Category Archives: caves

caves, Champagne Bucket trips, churches

Garni, Geghard, and good friends… part three of our Armenian adventure!

After our first breakfast in the rooftop restaurant at Paris Hotel Yerevan, Bill and I decided to take our first walk around Republic Square. Stepan had already contacted me to let me know that he and his daughter wanted to take us to Garni and Geghard, and then out for khorovatz (Armenian BBQ). I was excited about the prospect of visiting Garni and Geghard, as they are places that anyone who comes to Armenia should see. In fact, I believe they were the first places my group visited when we arrived in 1995. I was also VERY excited about the prospect of having Armenian BBQ, because it is delicious, and not that easy to find if you’re not in the country.

As we strolled around Republic Square (Հանրապետության հրապարակ, Hanrapetut′yan hraparak), which is considered the center of Yerevan, I pointed out to Bill places of interest. There was Hotel Armenia/the Marriott, which takes up one corner of the square. On the side of the building is a bank, that was once Midland Bank out of the United Kingdom. I remember that was where the very first ATM machine in the country was installed. Midland Bank is now long gone, but there’s still an ATM there. Bill made use of it and got his first Armenian drams.

Even the money has changed since my days as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Back then, drams looked a little like Monopoly money. I remember hearing horror stories about how in late November 1993, when the dram became Armenia’s legal tender, Peace Corps Volunteers were receiving it as their pay, along with dollars that were supposed to be for “vacation”. The A 1s said that no one wanted to accept the drams. The locals wanted dollars or roubles. Consequently, many of the ones in that very scrappy first Peace Corps/Armenia group had trouble buying what they needed. In 1995, drams were accepted, but people still preferred getting paid in stronger currencies.

I remember paying my rent in US dollars, and having to pay the conversion fee… which I could ill afford. Today, drams are fine, and I didn’t notice anyone asking for euros or dollars in lieu of drams. In fact, while I did see some conversion offices, there weren’t nearly as many there last week as there were when I was a PCV. If you’d like to see how the drams have changed in appearance since the 90s, click here. As you can see, the look of the money has changed twice since the original drams came out in November 1993. I am most familiar with the 1993 version of Armenian drams.

Two different versions of 1000 dram notes. The purple one is the more recent version. Both kinds are circulating now.

Below is actual Armenian money that I brought home after I finished my Peace Corps service. I was pretty good at spending it all, back then. 600 Armenian drams equates to about $1.50. The coin is worth 10 drams, which in the 90s was useful for paying about 1/3 of a metro fare. It was 30 drams to ride the metro when I left in 1997– an increase from 20 drams when we arrived in 1995. Today, it costs 100 drams to ride the metro, which is still pretty damned CHEAP! That fare covers all ten stations, although you have to pay each time you ride. I did have to laugh when Bill asked me if there were “zones”. No… the Yerevan Metro only offers ten stations, but the metro covers a pretty good swath of the city.

When we were in Armenia last week, I noticed that both the second and third versions of drams are still circulating. They’re also using coins a lot more now. When I was living there, Armenian lumas (coins worth less than one dram) were basically worthless. But now, it looks like they’ve done away with lumas and now have coins worth between 10 and 500 drams. 500 drams used to be one of the highest denominations in dram bank notes! By the time I left in 1997, the 5000 dram notes were brand new. Now the notes go up to 100,000 drams.

As of today, one Armenian dram is equivalent to .0023 euro or .0025 US dollar. One dollar is equal to about 401 Armenian drams. When I lived in Armenia, one dollar bought between 400 and 500 drams. The values constantly fluctuated, and some conversion offices offered better rates than others.

After Bill got some new Armenian drams, we crossed the street. I pointed out where Lenin’s statue used to stand, overlooking the square. By the time of our 1995 arrival, Lenin’s statue had already been removed, but the base was still there. I believe I have a picture of it in my scrapbook, which is unfortunately in storage in Texas. I distinctly remember that there was a Soviet Union flag on the bottom of it. Not long after our arrival, the pedestal was removed. Today, there are beautiful flowers planted there. Stepan told me that Lenin’s statue is still being stored in the National Assembly building near Republic Square. I heard that in the 90s, too. It’s probably true. I would expect the Armenians to move Lenin to a museum at some point. I mean, that’s what I would do, if it were up to me. 😀 On the other hand, I’ve seen evidence that the statue has been beheaded.

You can see the Soviet flag at the bottom of the old Lenin statue on this postcard. I have a picture of that somewhere in storage. Lenin himself was gone by the time we arrived in 1995. Someone gifted me a pack of Soviet era postcards when I was a Volunteer. I had no concept of how priceless they would end up being to me.

This is a photo of Lenin’s statue being removed in the 1990s. The image was made available in Creative Commons. Special thanks to user Technetium for making this unaltered image free to use.

Next, I pointed out a post office where Volunteers were picking up their mail after we lost Diplomatic Pouch privileges. Back in the 90s, Armenian mail was so unreliable that the powers that be at the US Embassy in Yerevan let us PCVs use the Diplomatic Pouch to send and receive mail. That went on from the beginning of Peace Corps/Armenia’s existence, until a couple of months before I left. I remember my mom sent me a box and I picked it up at that post office… the postage cost more than the contents of the box! I also remember that people could order long distance phone calls at that post office, although I never had to do that. I had a credit card that I could use from my home phones, all of which were rotary dial models! Back then, it was easier to call the United States than certain places in Yerevan, like my school. But now, pretty much everyone has a cell phone or a computer, and now phone call problems “ch’ga” (ch’ga= there aren’t).

We continued walking around Republic Square. I pointed out the huge empty fountains near the National Gallery of Armenia. I told Bill about how, back in the hot summer days of my time in Armenia, it was common to see boys in their underwear, playing in the fountains. I never or very rarely saw girls in the fountains. It was always boys in their undergarments! They were completely unabashed, too. I always wondered how much pee was in the fountains whenever I saw kids playing in them! I don’t think we saw any fountains that were actually working last week. Even in the 90s, that was a rather occasional thing. Sometimes, they worked, and other times, they were kept empty.

I looked at my watch and realized we needed to get back to the hotel to meet Stepan. So we made our way back, and passed several old guys sitting on a bench on the corner of Amiryan Street. They were trying to get people to go on one of their day tours, and they had a lot of competition. A whole bunch of people with cars and vans were offering to take tourists to the biggest tourist attractions on Armenia. That was a change from the 90s, when a lot of drivers would hang out at the Aftogayan (bus station), or at certain other established places around the city. I was a little tempted to book a tour, but there were too many places in Yerevan that I wanted to see and show Bill. I knew we’d be walking, and it would take a lot of time. So we ignored the guys on the bench… and every time we passed them, one of the guys seemed to notice me and my platinum hair. He almost always made a sassy comment, which made me laugh.

