Slap my ass and call me silly… we hiked up to Slap Savica, which is a beautiful waterfall very close to where we’re staying near Lake Bohinj. We had sun today, so it was definitely the day to make the trip. It’s not a super long hike, but it is a lot of steps up wet, leafy trails. The lovely thing about it, though, is that there aren’t very many people here at all. We mostly had the place to ourselves. And I got some gorgeous photos. Once again… I am ready to write the story of this trip!
I will write a longer and more comprehensive post when I get home to my desktop. But for now, here are some teasers… I really made an excellent choice to come to this area for a fall vacation. It is just insanely beautiful here.
We arrived at Lake Bohinj this afternoon. It’s grey and wet today, but I think it we have any dry weather, it will be lovely. I did get the featured photo of Lake Bled, which we passed on the way here. We stayed in Lake Bled in May 2016. Bohinj was recommended on that trip by several locals…. It had a very different vibe.
I look forward to exploring the area and taking lots of fall photos. Hopefully, we’ll get sun at some point. Either way, it should be restful.
Well, it’s finally all settled. Bill and I are going on vacation in about ten days. I wasted most of today planning our upcoming adventure to Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. But it wasn’t without significant ass pain. Sorry, I know this is a first world problem. It’s just that sometimes it’s a pain in the butt to have American credit cards when you live in Europe.
The ass pain started when Bill let me know that the dogs are confirmed at the dog pension. In the past, we have taken our dogs with us on longer trips, but that was when we had Zane, who was a beagle. Noyzi is a big guy and needs a lot of room. Also, it’s just a lot easier traveling with one species. So, once we got the boys’ lodging confirmed, I went to work.
I knew I wanted to go to Plitvice Lakes in Croatia. That’s about eleven hours’ drive from Wiesbaden. I’ve been wanting to go there for ages, and it’s about the end of the vacation season. After November 1, things kind of go to sleep. I knew it would be a stretch to try to go to Plitvice without breaking up the trip. Bill had noticed Austria’s fair city of Graz, which does look really appealing. But that’s at least eight hours away without any traffic or stops, and we have to drop off the dogs before we set off, which we can’t do until about 9:00am. I knew we would get in super late, and Bill would be weird and tired if we tried to make Graz in one day.
So, I ended up booking up at a hotel in Wels, Austria. Or, at least I tried. I found a well regarded and highly rated place in Wels. I tried to book directly from the hotel’s Web site. It had a rather aggressive pop up system. But, as I was booking, I got sent to a site called Saferpay, which was supposed to make my card transaction “safer” somehow. It timed out or something. My reservation didn’t go through properly, and Bill had to book with his card.
Then, I went on Booking.com and booked a beautiful house in a village near Plitvice Lakes. I tried to use my USAA card for that booking and was immediately declined. PenFed let me book that place, and the next place, near Lake Bohinj in Slovenia. But when I tried to book our last place, in Salzburg, Austria, PenFed declined my charges, too.
In fairness, I don’t use my credit cards much. I once had a lot of credit card debt and paid it all off. I don’t want to get back into credit card debt again, so I usually use my debit card for everything. I use my credit cards mostly for big purchases and trips. Consequently, I often get these problems when I actually use credit, but USAA usually sends an alert to my phone, which allows me to accept or decline charges. This time, I got an email letting me know I had to call USAA… and it came about an hour after everything was settled. Bill and I were having a very late lunch, which I badly needed, because I was hungry and in a FOUL mood.
La Fonte is our neighborhood Italian restaurant, affiliated with the Sportsplatz. We’ve only eaten there a few times, mainly due to COVID. Today, we dined in, and we had to prove we were vaccinated. I still got a dirty look from another patron. He probably wondered why Americans were there, even though there are a number of Americans living in Breckenheim.
I ordered Montepulciano and Tortellini al Forno, which is with cream sauce, ham, and cheese. Bill ordered fettuccini with cream sauce and shrimp. The dish brought out to me was baked rigatoni with Bolognese sauce. We told the waitress, who apologized and brought out my correct order after about twenty minutes. I did taste Bill’s dish. Next time, I’m having what he had… not because mine wasn’t good, but because I liked what he had better.
Safety first.
This was so good. Next time, I’m having the fettuccini with shrimp.
Tortellini with ham and cream sauce… and lots of stretchy cheese.
I might have enjoyed dessert, but we were sitting in the outdoor area, which is next to the smoking section. They left the door to the smoking section open, so the smoke wafted into where we were sitting and clogged up my nose. Plus, as we were eating, I got that email from USAA, which really annoyed me. We paid about 43 euros for lunch, and I think we should come back to La Fonte more often. It really is a nice place, and they were doing a brisk business today. They don’t take a pause, either. We need to enjoy lunch there when I’m not preoccupied with my credit cards. Next time, we’ll sit inside the restaurant, away from the smokers.
When we got home, I took a quick shower and then Skyped USAA. I spent 40 worthless minutes waiting until the representative said I needed to call back on my cell phone. The whole time, I kept hearing the same insanity inducing hold “song”, which if you’re a musical person, like I am, is MADDENING.
After the woman told me she couldn’t help, I hung up with her and called on my cell phone. Supposedly, you can call collect if you’re overseas, but only if you’re on a landline. We don’t have a landline.
