Well, the first day in the saddle couldn’t have gone any smoother! I picked up my bike in Ljubljana at 10 a.m., set up my navigation, hit record on my route tracker, and off I went. Before I knew it, I’d already clocked 21.5 kilometres.
Now, I wasn’t exactly racing along like the Lycra-clad speedsters zipping past me. Nope—this is Charlie style: pedaling slowly, stopping to check my navigation, snapping photos, admiring butterflies, and inhaling the smell of the trees. While “real cyclists” zoomed by, I was happily plodding along in my own little world.
By the time I reached the little town of Litija (35 km in), it was time to find a place to sleep. Turns out Litija has only two hotels—and both were pricey. A kind lady on the street tried to help me search, then suddenly said, “Oh wait, my friend’s unit might be ready!” And just like that, I had a place to stay. Five extra kilometres down the road (conveniently in tomorrow’s direction), and I arrived.
What a contrast to the last two nights spent in a Ljubljana capsule hotel—where you crawl into your little pod, shut the door, and that’s your world. I slept surprisingly well in them, but tonight… oh, tonight I’m in pure luxury. A whole unit to myself, sparkling clean, and I’m apparently the very first guest!
So here I sit, after riding 41.5 kilometres in about three to four hours. My body feels great, no aches yet (though tomorrow morning might tell a different story). My wrist behaved perfectly, and my heart is full. This ride is already bringing back so many memories of pedaling through Portugal and Spain.
Day one: a total success—and just the beginning