Tag Archive | Slovenia

The Alpine Loveliness of Slovenia’s Mountain Town of Bled

Oct5

Wed, September 28. 2016:

Ljubljana-Lake Bled-Ljubljana.

            Both Chriselle and I were very happy about our excursion to Bled, one of the most iconic parts of Slovenia and the one most projected by its tourist authorities. Without meaning to waste any time, we awoke, showered quickly, had a repeat of the breakfast we had yesterday in the youth hostel—a very substantial, very delicious one—and then we were off, heading towards the Bus station as we had been informed that the bus takes visitors closer to the lake than does the train. We booked our bus tickets and set off for the 90 minute ride to the town of Bled.

Arrival at Bled:

It was hard to know when we had arrived at Bled as we did not see the Lake from the bus stop. The driver had to tell us that we were at the last stop. Once we alighted, we went to Mamut, the Tourist agency for Slovenia and were most courteously helped by the attendant there. At his suggestion, we booked tickets immediately for a van ride that would take us to a place he recommended very warmly—the Vintgar Gorge—which was a 15 minute ride away.

 

Off to the Vintgar Gorge:

The Vintgar Gorge was not on the cards for us at all, but by the end of the morning, both of us were absolutely delighted that we had taken the tip and booked the van ticket to get there. It turned out to be a natural gorge that followed the bends of the Radovna River with its white water rapids and waterfalls and towering mountain peaks beautifully clad in thick forests. Once we got off the van in which there were five other people with us, we gave ourselves up fully to the delights that only Nature can offer. We followed a well-constructed path that often hung over the rapids of the river as we smelled the fresh Alpine air and enjoyed the conifers that covered the slopes. Crowds were rather thick for this time of year, but everyone was in superb spirits. It was not a challenging walk at all, but it was long—a total of 45 minutes to get to the end where the highest waterfall was located and then an easy 45 minute walk back. There were lot of places where we stopped to take photos, but we still did it in good time. As trekking is one of my great joys, this was easily another highlight of our trip and I was so glad we had the chance to undertake the challenge.

Lunch in Bled:

As soon as we returned by van to Bled, we walked towards the Lake as we had not yet seen it. It turned out to be a really lovely sight—surrounded by hills, encircled by a walking path –and bang in the middle of it, there was an island with a church easily visible on it. Since Chriselle and I were hungry, we pulled out the sandwiches we had carried from our breakfast buffet and ate them in the shade of a beautiful gazebo in a flower-filled park that reminded us very much of the Mirabel Gardens in Salzburg. After a while, we decided to stretch our legs again and go for a walk around the lake.

A Boat Ride to the Island:

It was while we were heading to the lake, that a young woman asked us if we would be willing to join her party for a boat ride to the island—they needed 8 people and had only four. We’d bring the party up to six. We agreed as we had intended to get to the island anyway. A few minutes later, we found 3 more people willing to row with us and with our oarsman Martin taking controls, off we went with Kitty, her companion, two British women and a family from northern Slovenia.

We reached the island in about half an hour after a lovely boat ride that was thrilling in every respect. The scenery was spectacular as we took in the castle, the church spires and the hotels that stud the lake’s banks. Once on the island, we climbed steep steps that took us to the entrance of the Church (which is deconsecrated). However, it has become a tourist attraction as it is said to contain a Wishing Bell. You pay 6 euros to enter the church and once inside, you head towards the altar. The Baroque interior decoration of the altar is just stupendous—it is entirely gilded. Two beautiful paintings flank the main altar. Hanging in the center is a thick rope from which you need to literally hang in order to get the bell to ring. You make a wish and ring the bell three times in hopes of getting your wish. Needless to say, both Chriselle and I had a go—but I forgot to make my wish as I was too busy getting pictures taken!

After we left the church, we decided to climb hundreds of steps (or so it seemed) to get to the Bell Tower—and at the end of it, we were disappointed as we were not rewarded with the stunning views we expected. The windows were all grilled over and there was little we could actually see from the top—so it was a wasted effort. However, to soothe ourselves, we found the time to eat the delicious local cake called Potica that is made on the island—it is a Swiss roll sort of cake made with figs and hazelnuts. Together with a cup of coffee, it was a delicious treat and it just hit the spot.