We waited in the hotel lobby for Stepan, and I struck up a conversation with a very handsome clerk with striking green eyes. I had seen those eyes before in Armenia, but they always startle me. A lot of Armenians have black or dark brown hair and brown eyes. But some of them have this very unique, exotic look, and this hotel clerk was one of those lucky folks. I think his name was Koriuyn, and he spoke excellent English. He asked me why I knew any Armenian, and I explained that I had lived in Armenia and taught children English. I added, I was probably living there before he was born.

Koriuyn confirmed that. He said, “I was born in 2001.”

I laughed and said, “Then I was speaking Armenian before you were! You were a spark in your father’s eyes when I was living here.” And again, I had to comment on how much some things had changed.

Stepan then arrived with his lovely 17 year old daughter, Susi, whose English is impeccable and almost without a trace of an accent. Susi spent a year studying in an American high school. She was a lucky recipient of a FLEX scholarship (Future Leaders Exchange Program — AC Armenia), which is a program sponsored by the US government and offered in a number of developing countries. Susi lived in Washington State, and was hosted by Returned Peace Corps Armenia Volunteers. How lucky is that?

I got a big kick out of Susi, because the first thing she did was offer me a hug, after adding “Or are you not a hugger?” That is such an American thing to say! She was clearly excited to meet us, and was happy to trade stories with me, in particular, as we made our way to Geghard and Garni. As we drove out there, I was looking around the city, noticing again how developed it was, even though there are still many buildings in disrepair.

We even passed Yerevan’s waterpark, Water World, unthinkable in the 90s because of the energy crisis. I had read about the waterpark, but was still shocked it existed. It’s located right by a major highway, making it easy to spot. When we passed it, I said “That looks like a nightmare!” It appeared to be drained and maybe not very clean or safe. Susi said she hadn’t been there in a long time. Trip Advisor reviews confirm that it may be a bit of a “nightmare”.

We also passed what appeared to be a butcher shop. They had a pen that was packed with sheep, and as we drove by, I could see that there was a recently butchered sheep hanging there in plain view, thanks to an open door. The sight made me feel a little queasy and sad, although I understand that if you want to enjoy eating lamb or mutton, you have to kill one first.

I am definitely not a vegetarian myself, although I really admire people who don’t eat meat. Maybe this display is the better way to do things… and remind people that this is the stark reality behind eating meat. That wasn’t as shocking to me as the time I saw a pig’s head in a shop in Greece, and at least we were in car, so we passed quickly. I don’t eat lamb or mutton, so those poor sheep were safe from me. I should mention that some Armenians will buy a lamb to sacrifice at the church before a special occasion, such as a wedding. I remember seeing that the second time I visited.

Soon we arrived at Geghard, a cave monastery founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator, and Stepan bought an “Armenian Snickers”, which was really a chewy Churchkhela– a snack made with walnuts, grape must, and flour. Then we went into the church, where there was someone being baptized, and a couple getting married. Bill lit candles for his father, my father, and his Aunt Betsy. Susi covered her hair in local tradition, and I took many photos of the beautiful monastery built into a mountain side.

The main chapel was built in 1215, but the actual place has been sacred for many centuries, starting from where Gregory the Illuminator found a spring in the cave where the monastery began. Below are some photos of the area near the church. Lots of people are selling souvenirs and food. Stepan bought some absolutely delicious, fresh, sweet bread during our visit. I can’t remember what it was called, but it was so good! I never had it when I lived in Armenia, so that alone was worth the trip. I can also report that both Garni and Geghard have public WCs, and the one at Geghard is clean and well tended by a “Klofrau” (German word for toilet woman– I’m sure there’s an Armenian equivalent term that I don’t know) who takes 100 dram per visit.

This was my third visit to Geghard, and I remembered there is a “singing room” there. It has fantastic acoustics. On my previous visits, I was encouraged to actually sing in the singing room. I didn’t do that this last time, because I wasn’t there with a large group, and there were actual religious ordinances going on. Instead, I wandered from room to room, enjoying the incredible sights of this ancient place. Armenia has a lot of very old and ancient sites that beg to be explored. Below are some photos of Geghard. I want to mention the little water fountain in the photos. Those water fountains, called Pulpulaks, can be found all over Armenia, and they are very welcome in the summer, especially when it’s extremely hot outside. Armenia, as a rule, does get very hot in the summer.

The sacred spring that started it all!

From Geghard, we moved on to Garni Temple, which is a very interesting Greco-Roman colonnaded building close to Geghard. It is the only standing temple of its kind in Armenia, as well as the former Soviet Union. Some scholars believe that Garni is a tomb, rather than a temple, and that’s why it’s still standing. Garni actually collapsed in 1679, thanks to an earthquake. But it was reconstructed between 1969 and 1975. Now, people pay to visit. I have never heard of anyone visiting either Geghard or Garni alone, although I’m sure some people do that. The two sites aren’t related to each other, except that they are closeby, so people tend to see both on the same day. As you can see, there was a bride and groom there during our visit, taking some iconic photos. Below is my ticket to Garni…

Below are some photos from Garni…

Finally, after we visited Garni, we headed to a local restaurant for khorovatz, which were absolutely delicious! Stepan ordered the best for us, and we enjoyed a view of Garni from the restaurant’s windows. Stepan told us that the restaurant is hard to visit in the summer because many people have wedding receptions there. I could see why. The food was amazing; the service kind and professional; and there is plenty of room for dancing.

Lavash, cheese, and vegetables… Absolutely “hamov e” (tasty)!
The “white stuff” under the barbeque is “matsun” (yogurt). The other side had a tomato sauce.

On the way back to Yerevan, we stopped by Ruben Sevak School #151, where I taught English for two years, and where Stepan and I met. He was in my 9th form class when he was 15 years old, and already spoke excellent English even then. The front door of the school was open, so we walked in. The “guards” showed up a few minutes later, and Stepan explained that he’d wanted to show me the school, since I used to teach there. The guards– friendly men– said “Hamet sek” (Come on in!), and we had a look around. I got a few photos of that, too… I love how warm and welcoming Armenians are. Stepan and I reminisced about the female guard who lived at the school when we were there. She was very strict, and wouldn’t let kids leave during the day. Consequently, a couple of students, including one in our 9th form class, would just jump out a window to escape. That actually happened once while I was teaching that class. It was a shocker!

Below are photos from Ruben Sevak School #151, circa 2023!

I remembered Ruben Sevak School well, and although there have been a few improvements, the place hasn’t changed much at all. Stepan explained that it’s now a “basic school”. Ruben Sevak school used to handle children in first through tenth form, which was when pupils graduated (age 16). But now, Armenian youngsters go to high school after 9th grade (they now call the levels “grades”, instead of the more British term “forms”). Armenian school now ends at 12th grade. Stepan also told me that now, all Armenian children are taught how to play chess. It’s an actual subject in school, starting very early. Stepan’s son is a champion chess player. I remember in 1996, Yerevan hosted the Chess Olympics. I wish I had my scrapbooks, so I could share my photos of signs advertising the event, which was held at the Sports Complex, right across from where I lived during my second year.

