Stops, Hops, and Chasm

This day was a lovely climb out from Gomia. We had a lovely valley behind us as we proceeded along the road to climb these limestone laden hills.

Stop 1 was to draw water from a natural spring that has been available for years to quench the thirst of fellow hikers.

Stop 2 was to meet a neighbor waving us over for an early morning schnapps and view of his home. He told us he was an artist in making prosciutto. Indeed his main room in the house was a wine and prosciutto room.

Stop 3 was to admire the local donkeys and their newborns lazing in the sun. So peaceful and lovely.

We hiked along the river trail and climbed over rocks until our trail ascended. Then we had to push and pull ourselves us a series of steep switchbacks from the river valley to the top of cliffs. Our cables embedded in the rock, steep steps, and switchbacks helped emerge on top of limestone ridges.

We then went on to see the Skocjanski Cave that is a UNESCO site. Is has carved a chasm underground.

A vast cavern cut by the Reka river which continues to cut the chasm underground and then run the 40 km underground to surface briefly north of Trieste before emptying in to the Adriatic. It’s a breathtaking area that escapes description. Tomorrow is our last brief hike in to Italy and our hike ends. It makes us all a bit sad to think our hiking entourage must dissolve but we are thrilled to have new found friends.