Toy Train Ride Around the Lake:

Back in the boat, Martin rowed us to the jetty where we decided to hop into a toy train that took us on a 45 minute ride around the entire periphery of the lake. This was probably one of the best decisions we made as we saw the entire town of Bled from different corners of it. Had we stayed in the Lake area, we’d only have seen that little bit. The toy train filled with people at various stops and as it chugged slowly along, it exposed us to chalets, lakeside retreats, hotels, tea shops, etc. that dot the entire area. We also had the chance to get closer to the island and to see the church perched upon it from varied perspectives. As it was a beautiful day, we thoroughly enjoyed the Alpine loveliness of the area and could easily see why this lovely town is so popular among visitors. It reminded me very often of Salzburg in Austria which is one of my favorite places in the world.

Visiting the Church of St. Martin:

The Church of St. Martin is rather prominent in the town as its spire is easily visible from varied points. We decided to pay a visit inside and were required to climb a vast number of stairs again to get to the entrance. Inside, we were quite pleased to find that Mass in English was in progress. We found a group of people congregated in the front and it immediately occurred to me that it was a private Mass being said only for them. However, we decided to stay on and receive Communion and after Mass, had a chance to talk to some of the members of the group. They informed us that they were from Florida and were traveling to varied centers of pilgrimage in Europe. They were very pleased indeed to meet and chat with us and thanked us for joining them for Mass! This church too was visually gorgeous—filled with exquisite carvings and paintings on the ceiling and along the walls.

Coffee and Cake for Afternoon Tea:

By this time, we had covered the town quite thoroughly but were still loathe to leave it as it was so beautiful. We decided to take Lonely Planet’s tip and head to a coffee shop they had recommended for really delicious Lake Bled traditional cream cake called Kremnista. We found the place at the end of another long walk and climb that took us into a part of the town behind the church that we would not otherwise have explored.

Seated in a little booth in a very quiet part of the coffee shop gave Chriselle and me another pause in our wanderings and a chance to talk and discuss the amazing sights we were seeing and the lovely experiences to which we were being subjected. About an hour later, after we felt refreshed and sustained by our cake and coffee, we left the restaurant and began the walk towards the bus stop.

 

Return to Ljubljana:

We had about a 20 minute wait before our bus arrived to take us back to Ljubljana. We’d had a very eventful day and were tired but in a very nice way. Since we were so full with our substantial and rather late “tea’, we picked up sausage rolls from the bus station in the capital city and munching those, we made our way back to our hostel—deciding that they would suffice well for dinner. It was not long before we arrived at our hostel and began to organize ourselves for our fairly early departure, the next morning, by coach to Croatia.

Slovenia had been a lovely introduction to Eastern Europe and we felt satisfied and happy by our sojourn. We looked forward very much to even more adventures in Croatia.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

 

 

Gobsmacked by Slovenia’s Postojna Caves and Exploring Ljubljana Castle

Oct5

Tuesday, September 27, 2016:

Postojna Caves and Ljubljana Castle in Slovenia

Both Chriselle and I slept well and awoke to our unusual surroundings quite refreshed. We wished to make the most of the day ahead and did not waste too much time on showers as we hurried through them.

Breakfast in the Hostel:

Out hostel tariff included a rather wonderful breakfast buffet on which we feasted: scrambled eggs, cold cuts, sliced cheese, bread that we could toast in a toaster, spreads (jam and butter), yoghurt and juice. We ate well and even carried a sandwich with cheese and cold cuts with us to eat at lunch as we did not want to waste too much time in a restaurant.

Taking instructions from hostel receptionists, we walked about 10 minutes to the bus station which was next-door to the train station in order to find the most efficient public transport to get us to the place we wished to see—the famous Postojna (pronounced Pos-toy-na) Caves.

This is supposedly Slovenia’s biggest tourist attraction and we did not wish to miss out on seeing it. Accordingly, we found a train to get us there in about 45 minutes. We booked our tickets and found our platform and our train—thanks to a helpful railway employee who spoke very good English and guided us ably. Although there was a terrible delay before the train departed, eventually it moved and in about an hour, we were at the caves.

Once at the train station, we were disappointed to discover that there was no public transport to get to the Caves—the only way we could reach there was on foot—a walk of about half an hour. Steeling ourselves for the trek ahead, we set off. Fortunately, it was a very nice day—neither too hot nor cold or windy—and asking for directions along the way, we finally got to the Caves.