If you’d like to know more about who Ruben Sevak was, please follow this link to a post I wrote about him in 2021. I got to meet his daughter when she visited the school. She was in her 80s at the time. I think it’s very fitting that I got to work in the school that was named after Ruben Sevak, given where I live now. 😉

Well, this post is way too long, so I’m going to end it now. I will continue the saga of our Armenian adventures in the next post.

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caves, Champagne Bucket trips, Eastern Europe

Beautiful Punkva Caves in Brno… part eight of our 2023 Czech tour!

As I mentioned in my earlier travel post today, I’m still getting over whatever sickness I picked up in Czechia. Consequently, I’m pretty fatigued and kind of want to go to bed. But I also want to move onward with my Czech series, because, pretty soon, we’ll be going to Armenia, and I’m going to have to switch gears. So I’m going to press on and write about our awesome visit to the Punkva Caves in the Moravian Karst near Brno.

Originally, we thought we might visit this cave on Saturday. I’m really glad we didn’t do that, though, because I feel pretty certain we might have missed out. In the summertime, guides recommend booking tickets for this cave and the others in its complex weeks or even months in advance. It gets very busy in the summer. Since we were there on a Friday, we were able to tag along on a tour with a bunch of Polish high school kids. But we got two of the last tickets for the day, as the cave closed at 2:00 PM on the day of our visit. By the time we walked the two kilometers to where the tour started, they were completely sold out for the day.

I’m really glad we managed to see this cave, as it’s very beautiful and different from the other two caves we’ve recently visited in Germany. It’s not only a gorgeous limestone cave to walk through, but it’s also unique because the only way out is by boat. And on your way out, you stop by a room that is the prettiest of all you’ll see on your tour.

If you don’t want to walk to the cave entrance, you can pay for a tram ride. That’s how all the Polish kids arrived. I had a good laugh, because almost all of them made a beeline for the free toilets in the building. I only mention they’re free because there’s a pay toilet by the information center by the parking lot (which you also have to pay to use). The pay toilet is the one I used. 😉

The walk to the cave is very pleasant and not too difficult. I was glad we did it, because I got some beautiful photos, as well as some much needed extra exercise. I also got a stink eye from a fellow American, probably because he heard me complain about how loud Americans are. I guess that made me a hypocrite. 😀

Anyway, there’s not much I can tell you about the tour, since it was done in Polish (mostly via recording). There were Czech guides who, I assume, spoke Polish. The younger one also spoke English and halfway through the tour realized we weren’t with the Polish group. It was when I decided to hang back and let the younger set get ahead of us. I’m not dead yet, but I can’t keep up with teens anymore. It wasn’t a really hard cave to explore. There was just one area that required a steep climb and was a little challenging. Once that was done, we were doing great!

Below are some photos from our trip through Punkva Cave– just one of several at this complex. I noticed there was a hotel there, so you can book a stay and spend several days exploring. I might be persuaded to do that sometime. I’d like to see the other natural wonders at this complex, but there are only so many spoons, right?

This first set is from our walk… and a goofy shot of us while we were still smiling. I’m kidding, of course. This cave isn’t a bad one for the mediocrely fit of us…

The boats where you get off the tour.

Next are some cave shots… It was such a beautiful place! Well worth a visit! We weren’t allowed to take photos during the boat portion of the tour. My guess is because everyone is packed on the boats and they don’t want people trying to use selfie sticks. It might also have to do with light in the cave altering the ecosystem. Anyway, I followed the rules.

A beautiful outdoor portion before you get to the “wet” part of the cave.
The boat.

These next few were taken with my digital camera, both on the dry part of the cave, and in the really pretty room at the end of the tour. We reached the pretty room by boat.

We decided to walk back to the car, which added another two kilometers to our day’s exercise. As I sit here feeling kind of worn out and fatigued, I wish I still had the energy that I had just eight days ago. Little did I know, by Saturday evening a week ago, I was going to feel pretty yucky. At the end of our walk, we rewarded ourselves by having lunch at the hotel restaurant. Smoked saibling for Bill and grilled trout for me… and lots of potatoes and beer.

After we were finished visiting the cave, we decided to stop by Holedna Obora, a nature preserve in Brno. We read that it’s a huge fenced area where deer are left to roam and there’s a fenced in area for wild boars. It’s free of charge to visit and there’s a small free parking lot. We only saw one deer, but it was a big stag who had a big rack of antlers. He seemed to be napping in the late afternoon sun.

By the time we were done walking around the forest, I was pretty exhausted. So we went back to our hotel and watched some TV while we drank wine from Moravia. I saw a movie with a German actress who looked like the spitting image of Lori Loughlin. Alas… although my German friend gave me her name, I no longer remember it. But see for yourself…

Czech wine.
German actress who looks like Lori Loughlin.
American actress, model, and producer Lori Loughlin, US, circa 1980. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Well, that about does it for part eight. See you when I write part nine… probably tomorrow.

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caves, Sundays

A very special Sunday in southern Germany… part two of our 2023 Czech tour!

Sunday morning, Bill went to the bakery to get us some breakfast. He had already gone to the store the night before to get snacks, wine, and orange juice, so his bakery stop was just for croissants and coffee. We could have had the breakfast at the hotel on Sunday, but we decided not to bother with it. Hotel breakfasts are often pretty overpriced, and we had already paid for the room.

While we were eating, I discovered that we happened to be in the area at a fortuitous time… if you like visiting caves, that is. On the first Sunday of the warm months, a local caving club opens the Olgahöhle. Since it was the first Sunday of October, they opened the cave to the public (it can also be booked by special request). We decided to head to Lichtenstein-Honau, the little village where the cave is located. We happened to catch the last tour date until spring.

I have already written about our visit to this very special cave, but in the interest of continuity, I will recap a bit with this post and add some more photos. There was a group of German teenagers at the cave, notable because it’s a primary cave made of tufa, a type of stone. Unlike most other caves, this particular cave isn’t formed from limestone. It’s also described as a “very young” cave, as it formed post Ice Age.

As caves go, this one was pretty easy to visit. There was just one flight of stairs to go up and down. The tour was done in German, but we managed to understand a little of what was said. Plus, the club had information in English for us, which was handy. A few of these photos are in the earlier post about this cave, but I figure I might as well share them again. Check out the cauliflower rock!

A few seconds of water dripping in the cave… Water is an artist in its own way.

While we were waiting for our turn to tour the cave, I looked up and noticed the dramatic sight of Lichtenstein Castle, which is a gorgeous Schloss on a mountain top. Bill and I tried to visit the castle after our visit to the cave, but there was no parking anywhere. It was okay, though, since we’d been there before and I already had many beautiful pictures of the grounds. I was glad to be able to take photos from another vantage point, down in a village overlooked by the castle.

