Our Local Guide in Slovenia; Part 5/5 - A Day at the Lakes

Our final day had a shaky start, not only because we’d been travelling intensively with each other for a week (I was surprised we hadn’t yet clawed each other’s eyes out) but because we hit a busy tourist area, Lake Bled and the Vintgar Gorge, at the busiest time of the year.

We did our best to get ready after our late night and hit the road, stopping for breakfast at a petrol station that was so rammed we had to squeeze the car into a tiny space blocking an access road. We had a nice selection of meats and breads, but each item was individually priced regardless of how much you took, leading JP to comment on his pricy bill.

As we approached Bled, the iconic lake found on the cover of my Lonely Planet and probably countless other tourist guides, the traffic reduced to a slow crawl. Luckily, it moved quicker once we’d passed through, allowing a smooth journey 4km northwest to the Vintgar Gorge.

Our car was directed into a car park at the Church of St Catherine, which was relatively empty, but cars piled in as soon as we got out and put on our sun-cream. Some guy had a massive go at Anja for parking in the wrong place and ordered her to move. Not really the nicest thing to do to someone who’s been driving hundreds of miles in the hot sun all week. Anja mentioned it to the ticket staff, but there wasn’t much anyone could do.

We walked down the hill to the main car park, paid 4 euros each, and carried on down a narrow path to the first bridge over the river. It was a photographer’s paradise, making for a slow, stuttered amble as everyone in front kept stopping to take a photo. We didn’t mind, mainly as the sun wasn’t high enough to reach over the gorge and left us in blissful shade.

At one point, we climbed down the rocks to splash some of the crystal clear water on our faces. Then, at the end of the walkway, we climbed down to a waterfall and laughed as a group of lads stripped down to their underwear and dived into the pool. When we felt ready, we retraced our steps back to the car, stopped to get some locally made ice-cream and had a picnic on the grass.

Although Lake Bled is referred to as the most beautiful and popular lake in Slovenia, we decided to visit the nearby lake at Bohinj which is meant to be more ‘authentic’. It was just as busy and we had to wait in the car-park for a space, which then only let us stay for two hours, but we didn’t mind as we still had Ljubljana ahead. We bought some water from the store (for 40 cents, compared to the same bottle which cost 2.50 at the gorge), and crossed the road to the lake. It was huge, and had little sections of beach which we went down to.

I relaxed with my book (as in the morning’s rush I’d forgotten my swim gear) and had a paddle, laughing when some rowdy teens capsized their canoe moments after paddling away from the hire shop.

We were going to stop to take some photos at Bled when we passed through on the way back, but we couldn’t find anywhere to park and decided it best just to grab a few from the car. I was tired (I don’t want to think about how tired Anja must’ve been feeling) so was glad to get back and shower. It was sad to pack up for going home, but the holiday wasn’t over yet.

Just as proof; yes, it really was that hot!

That night, we headed into Ljubljana a little earlier and went for pizza (ending it how it began!). It was amazing, though I was a little ambitious having a spicy pizza the day before a flight. Afterwards, we went for a stroll through the centre. There was a festival going on, so a gig had been set-up in the street between shops with a stage and chairs for the audience.

As mentioned previously, shoes, everywhere!

It was then time to see the castle. Anja failed to mention the cable car until we were half-way up the steep hill to the top, but it was nice to walk off my dinner. It was dark when we got to the top, but it made it all the more exciting. There was a little stone-walk way which took us to a section of grass at the top of a steep hill. The castle itself was further ahead, but we couldn’t go in as the open air cinema had already started.

Instead, I attempted to open a bottle of wine in the dark, broke the cork and substituted my corkscrew for a twig, which did just as well in the end. There was something mesmerising about passing the wine in a public place whilst gazing at the distant city lights, spying on cars and the ant like people. I then lay back, and could see the stars. It was a happy moment.

We walked down a different but no less steep route, though this one had a hand rail, and headed back to the busy riverside area. One of Anja’s friends came to meet us, and we had a chat about making music over my final dark lager of the holiday. It wasn’t long before I was at the airport and back home in Wiltshire, showing off my pictures and telling everyone about my wonderful trip.

Our road-trip was mainly researched using the latest edition of the Lonely Planet guide and the Slovenian Tourist Board website (follow the links to see more), but as I hope this post has shown, the info from our local guide, Anja, made the trip what it was. I even preferred the countryside around Lenart to the bustle of the lakes, though I remain in love with Ljubljana.

