Sunday, May 25, 2025
Stage 13 of the Juliana Trail
Kobarid to Bovec ~ 39,000 Steps
I woke up to the sound of more cuckoos from bed. Nearly every day we hiked and could hear cuckoos. Most days we could also hear the doot-doot-doot bird, which we discovered is the common chiffchaff. Truly magical. I suppose if you lived here it would become mundane, or even annoying. But we found it to be special.
Today is our last hiking day, and we’re a little nervous about it. It’s quite long, and our hotel’s breakfast only starts at 8 am, which is a pretty late start for us. Our feet and bodies are also sore and tired. So tired.
Nathan went down to the dining room to grab a couple coffees for us at 7 and got reminded that breakfast wasn’t ready until 8. He was able to snag the coffees and bring them back to our room.
We get packed up and ready and stretch until 8 am. I’m not sure if it will help, but it certainly can’t hurt.
Today’s breakfast buffet includes crepes and Nutella, scrambled eggs and ham, bacon, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cereals, home made bread, cheese, and salami. We quickly made a sandwich from the spread and I ran it to our room to hide the evidence.
We managed to check out and get on the road by 8:45. It felt super late, even though some days we got going by 9 am. We walked down the road, across the Napoleon Bridge and on the path on the way to Kozjak Waterfall. I didn’t have this waterfall on my ‘list’ but we’re literally walking right past it. We decided it was worth it to pay the entrance fee and spend the extra footsteps to visit it, but I reserved the right to complain about it later on in the afternoon.
We discovered now that it’s a good thing that breakfast was served at 8 am, because the ticket booth to the waterfall only opened at 9 am, and we got here at 9:20.
The waterfall was gorgeous, and so close to our Juliana Trail path, it would have been a shame to miss it.
After the waterfall, we continued on the Juliana Trail. The trail got more technical, with serious ups and downs, steel cables to use as handrails, and ladders as steps.
We continued across a couple swinging suspension bridges, past today’s stamp, and along the Soca river.
At 12:30, we crossed the Soca again and found a bench to have our lunch on. While we were sitting, a lizard started walking across my thigh. I screamed, and everyone freaked out, including the lizard. Poor lizard. Had I had any advance warning he was near me, I wouldn’t have screamed.
By 12:45 we were walking again, and we knew this was going to be the hardest part. Less interesting and more tarmac walking. Brutal on the feet.
We passed a few caves, and kept going. It was nearly 3 pm when we passed the bridge and turn off for the Boka Waterfall. It’s huge and we can see it from the far side of the road.
An interminable stretch of tarmac walking ensued, and finally at 4 pm we reached the cafe on the village outskirts of Bovec. We stopped for a snack and pick me up, and continued on, past the skydiving airport and to Bovec city center and our hotel. This hike is done.
We got into our apartment, and remembered to celebrate on our balcony with the welcome drink offered by last night’s hotel. It’s a small bottle of schnapps, and it tates pretty darn good.
A shower and dinner to cap off the evening and we’re ready for bed!