So I called… and this time, after about 8 minutes of waiting, I got someone much more competent. I explained what happened, and she removed the block. We don’t know why USAA reacted the way it did, and why they didn’t send me a text to allow me to confirm or deny the charges. But now that card, at least, is unblocked. As for PenFed, I’m not sure if that card is blocked. But it did allow me to book the bulk of our stay in the Balkans, so I’m happy enough with that.
I’m not calling them today, though. Now, I need a drink and some good music… And it’s time to plan all of the things we’re going to do, because I have a feeling we’re going to have a blast.
Lake Bohinj was suggested to us in May 2016 by several Slovenians, when we visited Lake Bled. I was overwhelmed by how many vacation homes there are there. It took forever to choose one, but I think I chose one that will make us happy for four nights.
So there we were on a rainy Saturday in beautiful Kranjska Gora, Slovenia. We ate sandwiches and drank local beer as Meg updated us on her progress. She had left Kosovo at about 7:30am and promptly encountered an hour long wait at the Serbian border. I have never been to Kosovo or Serbia, but evidently, it is a very Muslim populated area and Muslims typically aren’t very fond of dogs. Noizy saw some street dogs at the border and barked at them. Next thing Meg knew, a whole bunch of street dogs were attacking her vehicle. Consequently, she decided to sedate Noizy.
Meg is a very well connected person in the former Yugoslavia. She lived and worked in Kosovo and Croatia and can speak some of the language. A vet kindly hooked her up with some squirtable medication. It looked like the type of container I had seen used for horse wormers. You squirt a little in the dog’s mouth and it’s nap time. Evidently, that’s what happened with Noizy. He was soon down for the count, which I’m sure was a blessing, given what came later.
As Meg crossed over into Croatia some hours later, her car began to run funny. She got warning lights indicating that the transmission may be failing. Meg was upset, because she had taken her car to a dealer to have it checked– an Urlaub exam– and it had passed with flying colors. Now, here she was with three dogs, about four hours from her final destination, and the car was acting up. She pulled off at a gas station just beyond a construction zone where the car had been running slowly, got some gas, took the dogs out for a pee, and decided it was time to call ADAC (German auto club). Unfortunately, Meg doesn’t have ADAC Plus, which offers service all over Europe, so they couldn’t help her.
Bill, who was fretting about having to drive all day Sunday to make it to the Monday morning court appearance (that turned out to be for naught), said to me, “I think this is going to turn into a rescue mission”. Meanwhile, Anne and Kyle, who had also come down from Germany to get dogs, were asking Meg if she needed them to come get her.
At this point, I remembered how, back in December 2019, Bill and I were unexpectedly stuck in Beaune, France, because some asshole decided to puncture our brand new tire while we were at a rest stop. We also had to call ADAC. Fortunately, we have ADAC Plus. I am writing this to remind any Americans who are reading this and live (and drive) in Europe to make sure you have auto club coverage AND it covers you everywhere. We have had to use ADAC at least twice during our three tours in Germany and it definitely pays for itself when they bail you out of a vehicular mechanical nightmare in a strange town.
So, the hours stretched on, and it became clear that we wouldn’t be fetching Noizy on Saturday night, as planned. Bill asked Meg if he needed to come to her, but thankfully Anne and Kyle were able to spend another day, plus they’re a lot younger than we are. So they went to convoy with Meg… she followed them with the dogs and they finally arrived in Kranjska Gora at about 5:00am. Incidentally, that also reminds me of the time Bill and I, and his mom, got stuck in Italy and spent all night trying to come back to Germany, where our hotel room was. Yep… this kind of shit easily happens in Europe. We still talk about that situation, even though it happened in July 2009.
While I’m not glad that Meg’s car had problems, I am glad that we were able to get Noizy on Sunday morning instead of Saturday night. I didn’t know quite how large he is, nor did I know how Arran would react to him. He’s also still working on his leash training. It would have been a challenge having him in such close quarters with Arran the first night, especially in a place where walls are shared. However, he has been a gentleman since we brought him home. Arran keeps his distance, but I think he’ll eventually come around.
We spent Saturday night watching for news of Meg’s progress– she had a bunch of people offering advice. I am thoroughly impressed by her ability to make helpful connections!
Saturday night’s dinner. It was a good pizza, but I can probably do without ham for a good long while now.Morning views around the apartment.The pictures don’t do it justice at all…Kranjska Gora is so pretty.An outdoor lover’s paradise, and so close to Italy and Austria. We have to visit again and stay in a different place.Those pylons are removable, but they guarantee you a parking spot for your room.
At about 7:30am on Sunday, I sent Meg a message that we were on our way to her. She was staying at a little gasthaus outside of the town. It looked really nice. In fact, I think I would have preferred it to where we stayed. There was a nice field behind it where people were doing early morning yoga as we approached. I watched one guy do a headstand.
Meg was standing in the parking lot with Noizy, who was a striking sight. He’s a very tall dog… much taller than any of our others by far. And he has bold coloring. It made for a brilliant appearance with the mountain backdrop and fall colors. This was also the first time I had ever seen Meg, too. She turned out to be different than I was expecting.
When I was growing up, I had a neighbor from Pennsylvania who reminded me a lot of Meg and I had imagined her to look like my old neighbor. As it always happens when I form a mind’s eye, the picture I had in my head didn’t match my imagination.