It also turned out to be lucky that we missed the castle, because if we’d gone there, we would have missed watching sheep cross the road to another pasture, as well as meeting a couple from Augsburg. We ate lunch at Nebelhöhle Cave, which we chose not to tour, since we’ve been there before. Instead, we just hung out and people watched, enjoying the fantastic weather.

Please excuse Neil Diamond and my goofy comments and laughter…

I got some very pretty photos of the trees that were just about to turn into a spectacular color show… It was just a great day to be in that part of Germany!

When we got back to the hotel, we decided to change into cooler clothes. We were dressed for a chilly cave, which it actually wasn’t on October 1. Since it was Sunday and we’d had a rather active day, we decided to stay in and watch goofy German game shows while we ate pizza from the local joint. I suspect that some Germans have learned some English from watching South Park. This one show we watched involved the host holding up a fake piece of shit. One of the contestants called it a “hankey”, as in Mr. Hankey, the Christmas poo. But a “hankey” or a “hanky” is actually a handkerchief, not a piece of shit. On the other hand, maybe it was an actual Mr. Hankey doll. Who knows? If that’s the case, then the contestant wasn’t wrong to call it that.

Discussion of said poo…
Breakfast
German style Hawaiian pizza… not my favorite, but it got the job done.
Bill found more Latvian Long Chips at the Kaufland. We discovered these in Latvia a few months ago. Yum!

Eh well… yet another one of the thoughts that kept me out of the really good schools…

Stay tuned for part 3!

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caves

Punkva Caves near Brno…

I definitely look forward to writing up this trip in a few days. For now, I thought I’d share a few photos from today’s visit at the Punkva Caves, which are part of a massive complex of limestone caverns near Brno in the Czech Republic. We also visited a nature preserve, although we only spotted a stag, some waterfowl, and a lot of wild boars.

All in all, it’s been a good day. I’ve walked several miles and I’m pleasantly bushed. I also got some beautiful photos, some of which will be uploaded in a few days, when I have a card reader. I’m pretty proud of myself for all I managed to do today, and grateful we visited the cave today, because by the time we got to the beginning of the cave tour, the tickets for the day were sold out!

I have more cave pics to come later… We had to take a boat out of the cave!

Here are a few from the nature preserve, Obora Holedna.

Tomorrow, we will probably venture into more urban parts and see some museums and such. Then, on Sunday, we’re off to our final stop, Prague!

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caves, Sundays

Another weekend, another cave…

Hello travel blog fans! Bill and I arrived in beautiful Tübingen yesterday. I wrote a little bit about yesterday’s adventures in my main blog. There isn’t much to the post, though, other than a photo that will get shared here when I write up the whole story of this trip. I wanted to write about today right now, so I don’t forget anything. We’ve had an extraordinary day, and I don’t want to forget any details, so I’m going to write a fairly detailed post today.

We were trying to figure out how we wanted to spend our Sunday, since we had no plans for today. We thought about going to the Mineraltherme, which is one of our favorite places around here. But Bill was kind of lukewarm on the idea. Then I remembered last week, I looked up caves near this area for my post about the Kubach Crystal Cave in Hessen. I recalled that there was one cave we hadn’t been to called the Olgahöhle. Even though last week’s excursion was physically challenging for me, I was easily convinced that this was a cave we should see.

The Olgahöhle is kind of a special cave, because it is the longest tufastein cave in Germany, and the first German show cave to get electric lighting. Prior to the Olga Cave’s receiving electric lighting, there was only one other cave in the entire world that had electric lighting, the Kraushöhle in Austria. This cave was named after Queen Olga von Württemberg, and was found by Johann Ziegler during quarrying of tufa in 1874. Ten years later, it was turned into a show cave, which it remains today, albeit with limited showings.

I’ve mentioned a lot that I have a special bond with Armenia. Well, in Armenia, many buildings are made of tufa, which is the very same type of stone that makes up the Olga Cave. Unlike many caves near it, the Olga Cave is not made of limestone. It’s also a primary cave, making it rare.

The Olga Cave is staffed by clubs, and it’s only possible to visit with a guide. Consequently, it has very limited opening hours. Usually, it can be visited on the first Sunday of every month from March until November, or by special appointment. It costs 3 euros per adult to visit, and group rates are available. Since today happens to be the first Sunday of the month, we decided we had to visit it. So we took off for Lichtenstein-Honau, which happens to be where the gorgeous Lichtenstein Castle is. We visited the castle in September 2016, but when we were at the cave today, I looked up and saw it from a new perspective. I wasn’t expecting that!

Schloss Lichtenstein from another perspective!

Our tour was with a large group of German teenagers. Compared to last week, it was a very easy cave to explore, with only one big flight of stairs. The tour was only about a half hour or so, and the guide didn’t know we were Americans until the very end. But it was okay, because the lady who sold Bill the tickets gave him a binder with information in English. I got a lot of photos!

After our tour, we headed up to the castle, thinking we could score some lunch there. We weren’t the only ones with that idea, though… and there was absolutely no parking to be found, whatsoever. So we decided to go to the nearby Nebelhöhle Cave… another place we’ve visited in the past. On our way there, we ran into a shepherd moving a huge flock of sheep and lambs across the road. I got a few photos and video clips, which I will share later, once I’ve had a chance to edit the video.

I got video, too. Will post it soon.

We managed to find a spot at the cave, then walked down to the outdoor restaurant, which seems to specialize in Maultaschen. I was going to have that today, but they gave Bill some with mushrooms and hunter (mushroom) sauce all over it! So I had tuna salad, and Bill ate the Maultaschen.

The place was quite crowded, which is natural, given how very beautiful the weather is today. Twice, we were joined by German couples. The first couple was obviously very curious about us, but didn’t seem to speak much English. Bill told them we were “on holiday”. But the second couple, who brought with them their adorable border collie, turned out to speak English very well… and we had a great visit with them! They were also from Wiesbaden, although they live in Augsburg now.

I ended up sharing the name of the blog with them, and they laughed. After I explained my history, they totally understood why I would call myself The Overeducated Housewife. I ended up writing the blog name on a dental floss sample package! Then they were surprised by the spelling of “traveling”. They didn’t realize we have different spellings from British English for certain words in the US.

We had such a beautiful day today… even though I decided I didn’t want to explore the other cave. It was just as much fun to sit and people watch, joke about tuna salad, and talk to the very friendly folks who live in Augsburg and visit Sonnenbuehl, which is where the husband works. His wife said that he works there and has a flat, so they came to enjoy the German Reunification Holiday weekend.

It’s days like today that really make me appreciate my good fortune all the more. It is a real treat to get to live in this country. And having a reason to come down here every six months makes me all the gladder that we kept our Stuttgart area dentist. It’s also a treat to be in this beautiful city again. We have really missed our old stomping grounds!

