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08:00: Up and washed, socks washed. Now I’m on the lookout for breakfast. I slept really well. Fun mixed dorm (like the night before last) with a couple of young Irish lads from Whitehall1, two English girls, a German couple, a solo hillwalker from Scotland about my age and another couple who weren’t around last night. Right. Breakfast.
09:26: €7.98 for breakfast of tea, honey and oat yoghurt, cream cheese roll and two different spinach pastries.
09:39: Heading back to the hostel to pack and go.
09:47: €1.52 for a couple of bread rolls and chocolate biscuits from Spar.
10:14: On the road, with four litres of water and a full phone battery.
10:22:21: Why is only Slavoj Žižek’s face hacked out? He’s a native of Ljubljana! 
10:22:38
10:56: Quick stop in Hofer to pick up 500g oatflakes nut and seed mix, an apple and 500ml Nestea Lemon. The porridge was definitely necessary. I only had less than one breakfast left. I’ve also been stashing sugar sachets.
11:14: Tree felling is blocking the road out of Ljubljana. I tried to talk my way through, but the guy I spoke to was insistent. Seems like a small enough detour through a park.
11:32:45
11:41:17
12:53: Climbing into the hills. Leaving Ljubljana town limit.
13:26: Descending again.
13:45: Besnica. Šmartno is 22km away. That’s my destination for the day.2
13:53: Leaving Besnica.
14:31: I stopped for lunch a few hundred metres beyond the town. Ate this morning’s Spar bread rolls with the mackerel and twelve half-coated biscuits. I still have an apple and all the breakfast goodies. I’m assuming I’ll find lunch and dinner tomorrow. Oh and I have a 100g hazelnut chocolate bar too. I’ve been listening to Slavoj Žižek for the last two-and-a-bit hours. I’m going to continue listening to podcasts.
15:05: Zgornja Besnica.
15:09: Sign says: Šmartno 17km, Ljubljana 16km. I’m nearly halfway!
15:33: Leaving Zgornja Besnica.
16:20: Just passed the turn for Veliko Trebeljevo.
16:33:37 
16:37:39
17:10: Sitting down to rest for a few minutes. The temperature is very pleasant and the environment beautiful — steep wooded hills with winding roads providing views over the landscape; Alpine meadows and farmland. My legs are tired and my right hip smarts.
17:18: OK, about to start moving again. If I keep this pace up, I might be able to make it to Zagreb airport by lunchtime on the 31st.
17:27: Moving again.
18:11: Štangarske Poljane. 5.5km to go.
18:23:31
18:24: Leaving Štangarske Poljane.
18:35: Zavrstnik.
19:30: Dropped in to a bar and asked the bar girl if there’s accomodation (no) or where I could camp. She introduces me to Johnny, the neighbour across the road, who’s letting me camp on their land. I’m setting up now. I’ve ben invited to join them for BBQ dinner: čavčep, or something3.
20:58: Back in the tent. It was great to get some dinner but there was a slightly weird vibe. The mother and (I think) Johnny’s wife sat around smoking fags while the air force pilot son and I ate the barbecued meat with chopped tomatoes, bread and paprika spread4. Young boys came and went, as did Johnny’s father. I chatted most comfortably with the airforce pilot son. Johnny is a bit of a reactionary, but he does believe in karma! The temperature has dropped, I’ve had a quick Telegram back and forth with Aisling and now I’m going to unpack my sleeping bag and get in. Johnny recommended that I follow the old road paralleling the motorway as the quickest route to Zagreb. I’m inclined to take his advice. Tomorrow I turn south, towards the motorway.