We parked the car and I got Arran out. He went up to Noizy and gave him a sniff, then moved off to smell all of the other stuff. Bill took Noizy’s leash, but it appeared that Noizy was pretty scared of Bill. He backed up wildly. I was really glad he was in a harness. I heard the rush of water and was curious, so I took Arran to see where it was coming from. I also got a video of Arran and Noizy meeting. It wasn’t quite as magic as when Arran met Zane, but at least there wasn’t any bloodshed!
I’ll bet this is nice in the summer.The source of the rushing waters.The area behind Meg’s gasthaus, Garni Hotel Rute.
I could tell that Meg was very sad to give Noizy up. She has a very deep and special bond with him, having raised him from the time he was a tiny puppy. When I see Noizy now and compare him to pictures of him as a puppy, I’m reminded of a very cheesy cartoon from my childhood called Dinky Dog. This could be the story of Noizy’s life!
This theme seems a bit influenced by The Brady Bunch.
A local lady seemed keen to talk to us as we were getting to know Noizy. I’ve got to hand it to Meg, who rather firmly but kindly asked her to leave us alone as we got acquainted and worked to get Noizy loaded up and ready to go. I think some tears were shed by Meg and Noizy. He’s clearly very special to her and I am honored that she allowed us to add him to our family.
Because Noizy seemed really nervous, we gave him a little more sedative, enough to take the edge off for a couple of hours. Then we loaded him into the back of the Volvo. He fit perfectly and slept for most of the way back, even after the drug wore off. We didn’t hear a peep from him or even see him. He was very content to nap the whole way back. He’s a good traveler.
I have mentioned before that I think Austria is an extremely beautiful country. We haven’t spent enough time there, which is a shame, because it’s a small country that has huge things to offer. I love the scenery there. There are enormous mountains, babbling brooks, Dirndl clad ladies and men in Lederhosen, and lots of great food. I like Austrian food more than German food. Yes, there is a difference.
It seems like Austrian food has a little dash of Italian to it… and it also seems like there’s more variety to it. It’s not just Schnitzel, sausages, Spatzle, potatoes and cabbage. And yes, I know I’m inviting criticism from my few German readers for writing this. But I also know that some of them are reading because they want to know what things look like from an American point of view. Well, I am American, and this is my point of view, even if it’s not entirely accurate. You know what they say about perspectives. I know Germany has a variety of different specialties throughout the land, but for some reason, Austrian food just seems slightly different to me. Not that we had much of a chance to eat it during this whirlwind trip.
I was expecting Bill to stop for lunch. He never did. I don’t know how he hasn’t learned in almost eighteen years of marriage that it’s good to take a break. On the other hand, there weren’t that many appealing stops on the way down to the Slovenian border. We did stop at one place so I could pee. It was pouring down rain, though. I also remember having to pay a toll of 12,50 euros before we could go through Katschburg Pass. Bill was freaking out because the toll was done by machine and it wouldn’t accept his Bar (cash). I told him he should just take his time. People would have to wait. It’s not like they don’t make us wait when they have business to attend to.
Anyway, as we approached the border, we ended up on a narrow mountain road behind some guy who didn’t seem to know which was was up. There were many wrong turn signals, a few weaves and bobs in the road, and slow speeds. The drive over the mountain was very beautiful. The leaves are turning, so the colors were dramatic against the stormy skies. There’s a bunker museum on the mountain road. We saw a lot of signs and had we not had Arran and it hadn’t been raining, it would have made for an interesting stop for Bill. It was built during the Cold War to make sure no one from former Yugoslavia would cross into Austria and raise a ruckus. Again… I would love to visit Kransjka Gora again, so maybe someday we’ll get a chance to visit.
Here are some photos from our drive down from Salzburg.
Hohenwerfen Castle. Looks like a great stop for kids. They have a falconry and history that includes wizards and witches! About 40 km south of Salzburg.Another castle we passed. closed to the Slovenian border. I am trying to identify it.Beautiful mountain drive.This waterfall is cool, but looks even cooler going the other direction. I got a better shot leaving Slovenia on Sunday.Close up.Yes, that’s a T-34 tank. Bill didn’t notice it and I was lucky to get this shot. I got a slightly better one on the way back.Welcome to Slovenia…I bet in a week or two, this will be a Fall Wonderland.Here we are! Slovenia’s ski paradise!Another shot of the mystery castle.
We rented an “apartment” for our night in Slovenia. I didn’t realize it was really more of a hotel apartment. We told the proprietor that we’d be there at 2:00pm, since they told us they needed an hour to get to Kranjska Gora. We actually arrived earlier than 2:00, but for some reason, it didn’t occur to me to message them through Booking.com. We just waited for a car. Well… first, Bill went to a tiny grocery store near the apartment and picked up a few essentials. Kranjska Gora is very close to both the Italian and Austrian borders. It must have been interesting to live there when Slovenia was still part of a closed society.
After we picked up a few items, we went back to the suite hotel and met the young lady who showed us our digs for the night. For about 86 euros, we got a little place with a bed, a sitting room, basic kitchen facilities, and a bathroom with a tiny shower. It was very clean and had what we needed, but it wasn’t quite as nice as our place in Salzburg. The floors were tile, which makes for easy cleaning, but chilly quarters. Still, it was just fine for a night and the price was right. Checking out was equally a breeze. All we had to do was dump the trash and leave the keys on the kitchen table. That was perfect for our purposes. The place we stayed was called G&F apartments on Booking.com, but it was in the Hotel Klass building, which is very close to the town center. I prepaid for the room and we had to pay four euros for the tourist tax. There wasn’t a pet fee and Arran was definitely not the only dog there.
