Home from Smuk and The Museum of Natural HIstory

It was a beautiful day when we started for home. Joe said we had to do some highway time in order to get there before to late but he would try it to do some side roads as we got closer to Vienna. Well we ran into some hail and heavy rain and finally stopped at an OMV service station for coffee and a break. When we continued on every time Joe thought we could do a side road the sky was very dark and looked like heavy rain. We went through another heavy rainstorm and then as we got closer to Vienna Joe went on a side road and we ended up at his BMW mechanics place. He traded the R1150RT he had been riding for his F800GS as it had been having some work done and was completed and he needed to get a new sticker and inspection. When he picks it up he will leave the R100R for a new rear tire and inspection also. Then into through the streets of Vienna and heavy traffic. But we made it without incident and arrived home in good time. The next day I was on my own again as Joe headed to work. It was a rather cold, windy and dreary day so I spent the whole time at the Museum of Natural history. So here is a tour of some of the highlights of my day. This is a phenominal place  and the displays  are so interesting and informative.

 

First is the rock collection with just about every rock known to mankind from all over the world. I particularly like the hairy ones.

 

 

 

 

 

The following I took to show you the lovely walls of the place and some of the layout.

 

Then I was delighted to find these displays of the Biosphere 2 as I had just been there this year when I was close to Tuscon Arizona.

 

Then you get to the prehistoric part and the dinosaurs. I did not take too many pictures here as after all we have the Tyrell Museum in Drumheller.

 

Then there is quite a bit about the evolution of man. This is where I found BOB

 

 

 

After walking around this whole gallery for several hours I needed to sit down and have some lunch. This was the ceiling over my table and this was the entrance to yet another whole floor of displays.

 

 

I loved this pot in one of the displays

 

All the different animals and birds totally amazed me.

                                             Look at the size of this walrus. He is huge.

And of course I had to take a picture of the moose.

And then came the birds. All different sizes and shapes and from all over the world.

Turtles and reptiles.

I loved this bear. Isn't he cute.

Of course my snowy owls.

Penguins

 

There were fish but my pictures were very dark and hard to see. All kinds of insects and butterflies and this huge mock up of a common house fly.

And outside as I left when I just could walk no more was this little elephant and this glorious statue.

 

Tomorrow a boat ride on the Danube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Adriatic back to Slovenia

Well it was important we get back to Vienna and the weather was threatening to deteriorate. So we left this lovely little spot and headed towards Slovenia once again. There were several twists and turns and switchbacks as we left the coast but I found if I took them slow that I was just fine. So I followed and Joe led. We got to this lovely place way out in the middle of nowhere to an Inn. SMUK. Well it seems they had no rooms and so they gave us a whole house complete with fireplace and 20 nbeds in the loft. It was a house for weekend camps but was not being used. They charge 25 euro each at the Inn and were going to reduce it to 22 Euros but Joe insisted on paying the 25 Euro as we got sooo much more.

                                                                          

On the way we stopped at this little place for a coffee and to go to a little market that sold fruit and vegetables. Joe bought cherries and nectarines. The young man running the place gave me a head of garlic when I said I needed a whole necklace to ward off werewolves.

The name of this little place was Josipdol. Don't ask me to pronounce it.

This was our house.

The bikes  had cover.

 

 

This was inside by the fireplace and Joe and I had a fire before turning in. It was so nice and unexpected. A lovely end to another perfect day. When we arrived and got set up I went for a short hike in the surrounding countryside. Joe said there was a small waterfall which I did not find but I did find the river.

 

This is the Inn itself where we had a delightful dinner.

 

This is the key to our house as compared to the bike key. I thought for a moment perhaps we were being put in the dungeon.

When we had dinner that evening in a room in the inn I saw this great picture and Joe took a picture of it for me. We had a great dinner cooked by Maria and served by Nina  who rides a Kawasaki 650 and wants to come to  America  and do Route 66 and so we are keeping in touch and maybe I can help her realize her dream. I had noccia carbonara and Joe had spaghetti with cheese I believe. Very good.

 

The next morning we had breakfast at the Inn lovely bread and cheese and ham and I got 2 fried eggs

I took a picture of this unusual tree. The flower is much like a tulip. And also the view we had from our loft in the house.

 

 

And so ends another day of adventure and a new one begins as we head home to Vienna.

 

 

 

 

 

Plitvice to the Adriatic Coast

This morning we said farewell to my beloved Plitvice. This is such a beautiful spot that it is hard to leave. We said goodbye to our host San who made us a lovely Turkish coffee before we left.

We decided to have breakfast down the road a bit but after passing a few places we ended up in this beautiful desolate spot. We ate breakfast bars Joe had with him and listened to a Cuckoo bird call for his mate.

Much better than a restaurant.

 

We got a little drizzle of rain while waiting for some road construction and then through some curves and we stopped at another gorgeous pullout.

 

 

We finally arrived at the city of Zadar. A lot of the service stations were closed but we found one that was open and went to a café in the middle of the city square.

 

We ended up talking to a couple from Montreal Quebec while we had lunch. After we wandered through the town and  right on the sea where we spoke to some bikers from Germany who were staying on the Island of Pag and because Joe had never been there and it was on the way we decided to pay it a visit.

A few more pictures from Zadar

 

 

I always seem to find gardens wherever I go and this was a rather unusual plant. Still do not know what it is though.

 

 

 

 

Then we continued on to Pag. We just went out on the island for a ways and then had to ride all the way back and go several km out of our way so we could ride the Adriatic coast. But first PAG.

We had to ride over this bridge to get to the island and there is a ferry at the other end It is known for it's moonscape desolation but in small villages and where the grass grows there are sheep and everywhere they are known for their cheese.

 

Over in the distance is the Adriatic shore we want to ride. It has to be one of the best motorcycle roads on earth. Twisties the whole length. In and out and up and down. We stopped at this camping spot on the island. Wow thousands of sites for trailers. Not my kind of campsite. Then Joe led me back so we could catch the coast road and after km after km of twisties I was kind of itching for just a LITTLE straight stretch but we came to hotel he knew and parked the bikes practically in the house out of the rain and then we went downstairs for dinner. It was called Riva. Just south of Senj.

 

This was our room with another little bed which I chose this night.

This was the scene as we had dinner that night under the inn. We met and talked to lovely couple from Munich and had breakfast with them again in the morning.

 

This is what I had for dinner.

And on that note goodnight. I am currently in Salzburg Austria trying to play catch up on my Blog.