Exploring the Postojna Caves:

Once we reached the Caves, it was a matter of getting tickets to enter the venue. Unfortunately, the tickets are by timed entry and we just missed the 12 noon entry. This enabled us to get tickets for the 1.00 pm entry—leaving us with enough time to get a snack lunch. We found a little eatery on the way to the main entrance and there we ordered cold beers (as it had started to get very warm indeed) and Kremsnista—traditional cake of the region made with phyllo pastry and thick layers of custard cream and whipped cream. It was quite delicious indeed, although not Chriselle’s cup of tea. We also both ate our breakfast sandwiches and at 12. 45, made our way to the entrance to get into the caves.

Seeing the Postojna Caves was seriously one of the main highlights of our travels. Neither one of us had ever been in caves with natural rock formations that created stalactites and stalagmites. These were simply spectacular. Mile after mile of these natural wonders kept us enthralled as we boarded an electric railway train (the only one of its kind underground anywhere in the world) and gave ourselves up to the delight of the sights before us. It is impossible to describe in words exactly what we saw. After a while, we even gave up taking pictures as flash photography was not allowed inside and the formations could simply not be captured in the dark. We had a guide who gave us a commentary as we passed through varied parts of the caves—along the Russian Bridge, the Red Room, the White Room, etc. until we arrived at the piece de resistance, Brilliant White—an iconic dome-ended pillar that dazzled in its white luminosity. We were deeply impressed by every sight we saw. The train ride ended about an hour later when we were led back to the entrance of the Caves.

Back to Ljubljana on the Train:

We walked back to Postojna train station (having purchased return tickets) and just made the train by the skin of our teeth—there was a train each hour and we did not want to miss one. The scenery on our way to the caves and back kept us occupied on our journey and in about an hour, we were back in Ljubljana.

Off to Ljubljana Castle:

Once we were at the train station, we went straight to the city center in order to spend the evening exploring Ljybljana Castle. It was then about 4.00 pm, but the castle is open until 11.00 am. We found the funicular train that whisked us up to the top with little effort while offering lovely receding views of the city below as we climbed ever higher. Once at the top, we were left to our own devices as we received maps to enable us do a walking tour at our own leisure.

Although the Castle occupies a fine location, there was really nothing that impressed us much about it. We watched a film on its history which really told us nothing and left both of us disappointed. We climbed hundreds of steps to get to the Watch Towers for stirring views of the city. We could recognize a great deal of the square and churches below from our exploration on foot the previous evening. There were exhibitions to see, a puppet museum to visit, lots of cafes and restaurants, and some terraces. We watched the sun go down and the city’s lights come up as time passed slowly at the top. When we had our fill of the place, we took the funicular train down again and slowly made our way back home.

Dinner at Sokol Restaurant:

By this point, we were both ready for a nice meal and we found the answer at Sokol, a traditional Slovenian restaurant where we opted for Mushroom Soup served in bread bowls. It was hearty and thick and very delicious and we really did enjoy it with the house red wine. Filled with our meal, we picked up more gelato along the way as we returned to the hostel at the end of a rather tiring day.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Arrival in Slovenia and Getting to Know Its Capital, Ljubljana

Oct5

Monday, September 26, 2016

Departure from London and Arrival in Slovenia:

I have done many trips through the years. But, for some reason, I was excited about this one—I think it had to do with the fact that Chriselle and I were doing a Mother-Daughter Trip after years and we were both delighted at the prospect. Plus, neither one of us had put in much time doing research—so we were basically going to wing it as we went along.

We awoke at 6.00 am (with the alarm) on my last morning in my Bethnal Green house. There was no time to eat or drink anything. All we did was grab our stuff together, take one last look around the place and then leave—after posting keys back through the mail slot on the front door. We took a few pictures together on the door step and then we were off—racing towards Stepney Green Tube station to arrive at Victoria to take the National Express coach to Stanstead airport. We picked up croissants and a coffee and as we munched on the bus, we could feel our excitement mount.

The bus ride was one of the longest ‘See London’ rides we had ever taken. We scoured the breadth of the city going all the way across to the East to the Tower of London and then across the Thames to the South Bank and then back again—as the coach kept picking up passengers. It took us a whole hour to get out of London but once we hit the highway, we were quite speedily at the airport. However, in the bargain, Chriselle had a chance to see the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Acelor Mittal slide-sculpture as well as other parts of the city with which she was unfamiliar.

