Banjšice

Slovenia's Banjšice Plateau is one of the prettiest, least-crowded places I've ever been.  Today I tried a new route, following the Soča River from Gorizia to Kanal, then turning onto the back road for Avče, a dolce climb through shady forest to Kal Nad Kanalom, a village on the rolling grassland of this alto piano.  From here I continued crossing the rolling terrain, through a bit of jumbled karst forest, down to Lohke and Bate.  At Bate I began the same long, steep descent to Grgar I rode last March, though without the ice this time.  There's a little climb from Grgar up to the road for Solkan, which then descends even more steeply to the Soča River.  

Wonderful ride: I know I'll return before long.      

The climb up from Avče

Kal Nad Kanalom pretty village

Look back across the rolling plain toward the Julian Alps

View south toward Lohke

Lohke northeast panorama

Lohke toward southeast