Thursday morning at breakfast, Bill and I were amused by a French family who was staying at the hotel. It was an attractive mom and dad, younger than we are. They were English speakers, since that was how they communicated with the breakfast lady. After they got their breakfast, the dad and the eldest son had an animated discussion… but what was especially funny was that they were arguing about American politics. Dad played a video of Barack Obama, then described Donald Trump as a “monster”. I didn’t understand most of what they said, since I don’t speak French, but I could definitely follow the gist. It sounded like maybe the son admired Trump, while dad sees him the way Bill and I do. I giggled at the fact that we were Americans, overhearing a raucous discussion in French about American politics, while we were sitting in a breakfast room in Slovenia!
The weather was still kind of tempestuous, so we took our time before we set out again. I thought maybe we’d visit Bled Castle, but we ended up having lunch at a cute restaurant called Restavracija Central Bled in Lake Bled. I had noticed the place on our previous passes through the town. It’s open every day and doesn’t take a pause, which is always a plus. The waiter at the Central House spoke perfect English and was very friendly. I had ribs. Bill had the “Trufflelicious Burger”, which of course was not for me, because I don’t like truffles. He loved it, though, and we both loved the hand cut fried potatoes that came with our dishes. Afterwards, we split a piece of Lake Bled’s famous Cream Cake. I liked the interior of this place, too. It’s very cozy, even if the bench I was sitting on was so high up that my legs dangled.
The potatoes were so good… Bill liked the cole slaw.
It was good that we split this. It was as good as I remembered it from 2016.
And what do you know? The sun came out!
The restaurant was very convenient to the huge public parking lot in Bled. It was also inexpensive. I don’t know how we missed it the first time we visited. I also don’t know how we missed the huge parking lot! It’s right next to an ice arena and gym.
Then I took more photos, because Slovenia’s rugged beauty is so amazing.
I guess if I had to describe our time in Slovenia, I would call it “restful”. We rested a lot, mainly because of the weather. But sometimes, it’s not a bad thing to just enjoy the beauty of a place and do a lot of talking. Bill and I talked a lot, and just enjoyed each other’s company, as well as experiencing the magical surroundings we were in, both in Croatia and Slovenia. This time of year, it’s very quiet in Slovenia… but, as you can see, the natural beauty of the landscape lingers. I’m glad we went if only to get these photos.
I also tried really hard to capture some photos of dramatic waterfalls by the road to Lake Bohinj. There was one big waterfall that was super hard to catch on camera because it was right next to the road. I sure tried hard, though.
Horse bravely walking into the pond.
Here you can see the top of the big waterfall…
And sort of see the rest of it as we passed. I wish we could have stopped so I could have gotten a good picture.
Look carefully, behind the bushes.
By this point in the trip, I was getting kind of tired of traveling and was missing my dogs. I was especially worried about Arran, because he’s getting old and looked a bit crestfallen when we dropped them off. But I didn’t have to worry. They were doing fine.
Tuesday afternoon, we decided to go to Lake Bled to see if we could find some lunch. There were some places open, but we were flummoxed because at that point, we hadn’t found the large public parking lot in Bled. I’m not sorry we went, though, because I got more beautiful photos. And then, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes from Ukanc at Lake Bohinj, where our rental house was, we found lunch at Gostilnica Štrudl, a cute little eatery in the touristy town of Bohinjska Bistrica. This restaurant offers local specialties– real “stick to your ribs” food, with lots of beans, cabbage, sausages, and potatoes. We coupled lunch with a couple of excellent locally made craft beers. I loved the dark beer. Should have brought some home! It also has apartments for rent, and sells locally produced gins, jams, and liqueurs. Below are some photos from our Tuesday outing.
A climbing wall for wouldbe mountaineers. We saw a class being taught there as we left on Friday.
I was glad to be able to get a few sunny shots of Lake Bled, even though we were passing in the car. We later found the public parking lot for Bled, so we came back on Thursday.