Below are a few photos from today. I will add more next week, when I write the series for this trip.

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caves

The Kubach Crystal Cave… and lunch at La Fonte!

If you’re among the few folks who have been following this blog for all of the years Bill and I have been in Germany (this time, anyway), you might remember that I am a big fan of caving. In a way, it’s probably in my blood. Both of my parents come from the mountains of Virginia, and there are caves there. I remember visiting a couple of wild caves when I was in high school and being really impressed by the experience. My uncles also used to run Natural Bridge and its accompanying hotel, before it became a state park. Natural Bridge has caverns, which were always pretty amazing to visit.

Since we’ve been in Europe, I’ve had the chance to visit several different cave systems. Most of them have been in Baden-Württemberg, where we’ve spent six of our almost 21 years of marriage. Today, we visited our very first Hessian cave, the Kubach Crystal Cave (Kubacher Kristallhöhle) in the rustic hamlet of Weilburg, which is about an hour’s drive from our home near Wiesbaden.

I’ve been wanting to visit this cave for a couple of years, but COVID put a damper on our ability and desire to go anywhere– especially anywhere I’d have to wear a mask and exert a lot of physical effort. And then I just kinda got lazy. Caves are generally pretty challenging to explore, since they often require climbing up and down steep steps or ladders.

I had visions of our experience at the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle a few years ago. This cave is the deepest show cave in Germany, but it’s exhausting to visit, especially if you’re a fatass housewife like me. It requires sure footedness and stamina, as well as a strong heart and lungs. I did it in June 2017, but I think it would be harder for me to visit today. I’m older, fatter, and not as fit as I was then… which is pretty sad, I know.

I didn’t think the Kubacher Crystal Cave would be as intense as the Tiefenhöhle was, and it wasn’t. That doesn’t mean it was easy… but it was doable for me. Maybe I can convince some of my Germany local visitors to give it a whirl. It’s not the easiest or most exciting cave I’ve ever visited, but it’s well worth an hour of your time. And if you do happen to wipe out, you can rest assured that help will get to you somewhat quickly.

The guided tours– in German, of course– are required. You also have to wear a helmet, because there is a section of the cave that is a tight squeeze with a low ceiling. Being 5’2″, I didn’t have to duck much, but taller people may be challenged. And I did notice that quite a few of the helmets were pretty scratched, which indicated that many people have hit their heads in the Kubach Cave. We did not have helmets or tour guides when we visited the Tiefenhöhle.

Kubacher Crystal Cave is one of a few show caves in Hesse, which is less mountainous than points south are. They call it a “crystal cave”, but I think that’s a bit of a misnomer. This particular cave is not full of stalactites or stalagmites. It’s a huge hole under the earth with cavernous rooms, but lots of limestone and some other elements, like silver, amethyst, and many unique rock formations.

We arrived at the cave at about noon, which was just after the tour before us departed. Bill went to buy tickets– ten euros per person, plus a one euro charge for taking photos. We had to wait about an hour before it was our turn to go on the tour. There used to be a restaurant at the cave, but it’s now closed. I passed the time by drinking a Coke, purchased from a vending machine on site, and peeing a lot. We also wandered around the outside rock formation museum and the inside museum, which showed the history of the cave. Again, it was all in German.

The lady who sold us the tickets did not speak English, but the guide did. I don’t think she knew we were Americans until the end of the tour, as I was dragging my ass up the stairs. She was very kind and patient, telling me she’d much rather I go slow than have an “Unfall” (accident).

We were climbing a long passage of steps when she told me that I’d be “screwed” if I wiped out there, since the paramedics would have to carry me up the steps. She further explained that if I were to drop in the bottom of the cave, they could get me out without paramedics needing to carry me. I guess they have a secret exit or something. Anyway, none of that was necessary. I did some heavy breathing, but recovered quite quickly. I had a nice lather of sweat in my hair, thanks to the helmet and my sweater, and then came a very pleasant rush of endorphins.

Our group was pretty small, with a young family (a couple with two young kids), another couple, and an older woman who, like me, was not keen to face plant while climbing up and down the 456 steps, about 70 meters under the earth. There is a sign at the cashier’s desk advising that anyone with serious heart related health problems forgo visiting the cave. It is a fairly strenuous climb. I noticed our guide was pretty fit, though not as obviously athletic as I would expect someone who climbs up and down the steps a lot would be. She also didn’t wear a helmet. I guess it was because she knows where to duck, and the helmet does kind of obstruct your vision somewhat.

One thing I have learned from visiting other caves in Germany is that it’s good to wear pants, good shoes with excellent traction, and bring a light jacket. Gloves may also be useful, as you will hopefully be using the handrail and it gets wet and slippery. I left my purse in the car, since I didn’t want to have to cart it up and down with me on the steps… been there and done THAT! It was a good decision.

There’s plenty of free parking, and I’d say that if you have children who are reasonably fit and listen well, this is a fairly child friendly place to visit. There’s an outdoor museum, where you can look at rock formations, and an indoor museum explaining the cave’s history and how it came to be discovered and opened to paying visitors. This cave was rediscovered in 1974 and opened to the public in 1981. It is the highest show cave in Germany, as it has a ceiling height of 30 meters.

Another thing that makes this cave special is the presence of “cave coral”. From the site www.showcaves.com:

The cave has two spots with extraordinary speleothems, a strange and rare speleothem called bulbous calcite or cave coral. The first location is right at the entrance in the first chamber of the cave. The walls are covered by cave coral, somtimes spottet with other minerals. Here is the 50 cm borehole and the small group of stalagmites which was discovered first and is actually the only dripstone formation in the cave. The second area is a narrow passage in the middle of the cave, with even more beautiful cave coral which is filling holes and cracks and rather difficult to spot. We recommend to walk slow, look up and back to discover the hidden minerals. This is actually one of the main sights of this cave.

Below are some photos from our excursion today. The first batch are from the grounds, museum, and outdoor area with rock formations. The second batch are from the tour itself. And the third and fourth batches are from the drive and our delightful lunch at La Fonte. I think it was time well spent!

The ladies restroom was nice. It had a Dyson faucet and hand dryer. Bill said the stalls in the men’s room were locked, so if you need to poop, you have to ask for the key. Same for the baby changing room. The ladies room had no such restrictions. There was also no Klofrau. Sometimes it pays to be female. 😉

Do you see what I see?
Some people dropped coins in the pond.
It reminds me of a colonoscopy.

I was surprised to find that the way back out of the cave is different than the way down. Both going up and going down are challenging. I expect to be a little sore tomorrow. But at least there weren’t any ambulances necessary today.

We drove through lovely Bad Camberg to get to and from the Crystal Cave. We’ll have to come back and visit the town and other attractions nearby. There’s a castle and a Wildpark calling our names. I think we also passed some kind of stone mason’s park or something. See the photos with the carved animals. The property had a fence with little dragons on top of it.