Clearing security at Stanstead is a major production, plus we had to consolidate our two bags each and make them one bag each—according to Easyjet regulations. We managed to do it all and in no time, we were airborne as our flight left a little after noon. The comfortable flight offered the two of us ‘catch-up time’ and we gabbed non-stop. Before we knew it, we were descending into Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Arrival in Slovenia and Check-In At Hotel:

At Slovenia airport, we cleared Immigration quickly and found a man waiting with a placard carrying my name on it in the Arrivals Hall. He was the shuttle bus driver that would be transporting us to our hotel in the heart of the city. There were about 6 other passengers in the mini-van and one by one we were dropped off at our respective hotels.

Using Lonely Planet (which is my travel Bible), I had found this rather unusual hostel in the capital—it was a converted prison, of all places. Offering private single and double rooms, it seemed like a very cool place in which to start our holiday. After a quick check-in, we were given keys to our private room—female bathrooms were just down the hall. We had a lovely loft space—with a ladder we had to climb to get to our ‘bedroom’ upstairs. In the main room, there were chairs and a closet. We’d be spending 3 nights in this wacky space—so we did make ourselves comfortable, stashed our things and went out to discover the city.

Discovering Ljubljana on Foot:

Taking directions from our hostel receptionists, we set out to discover the city at about 6.00 pm. There was still a lot of light and ten minutes later, we found ourselves confronting the massive mountain on which sits the Castle of Ljubljana. We decided to save visiting it for the next day—and focused instead on the city. My first impression is that it is as if Prague in the Czech Republic and Salzburg in Austria decided to get married and have a baby city! For this is exactly how Ljubljana presented itself. It is a series of squares, each dominated by a beautiful Baroque church whose interior is breathtaking.

We started our walk at the famous Dragon Bridge known for the four verdigris dragons that mark its four corners. Dragons are a big icon in this part of the world and are associated with the legend of St. George who killed the dragon—although the locals believe that he is not dead but merely biding his time up in the castle and in the Postojna Caves where baby ‘dragons’ (lizard-like reptiles) were actually born in captivity last year! Legends abound and medieval customs persist in these places.

Our next stop was at Butcher’s Bridge that is now strung with locks that most visitors are clicking on to the world’s bridges—a real structural hazard that is costing local governments a lot of money to remove! These bridges skirt the famed Central Market which was quite dead by this time of the day. Crossing Butcher’s Bridge, we arrived at the Church of St. Nicholas with its grand metal doors (similar to those by Ghiberti on the Baptistry in Florence, Italy) and its gorgeous altar and interior Baroque elements. Mass was going on inside—so we paid a quiet visit and left.

More exploring took us to Presernov Trg, another dazzling square where the salmon-pink Church of the Annunciation is a must-visit venue. It overlooks the largest square in Ljubljana whose most dazzling feature is Triple Bridge—three bridges that span the river Ljubljanica at this point. It has a lovely sculptural monument to local architect Preseren who masterminded the square. Chriselle and I were enchanted by everything as we drank it all in. It is always wondrous to be whisked into medieval Europe in this fashion and to marvel at the beauty it offers. Above us, the mountain with the castle, now well-lit for the night, towered.

Just off the square is a wonderful little street filled with Art Deco buildings that were worth a visit and as we passed by them, we noticed their special architectural details.

A little later, we crossed a bridge lined with Roman columns and were at Kongresni Trg where solid 18th century buildings gave the entire space a great deal of character. Darkness was falling rapidly over the city by this time and we were keen to find a suitable place for dinner. Consulting recommendations in Lonely Planet, we found Most, a traditional Slovenian restaurant at the foot of Butcher’s Bridge where we feasted on roasted red pepper soup with prawns and salted almonds for starters and had ravioli stuffed with crab and served in a leek sauce for our main dish. We both enjoyed the local Slovenian beer and found our meal superb. Service from our waiter was also excellent. Truly, it was a wonderful first day and we looked forward to many more exciting travels ahead.

Within ten minutes, after having picked up gelato for dessert from a local stall, we made our way back to our hostel and were in bed in minutes. Annoyingly, there was a great deal of noise to contend with for several hours as there was a bar just below our room—music and noisy patrons kept us awake for a long while—but they did eventually pipe down and we went off to sleep.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…