Bled CastleBled IslandWaterfall…
And then we found lunch, which stuck with us for the rest of the day. If only I’d had this lunch before we left Croatia!
Gostilnica ŠtrudlNot only does it have a cool label, but it was also delicious!One of those sausages was enough for me. Bill had to eat a good part of the second one. The beans mixed with potatoes were a hit! We need to try it at home!Bill had a stew with cabbage, potatoes, and sausage.Cute place. We brought home some gin and jams.And it even has a playground for your kids.Nearby souvenir shop. Too bad it wasn’t open.
There appeared to be several open restaurants in the Bohinjska Bistrica area. That’s also where the Aquapark Bohinj is. We decided not to visit there, mainly because of some poor reviews and concerns about sickness (the reviews mentioned that it wasn’t very clean). But, if we’d wanted to, we also could have gone bowling. We decided to go back to the house and finish watching The Crown instead, as the weather was getting crummy.
Unfortunately, Wednesday, we didn’t do much of anything because of high winds and rain. We did take a short drive, though, and I got some more photos. And we also found where the entrance to Mostnica Gorge is, as well as a few more eateries. One didn’t open until 4:00pm, and the other didn’t open until 1:00pm, so we ate leftover pizza and drank local wines.
Fortunately, even in inclement weather, Slovenia is so beautiful… it’s hard to be bored there. There’s always something to see, even if the weather makes being active more difficult. And the lack of crowds, especially during COVID-19 times is especially appealing.
As we got closer to the Slovenian border, the skies grew cloudier and rain threatened. We slowed down to a crawl at the border, as border agents stamped our passports and Slovenian officials wanted to know where we were going, and if we were vaccinated. Earlier that day, when Bill and I had stopped at a Croatian rest stop, I had suggested that we eat lunch. I knew it was early for Bill, but I also knew that Bill has a terrible habit of not stopping for lunch until I become a raving lunatic. In fact, I had even laughed at him and teased him about his habit of waiting until 2:00pm to stop, and that’s when a lot of places stop lunch service.
There was a time, long ago, when I used to regularly skip meals on purpose. It was when I was a lot younger, more resilient, and body image conscious. I’d get kind of bitchy in those days, too, but I could physically handle it better than I can today. I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, when I get hungry, I really need to eat. If I don’t eat, I get very cranky and ill tempered. Then, after a period of severe bitchiness, I start to get fearful and confused. It’s uncomfortable for me, and very unpleasant for anyone who has to be around me.
Welcome to Slovenia…A fewrandom Novo Mesto pics.Bled’s memorable mountain tunnel.Even when it rains, Lake Bled is beautiful.And people still want to be out and about.
Sure enough, as we crept into Slovenia and were stuck in a single lane, my mood took a steep dive. The skies darkened even more and it started to drizzle, as Europe had changed to standard time the day before. Bill decided to drive into the city of Novo Mesto to see if we could find a restaurant. Of course, it happened to be All Saints Day, which is a holiday in many European countries, particularly the ones that are heavily Catholic, which Slovenia is. The exit he randomly chose took us past a large pharmaceutical factory and into a city center that appeared to be undergoing massive reconstruction. Wherever we were, we didn’t find any open restaurants there.
Bill pulled off at another exit, went into a gas station and came out with a Coke, a candy bar, and an ice cream bar. Sure enough, it was almost 2:00pm. I was really pissed, and let him know… but then sighed and ate the ice cream bar, which brought my blood sugar up high enough so I was no longer frothing at the mouth.
The rain got harder as we turned northwest and headed toward Lake Bled. We were familiar with the road, having traveled it in May 2016. This time, it was dark, cloudy, and wet. I smirked as we passed a campy looking place called Dinopark Bled, which was freshly closed for the season and offered a dinosaur park for kids. They also had a restaurant. I don’t know what they served there… Brontosaurus Burgers? Who knows?