BedTiny shower with handheld nozzle. I didn’t like it because if you try to go hands free, water ends up everywhere.Kitchen facilities. Stovetop, microwave, and fridge.Kitchen table. There’s a pull out couch, too.Slovenian reading.This book was in English. I might have read it if I’d had time.This one, too. The wall had these handy tips on them.Things to do…Places to eat and drink…. Very clever idea!View from the balcony.
Our original plan was to get Noizy at about 8:00pm, as that was when Meg was supposed to arrive with him and two other dogs who got new homes. Another American couple, based at Ramstein, I believe, were coming down to pick up a dog for themselves and transport another to a German family in Bavaria (I think). That other couple turned out to be a godsend. More on that in the next part.
When we take trips, I usually take a lot of photos, even from the car. Before a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Kransjka Gora, and had no idea of what we were in for. I did remember how beautiful Lake Bled was and had been wanting to visit Slovenia again. But Bill and I are getting older and it’s hard to drive for seven or eight hours straight, so that means it’s best if we can break up the trip. And, as most Americans know, there’s only so much leave a person can take. When Bill worked for his first company, the pay wasn’t as good, but they were very generous about letting him take time off. His current employer pays very well, but it’s not as easy to go away for longer trips. Not that we’re complaining. Six years ago, when we first came to Germany, I still owed $40,000 on my student loans. I managed to pay them off two years ago, nine years ahead of time!
While I usually like to take a lot of photos on our trips, I was more preoccupied this time. I didn’t think to take any pictures until we stopped for lunch at a KFC. German KFC is not like American KFC. And American KFC is not like the Kentucky Fried Chicken of my youth, which used to be a lot better than it is now. We decided to stop for chicken, even though it’s not as quick and convenient as other fast food is. I was kind of astonished by the rest stop where we pulled off. It had an amazing assortment of choices, especially for Germany. There was a McDonald’s, a Burger King, a KFC and a Subway!
And right next to the Subway was an enormous “adult” book store, complete with blow up dolls outside the entrance! I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the erotic book store. I wish I had. In the United States, the adult book stores aren’t quite as prominent as they are in Germany, although I do remember repeatedly passing Club Risque in North Carolina many times as I drove back and forth from Virginia to South Carolina to and from graduate school.
I guess the erotic book stores are intended for the lonely truckers who traverse Germany from all over Europe, especially the East. I notice that they are well catered to in this country. Many rest stops have showers, as well as pay toilets that are clean. Where I come in the States, the rest stops are a little bit nicer than the free ones in Europe, which are really bare bones. But they don’t usually have restaurants (except in the Northeast). In Europe, the rest stops that aren’t just a place to pee have restaurants, fully stocked convenience stores, gas stations, and yes, something for the truckers who need a little distraction from the road.
Lunch was pretty filling. We ate it in the car, mainly due to having Arran with us and because of COVID-19. I watched people going in and out of the restaurant, ignoring the request to exit from the opposite side of the entrance. I also noticed in the ladies room, that someone had dumped pasta all over the bathroom floor. I couldn’t tell if it was cooked or not. It was an odd sight.
Now for something different...Many food options at this stop.Too much chicken.
Once we got lunch sorted, we got back on A3 and headed south. I had forgotten how long the drive to Austria by way of Salzburg is. It seems to take forever to cross the border because you have to keep going east. I always enjoy driving over borders, but on this first day of our trip, we were about 90% in Germany before we arrived in Salzburg. We made another quick stop at an excellent rest stop not far from the border so Bill could buy an Austrian vignette (toll sticker). They are required for the Autobahn and you can buy them for ten days at just under 10 euros.
That’s another interesting thing about Europe. Many countries over here either have systems where you either pay for a vignette to use the motorways or you pay tolls. In Switzerland, you buy a sticker for the year and it costs about $40 (40 Swiss Francs or 30 Euros). In other countries, they are for shorter time periods and cost less. Many of the countries that have vignettes also have tolls for when you go through a long mountain pass. Germany is the only country I’ve seen so far where the Autobahn is free. But we don’t know for how much longer it will be free. Of course, you still have to pay 70 cents to use the bathroom at the fancy rest stops. That’s why it’s not at all unusual to see people peeing on trees here. They’re pretty brazen about it, too.
The proprietors at the Haslachmühle B&B had requested that we check in by 6:00pm. We arrived there at about 5:30pm, having driven through Salzburg’s traffic and passed by a guy driving a carriage pulled by two white horses. The horses spooked Arran, who barked and startled us both. I wish I’d had my camera, though. Those horses were a lovely sight.
So… about that B&B. It’s a winner. Getting to it is a little bit tricky, since it’s located on a very narrow “goat trail” type of road. But it’s a very charming place, with six unique rooms and a small free parking lot for guests. The lady in charge, along with her very sweet female dachshund “Luezy” (pronounced as if you were rhyming it with “noisy”), met us as we pulled up. She was quick to check us in and show us to the beautiful room I rented for the night. We stayed in the Room City View, which was just awesome. It had a big bed, a huge balcony that offered a view of the city, and a gorgeous masonry heater. I especially loved how the walls had built in bookshelves loaded with books (in German, of course). It was really unique and lovely. I was sorry we could only stay one night.
