Safe Return Doubtful

We nudged on a bit up the valley to Radstadt and the wide Enns river valley that gives the area such high quality dairy farming. There was rain coming today so I was keen to get out before midday, when it was forecast to set in. It was the sort of place that a few weeks ago would have been busy with tourists, but today, on a damp and cloudy morning it was a delight.

The driving was much more interesting now, traversing the Alps with the assistance of the Tauern Road Tunnel. At Villach it was a departure from the motorways that I have, in effect, been on since Newcastle. There’s 10 kilometres of the northeast corner of Italy then up over the Predil Pass once in Slovenia. By now the rain had set in, heavy and thundery. Though it made for slower going on the roads it kept a lot of traffic off them.

I was in Slovenia in early Spring last year, so had intentionally come a different way. I had been in the Triglav National Park in the east, and from Kranjska Gora south over the spectacular Vršič Pass.

My route crossed with that at Kobarid. A year ago I went west into Italy, today I would my way up the hill to Krn, in the southwest of the National Park. It was challenging driving on a very steep road with hairpins, and now in torrential rain with thunder and lightning. In Kobarid and around the valley there was some flash flooding and roads closed.

I just about managed it, and arrived at the campsite, which is in the shadow of Krn mountain, at 2244 metres, one of the most imposing mountains in the massif. Not that it was visible today..

Krn is a tiny little Slovenian village, up at 970 metres asl, and a perfect base for hiking in the Park. I will be here for a few days.

There was one other van at the site. With most of the fields under water I had lunch before proceeding. A Belgian guy arrived a little later in a Sprinter self-build and we surveyed the fields together. The higher part was inaccessible, but we found excellent places a little lower down.

The rain is in for the day, extremely heavy with thunder, but the occasional break, just enough to get some exercise with Roja before settling in for the rugby.

It’s Chile – England tomorrow, a special day for me with so many old boys involved. Actually Chile have a few injury concerns and have rested a few players who would normally start. 9 of my old boys started against Samoa, and one was on the bench. Tomorrow, 4 will start, and 4 on the bench. In the week, the captain, Martin Sigren, who I am in touch with quite a bit, told the Times “I said to England’s players I am coming for them”, some of the article is below, as it’s paywalled for most I think.. I just hope they put up a good show..

Chile’s Martín Sigren: I told England’s players I’m coming for them

Several podcasts got me through those hours of driving. The one I want to shout about though is Bob Dylan Album by Album, and specifically season 1, the six episodes on Blood on the Tracks. It is excellent.

I also really enjoyed Ade Edmondson on Desert Island Discs this morning, a show that usually disappoints. But today, unlike other episodes, the guest did a lot of talking..