Soon, we were headed into Bled itself, which was as pretty as I remembered it, even with the clouds and rain. We passed the hotel, Vila Bled, where we stayed in May 2016. It had once served as Tito’s presidential palace. Now, it’s a four star hotel that is decidedly old school. I found myself wishing we could pull off and check in there, since I was still hungry and crabby, though not quite as much as I was before I ate ice cream for lunch. I know I should probably carry food with me. I did do that on the way out of Slovenia.
Then we turned toward Lake Bohinj, an area we had missed during our first visit to Slovenia. Despite my irritable mood, I could not help but marvel at how incredibly gorgeous the area was. I thought Lake Bled was beautiful. Bled is charming and gracious, and well appointed with shops, hotels, and restaurants, even in the off season.
But Lake Bohinj and its environs are wild, rugged, splendid… everywhere I looked, there were striking fall colors on the black Julian Alps, and waterfalls EVERYWHERE. They seemed to spurt out all over the place. I couldn’t help thinking to myself that as incredibly awe inspiring as Switzerland is, it has nothing on Slovenia, or the Triglav National Park, which is Slovenia’s only national park. Slovenia is also much cheaper than Switzerland is, and you don’t have to buy a vignette for the whole year to use its high speed highways. Vignettes in Slovenia can be purchased for a week at a time.
We got closer to Lake Bohinj, which is very different than Lake Bled is. For one thing, it’s much larger. It doesn’t have a walkway that surrounds it, nor is it surrounded by hotels or restaurants, although the area near it is plenty touristy. The lake itself is majestic, quiet, and incredibly gorgeous. It’s a paradise for hikers, rock climbers, mountaineers, kayakers, canoeists, or anyone else who just loves wildlife and wild surroundings. And in November, it’s practically deserted. There are few restaurants open, so we almost got the sense of having the whole place to ourselves.
We booked four nights at a house called Villa Stare, which was affiliated with a small hotel in an area called Ukanc. When we arrived, it wasn’t clear where we should go. We found our way into what turned out to be where the reception and breakfast room was. We did book breakfast there every morning, which turned out to be a wise decision, since there weren’t any open stores or bakeries near the house, although there were a couple of small grocery stores in town.
The proprietor greeted us and welcomed us into the manor, which sort of screamed 1986… yet it was large, comfortable, and warm. It looked like it was once home to a family with children, as there were little painted designs on the windows in the kids’ rooms and the master bathroom. The master bathroom, by the way, was something else. It had a balcony, and a wall of windows that looked into the woods. There was a large jetted tub that was big enough for two. It looked a bit old– 80s or early 90s era, and I only say this because my parents had one in the 80s, as did the house we rented when we lived in Georgia. The marble shower had six jets on the walls that would spray water from the sides. There were his and hers sinks and a bidet, too.
Fireplace roomLiving roomKitchenKitchen leading to terraceCouch in upstairs foyerMaster bedroomBathroomJetted tubOne kids’ roomBuilt in deskOther kids’ roomOutside of the houseA view from the balcony, which drastically improved the next day.
The master bedroom was humongous, with a huge bed, built in cabinets, a walk in closet, and a large balcony, which faced the lake, about two hundred meters away. The property was surrounded by huge, imposing mountains, covered in trees of different colors, and marked with waterfalls. I counted three from the kids’ rooms, which also had a shared balcony.
The downstairs had a sitting room with a fireplace, a living room area with a TV, a guest toilet, and a fully equipped kitchen. There was also a terrace. We didn’t really use the kitchen, because there was a rather threatening notice there threatening charges if we didn’t clean well enough. Remembering our painful experience with our ex landlady near Stuttgart, we decided not to risk it. Same went for the fireplace, but we really didn’t need it anyway, since the house stayed warm with regular heating. We hung out in the bedroom more than anywhere else.
Yikes! I guess someone left the oven a mess and scratched the stove top.Warning! I guess someone must have damaged the fireplace…
The proprietor gave us a list of restaurants, although a lot of them were closed, including a pizzeria that had just closed for the off season the day prior to our arrival. When I mentioned wanting wine, he said he’d bring us four bottles and we could pay for the ones we drank. We drank and enjoyed all four, bringing one back with us to Germany. They were all good choices. Bill later found a pizzeria a little bit further into town and that was enough to soothe the savage beast until the next morning.