Once we were finished visiting the cave, we made our way back home with a stop at our local Sportsverein restaurant, La Fonte. There, we refueled with a three course late lunch that will keep us going until tomorrow. It had been quite awhile since our last visit to La Fonte, so I was surprised to see how our village’s new school is coming along. They will be tearing down the one that is located near where we live. I heard it was going to be turned into apartments. Bummer. But at least the school looks nice. La Fonte is always a pleasure. Lunch was about 65 euros before the tip.

Field Salad for Bill. Pumpkin soup for me.
Seelachs filet with boiled potatoes and spinach for me.
Viktoriabarsch filet (fish) and tagliatelle with pfifferlingen mushrooms for Bill.
Panna cotta with fruit for me.
Cherries and cream for Bill… and Montepulciano wine!
New school.

I’m going to wrap up today’s post and join Bill for our nightly happy hours… I’m glad we made the effort to go to the cave today. And I’m even more glad that I didn’t pass out on the way out of the cave! I guess I’m not as big of a fatass as I feared. Maybe that means I can climb the tower in Cesky Krumlov when we visit at the end of the month!

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caves, Sundays

Bärenhöhle and Nebelhöhle… caves fit for a castle!

Yesterday, I wrote about the trip Bill and I took to the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle, the only vertical cave in Germany open to the public.  We had a great time visiting Germany’s vertical cave, although I am definitely feeling the pain today.

I’ve always been one to enjoy themes, so today we decided to visit the town of Sonnenbühl, where one has easy access to two caves.  There’s the family friendly  Bärenhöhle and, just a few kilometers away, there’s the more challenging Nebelhöhle.  Both of these caves happen to be with easy distance of the Schloss Lichtenstein, one of my favorite castles in Germany.  We didn’t visit the castle today, since we went last September.  If I had a family and we wanted a fun Sunday outing, I would definitely do the castle and the two caves on the same day.  In fact, I think if I didn’t live in Germany and was looking for a fun place to spend a week, Sonnenbühl would be a good bet.

We set off for Bärenhöhle first– this cave is actually two caves in one.  The first cave is called Karlshöhle and is named after Charles I of Wurtemberg.  The second cave, which is attached to the first, is the Bärenhöhle and consists of the last 338 feet of the cave.  The whole thing is about 888 feet long.

The GPS had the caves at about an hour and ten minutes from our home in Unterjettingen.  The drive to Sonnenbühl is beautiful.  It winds through charming villages through beautiful countryside.  I would say it was a nicer journey than the trip to Laichingen, since we avoided having to drive through any big towns like Reutlingen.  There’s free parking at Bärenhöhle, although if you get there late, you might end up with a walk.  They had guys directing people into parking spots today.

One thing to know about Bärenhöhle is that it’s a very kid friendly place.  I would say that if you have very young kids who have never seen a cave, this is a good one to start with.  It’s 4,50 euros for adults to walk through the small system, and you can either go by yourself or take the guided tour.  Since the tour was in German, we started off by ourselves.  Then we ran into a tour in progress, which was slightly annoying.  Oh well.  Compared to yesterday’s high octane tour, the Bärenhöhle was a piece of cake.  It took about twenty minutes to pass through it.  If we’d wanted to, we could have followed up our visit with a trip to Traumland, a small amusement park that appeared to be mostly intended for little kids, although I did see a few rides suitable for adults.

The entrance.  There are printed instructions/explanations in English if you want them.

The entrance of the cave.

The bear…

The entrance to Traumland, which you pass on your way back to the parking lot.  There’s also a small playground for kids whose parents who don’t want to spring for the amusement park.

We decided to have lunch before heading to our next stop.  There’s a snack bar and a self service restaurant at the Bärenhöhle/Traumland complex.  The snack bar has things like ice cream, wurst, and such, while the restaurant has hearty Swabian fare.  The complex also has an Easter egg museum, but we didn’t visit.

I had maultaschen with potato salad and fried onions.  Bill had a linsen teller.  The food was very good.  They have other dishes like schnitzel and schweinebraten, as well as choices for kids.  The prices are pretty reasonable.  Bill paid about 26 euros for what’s in the photo.

The biergarten area of the restaurant.

The snack bar.

Nebelhöhle is only a few kilometers from Bärenhöhle and, if you really feel energetic, you can even walk to or from there.  Lichtenstein Castle is also within walking distance.  There’s plenty of free parking at Nebelhöhle and it’s close to the cave.  Of the three caves I’ve visited so far, Nebelhöhle is definitely my favorite.  For 4,50 euros for each adult, you get turned loose in an old cave that offers a lot more to see than Bärenhöhle and isn’t quite as physically demanding as the Tiefenhöhle.  We probably spent a good forty minutes in there, enjoying the beauty of the cave system.  There were a couple of times when we were even by ourselves and got a sense of how quiet the cave is when no one is in there.

Naturally, there’s a playground for the kids at Nebelhöhle

The entrance to Nebelhöhle

Bill commented that this was much like walking down to the U-Bahn…  Needless to say, not stroller friendly!

Once we got to the bottom of the steps, we were free to tour the cave at our leisure.  I commented to Bill that that would probably never happen in the risk averse United States.  It’s not that accidents don’t happen in German caves, either.  My German friend Susanne told me that last year, a woman fainted at the bottom of the Tiefenhöhle and was discovered by other visitors some time later.  Rescuers had a hell of a time getting her out of the cave.  She was later airlifted to a hospital in Ulm.  The caves we visited today probably wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to be rescued from, but it would still be a challenge.

Here’s a video I made of a pool at the bottom of the cave.

We’re not exactly sure what this was…  It kind of resembled a petrified tree trunk, but my guess is that it was once a column.  Edited to add– my German friend says this column was cut in 1961 and placed in Stuttgart at the Schloss!  I did read about that, but forgot… and there was no sign in the cave!

Bill commented about the moss.  He wondered how it got there, since there was no sunlight.  I mentioned the lighting in the caves and people using their cameras.  The light causes photosynthesis, which is one reason why people aren’t supposed to use their flashes in caves.

I dragged my ass up the steps and left sweating and panting…

I was tempted to enjoy another beer by the playground, but we decided to head home.  Actually, we stopped in Nagold first, where a fest was going on, but we were too tired to hang out there.  So here I am… hoping tomorrow I won’t be too sore!  Today wasn’t nearly as physically challenging as yesterday was, at least.

 

I want to reiterate that I would not recommend taking very young children to the Tiefenhöhle, which is the cave we visited yesterday.  The climb is very challenging and potentially dangerous.  I would reserve that cave for mature older kids– say at least age eight or older– who have a healthy respect for heights and not trying to go too fast.  Also, I think the other two caves will be more interesting for kids.  The lighting is colorful and there are many more formations to see.

