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Author Archives: Kathryn

About Kathryn

Follow Mini Bear and I as we travel the world at Minibeartravels.com!

Giro d’Italia: stage 9

Today’s stage was 181 kilometers long with several steep climbs thrown in. Beginning in Sansepolcro, the stage featured several rated climbs and finished with one last climb up to Florence’s Piazzale Michelangelo.   I found a great spot just a couple of meters shy of the finish line where I watched the crew finish setting … Continue reading »

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Giro d’Italia: stage 8 time trial

I was literally up with the sun this morning just to be sure that I would catch a train and arrive in Gabicce Mare, Italy with enough time to secure a prime viewing spot for today's stage of the Giro d'Italia. Stage 8 was a 54.8 kilometer individual time trial on a tough and unusually … Continue reading »

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Predjama Castle, Slovenia

Built on a cliff and partially inside of a cave, Predjama lives up to its name, meaning “in front of the cave.” Archeologists can confidently date aspects of the castle as far back as the 12th century, though there may have been a dwelling here even earlier. Regardless, nearly a thousand years later, Predjama remains … Continue reading »

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Postojnska Jama, Slovenia

Postojnska Jama is even more fun to visit than it is to say! This 20 plus kilometer series of caves is among Slovenia's most visited attractions. While Slovenia's karstic land means there are plenty of other caves in the country, the caves at Postojna are the biggest and most explored to date. These caves were … Continue reading »

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Koper, Slovenia

Leaving Izola, I missed my train by about 10 minutes which meant I spent the morning walking around nearby Koper for a few hours. Koper is a larger version of Izola: a busy harbor, popular sunbathing spots, outdoor cafes, winding streets. The main difference is that since it's that much closer to Italy and is … Continue reading »

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Izola, Slovenia

Smushed between Italy and Croatia, geography and history have permitted Slovenia a mere 42 kilometers of coastline. Incidentally, this is about the distance of a marathon. I don't know if the whole coast is pedestrian friendly–there are some serious looking commercial ports along the way–but I love the idea of eating breakfast in one country, … Continue reading »

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Tunis, Tunisia

My first morning in Tunis, I got off the metro severely misinformed. This was the one and only time there was any space at all in the train!   Every other time, the metro looked like a can of human sardines. I never got a photo of it, but usually there were a couple of … Continue reading »

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Kairouan, Tunisia

Visiting the walled coty of Kairouan 7 times is equal to visiting Mecca once. Known as Islam's 4th holiest city, Kairouan is not only religiously significant, it's also a beautiful place to explore.   Zaouia Sidi Abid el-Ghariani (the Mausoleum of Sidi Abid el-Ghariani), built in the 14th century, was my first stop. It is … Continue reading »

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31 goals

I’ve never been a new year’s resolution person, but I do appreciate a good list, so here are the 31 goals I’ve been working on for the past 12 months.   Accomplished! 1. Take a photography class 2. Plan a trip with a friend met while traveling 3. Rent out my apartment 4. Be able … Continue reading »

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Dougga, Tunisia

It's hard to describe how striking Dougga was. I was completely unprepared for it. My Lonely Planet had said it was an impressive site of Roman ruins and it was just a couple of hours south of Tunis, so I decided to head down there and take a look. There was a bizarre incident on … Continue reading »

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