As a final aside, I give thanks to Anja’s family for kindly hosting us for three days, Anja’s friend for letting us use their place in Ljubljana, and of course JP, Pirjo, and especially Anja for making it all possible. What an amazing bunch of people. Guys, I love you all; I truly am blessed.

This was the final part of a five part post. Check out posts one, two, three, and four here. If you like what you’ve read, stay tuned; this butterfly ridden travel-bug in my chest won’t let me stay idle for long.

Our Local Guide in Slovenia; Part 4/5 - The Bat Cave and the Human Fish

After studying together for two years, my Slovenian friend Anja invited me and two of our friends on a five day road-trip across her beautiful country. Not only did we get to see the landscapes of Europe (mountains, lakes, beaches), but had a unique opportunity to receive a crash course in all things Slovenian, learning about the language and culture, and eating ourselves silly in the hot summer sun.

Even though I slept mostly on-top of the sheet, I still woke sticky and hardly rested, but for once we weren’t in a hurry to get out. Today, we were due to laze the morning on the beach before heading inland to the Škocjan Caves and finally into Ljubljana for evening drinks.

The breakfast was simple but nice; a selection of breads and meats with nice coffee and orange juice. We packed our stuff, paid our dues (about 25 euros each), and loaded the car before walking down to town. Arriving in the morning, we found some shade at the base of the lighthouse and made camp. I had to climb over the rocks to get into the water, but the swim was so refreshing.

Just before midday, I showered, got changed in the toilets and had yet another ice-cream as I waited for the others to be ready. Before slogging up the hill, we stopped at the market for supplies, and I bought a huge piece of watermelon for a few euros.  The central square had even more stalls, with everything from antiques to home-made soap. Back at the car, we whacked on the cool air, and drove for about an hour to the caves.

The Škocjan Caves are one of the larger cave systems in Slovenia, and a UNESCO world heritage site. We arrived about 45 minutes before the next tour (which run on the hour), so used the time to munch our delights. The watermelon proved messy without a spoon!

When our guides called us over, Anja stayed behind as she’d seen the caves before, but JP, Pirjo and I followed a surge of 50 odd guests out the main gate, over the road, and down a gravel track with steep steps, which someone behind us tripped over .Eventually, we reached an outer gate, where our guides divided us into two groups; one for native Slovenes and the other for English and Italian speakers.

The Slovenian group went first, giving us about 20 minutes of further information from our guide. There was a lot to take in, but I was very excited, especially as I’d read in my Lonely Planet that the caves might have influenced Dante’s interpretation of the journey into hell.

Once allowed inside, we all had to file through a narrow door and down a sloping passage to an inner-door. Already we could feel the temperature dropping, and got our jumpers to hand, though none of us ended up putting them on as it was too nice to finally feel cool!

As we descended deeper and deeper, the twisted bodies of demons sprung out the ground, although our tour guide insisted on calling them all stalagmites. Stalactites (their toothy cousins) jutted out the roof of the cave like knives. It was slippery and I almost lost my balance, after which I clung to the handrail for dear life. I couldn’t believe it when our guide lit up a section of the original path for the first explorers and tourists; a groove in the side of the rock for your feet and a metal rail to hold onto.

The caves could easily be out of a fantasy film, like the Lord of the Rings, especially as at one point we crossed what could be the bridge of Khazad-dûm; a bridge between two sections of cave over a 45m drop. It was here that we heard a squawking sound, then a man with the torch lit up the celling, and suddenly I was out of Middle Earth and into the Bat Cave. A swarm of bats bustled into each other and for a minute I thought they were going to come and smother us in a cloud of black.

The tour ended in a tall cavern, where we could finally take pictures. Once outside, we made our way across a path and up some steps, stopping to look at the waterfall, feeling the temperature go up as we ascended (thankfully there was a lift to take us up the last section).

We hadn’t eaten much, so the first stop in Ljubljana was to a traditional restaurant on the outskirts of town. I had soup to start with bread (although bread is apparently for the main meal) followed by a plate of meat with a really rich sauce. Anja laughed as a group of men across from us said something along the lines of, “I love you, man. You’re the best.”  I replied that would be us tomorrow.

We had a brief stop at the supermarket to buy Slovenian goodies (dark lager, coffee, and Cockta, the Slovenian own-brand of coke) went back to the apartment to get changed, and then finally hit the centre, which was worth having waited the whole trip to see...

The castle looked down from its hilltop plateau and the river cut through a central area of bustling restaurants and bars. A tourist boat sailed past as I crossed one of the many bridges, each of which seemed to be held together by the many padlocks left by passing friends and lovers. I saw the dragon statues on the dragon bridge, and the Welsh part of me was excited to discover the dragon is the national symbol of Ljubljana.

