Down the River Soča and Back into Italy

 Tolmin to Nova Gorica

This morning we chose to have a leisurely 9:00 start to our trek southward. Here is a photo of Dianne and me relaxing with a coffee before departing. The temperature hadn’t dropped much overnight and it was already 20 degrees when we left.

The journey ahead looked to be quite easy, with a short 42 kilometres to cover and less than 400 metres of climbing on the agenda. 

Although the routes that Michael and I had selected were very similar in in those two parameters, the one that Dianne and I were on headed west initially, crossed the Soca River almost immediately and then headed south. The route that Michael, Louise, Jane and Duckworth stayed on the eastern side of the Soca river for about 18 kilometres  until they reached a little town called Most na Soči at which point they crossed over to join and our routes merged. 

An aside: according to Wikipedia the site of Most Na Soči  is noted for “ Exceptional archaeological finds – more than 7,000 grave sites discovered so far – rank this location among the most important prehistoric settlements in Europe”. I don’t think the Three Cliftons and The Duck stopped to investigate because they didn’t arrive far behind us in Nova Gorica at our pre-arranged rendezvous spot. 

Here’s a look at the route Dianne and I took which stayed close to the western bank of the Soca river after our initial short foray further west:

And here’s the elevation profile, which had us gradually rolling downhill over the journey, with a few little bumps in between starting and finishing.

We’ve notice that Hydrangeas seem to grow very well and are quite popular in this part of the world. Both Dianne and I had parents that were fond of Hydrangeas and as we passed this example early in today’s ride I thought I’d get a photo of Dianne riding past and I think it looks quite good …

Early in the ride we had a nice downhill run. I’d made the deliberate decision before leaving that I wasn’t going to shoot much video but I couldn’t resist filming part of that descent as I followed Di down it …

Further along when we’d been travelling alongside the railway line for quite a while we approached a massive factory of some sort. Here is the first photo I took of the facility with Di in the foreground providing a sense of perspective. It turned that what we saw initially was only a fraction of the whole facility.

Here’s another photo I took as we were riding past that first part of the facility …

Further on there was a series of huge silos in groups of three or four. I was at loss to work out what they were. Atomic energy plant? Cement plant? Fertilizer plant? It was the scale of the thing that defeated me, but Duckworth had spotted a sign as he cruised past that identified it as a concrete manufacturing facility.

The one thing there was no doubt about from the outset: I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a large industrial plant and it was surprising to see such a thing in what is a pretty rural area.

We got quite close the river about halfway along our journey and I took these two photos from the same spot: one looking upstream …

… the other downstream …

This is still the Soča River and it still has that beautiful colour that we saw further upriver. 

Jane did a bit of research about the colour of. The Soča River after we had our walk in the Soča Gorge, and this is what Chat Whatever It Is dished up:

The striking emerald-turquoise colour of the Soča River comes from a combination of geology, water chemistry, and the way light interacts with the river.

1. Limestone mountains

The Julian Alps around the Soča are made largely of limestone and dolomite, rocks that were formed from ancient marine sediments millions of years ago.

As rain and snowmelt pass through these rocks, they dissolve tiny amounts of minerals and emerge as exceptionally clear groundwater.

2. Glacially ground rock particles

Over thousands of years, glaciers ground the limestone into extremely fine particles, often called rock flour. Tiny suspended particles remain in the water.

These particles scatter sunlight. Blue and green wavelengths are reflected and scattered more effectively than other colours, creating the river’s famous turquoise appearance.

3. Extraordinary clarity

Unlike many rivers, the Soča carries very little mud or organic material. Because the water is so clear, sunlight penetrates deeply before being reflected back.

The river essentially acts like a giant natural prism, enhancing the blue-green colours.

4. The riverbed itself

The white limestone pebbles and pale bedrock beneath the water reflect light upward, making the turquoise colour appear even more vivid.

Why does the colour vary?

* Bright sunshine: intense emerald and turquoise.

* Cloudy days: deeper blue-green.

* After heavy rain: slightly greener or milky as more fine sediment enters the water.

* Deep pools: darker blue.

* Shallow rapids: brilliant aqua.

A fascinating fact is that the Soča is one of the few major European rivers that maintains this vivid colour along much of its length, which is why it has become one of Slovenia’s iconic natural landmarks.

If you visit near Tolmin or Kobarid, look closely at a calm pool beside a rapid. You’ll often see three colours at once—emerald green, turquoise, and deep sapphire blue—caused simply by changes in depth, sunlight, and the angle from which you’re viewing the water.

Pretty comprehensive eh?

A little further on we came across a couple of interesting artifacts. One was this turbine from a power station nearby …

… and the other was a section of concrete casing for a railway tunnel. I wonder if this is perhaps for a mining tunnel bringing out ore because it looks smaller in diameter than I’d have imagined. You can see a section of the track in the bottom of the casing, which gives some sense of scale …

On another downhill section we had a lovely run down what I’ve called the “green tunnel” …

At another point we climbed through a tiny hamlet on the narrow road where we found ourselves. Towards the top the road kicked up a bit and I stopped to cheer Di on as she powered up the last bit …

Further on we saw something along the bike track we’d been on for quite a few kilometres that I never imagined: a machine trimming back the vegetation either side …

Wouldn’t it be good if we could have this level of support for cycling in Australia some time this half century?

Not long after that we paused to admire this impressive and rather attractive viaduct …

Shortly after we were back in Italy and rolling into Nova Gorica/Gorizia to meet the others. I thought I’d share this little advert for good dental hygiene; i.e. always carry a toothbrush wherever you go …

There is a magnificent building in the piazza where we were meeting the others and I took a photo of Di in front of it …

And that about sums up our day: short, sweet, finished early and able to check into our hotel a couple of hours early.