I learned about Parenzana’s existence following a gift from Giampaolo and Luisa on my birthday. Knowing of their passion for cycling, they gave me a guide book for the Parenzana cycle route, on the route of an old disused Austro-Hungarian railway from Trieste to Parenzo (Porec), which they traveled the previous year.
We leave on July 14 for Croatia. We park just beyond the Slovenia-Croatia border, in Valizza and from here we take the Parenzana route.
Buje
We always climb with moderate slope up to Buje. These are places that I went to for work in the 90s but I find it hard to recognize them. Places where I passed with Fabio, and a little of all the places that we will pass in these days, have already been visited by me but, with different eyes! The railway skirts Buje and continues until it reaches Grožnjan (288 m.).
Grisignana’s station (Grožnjan)
Unexpected country, as walking along the railway, in the middle of nature, in a desolate place, you realize that you are reaching the top of the hill, only when you exit the tunnel and you are practically at Grožnjan station.
We eat in a restaurant, immersed in this country reborn thanks to artists who have taken it out of oblivion. A city where everything exudes art, from painting to music.
We are witnessing rehearsals inside a building, of a youth orchestra with members from all over the world. They perform a typical Slavic song, with winds, strings, guitars and voices. Under the colonnade of another building, young harpists are preparing themselves with their instruments, today is harp day! Difficult to start from here but we have to go, the road is long up to Motovun and everything has to be paved.
In fact, the Croatian stretch of Parenzana, unlike the Italian and Slovenian ones which are asphalted, runs through woods and hills, in a succession of climbs and descents, with various types of ground, gravel, ballast, earth but, always dirt .
We leave Grožnjan reluctantly, and continue slightly downhill towards the Mirna valley, and beyond the valley, the city of Motovun (277 m.), Which appears on top of its cliff in the middle of the valley, where we will stay for the night.
The Mirna valley is known for truffles and in fact, in the evening the dinner will be all based on trifola, even the dessert! Motovun is certainly a small architectural and landscape gem. To reach it we have to take a long tour around the hill, come out of a long tunnel and take the last challenging ramp to go up to the Kastel cliff, right on the tip, where the hotel is located. In the square of the castle, which is accessed through various doors on various walls, there is the church of Santo Stefano which, some sources, attribute to Palladio. Routes 45 km.
The next morning, departure for Porec. Always in the middle of woods and with bridges that cross valleys. The route remains interesting up to Visinada, then it began to lose some interest as it approached the coast.
piazza di Montona
We practically follow the original route to Višnjan, and continue on the road until we reach Porec.
Visinada
Visit to the city, which being July is very lively, and very different from the Porec I had known before the Serbo-Croatian war of '91. After having dinner in a small place near the beach, we relaxed with the massage chair we had in our room! What a buzz! Routes 35 km.
The following morning we return to the car through national roads with points to Novigrad, where we ate and Umag. Moments of happiness singing Lucio’s songs, daring descents and ascents! Routes 46 km.
Porec-Parenzo
Video Grisignana’s school of music
Follow the posts about Sicily trip
Camere d’aria 2020: giorno Zero. Sistemazione a Messina e preparativi per la partenza
Camere d’aria 2020: Sicilia stage 1. Capo Peloro-Milazzo
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia . Stage 2. Milazzo - Gioiosa Marea
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia stage 3. Gioiosa Marea - Canneto di Caronia
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia. Stage 4. Canneto - Cefalù
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia. Stage 5. Cefalù - Solanto
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia. Stage 6. Solanto– Mondello
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia. Stage 7. Mondello - Castellammare del Golfo
Camere d’aria 2020, Sicilia. Stage 8. Castellammare del Golfo – Scopello
Camere d’aria 2020. Sicilia. Stage 9. Scopello - Saline di Trapani
Sicily with bicycle. Camere d’aria 2020. Stage 10. Trapani - Mazara del Vallo
Sicily with bicycle. Camere d’aria 2020. Stage 11. Mazara del Vallo - Selinunte
Sicily with bicycle. Camere d’aria 2020. Stage 12. Selinunte - Seccagrande
Sicily with bicycle. Camere d’aria 2020. Stage 13. Seccagrande - Scala dei Turchi
Sicilia in bicicletta. Camere d’aria 2020. Epilogo
Video 1 - Viaggio in Sicilia in bicicletta
