We left Cortina early to go over Tre Croci Pass. This is indeed a spectacular formation in the Dolomites. After having to backtrack a little on a closed pass, we made it out of the Alps into lower Italy. More typical - flatter, lots of vineyards and Mediterranean villas with the tall thin trees, and warmer.
Today, it was interesting to go from leisure to industrial to rural as we went from the Alps to lower Italy and into the Balkans. Having a late entry into the "mainstream" has allowed Slovenia and Croatia to better think how to bring their unspoiled lands into the world. Life got calmer and simpler as we traveled. This type of transition always makes me wonder who got it right? Are we really better off with our modern inventions and electronics than living with nature, family, and being really present more often?
Slovenia looked a lot like it did 25 years ago when I visited it for the first time when it was still part of Yugoslavia ... still no billboards but with a little more color now. Crossing into Croatia was our first non-EU border crossing. Passport and customs checking was fast and efficient. And then, the ocean! From the Alps to the Mediterranean, on a motorcycle, across three countries, on a perfect sunny day ... Perfect!
We are staying in Opatija tonight, a nice Croatian resort town since the 1800's on the coast.
Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. 5 countries down. 16 to go.
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