In spite of my comments about the mauve 80s vibe in the house, we really enjoyed our stay there. It’s a beautiful home, and we were very comfortable, even if it did feel like we were somewhat in a time warp. But then, we had a similar experience staying at Vila Bled in 2016, so there you go.
Thursday morning, Bill and I were looking for things to do and decided we wanted to visit Vintgar Gorge. Although I am pretty sure I had read about or seen pictures of this marvelous natural attraction near Bled, I can’t say that I had made any solid plans to get there. I happened to read up about it online the morning of our visit, loved the photos I saw, and suddenly decided I wanted to go. I read in one TripAdvisor review that it was possible to walk there. I mentioned that to Bill and he was all for walking, even though the review mentioned that parts of the walk weren’t easy because there were no sidewalks. The comment about the lack of sidewalks should have given me a clue.
Anyway, like two idiots, we set off on our hike, thinking it would be a fairly short walk. We neglected to carry water or sunscreen, though I did carry my purse and had put on some sunscreen before we started walking. At first, the walk wasn’t too bad, though Bled is a pretty heavily trafficked town. We dodged cyclists, trucks, and cars, but we were feeling fresh and energetic and I was buoyed by the idea of seeing some gorgeous scenery.
At one point, we came to a terribly tight area with really awful vehicular traffic and no sidewalks to speak of. No matter if you were on your feet or on wheels, it was fairly dangerous negotiating the area. I was beginning to think the walk was a bad idea, but then we made a right turn into a more residential area. The horizon beckoned with looming snow capped mountains and expansive fields full of wildflowers. We passed a stallion pacing about in a small pen and I explained to Bill how horses are gelded (I spent most of my childhood showing horses). Then we started talking about more contentious subjects as we headed more and more into the country. A few thoughts about when the walk was going to end started to creep into my consciousness as we kept marching.
After about an hour, I was seriously beginning to worry about our decision to walk to the gorge, but then I saw a sign that said it was only 1.5km away. Feeling a second wind, I bore down into the walk uphill, even as I began to realize that I was sweaty and tired and not in fabulous shape. It’s true we had no water and I didn’t see any stores where we could buy some fluids, but the spirit was somewhat willing even if the flesh was weak.
The signs were telling us to go down a country road that I hoped would take us to the gorge. A group of cyclists passed us, then stopped. We passed them and headed up yet another hill. After about a half an hour, I saw another sign advertising the gorge… 1.5 km. Some very salty four letter words escaped my lips. How could we still be 1.5km away from the gorge after all that walking, mostly uphill?
As we were fuming over the sign that let us know that we’d apparently made no progress, the cyclists passed us again. It turned out they were Irish. One of the women said in a hilarious lilt, “You picked the right way to go!” as she panted and struggled to get the bike up the hill we were climbing.
I was about to get really upset when Bill noticed a store. We went in there practically radiating heat as we searched for cold water. All we found was cold beer… and the water was stored on a cabinet at room temperature. Bill said, “There’s no cold water. Only beer.” He looked at me quizzically. At that point, I was seriously getting pissed off, which depending on your viewpoint, is either hilarious or scary.
“Just get the fucking water.” I snarled, already way over the long walk in the heat.
Bill laughed, bought the water, and we went outside for a short rest. I started telling him that the walk was a really stupid idea, especially since we neglected to bring any water. He then asked me if I wanted to head back to Bled.
I stared at him in disbelief. Then I thought about it for a moment, then said “No, let’s see if we can get there. But I am NOT walking back.”
Bill wondered aloud how we’d get back to Bled and I said, “You will call a taxi. You brought your phone, right?”