For very young kids, I would definitely recommend the Bärenhöhle.  It doesn’t take too long to get through it and it’s not particularly physically challenging, although there are a few steps to be climbed.  Afterwards, you can enjoy Traumland.

The Nebelhöhle, my favorite of the three, is a good mix of challenge and ease.  I saw fairly young kids in there who were doing fine.  There are steps to climb, but they aren’t narrow or shallow and the passages are easy to negotiate.  There’s also a lot to see.  Of the three caves, we spent the most time in the Nebelhöhle and enjoyed it the most.

I would recommend all three of the caves for those who enjoy spelunking.  Just be prepared to climb a lot of steps!  Happy caving!

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caves, Sundays

Down in the hole… the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle

Special shout out to Dianne, who recommended today’s activity a few days ago.  It’s been quite hot in the Stuttgart area lately and she recently shared a link to the local travel group about the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle, a very cool (literally) vertical cave in Laichingen, a town about an hour’s drive from the local military installations.

Bill and I decided to visit Tiefenhöhle today.  From our home in Unterjettingen, it took about 90 minutes to get to the cave.  Once we got there, it was about 1:30pm and there was very little parking. The place was teeming with Germans enjoying the small biergarten on site and the Kletterwald, which is a big play and picnic area, along with a ropes course.  We didn’t take time to explore the Kletterwald, although it did look like the people who were using it were having a lot of fun.

I happen to love caves.  When I was in high school, I took an advanced biology class that offered many amazing field trips.  One of our first trips was to two wild caves in Virginia.  Ever since I took that trip in 1989, I’ve enjoyed spelunking.  Last year, Bill and I had a great time visiting Postonja Cave Park in Slovenia.  Well, I’m here to tell you that Tiefenhöhle bears very little resemblance to Postonja, Europe’s largest show caves.  This pit cave in Laichingen is much smaller and requires a lot more stamina to visit.  But it was well worth the effort and the price was right, too.  It was just four euros per adult to take the self guided tour.  The cave is open every day from 9am until 6pm from April 15-November 15.

This was a busy place today!  Parking is free, but I did notice some people weren’t very considerate about how they parked.  There were several spots that were almost, but not quite, large enough to park our Mini Cooper.  We ended up having to make a spot on the grass.  

This building is where you buy your tickets, visit the small museum, and perhaps enjoy cake or beer after your trip through the cave.

 

Once you buy your ticket(s), you head down a flight of stairs where there is a small introductory exhibit.  As you can see, you can press the button and hear about what you’re looking at.  Bill pressed the button for English, immediately outing us as Auslanders (as if anyone had a doubt).

He was a little embarrassed by the spectacle.

I’d be interested to hear the German for kids.  There are several of these stations in the cave, too.

Once you’re finished with the first exhibit, you open the door to the cave and start walking…

Seems harmless enough.

Start the very steep walk down…

My thighs got a workout…

These steps are really more like ladders.  I advise wearing long pants and good shoes.  The steps are often wet, cold, and can be slippery.  You may also want to wear gloves because the metal railing gets icy cold.  You definitely need to use the railings.  This is not a place where you’d want to faceplant!  

Toward the bottom of the cave…  This is the deepest show cave in Germany and the only vertical cave that can be visited by the public.  Once you’ve reached the bottom, you are about 55 meters below the Earth’s surface.  The deepest part of the cave is 80 meters down, but that is not part of the tour.

Now it’s time to climb up.  I hope your heart is strong!

I recommend stopping to take a lot of pictures as you catch your breath.

You may also want to wear something you don’t mind getting wet.  There is an area where water drips constantly and it will get on you.

A steep climb!

Bill is happy!  He likes it when I find stuff for us to do besides drinking beer.

One last shot before we started the last painful set of stairs.  I was pretty winded when we finally reached the exit.

Some readers may remember that Bill and I visited Blautopf in March of this year.  Blautopf, in the pretty town of Blaubeuren, is located about 16km from Tiefenhöhle.  If you wanted to, you could easily do the cave in the morning and then visit Blautopf, to see where the cave system ends.  In the museum at the cave, there is a cool display that shows how the caves wind up at Blautopf.  After you visit Blautopf, you could stop in the Hammersmith museum.  That would easily kill most of a day and use up plenty of energy.

Here are a couple of shots of the play equipment at the adjoining ropes course/picnic area at Kletterwald.  We didn’t hang around too long because it was time for beer.

This was just what we needed to regain our strength.  Leave it to the Germans to reward you after a tough climb!  We were joined by a very friendly German family.  The man of the family brought coffee and cake for the ladies– looked like his wife and two Omas.  Then they were joined by people who appeared to be friends, having a great time.  Across the way, there was a lady who had brought her adorable and very well behaved beagle!

The museum is small, but interesting.  You can stop by the restroom, too.  They are free of charge!

This is a skeleton of a cave bear.

As you can see, it’s a lot bigger than your garden variety brown bear.

Bill was impressed.

The caves are closed during the cold months, probably to give the bats a break.  I did actually see a bat flying in the cave.

These are pictures of the 3D display they had of the cave system.  In the first picture, you can see Blautopf, while the second shows the Tiefenhöhle.

 

I had to get a picture of this car in the parking lot.  I think it’s for moms who have just given birth and want to reclaim their bodies!  But Bill wondered if it was something involving kangaroos wearing boxing gloves.  I wonder if being so deep in the ground did something to his thinking!

It didn’t take us long to visit the cave, although we didn’t necessarily take our time.  Needless to say, this is not a stroller friendly activity, nor would I want to take young kids in this cave.  You have to be pretty surefooted and cautious to explore it safely.  I am not kidding when I say the steps are very steep both going up and down and it is quite strenuous, especially if you’re a fatass housewife like me.

There are areas in the cave that are low and/or narrow, so tall people or very overweight people may want to be especially cautious.  This is not an activity for anyone with mobility issues, claustrophobia, or heart problems.  You will probably work up a sweat, too, even though the cave is refreshingly cool.

I wore shorts and Keen sandals when we toured the cave.  The shoes were okay, but I wish I had worn long pants and/or socks.  The steps are not very deep or wide, so my bare skin kept touching the icy cold metal on the steps.  It wasn’t an altogether pleasant sensation and I got pretty dirty around my ankles.  Edited to add: there are spats available to borrow for protecting your lower legs.  I didn’t see them until after we finished.

Other than that, though, we really had a good time exploring Tiefenhöhle.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys exploring caves.  Tomorrow, we will probably visit another cave attraction.  Stay tuned!

