Matilda on Tour - Parc Lijak, Piran and the Adriatic

Friday 20 March 2026 — Parc Lijak

Day 20 — A day of small jobs and wandering routes
Vipava Valley, Slovenia 🇸🇮

One of those days when the practical things needed doing.

A sunny, breezy day, which meant perfect conditions for getting the washing done — and it’s always a good feeling to have clean clothes again. The van got a bit of attention too, cleaned and reorganised, which makes everything feel a little calmer.

Once that was all sorted, we headed out on the bikes again 🚴‍♀️

The planned route took us along main roads, which isn’t really my favourite kind of cycling, so we soon came off route and decided to make it up as we went along.

That led to a bit of everything — a few dead ends, some surprisingly steep hills, but also some really lovely scenery.

The valley is full of vineyards, with little villages perched high above the valley floor. Spring is beginning to show itself too — blossom just starting to appear, magnolias in full bloom, and the usual daffodils and tulips brightening the edges of the lanes.

From higher up we spotted a lake in the distance, which felt like the perfect place for a mid-ride stop (no café stop again though… 😄)

After yet another dead end, we decided it was time to retrace our steps — easier said than done. The thin blue line on the Garmin wasn’t the easiest to follow, and after a bit of head scratching we eventually turned to Google Maps to guide us back.

Not the most elegant route, but still an enjoyable ride — even if the mileage wasn’t huge.

Back at the van, plans to stay here a little longer have now been put on hold. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

A bit of admin, a bit of wandering, a bit of getting lost — but a good day all the same.

Saturday 21 March — Piran

Day 21 — We’ve reached the Adriatic coast

Slovenian Coast, Slovenia 🇸🇮

We really enjoyed our couple of nights in the Vipava Valley, but it felt like time to move on.

We arrived at the marina in Portorož just in time for lunch, with a lovely sea view to welcome us 🌊

It’s more of a stellplatz with a car park feel, but it has all the facilities we need, so it works well as a base.

After lunch we walked along the coast to Piran.

It’s a really good walk, with plenty to see along the way — an affluent stretch with big yachts, hotels, bars and places to eat lining the waterfront.

It’s a beautiful little coastal town, with narrow winding streets, colourful buildings and a strong Venetian feel.

Once we arrived, we headed straight into the main square and settled in for a while. A couple of beers, a chance to just sit and take it all in… and quite possibly the best chips I’ve had in a long time 😄

Back at the marina we also spotted a lovely little wine bar. It made a great photo stop, even if we decided it looked more like a place for serious wine drinkers than for us.

A simple day, a new coastline, and another place that’s been good to explore — sometimes that’s all you need.

Sunday 22 March 2026 — Portorož / Piran

Day 22 — A day to enjoy it all
Adriatic Coast, Slovenia 🇸🇮

Waking up this morning and looking out of the back window of the van again the sea was wonderful — this is a great find.

I’m also loving the way my mate George keeps coming up with suggestions, giving us a feel for what to expect and helping us find places like this. Asking for a stellplatz definitely helps keep the costs down too.

Today was a cycling day, more about sightseeing than mileage.

Our first stop was Piran again. This time we climbed the bell tower — and the view from the top is incredible.

A quick stop in the square for lunch — fish soup for me, tomato for Richard — and thankfully the chips lived up to yesterday’s standard 😄

We were well fuelled for the next leg of the ride 🚴‍♀️

|A few dead ends gave surprising results -

but we finally retraced our steps and next stop was the castle — or more accurately, the old castle walls — but the views from the top were well worth the climb.

From there, the ride definitely got hillier.

Heading back along the other side of the peninsula gave us a completely different perspective, but it was a bit of a workout — either grinding our way up or flying back down.

We paused once to take it all in, before, by pure luck, finding a cycle route that cut straight through the hill we would otherwise have had to climb, bringing us neatly back to the van.

It turned out to be an enjoyable ride, although a lot chillier than expected. Winter gear will definitely be making a return next time.

Back at the van we changed into warmer clothes before heading out again for a couple of beers 🍺

Then it was back to Matilda and a bit of campervan cooking. Tonight’s effort was a chicken korma made with coconut milk, tinned tomatoes, curry paste and the last of the veg, with a bit of pepper, chicken stock and herbs.

Very tasty — and enough left over for the freezer too.

We’ve really enjoyed this stopover, more than we expected.

Tomorrow we move on to Croatia.