Bill laughed again and said he’d brought it and, unlike me, hadn’t used up all his roaming minutes. We rounded a corner and I was starting to feel a little bit down when I suddenly heard the sound of rushing water! Then, Bill noticed a sign for a town that we probably would have walked right through had we not accidentally taken the detour intended for cars. I could see the river in the distance and, voila, there we were… at Vintgar Gorge!
We walked down the twisty hill to the gorge and the first thing Bill saw was a sign for a taxi service. Clearly, we weren’t the first to decide we weren’t up to walking back to Bled after walking to the gorge. Next to the sign for the taxi service, there was a very large gasthaus serving fresh trout all day.
We walked through the free parking lot and paid four euros each admission to the gorge. Public toilets were a welcome sight, as well as picnic tables and refreshments. We decided to walk the gorge before enjoying beer and ice cream. I knew if I sat down, my muscles would stiffen up and it would take some doing to stand up again.
At the end of the 1.6 km walk, there is another ticket booth that offers refreshments, toilets, and a lovely view of a waterfall. We sat there for an hour, ate ice cream, drank beer, and enjoyed the serene sights and sounds of rushing mountain water.
At the end of the Vintgar Gorge walk, there is also a trail that leads to another town where we could have caught a bus, but Bill said it looked too rugged for the likes of us. In my exhausted state, I was inclined to agree. We walked back the way we came, had some delicious fresh trout at the gasthaus, and then got the waiter to call us a cab back to Bled. By day’s end, we’d walked well over ten miles. Not bad for an almost 44 year old fatass housewife.
Here are some of the photos I took on our gorgeous walk to and along Vintgar Gorge.
This was a pretty stretch of road, despite all the trucks…
This is where I heard the water…
I got even more photos than I’m sharing in this post. Vintgar Gorge really is very beautiful. It was somewhat busy the day we walked it, which meant we shared the walk with a lot of people. I would imagine on weekends and holidays, it’s a madhouse at the gorge. I was so tempted to jump into the cold water. I wished I’d worn a bathing suit, though I didn’t see anyone really wading on the walk itself. Further down the river at the bottom of a waterfall, I saw what looked like local people setting up a camp and wearing Speedos. Along the walk itself, it’s probably too dangerous because of the rapids, waterfalls, and deep pools.
Bill determines how we’re getting back to Bled as I sip a much appreciated beer. The people sitting in front of us had a couple of dogs with them, one of which was a well behaved beagle. She made me miss Zane and Arran.
The mist from the waterfalls was so nice! This walk can be wet and slippery, so wear good shoes with traction.
Lunch… I had brown trout and Bill had brook trout with garlic sauce. Both were caught in the gorge and each cost about 13 euros. They were very large fish. For those who don’t like fish, there are a number of other choices available, everything from turkey to schnitzel.
We also ran into another group of Irish cyclists who made us laugh as they described their adventures getting to the gorge. I remembered that this trip was originally intended to be a trip to Ireland and smiled. It must be a sign that our next big trip will be to Bill’s ancestral homeland.
If you get to Vintgar Gorge and want to have lunch, the restaurant is well worth a stop. They have a wide variety of dishes and a very cool biergarten area. The guy who waited on us was very friendly and hardworking and we definitely appreciated that he called us a cab. WiFi is available there, but you have to pay for it. Despite my Internet addiction, I didn’t bother.
I’m not sorry we walked to the gorge, though I probably wouldn’t choose to do it again. If you’re reasonably fit and want to walk to Vintgar Gorge from Lake Bled, it’s certainly doable. Just be sure to bring water and make sure you know your route. Also, be prepared to dodge a lot of traffic. I would not recommend walking to the gorge if you have young kids. If we ever make it to this little slice of Slovenian Heaven again, it’ll be with wheels. Our taxi ride back to Bled was 10 euros and worth every penny.
I have been wanting to visit Lake Bled for years. I first noticed it when we lived in Germany the first time. I read up on it and looked wistfully at photos… and then we had to leave Germany a year earlier than expected! It’s probably Lake Bled’s “fault” that we’re on the vacation we’re on and not in Ireland or France.
