(see previous parts: part 0, part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4)
Do you like touring vineyards? Then this stage of the hike will be perfect for you. I think we saw every vineyard in this part of Slovenia, plus a goodly number of churches. (It seems like every single ridge in Slovenia has a church on top of it, which is certainly scenic!) This route had some decent hills, with a mix of shade and full sun; combined, I’d have to say the en route segments felt like a bit more of a slog but the views and breaks were well worth it.
After a delicious breakfast buffet at the Koren Apartments, we set out through the town of Vipava, walking past a grocery store, a small car dealer, and some other trappings of industral civilization that had mostly been absent on our other routes. It wasn’t long before we were off the road and crossing a meadow which led to… a vineyard.
We climbed through the small village of Lože, then walked into the slightly larger and fancier village of Goče. Our directions encouraged us to wander through the village (“it’s impossible to get lost!” it promised), so we did, walking up the hill to the 17th-century cemetery (which features a lovely garden, a welcome water faucet for refilling, and a set of kid-size soccer fields across the narrow street), then back down to Saint Andrew’s church in the village. Like most of the churches we saw on this trip, it was closed and we weren’t able to go in.
After Goče, it was over (and up!) to Erzelj. Along the way, we made another detour, with accompanying climb, to the Church of St Maria of the Snow, which featured some terrific views back over the valley (and its vineyards) over towards Goče. The church is about a kilometer off the road, so the out-and-back added a little distance but it was well worth it.
We briefly stopped in Erzelj, which had some kind of government building, with a small playground next to it, and a smattering of houses. Like the vast majority of the other villages, we saw no signs of life– no people, no cars, no roaming pets, nada. We did find a faucet to refill our water bottles, so we relaxed in the shade of the playground trees, had a small snack, and then set out for the next leg to Tabor, where we got some great views from the old village church.
After that stop, we just walked a bunch more, passing through a few small sub-villages. We passed through Kodreti, which is where our stop for the night was: Hiša posebne sorta, which is Slovene for “a special sort of house.” The hostess warmly welcomed us and showed us to our room, where I promptly cranked up the AC and sat for a few minutes to cool off before a quick shower, a cold beer on their shaded terrace, and an excellent 3-course dinner of soup, pork stuffed with plums and cheese, and some kind of magical dessert.
It’s true that hunger is the best sauce, but it’s also true that every dinner we had on this trip was a highlight. Then to bed to rest up for the next day’s hike.
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