Crossing the border at last!Nice bed.We had one of these in our very first German house from 07-09. I love masonry heaters!Desk fit for a queen!BathroomEntry hall of the room.ShowerThe B&B’s private chapel. The proprietor said she was married there and her kids were baptized there.View from the balcony.To the right.To the left.
We were tired from the drive and still full from lunch, so we had no need for dinner. However, the B&B has a fridge where guests can get wine, beer, or soft drinks, as well as snacks. You just write down what you took and pay on checkout. Our room came with two bottles of water (looked like they came from a Penguin), mini Ritter Sports on the pillows, and three apples. Adding in some crackers and wine, we were pretty much set for the night. I enjoyed watching the sun set over the mountain. We also watched some network TV, which we rarely have the chance to do.
If we had needed food, we could have ordered from Lieferando.at or, if we were feeling determined, driven into town. There aren’t any restaurants near the B&B that I could see.
Breakfast in the morning included the usual buffet spread, with cheeses, cold cuts, fruits, juices, and breads. The proprietor made us coffee and scrambled eggs. While we were eating, Arran started pitching a fit. We hadn’t brought him into the breakfast room. I was very pleased to see that the proprietor didn’t mind Arran’s howling and even said we could bring him into the breakfast room, which we ended up doing. Another couple also had a dog with them and Arran behaved like a perfect gentleman.
After a leisurely breakfast, we loaded up the car and checked out. I would definitely go back to Die Haslachmühle B&B, next time without any canines. However, I am happy to report that they are very welcome there, even if children aren’t (according to Booking.com, anyway). We weren’t even charged extra for Arran. I was expecting a pet fee, so that was a really nice surprise. Below are some more photos from our stop in Salzburg. It really is a beautiful city. I would love to go back and do another tour of it when we don’t have business to attend to.
Bill was impressed by the “erotic literature”.Another view as the sun was going down.This doesn’t really do it justice…Gruner Veltliner from the fridge.Morning view of the chapel.I think we could even see the moon.A picture of the old mill house, now a wonderful inn.Old keys.Old door.The breakfast room.Willkommen!Narrow street.We were able to get the SUV through here, but it was a little tight.There’s a rushing river by this inn, which adds to the ambiance.
By late morning, we were heading south to Slovenia, which isn’t that far from Salzburg. I think it was about a three hour drive. I managed to get a few pictures of castles from the side of the Autobahn… again impressive sights. We really should come down and actually visit sometime. We had a chance to tour Salzburg when we did our very first Space A hop from the USA back in 2012, but that was just a day trip that we took from Munich. We had a great time, but it wasn’t long enough. Time to look into visiting again. We’ve been to Salzburg three times and still haven’t done the Sound of Music tour. 😉
A couple of weeks ago, Bill and I were deciding the best way to go about picking up Noizy. Our older dog, Arran, is sweet, but he gets very jealous. Every day, there were new reports of the worsening COVID-19 situation. Also, the woman who interviewed Bill and me before we were approved to adopt Jonny had warned us that it would be best if Arran could enter the house before the new dog. Otherwise, it would be like a wife coming home to “another woman”, so to speak. That lady had also been very careful to tell us about the proper way to secure rescue dogs when they first come home. We’d heard the same advice seven years ago, when we adopted Arran. Using a collar and harness and connecting them together is the best practice… or carrying them inside the house while they’re in a box.
We have a great Tierpension who has taken excellent care of Arran and Zane, but they have limited pick up hours. If we put Arran in the pension, there was a risk the new dog would be home before he would. Also, I didn’t fancy the idea of being stuck at the border somewhere. Been there done that in post Soviet Armenia. Bringing Arran was also a little concerning, since I knew he might fight with the new dog and we have a 2020 Volvo that we didn’t want to see get torn up by two fighting dogs. So, at first, I was thinking maybe I’d stay home with Arran and Bill would run down to Slovenia and get Noizy by himself. But then I reconsidered it and decided all three of us would journey to Slovenia.
With that decided, we set about planning the trip. I quickly determined that Salzburg would be a good halfway point between home and Slovenia. In fact, Salzburg was a midway stop we made in 2016, when we went to Lake Bled for vacation. We stopped on the way back to Germany that time. On the way down, we stopped in Gosau, near Hallstatt, a must see Austrian town that is really only necessary to see one time. However, the inn where we stayed in Gosau was probably one of my favorites ever!
I quickly found a really nice, pet friendly, bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Salzburg. The place I found, Die Haslachmühle, is a renovated mill house that dates from 1688. I booked us in their largest room, mainly because I didn’t want Arran to cause a fuss. It was 152 euros, but it had a huge balcony and a gorgeous masonry heater in the middle of the room. The B&B is not kid friendly. In fact, I don’t think they’re allowed. But parking is free.
One night in Salzburg booked, I found us an apartment in Kranjska Gora, which was where we planned to pick up Noizy. This border town is just a few miles from Italy and Austria, and boasts rugged mountain views. It’s obviously a ski area for Slovenia. Meg has been there a few times and highly recommended it. Having now been there, I can understand why. We’ll definitely have to go back!
Then, thinking we’d have an extra night, I booked us an apartment in Chiemsee, which is an area in Germany near Lake Chiemsee, a large freshwater lake near the Austrian border. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.
The very next day, while Bill was on a business trip in Stuttgart, I went to the mailbox and there was a letter from Rheinland-Pfalz. It was a summons to be a witness in court. Naturally, as we are in Germany, the documents were all in German. I had to slowly translate everything… and basically, the document read that Bill was to be a witness for the pet rescue, which was suing the pet taxi driver whose negligence caused Jonny’s death.