Baby swans in Bled!
We set off from Trieste relatively early and got caught in a traffic jam right before a tunnel. I got a kick out of the traffic cop, who was an older, heavyset gentleman wearing knee length boots and sporting roguish long, gray hair. Although I couldn’t picture him giving chase to anyone, he looked like a badass. The jam only lasted a few minutes, but several truckers had left their vehicles to investigate. They had to scramble back into their trucks to avoid being run over. I noticed a lot of them had upturned shirt collars on their polo shirts, the way stylish preppy guys used to wear them in the 80s.
Just over the Slovenian border, we stopped for gas. I took off my seatbelt while I waited for Bill to gas up the car. When he got back in the car, he decided to be cute and put the seatbelt back on me. I was about to let him do it (it’s easier that way), but then I noticed a car full of Muslims parked next to ours and one lady was staring at us with a horrified expression on her face. I pushed Bill away and grabbed the seatbelt as the woman’s shocked glower became more obvious. Then we both started laughing our heads off. She probably thought we were completely insane… or maybe just a little kinky.
We arrived at Lake Bled too early to check in to our hotel. Nevertheless, we completed all the formalities as a large group of Chinese tourists were leaving the hotel. The receptionist invited us to take a walk around Lake Bled, since it takes about two hours if you don’t stop. The weather was perfect and it was close to lunchtime anyway. Off we went. We stopped at a hotel cafe for lunch, sitting outside on a very nice terrace overlooking the majestic lake. A group of pushy ladies took the table next to ours. At first I was a little annoyed by them– hangry again, and they were taking pictures and encroaching on our personal space. But then they were joined by a man who was obviously a local and happened to be gorgeous. It was kind of fun to watch them and listen to them as they ate the local dessert speciality, Bled Cream Cake. I haven’t tried that yet, but noticed they offered it at breakfast. Maybe tomorrow I’ll take the plunge.
After the ladies and their hottie guide got up, a man and two ladies sat down. The man and one of the ladies immediately lit up. I didn’t notice their smoking at first, but then it was time to eat and I was immediately downwind of the lady’s cigarette. Smoking is still okay here and I get that, but I think it’s very rude to smoke in a way that the smoke hits someone in the face while they’re eating. Bill and I moved to another table, then a new party took our old table. They had an infant who was downwind of the noxious fumes. I couldn’t help but fantasize about revenge, especially since I noticed no one was smoking upwind of the smokers as they enjoyed their lunches.
Local beer… not bad, but not mind blowing.
Super rare cheeseburgers that tasted like they were made of sausage, coupled with another party’s nasty cigarette smoke.
Anyway, after we ate, we felt much better and enjoyed a very pleasant stroll around Lake Bled. Here are some photos…
Baby swans!
After a brief rest in our huge hotel room, we ventured out again for dinner. We ended up at what turned out to be a very popular local restaurant.
We wait for our first bottle of wine…
And I enjoy a delightful sea bass dish with potatoes and vegetables.
Bill had John Dory fish, which I thought was even better than my sea bass (branzino).
Our first bottle of wine… a white that we killed over fish and fresh, flavorful, colorful vegetables.
This particular restaurant seemed very popular with Americans. We saw a number of them enjoying dinner there and I was left with the impression that Lake Bled has become very popular with American tourists. I’ve heard more American English spoken here than Slovenian, which is a bit of a disappointment for me. But the funny thing is, we have been mistaken for Germans several times. I think it’s because Bill and I don’t make a lot of noise. We don’t talk loudly and we don’t wear clothes that automatically identify where we’re from. We both could pass for German too, though we’re both short.
We ordered a lovely red wine in lieu of dessert…
And one of the waiters brought out this plate of cheese and olives, saying it goes great with the wine. We were not charged for this and I even tried the cheese! It basically tasted like mild Parmesan. It was very good, though I don’t usually eat cold cheeses (it’s a texture thing). A tiny bit made my tastebuds explode.
You must be logged in to post a comment.