I returned the rented car without any hitches. I bought a bus ticket and had 45 minutes before departure so I went into the train station, which the bus station is just outside of, to look at timetables. Who should I see there but Al (the Canadian biologist) and Margie from Krka NP. They were headed for Bled too and I was sure I would bump into them again there.
The bus wandered in and out of small towns. I was seeing Slovenia at a different pace from yesterday, when I just barreled north on the highway. I began to see the similarities to Switzerland; the pretty towns, the green meadows, the farm animals, but perhaps not quite as compulsively neat as Switzerland. At Lake Bled the hostel took a couple of false starts to find. Arrr, the map in the guide book devotes too much space to the lake and not enough to the surrounds.
The hostel runs a restaurant too, and after lunch I walked down to the lake and fed the ducks the irregular potato crisps.
Lake Bled is very suitable for rowing practice and this might have helped Slovenia pick up a few medals at the Olympics.
It was drizzling lightly but this didn't deter these people, who were under cover. It wasn't going to get dryer, so I decided to nap away the afternoon and come back in the evening.
Around 1800, when I judged the evening light would be good, I walked up to the castle which sits on a cliff overlooking the lake, just like a storybook castle should. It's over 9 centuries old. (You can see it in the first picture in the distance.) The views overlooking the lake were gorgeous.
There is an island in the middle of the lake, and there is a church on it (of course!).
And the rowers were out practising, as ordered by the tourist board. Just kidding.
Just had to throw in another picture of the lovely island. As you can imagine, it's very popular for weddings. You'd get fairy tale wedding photos here.
There is, as you can imagine, not much room up on the cliff, but the castle still has a fair-sized courtyard. There were only three rooms in the museum, but they were running an interesting video about the history of the castle.
And here are some colourful blossoms that pleased my eyes.
I found a small family pizzeria off one of the narrow streets. It was quite decent, but I was glad I ordered a small pizza because it was filling. Even so I had some crusts left over for the ducks. I also tried some Slovenian mulled wine. Later I found that pizzeria mentioned in the guide book.
A couple of random observations that didn't fit anywhere else: Slovenian variety stores run by Chinese are called Kitajska, which simply means China. No doubt derived from Cathay. I found the Slovenians more cheerful than the Croatians but also more commercial.
I was listening to El Dia Que Me Quieras, played by Daniel Barenboim, Rodolfo Mederos, and Héctor Console from their album Tango Among Friends. This Gardel song is full of elegant melancholy and seemed strangely suitable for the drizzly weather. Yet I did not find the weather or music depressing. Perhaps it was because I was looking forward to exploring the country around the lake the next day.
Lake Bled is very suitable for rowing practice and this might have helped Slovenia pick up a few medals at the Olympics.
I found a small family pizzeria off one of the narrow streets. It was quite decent, but I was glad I ordered a small pizza because it was filling. Even so I had some crusts left over for the ducks. I also tried some Slovenian mulled wine. Later I found that pizzeria mentioned in the guide book.
I was listening to El Dia Que Me Quieras, played by Daniel Barenboim, Rodolfo Mederos, and Héctor Console from their album Tango Among Friends. This Gardel song is full of elegant melancholy and seemed strangely suitable for the drizzly weather. Yet I did not find the weather or music depressing. Perhaps it was because I was looking forward to exploring the country around the lake the next day.
