Day 3: Palazzolo dello Stella to Monfalcone; Day 4: Monfalcone to Trieste to Umag

The ride to Monfalcone took me through small towns in rural Italy that are the stuff of travel. They are unremarkable and that's the point. Everyday life is there to see and be part of and small cafes in village centres are the best place to watch the world go by for a bit. I'm just having the fourth espresso of the morning when a group of women of a certain age sitting next to me start singing. They are working through their favourites with each one starting in turn then others add harmony. It's lovely until one of them turns to me and suggests I join in. No way Pedro! I feign laryngitis. It's either that or I give them the only Italian song I know that is not "Just one Cornetto" but Joe Dolce's "Shaddup you face". If you haven't heard it, get on Google and check it out. I rode on, sadly with an earworm.

Bridge incident of the day..... I'm following Eurovelo 8, a long distance route around the coasts on the Med. It's pretty good and follows bike paths and small roads that are safer. Until the Municipali get involved. I am on a country lane and there is a barrier ahead with three people complete with clipboards and authoritarianism. There's a problem with the bridge behind the barrier. I ask if I can walk over the bridge and am told no. This is a problem because it means adding about 15km that would have to be done on main roads. Not something I want to do. As I plead they turn away to walk over the bridge to their cars. I ask again and gesture that if they can walk on the bridge safely then so could I. The woman with the biggest clipboard turns to me and says "We are Municipali!" as if this explains why they are safe to walk on the bridge but non-municipali aren't. She had the look of The Donald in his mug shot and the demeanour of someone who could make the trains run on time but still I try to argue the case based on this logic but it isn't easy in Italian. My preparation for speaking Italian on this trip has consisted of adding either "a" or "ee-oh" to the end of English words. So my case falls on deaf ears. I try once more and again she says "We are Municipali!". I am ashamed to say that I lost it at this point and shouted "Municipali Mafiosi!". I thought she might appreciate the alliteration. I rode on. I will check my bed tonight for a horse's head.

In contrast, I had to find a bike shop to index my gears as they were a bit out after their trip in a cardboard box. I found a shop and turned up after lunch (16:00, now that's what I call a lunch) and found a bit of a queue at the door. There was a man and woman running the shop and they sorted everyone out with a replacent bolt, adjustments to saddles and brakes, one after the other and then fixed my gears. They also pumped everyone's tyres up without being asked. Here's the thing, they didn't ask anyone for money and refused to take anything from me. I had to really insist. Lovely to see but how do they make a living?

Fourth day was long to bank a few miles before two days of thunderstorms that means I will have to shelter in Umag and will be a bit behind schedule. I like to think this woman was admiring my bike in Trieste. Can't blame her can you?

After Trieste I crossed the border into Slovenia and then left Slovenia and entered Croatia a couple of hours later. After Trieste I could see some big hills looming but when I got to them this is what I found. Oh joy.

Slovenia is great for cyclists. Bike paths are separate from roads and of the 35 km I rode there only about three or four of them were in traffic.

I'm in Umag now and will be until the storms clear. Oh yes of course. Since you asked: unfortunately due to a long day in the heat Dayroom Yellow with just a hint of Smoked Trout but thankfully no Dead Salmon. You're welcome.