop a km away was great. Replaced the rotor and we were on our way in minutes. Thanks Christian.
It is pumpkin harvesting season. We have finally figured out the process they follow. First they use this device that cuts up and gets rid of the greens and funnels the pumpkins in a straight rows..
Then the field is ready for the next step of harvesting the meat of the pumpkin. It is so odd the first time you come upon a field like this with perfectly placed symmetrical rows of pumpkins and no greens.
Then the big machine does the final step of taking the pumpkins, extracting the meat and seeds and spitting out the chunks of the outside of the pumpkin. Eventually, the farmer will plow the remains into the ground. The aroma is musky. The part of the pumpkin that they have harvested is used to make pumpkin oil. A yummy oil that is very popular here to add to salad.
At Gasthof Wagner we treated ourselves to dinner. We usually make our own meal in our room, but we know that this restaurant specializes in local cuisine and meats. It was very reasonable priced (20 for 2) and we will have enough leftovers for tomorrow's dinner. Shared salad, schnitzel, grilled pork, chicken, etc with rice, potatoes and veggies. Excellent meal.
The best schnitzel of the trip. Smoking laws have changed drastically from our previous trip to Austria. Now there must be a section which is non-smoking. We had most of this dining room to ourselves, while the other room and outside patio were very busy.