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caves

Cool show caves, the biggest in Europe…Postojna Cave Park…

I could write about what Bill and I did after our walk from Hell to Heaven, but I think I’ll save that story for when I review Hotel Vila Bled.  Instead, I think I’ll write about what we did on Friday.  You see, I happen to love caves.  When I was in high school, my advanced biology class took a trip to the Shenandoah Valley to go spelunking in wild caves.  Since my family is from the Shenandoah Valley, that was quite a treat for me.  We visited a new wet cave in Harrisonburg and an old dry cave near Lexington.  Neither caving expedition involved admission tickets, tour guides, or trains.  I had a great time in my lighted hard hat, even though I ended up with a minor injury.

Aside from that, I think the only other cave I visited was at the Natural Bridge Caverns in Virginia.  It was pretty cool, especially since we got to go for free 😉 (two of my uncles used to run Natural Bridge).  Let me just say, the Natural Bridge Caverns (in VA, not TX) couldn’t hold a candle to the incredible Postojna Cave.  I had seen some ads for the caves when I was researching our trip and on the way to and from Trieste, we saw plenty of billboards.  It looked a bit touristy, but hell, we had nothing better to do.  So on Friday, I suggested to Bill that we drive about 80 kilometers from Bled to Postojna to see the famous show caves.

We arrived at the impressive park after noon.  There was a lot of parking… so much that I was reminded of the four summers I spent working at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia.  You can tell the place gets huge crowds, probably especially in the summer.  They weren’t terribly busy the day we visited.  We saw lots of Asian groups and a few school groups, but otherwise it wasn’t bad at all.

We were there in time for the 1:00pm cave tour.  When you get to the park, someone explains how the park works.  There are four attractions and you can do any combination of the four or all four.  If you choose to do all four, it helps to have a car or access to a tour bus.  Attraction #4 is located 9 kilometers from the main cave park.  Bill was leaning toward only doing a couple of the attractions, but I reminded him that we had nothing else to do.  For the two of us, it cost about 79 euros.  That included parking and 10% off lunch.

Park employees assign you a time to visit the cave.  You have to go at that time.  If you miss your time, I imagine you have to get another ticket. We were in time for the 1:00pm tour, so that’s the one we took.  We had just enough time for a quick pizza in the food court at the Cave Park.  I was actually kind of impressed by the food.  You can get a sandwich, a schnitzel, fish, or a sandwich without spending a whole lot of money.  They also have sweets, which we did try after we toured the three exhibits at the park.

We got to the cave at about ten minutes before 1:00pm.  We were separated into different groups.  When we bought our tickets, we were asked where we were from and a code was put on our ticket directing which group we should be in.  I saw groups for German, Italian, Slovenian, and English speakers.  I think the English group might have been the largest of all of them.

Once you’re separated into the appropriate language group, you get on a train.  It goes about 2 km into the cave,  I saw people taking flash photography, which is prohibited because the lights cause photosynthesis which harms the ecosystem within the cave.   Despite being asked not to several times, there were a few stubborn folks in my group who kept using their flash.  You’re also asked to stay with the group so you don’t end up in the Slovenian group.

We had a guide named Anna who spoke into a microphone in excellent English as she explained the cave.  Since there was a large group, she was only able to address the group at stations where there were microphones.  I actually didn’t mind that too much, since it gave us the chance to walk through the cave at our own pace and check things out.  There were a few people who got on my nerves.  You know how it is when you’re in a big group and people have to be in front of you as they engage in public displays of affection?  That’s how it was on Friday.  There was a couple in front of me who didn’t seem to want me to pass them, yet kept grabbing each other, taking selfies, impeding everyone behind them and otherwise being obnoxious.  I just kept reminding myself that I was once young and horny…

After we checked out the very impressive cave, we got back on the train and headed back to the entrance.  The front of the cave is black because back during World War II, there was an explosion there.  The cave burned for a week as munitions stored there were destroyed by Slovenian Partisans.  If you get the chance to see the Postojna Cave, you’ll get the chance to see the blackened area, which is pretty extensive.

We visited the Proteus Cave, which was not very extensive and took less than twenty minutes.  In there, you can see some typical cave creatures.  Then we went to the Expo Center, which was very educational.  The other exhibits all had English translations and covered the history of the museum as well as natural history.

When it came time to leave, Bill had some trouble with the parking machine.  He paid for parking with our ticket, but the ticket wasn’t recognizing that he paid.  Some Bulgarian guy was very impatient and drove up to Bill’s side, yelling at him that he needed to pay.  But Bill had already paid and the Bulgarian guy didn’t know what he was yelling about.  He was also an asshole who had to wait just as long as he would have otherwise waited had he just kept his trap shut.  Sorry… people like that guy piss me off.

I was in a fine mood when we got to the fourth exhibit, a castle in a cave in in Predjama…  Indeed, the castle is called Predjama Castle and it’s probably the most interesting castle I’ve seen yet.  I’ve seen Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, as well as Hohenzollern and other castles around Europe.  Predjama Castle strikes me as the coolest.  We took a self guided tour with a handheld phone.  The tour is very well done and I actually enjoyed listening to the explanations about each room.

Bill and I were pretty tired after our day in Postojna.  I would recommend anyone tempted to visit the Cave Park wear comfortable shoes.  I would not recommend the Cave Park for people who have mobility issues.  The cave tour is pretty strenuous, even though you take a train into the depths of the cave.  Predjama Castle is definitely not a good tour for those who can’t climb up and down stairs.  For those who can climb, though, the castle is well worth seeing.

There is free WiFi at the Cave Park and some decent shopping, as well as good food.  I finally tried Slovenia’s famous cream cake there, even though it was served at breakfast at our hotel.

Big map as you enter the park.

And painted geckos (er, proteus) to show you the way…  The guide will tell you about the proteus, but to be honest, I found it hard to hear her over the noise and echoes in the cave.  Apparently, one or more of the proteus (cave salamanders) is expecting and may or may not make new salamanders in June.   

Pizza for lunch.  This one had asparagus and tomatoes.

Note the groups.  

The train.

Mr. Bill settles in.

Russian Bridge.  This was built by Russians.

Slovenian cream cake at the top and a very yummy chocolate cream cake at the bottom.  The cream cake could be addictive.

Castle in a cave…

Predjama Castle…  I was a bit over it by the time we got here, but I must admit I enjoyed our tour.

The view of the countryside from the castle.

At the very top of the cave…

Some of the furniture in the castle.

These next shots are photos in the cave I took with my camera as opposed to my phone.

There is a gift shop and WC at the end of the tour before you get on the train.

Better look at the signs for the language groups.

 

Having once worked at a true tourist trap, I’d say Postojna Cave Park isn’t really a tourist trap.  For what you pay, you get a good deal of entertainment.  It’s also a very educational place to visit.  I recommend seeing the castle.  It’s very cool and the drive there is pretty.  In fact, I think I might have even liked the castle more than the cave.

All in all, I recommend Postojna Cave Park if you’re in the area… or even if you just visit Slovenia.  It’s a really neat place to spend a few hours.  In the summer, I would bet the caves are very refreshing, though probably very crowded!

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