Day 95: Rest Day in Maribor

May 21, 2023

A Much Needed Rest Day

Our Warmshowers hosts are busy today and we are 8 km out of Maribor. We decide that we will take the rest day in Maribor at a Hostel. That way we will be able to see the city and cut 8 km off tomorrow’s ride.

Entering the city center, we stop for coffee and streusel as we get close to our accommodation for the night. Check in isn’t until 2pm and it is only 11am. We make our way to the Uni Hostel and find that the room will be ready at about 1. We can leave our gear in the lobby and there is a place for storage of the bikes.

Walking around the city, we see the tourist information center open. We are a bit surprised because this is Sunday and many places seem closed. We find a paper map of the Drava River Valley Bike Route. This will make planning a little easier as we’ve found the website a bit confusing.

There also is a giant board with the Bike Route.

In every city that we’ve been in Patrick has checked for a Chinese Restaurant. The last time was in Fez Morocco. But today, we have lunch in a Chinese Restaurant! After lunch we return to the Hostel and find we can move into the room. Score! There’s an elevator to the second floor. The reception lady says, "don't get too excited," and then explains there is a long corridor to another door, and another long walk to the end of the corridor. Our room has to be the furthest from the Reception Desk.

Every city Patrick has googled whether there was a Chinese Restaurant. Today, this was successful. This is the menu book.

It’s good, we have TV with English language news and later on the Giro in Italian. Enough room to string a line to finish drying our clothes from yesterday’s washing. We’ve both tried to map out the next two days along the Drava River Valley route and think we’ve worked out a good combination of route and main road. Doing the whole route on the cycle trail would add quite a few miles and climbing. Doing the road is the shortest, but who wants to listen to traffic all day? This is a much needed rest day. Later we walk to “Patrick’s Pub” for fish and chips and a couple of brews.

We are trying to be part of the 21st century and order electronically. The waiter appeared, "do you have fish and chips," Patrick asks. So we order the old fashion way.

Today's ride: 8 km (5 miles)
Total: 3,658 km (2,272 miles)

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Rachael AndersonGlad you got a rest day!
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11 months ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTo Rachael AndersonThanks Rachael, this certainly helped with resetting the desire to cycle
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11 months ago