GO: Solvenia, Croatia & Venice with Jenn & Geoff

n November, Jennifer and I had the opportunity to visit our newest vendor, Basso Bicycles in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. We never waste an opportunity to turn a business trip into an extended vacation, and this was no exception. The meetings would only take two days, so we planned out a week of adventure beforehand and a few days in Venice after they concluded. We visit Italy at least once annually, but being within a short drive of many other countries lured us across the border to experience something new.

SLOVENIA

We flew into Venice, approaching over the snow-covered Dolomites. We quickly picked up our rental car and headed northeast into Slovenia. This was a new destination for both of us. It is an under-the-radar destination, a quiet nation tucked between Italy and Austria and the Adriatic Sea. We drove through beautiful, mountainous countryside until reaching the capital city of Ljubljana.

The castle on top of the hill overlooking the city.

Immediately we were pleasantly surprised by the contrasts of its beautiful Baroque old city and the well-designed modern city around it. Ljubljana is a very walkable place. In spite of the chilly weather, we were impressed that virtually everyone was outside, enjoying the riverfront shops and restaurants, or just strolling through the many parks surrounding the ancient castle at the city's center.

Geoff on Love Locks Bridge where locals padlock their love.

An old factory area on the north bank of the river has been converted into an incubator for the arts community, and indeed the modern part of the city is covered with hundreds of murals.

It's an energetic atmosphere, full of warmth. Tourism is quite new to Slovenia, and it was clear to see that the Slovenians are enjoying the economic growth that accompanies it. We will definitely return someday.

CROATIA

After two enjoyable days we ventured southeast toward Croatia. After leaving the expressway, we drove through dense forests on extremely twisty and steep mountain roads. Our tiny Fiat was pushed to the limit for a couple of hours. Our first destination was the village of Motovun, an ancient mountaintop castle and village in the Istrian region of Croatia. The village is small enough to explore by foot in just a couple of hours. The views over the surrounding valleys are spectacular. We enjoyed a terrific lunch at Mondo Konoba, a tiny bistro once featured in Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations". With full bellies we continued south toward the Adriatic coast.

For the next few nights we stayed in Rovinj, simply one of the most beautiful seaside towns we've ever seen. Being November, the tourist season was long past. We stayed in the lovely Adriatic Hotel, the oldest hotel and restaurant in the village. We enjoyed some wonderful meals, braving the chill to savor the outdoor dining of the season.

Our first night at the hotel, while unpacking, we discovered a pair of underwear left by a previous guest, on a shelf presumably above eye level for the housekeepers. We jokingly mentioned this to the concierge, who was appalled and apologetic. When we returned to our room after dinner, we found a large platter of desserts and a chilled bottle of prosecco, with a lovely note of apology. It was a funny start to our stay, but also an indicator of the spectacular customer service. We'd highly recommend that you stay there if you visit.

Jenn had made a dinner reservation at the finest restaurant in Rovinj, but a few days before we arrived she had received an email from the owner's daughter Rebecca, explaining that the restaurant would be closed that day for the festival of St. Martin. She offered to book us at another of their restaurants instead.

Being virtually the only non-locals in the village, I guess we were easy to spot. She introduced herself as Lucia, and quickly introduced us to Rebecca, with whom we corresponded about reservations. They enthusiastically pulled us into the throng of friends and family, and we found ourselves drinking wine and celebrating loudly at 10 a.m. For Rebecca's family, St. Martin's Day has always been special. Her grandfather, a successful restaurateur, had always closed all his businesses and hosted a celebration for all his employees, friends and family...basically half the village. It was his favorite day of the year, which he always enjoyed immensely. Five years prior, however, he had taken a break for a nap in the middle of the celebration and passed away in his sleep. That anniversary added another layer of emotion to the event, and indeed half the party had tears streaming down their faces as they sang. It was one of the most genuine, heartwarming experiences we've had while traveling, and we were grateful to be included

The border of Slovenia and Croatia.

TRIESTE, Italy

We wandered north along the Adriatic coast, crossing back through Slovenia into Italy and the city of Trieste. Trieste is a huge industrial port city, but we found ourselves in a charming neighborhood a few blocks from the city square and waterfront. We were pleasantly surprised by the collection of galleries, vintage shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood, although our one night there was enough. In the morning we headed west to rendezvous with our hosts at Basso.

BASSO BICYCLES in Basano del Grappa

Basso Bicycles is a small, family-owned company that produces some of the finest bikes in the world. Over the last year they have become an integral brand at my store VeloScience Bike Works. I've been very impressed by their performance, quality, and beauty. After visiting VeloScience last April, their CEO Alessandro Basso was insistent that we come to Bassano del Grappa to visit their factory.

VENICE

At the conclusion of the meetings we shuttled to Venice for a few days of relaxation. This was our third visit to Venice, so we chose to seek out some less touristy experiences. It's difficult to do in a place that is an iconic destination, but we stayed in a lovely old hotel in a quiet neighborhood away from Piazza San Marco. Indeed, we found a wonderful bistro virtually unknown to tourists, and had two great dinners surrounded by locals.

In spite of rainy weather, we took the water taxi to the islands of Murano and Burano, exploring the glass works and colorful villages there.

A big highlight was visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, which houses an extremely interesting collection of 20th Century works from many famous artists whose careers blossomed with the exposure they received from her patronage.

After three drizzly days we boarded the vaporetta for the airport under beautiful clear blue skies. We had never before seen the snow covered peaks of the Dolomites from Venice; it was a spectacular finish to our trip!

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