The court date was for October 5th– today– which meant that we would not be able to stay a third night on our trip. Bill tried to get the case postponed. He called the court and got the magistrate, who didn’t speak English at all (he didn’t know she was the magistrate at the time). Bill also emailed the rescue, who said they would arrange for an interpreter and let Bill know if that couldn’t be done. He never heard from the court or the rescue, so he figured he was bound to show up. In the paperwork, it mentioned fines of up to 1000 euros for not showing up and/or a special “escort” from the police. Bill was more than happy to testify, since he’s been haunted by that accident since March.
I cancelled the third night and we awaited Friday, October 2, when we’d make our way down to Slovenia to meet Noizy. I dreaded the long drive. Neither Bill nor I enjoy long road trips anymore. It’s probably a good seven or eight hours’ drive to Kranjska Gora from Wiesbaden. But Bill was determined to fulfill his civic duty.
With that settled, I started looking for stuff to buy for our new pooch. We wanted to make sure he was properly outfitted for the drive. But then it occurred to me that I couldn’t judge his size very well from the photos and videos Meg sent us. Many of them were taken when he was still a puppy. I have adorable videos of him as a tiny baby, some of him as an adolescent, and not too many of him fully grown. Having wrongly guessed sizes on dogs before, I decided it would be better to wait until he got home to us. Meg promised he’d have a collar and harness, at the very least.
Friday morning, we set off on our journey to Salzburg.
Bill and I have been really lucky. We’ve both gotten to see some pretty amazing places, both together and apart. Before I married Bill, I was an Air Force brat. Then I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia. My parents didn’t take me on a lot of trips when I was a kid. I think they relished having time alone, since I was their youngest. However, because of their travels, my experience living in England and seeing Tunisia, and my sister’s globe trotting experiences and Peace Corps experiences, I was inspired to also be a Volunteer.
While I can’t say I was the most dedicated Peace Corps Volunteer, I can say that the experience changed my life for the better in many ways. One way it changed me was by waking the travel bug within me. I’ve gotten to see some pretty extraordinary places, though Bill’s experiences in AFRICOM are starting to eclipse mine. So I thought today, I’d write a short piece about some of my favorite and most memorable travels so far.
5. Turkey and Bulgaria-
About twenty years ago, Peace Corps friend and I took a bus trip from Yerevan, Armenia to Istanbul, Turkey. In those days, life in the former Soviet Union was still pretty primitive. It was also cheap. My friend had loaned me the money for the trip… $500 in cash. And it was PLENTY of money, especially once we got to Turkey and I had access to an ATM.
Northeastern Turkey is an extraordinarily beautiful place. I probably felt that way especially since we went through the border crossing from hell between Georgia and Turkey. Suddenly, traffic lights worked and there were minarets everywhere instead of churches. As we passed through Turkey on our primitive Armenian bus (on which we were the only Americans), I gazed at the gorgeous landscape. It was like being in a fairyland.
We visited Bulgaria on that trip and spent some time in Sofia. Then we went to Sozopol, which in 1996, was a very cheap resort on the Black Sea. I understand it’s gotten a lot more popular since our visit twenty years ago. I’d love to go back, though… Sozopol is beautiful. We spent three weeks on our Turkey and Bulgaria trip and I’m hoping to return someday.
Here’s the proof…
4. Pinasca, Italy-
Bill and I visited beautiful Bella Baita in 2008, when we lived in Germany the first time. Bella Baita is an adorable little B&B six kilometers up an Alpine mountain. It was a very special trip. We found it when we were looking for accommodations near Turin. Bella Baita is actually about 30 km from Turin, but it turned out to be a great place to unwind. Run by an American and Italian couplewho are chefs, Bella Baita offers some very unique experiences, as well as a very authentic taste of a real Italian lifestyle. Best of all, Bella Baita is very economical and the town of Pinerolo, which is not far at all, offers wonderful restaurants, charm, and a great farmer’s market. If you arrange a cooking lesson, Marla and Fabrizio will take you to the market to pick up your ingredients.
The view of the French Alps from Bella Baita…
3. Sanda, Scotland-
Sanda is a privately owned island off of Argyll and Bute in Scotland. Bill and I have visited there twice. What makes this place memorable, besides the fact that it’s pretty much uninhabited, is that both times we’ve visited, there have been some seals there to put on a show…
A natural formation…
And one of many seals!
Sanda is unspoiled and ruggedly beautiful. Both times we’ve visited, we’ve gone via a Hebridean Cruise. Hebridean Cruises are special in and of themselves, though they are not cheap. We were onboard in March 2016 and I’m already pining for my next voyage.
2. Slovenia and Croatia-
Bill and I just got back from our first visit to Slovenia. We’ve seen a lot of Europe, but I think Slovenia is now one of our favorite places. It’s right next to Austria and Italy, yet isn’t really like either of those places. There are good wines, exotic foods, friendly people, and affordable prices… not to mention some stunning scenery. Slovenia is also very close to Croatia. We haven’t had the chance to explore Croatia for more than a couple of hours, but it’s definitely now on the list. I have a feeling we’ll love it as much or more than Slovenia.
Beautiful Vintgar Gorge. Next time we go to Slovenia, we’re hitting Lake Bohinj!
