[charlyno]

25/07/2011 - Forlì-Aquileia (km 335) - Today is a beautiful sunny day. After a good breakfast, with Octavius ​​and his family make a leap into the old town of Forli La citta' di Forlì: I MONUMENTI, an evening stroll yesterday I was very intrigued. Parked the car we go to the beautiful town square where the beautiful Town Hall and opposite the beautiful Abbey of St Mercurial with its magnificent tower. The brief tour ends at the cathedral whose interior impresses with its wealth and splendid works of art. Time is short so go home and placed the bike salute Ottavio and his family and we share in the direction of Aquileia along the highway for 335 km. We arrive early afternoon in town where we booked a room at the B & B "Storianatura" http://www.storiaenatura.com/ run by Charles and wife Denise, whose warm welcome is a good reason for choosing this structure. A charming place with a large garden in the countryside a few steps from the archaeological zone. After a brief chat and wear something more comfortable, we are going to walk to the center. Even here we have an appointment with Mark, another motorcyclist from the web and I know that there will be a little 'as guide for the day today. The meeting was friendly and cordial as often happens among riders. The city of Aquileia AQUILEIA was founded by the Romans in 181 BC and soon thanks to a great river port and its military power became one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. Our visit starts right from the beautiful port in which there are still the imposing remains of wharves and stores. But the highlight of the city of Aquileia, a good part of which still must be brought to light, is the magnificent Basilica whose origins date back to 313 AD What immediately strikes coming inside is the wonderful mosaic floor of the fourth century, which shows with great vividness of color and fantasy scenes of hunting, fishing, daily life. It literally spellbound. In addition, the Basilica houses countless works of art from every era and history. At the exit of the fourth century the great Baptistery next to the Basilica and the large 73 m high tower built by Popone in the thousands and which offers a magnificent view over the lagoon of Grado and all over. And then the Great Mausoleum, the place of the Roman houses, in short, a dip in the distant past but that still fascinates and involves everyone who visits this beautiful town. After visiting with his friend Mark you stop at the local bar for a good cold drink. After the welcome return to the B & B. My wife Laura is very tired and fatigued by the great heat and rest but I prefer a shower after I take a short stroll to the nearby restaurant 'The Shed' to enjoy a good plate of pasta with seafood and a fried mixed just for good measure!
26/07/2011 - Aquileia-Grado-Trieste-Monastery of Hrastovlje (Slovenia)-Piran (km 130) - The day started really well with the breakfast that Mrs. Denisa abbondatissima prepared. After a photo in the garden of the hotel is near Trieste, now enters Slovenia. We cross the wonderful Grado lagoon and then through the coastal road heading towards Trieste Portale di Trieste: notizie e informazioni su musica, spettacoli, cultura, natura, animali, sport, vacanze e tempo libero.. The view of the coastline is magnificent. In short we come in the beautiful Piazza Unità d'Italy, overlooking the majestic sea. The place is lovely, with beautiful buildings that embellish and give it a unique and enchanting. Here we meet again another motorcyclist place Alexis, with whom we spend half an hour chatting in one of the many local cafes. Unfortunately, we are just passing through and we can not investigate the visit. We take the bike and soon we come finally to Slovenia SLOVENIA.IT tutte le informazioni sulla Slovenia - Homepage - Slovenia - Official Travel Guide - holiday, vacation, tourism in Slovenia, Slowenien, Slovénie, Eslovenia, Slovenija from Muggia to travel for short 23 km to reach the spectacular Monastery Hrastovlje. This small Romanesque church of Karst surrounded by medieval walls, turrets, decorated inside with beautiful frescoes of the fifteenth century. well worth a visit. Built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. the outside is very simple but its interior is an explosion of colors for its magnificent frescoes by Giovanni narrative of Kastav in 1490. The frescoes represent a kind of Bible that enabled the poor who could not read to understand the episodes of the Old Testament, the Passion of Christ and the lives of the saints. What is most striking and famous cycle of "Dance of Death" 11 skeletons and lead to a freshly dug grave as many people of various ranks, including the figure of a wealthy merchant who tries to bribe Death itself with gold coins . The message is one: we are all equal in the face of God, had importance beyond the mundane world! Very impressive. Back on the bike soon arrive in the beautiful town of Piran, where we find accommodation in B & B's Miracle Sea Bed and Breakfast - Miracolo Di Mare - Accomodation in Piran into the historic center and a yard to park the bike in peace. With its beautiful Venetian Gothic architecture in the old town is a real gem. Let us start immediately to explore this magical place. The day was magnificent. The church of St. Peter's, the Venetian House, the Palace of Justice, the lesser monasteries, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, St. George's Cathedral and the old city wall from which you can enjoy a superb panorama of the whole the town and the nearby coast. Along the pier, a sunset amazing than you "forced" to follow the sun with his eyes until his death on the horizon when the sky s'infuoca red and fills the soul with infinite emotion. It was dinner time and made our choice goes to the Restaurant "Galeb" overlooking the sea to the east of the lighthouse. A family run hotel offers excellent local cuisine at reasonable prices. After dinner, I remember the number of cell. Slovenia met a guy on one of the forum on the occasion of the preparations for my trip. I call and to my surprise he just finished work and is located 10 minutes from Piran and is happy to meet us. Shortly after arriving with his bike. Sebastian is a very helpful and friendly with him and spend a pleasant evening with a beer, proposing to meet in Ljubljana, where he lives with his wife and son.
27/07/2011 - Piran Lipica-Stables-Caves-Skocjan Predjiama Castle (km130) Another nice sunny day welcomes our awakening. The breakfast in the beautiful garden of the B & B deserves to whether the choice of this structure. We start in the direction of Lipica Lipica 1580 - Attualità, famous for the Lipizzaner horse breed called, the white mantle, raised since the end of XVI for the Riding School of Vienna. Pending the opening for the visits will take the opportunity to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. The guided tour is very interesting to the stables and see the instructors work with these beautiful horses is very exciting. We continue the bike through beautiful landscapes and arrive at one of the most beautiful places in Slovenia, Skocjan Caves, Unesco World Heritage Site. Le Grotte di �kocjan, Slovenia - Patrimonio mondiale. The guided tour along the path of 3 km for about two hours seems a dip in one of the pages of "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne! What is most striking is the magnitude of these caves. The best part is the arrival to the Cave of Whispers walls with another 100 meters where we cross the bridge Cerkevnik with its 45 meters high is the most exciting part of the entire path. After the visit we stop at the bar to rest a bit 'of the long walk and then set off for our final destination today, Castle Predjiama Castello di Predjama - I castelli - Slovenia - Official Travel Guide -. The road that leads to the castle through magnificent forests and breathtaking landscapes. The castle which dates back to 1202 is one of the most picturesque and not only in Slovenia and is mainly characterized by being built into a natural cave. The result is something amazing. We arrive in time to visit its interior, with its splendid halls, wet and a disturbing secret hiding place on top of the castle of Erazem Tana said. After the visit starts pioviginare and because enough has been done later decide to stay overnight at the picturesque Inn Gostilna Pozar 20 meters before the ticket office. We dine on the terrace of the castle with an amazing view. The castle is illuminated at night creating an atmosphere with different COLoR sublime. What a magical place!
TO BE CONTINUED....