1. Armenia-
I have to mention Armenia. I lived there for twenty-seven months in the 90s and haven’t yet been back. Nevertheless, my memories of Armenia have been a big part of my life for twenty years. I made some good friends, Armenian and American, and saw some awesome places that were not sullied by tourism. Of course, things have changed a lot since the 90s, though I still remember people from there and they remember me.
Something tells me that if I visit Armenia, it will be an unforgettable trip. And if you are a Christian, it’s an especially fascinating be. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion. If you like good wine, good barbecue, fresh lavash, and excellent brandy, Armenia is your place. And the people really are some of the warmest, most hospitable people you’ll ever meet.
If you’re a regular reader of my travel blog, you may have noticed that whenever I take a trip, I like to reflect on new things I learned during my travels. Our most recent vacation involved travel through five different European countries, two of which were new to us. We had a great time and I think I learned some new things. So here goes… ten new things I learned!
10. Croatia is still not on the euro. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop at a “cambio” and trade money when you cross the border. Apparently, euros are widely accepted in Croatia, even at toll booths.
9. Slovenians eat a lot of meats that may seem exotic to Americans. Ever wanted to try bear? You can do that in Slovenia. More than once, I saw bear dishes on restaurant menus, as well as horsemeat. They are also big on rabbit and venison, though I know that’s more widely available than bear is. I ate a lot of fish when we were in Slovenia, especially trout.
8. Hallstatt is often crawling with Chinese tourists. Actually, every time we go to Austria, I am surprised by how many Asian tourists are there. Hallstatt is especially popular with Chinese folks because they have created a replica of the town in China. They really seem to get into the spirit of things, too. If you visit, be prepared to see a lot of Chinese people in dirndls and lederhosen.
7. Because Hallstatt is teeming with tourists, it’s a good idea to look to other towns for lodging. That is, if you’re the type of person who doesn’t like to be in the thick of touristy places, which I am. I can only take so much exposure to crowds before I start to get decidedly cranky. Gosau was a great alternative to Hallstatt for that reason. However, Hallstatt is great because it’s so touristy. If you’re there on a Sunday, you can go to the grocery store if you need to.
6. If you decide to walk to Vintgar Gorge (or anywhere else), you should know your route… and bring water and sunscreen! I have read several articles that claim that it only takes an hour to walk to Vintgar Gorge. Unfortunately, Bill and I ended up taking the detour intended for cars and we walked a lot longer than an hour to see the gorge. Fortunately, I was able to hang and we found a store on the way. Next time we get the bright idea to walk, I’m making sure we have some fluids. It would not have been fun to get heat exhaustion.
5. It’s hot in Slovenia right now. It’s been so chilly here in Germany that it didn’t occur to me that Slovenia and Croatia might be warmer. I should have brought more short sleeved shirts.
4. Lake Bled is absolutely lovely, but next time, I think we’ll look for a less populated lake. More than one Slovenian mentioned Lake Bohinj, which is near Bled. We didn’t get a chance to visit there, but my guess is that it’s not quite as crowded as Bled is.
3. Lake Bled is crawling with American tourists. There are Asian tourists in Bled, but not nearly as many as there are Americans. I was kind of surprised by how many English speakers there were there. We ate dinner in one restaurant and literally every table around us had Americans sitting at it. I almost felt like I was eating dinner in Williamsburg, Virginia.
2. Bled is a great place to base yourself in Slovenia. I originally planned to stay in Ljubljana for a night or two, but realized that Slovenia is a small country. I correctly surmised that parking in the city could be a challenge, so decided to book four nights in Bled and do day trips. It was very nice to come back to the lake at night and start off gazing at it in the mornings. But now that I’ve seen Lake Bled, I will go elsewhere if I get the chance to visit Slovenia again.
1. I really need to explore southeastern Europe more. Yes, a trip to France or Italy is always fun, but eastern Europe is definitely worth seeing. I hope we’ll get the chance to see more of Croatia, Slovenia, and the other countries in the Balkan region. That means I hope Bill will be a contractor based in Germany for a long time.
Bill and I decided to go to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on Saturday. We correctly surmised that there would be many day trippers coming to Lake Bled on Saturday and it would probably be a madhouse. As we left Bled Saturday morning and observed the long string of cars coming into the town, we could see our hunch was right. Making matters more complicated was the road construction going on. Bled has a two lane road going through it that is currently being worked on, probably in time for what promises to be a busy summer season.
Ljubljana is only about an hour from Bled, so we got there at about noon. Bill found expensive parking in a garage at a galleria. There was a Spar grocery store there, which we made plans to visit on the way out. We’re always looking for interesting wines and beers. After we parked, we made our way into the main drag in the old town. It was very festive this past Saturday. There was a market going on where people could buy all manner of fresh produce, gifts, arts, and crafts. Lots of musicians were busking on busy corners and most of them were skilled. The air smelled of cheeses, meats, and fruits.
One of the first things we happened upon was a bunch of Hare Krishnas dancing to a young woman’s surprisingly lovely vocals. Bill and I stood and watched; it was happening right where the boat tours start and some woman asked me if we wanted to take one. I declined at that time, since we’d only just arrived. Really, what I wanted was lunch. As we rounded the corner, we were delighted by the sight of bubbles everywhere. Some guy was blowing them by the dozen and kids were chasing them in the sunshine. It made for quite the whimsical scene.
Raw footage of the Hare Krishnas and the boat tour we took in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
One thing I always do when I check out new cities is look down alleyways and in alcoves. I try to get out of the tourist drags, especially when I’m looking for a meal. I find that a lot of the better restaurants aren’t necessarily in the thick of the action. Not only do the out of the way restaurants tend to have better food and service, they also tend to have more reasonable prices.
We rounded a corner, where I heard the majestic sounds of a flute, a violin, and a harp. Three young ladies were playing beautifully as we passed and I noticed a tiny wine shop that I made a mental note to visit later. We got to a corner of a cafe that promised food, beverages, and speedy sewing jobs (it seemed to be paying homage to Singer sewing machines). Then I spotted an open door, wine bottles, and corks. I headed across the street, well away from the tourist action, and spotted where we’d be having a leisurely lunch.
I see that according to TripAdvisor, Spajza is ranked ninth out of 407 restaurants in the city. Having chanced upon it Saturday, I can agree that the food at Spajza is indeed excellent. So is the service. When we arrived, we were among the first there for lunch. We were ushered to a two top in the restaurant’s charming terrace area. I could see several large tables set up and knew that the peace and quiet wouldn’t last. Clearly, there were going to be a couple of big groups joining us.
Spajza has a number of dishes that might seem exotic to the average American. They serve “young horse” there, which I would never eat for many reasons. At a less American friendly Slovenian restaurant, I saw the “young horse” billed as “foal”, which is even creepier to me. I didn’t see any bear on the menu as I did in other Slovenian restaurants, but there was also rabbit as well as a host of seafood dishes. I wasn’t feeling too adventurous and the beef dishes mostly included mushrooms, which I don’t eat. I ended up having a couple of starters and Bill had a shrimp salad. Bill and I started with three scallops au gratin, which were served in the shell. Then I had a shrimp and asparagus risotto. We also enjoyed the awesome rolls and fish paste amuse that came with our meal, which we washed down with two bottles of local wine and sparkling water.
We might not have stayed as long as we did, but I got a kick out of one of the groups. It was a large group of guys who were obviously bonding over good food, beer, wine, and cigars. They were fun to watch. I think the waiter was surprised when we ordered more wine… and maybe even more surprised that I didn’t fall out of the chair.
After we enjoyed lunch, we stopped at the tiny wine shop– seriously no larger than a closet– and bought a couple of bottles from a guy with excellent taste in music. He was blaring Dire Straits and every time I hear certain Dire Straits songs, I’m reminded of a wonderful long weekend Bill and I enjoyed in Barcelona back in April 2009.
Further into the tourist district, I saw a sign that read “Beer”. Not being able to resist such an advertisement, I followed the sign into a little craft beer shop. The very friendly and enthusiastic lady who was running the store chatted with us about beer and nodded approvingly when I picked up a few Belgians I haven’t yet tried. Next, we picked up some Slovenian honey at the farmer’s market.
We pressed on to the parking garage and entered the grocery store, where we found a few more bottles of wine and a bottle of chocolate liqueur. Then, something funny happened. A couple of weeks ago, an acquaintance introduced me to a hideous disco song called “Lady Bump”…
Penny McLean, who was a member of the Euro disco group Silver Convention, sings “Lady Bump”. Turns out she’s from Klagenfurt, Austria, which we passed through on our way back to Germany.
I happen to be a serious music nerd and I especially enjoy crappy music from the 70s and 80s. But I had never heard of “Lady Bump” until my friend introduced it to me. Sure enough, while we were wine shopping at the grocery store, that song came on! It was kind of surreal. After we bought the wine, we dropped it off in the car and went back to the boat tour dock. Bill needed some time to sober up and it was a really gorgeous late afternoon.
The lady who sold us the tour was trying to chat us up and coming off as a bit disingenuous, especially when her machine malfunctioned and she had to handwrite us tickets. But we got on the boat and enjoyed a lovely little cruise, especially when we ran into a regatta! A bunch of kids, no doubt learning how to sail, were having a race on our route. You can see the footage in the first video I posted. They were pretty awesome.
Ljubljana is a great town and I’m glad we visited. I’m actually glad we stayed in Bled instead of the capital city, since I have a feeling parking can be a challenge there. However, if you want to go shopping or eating, I think Ljubljana is a great bet. I hope we can visit again, if only because I want to find more awesome restaurants and visit the castle. We spotted it as we drove into the city, as well as the handy funicular that takes people up the hill. Had we arrived a bit earlier, maybe we would have toured the castle, although we were both a bit tired of tour groups by Saturday and we knew the castle would probably be teeming with them.
Farmer’s market!
Hare Krishnas
Bubbles!
This is why I always check alleys… really cool art here.
A church near where we had lunch.
Food and sewing…
Graffiti.
Our spot for lunch!
Bill’s tiger shrimp salad with delicious wasabi dressing…
My risotto with shrimp and asparagus…
Scallops and mild cheese.
Awesome bread and amuse.
Our first bottle of wine…
The terrace before things got busy!
A good spot for beer!
Our boat cruise.
I snapped this shot of the mural on the building. It must have taken forever to do that…
On the way back into Bled, we saw yet another stream of cars. They were headed in the opposite direction. Yep, day trippers! I recommend for those wanting to visit Bled, go somewhere else on Saturday. Take a trip to the city to avoid the crowds! Saturday is fun in Ljubljana!
You must be logged in to post a comment.