Anja took us to a bar by the river for human fish beer. The Human Fish, discovered in the cave at Postojna, is a blind, four-legged fish the colour of human skin, and is one of Slovenia’s local fascinations. Thankfully, the beer has nothing to do with the fish other than marketing, and tasted quite nice.

When the bar started to close, Anja took us to one of her favourite clubs, Metelkova. I was expecting a single building and was totally thrown by the collection of social venues and outside seating areas on walls and playground equipment. It turns out that the 'club' is set on an old army garrison where several companies host music and events. I got a can of Union from a Reggae playing hut and watched as businessmen and dread-locked dudes drank together. There was even an old punk who looked like a pirate.

We stayed until about 1.30am before making our way back home. I could’ve stayed out all night, but we had our final day ahead of us, and I wanted to make the most of it. Besides, once you’ve peed in a bathroom straight out the Rocky Horror Picture show, what more is there to see?

This was part four of a five part post. Click here for parts one, two and three. Join us next time for the final instalment; a day trip to the coursing Vintgar Gourge, lake Bohinji, and our final night in Ljubljana, involving the castle, a bottle of wine, a stick, and city stargazing.

As tourists aren't allowed to take pictures in the caves, here's a link to a photo gallery from the Škocjan Caves website.
 

Our Local Guide in Slovenia; Part 3/5 – Pit stop in Ljubljana; onwards to Piran

After studying together for two years, my Slovenian friend Anja invited me and two of our friends on a five day road-trip across her beautiful country. Not only did we get to see the landscapes of Europe (mountains, lakes, beaches), but had a unique opportunity to receive a crash course in all things Slovenian, learning about the language and culture, and eating ourselves silly in the hot summer sun.

It was Friday, which meant the time had come to say goodbye to Anja’s family and head to Piran on the Slovenian seaside. Our 7am departure time came and went, but in hindsight we were lucky to have run a little late. About thirty minutes into our drive, we hit a wall of traffic. An accident had happened further ahead. It didn’t take long to file us off, but the poor people stuck between the junction and the accident had to wait for the road ahead to be cleared. We escaped hours of delays.

Thankfully, Anja’s friend, whom we were due to rendezvous with in Ljubljana to get the keys to his apartment for the weekend, was stuck in the same traffic, allowing our schedules to almost tie up.

Anja dove out the car and asked JP to park as her friend was in a hurry. JP got behind the wheel of an alien car, having only just woken up from a nap, and within seconds was confronted with aggressive beeping as we were blocking the road. I’ve never seen someone wake up so fast! We went for coffee to let JP recover and were soon back on the road.

JP after his wake-up call...

...then coffee (awesome cups)...

...and JP is ready to rumble!

Our first taste of the sea came as we drove through the city of Izola, where the road skirted the edge of land and water. Soon after came Piran. We turned down ever narrower roads into a small car-park, which over-looked a band of trees and pretty red-bricked roofs with the ever-reaching sea below.

The owner of the B+B greeted Anja warmly; she and her family have been coming here for years. In our sizeable room, it was cooler to keep the shutters closed at all times as any inch of sun and it was sure to boil. I dug out my sun-cream and lathered up.

It felt like Venice as we descended stairs to a series of narrow passages squashed between snuggly fit houses. Mopeds sped past as diners ate at cafés and residents hung laundry to dry. An open space appeared on our left, the Central Square. The Bell Tower stood proudly above red and yellow houses, opposite were the white pillars of the Municipal hall, and in the centre was the statue of the composer Giuseppe Tartini.

The square followed round to a tucked away harbour, where a local bus beeped a van out of its way. I wandered aimlessly, capturing sights with my camera. I browsed hats on a stall and passed numerous fish restaurants on the promenade as half naked bathers climbed over rocks to the sea. There isn’t a beach in Piran, leaving the prom dotted with deck chairs and umbrellas. We skirted the lighthouse and found an empty patch of street to lay down our towels. An umbrella cost 4 euros. 

I read my book as I watched our bags, until it was my turn to swim. I went down to where the prom met the water and hobbled over slippery rocks into the cold water, which was welcome once adjusted. It was salty and easy to float in. Across the bay, I could see Trieste, Italy. It once belonged to Slovenia but was given to Italy during the Second World War, leaving Slovenia with a measly 47km of coastline. But as Piran proves, it's not the quantity but the quality that counts.

Aware of my own stench, I braved the climb back up to the room for a proper shower. JP came too, but the girls went for another swim and would meet us shortly. I felt refreshed, but by the time I was back in the square, I’d already grown sticky. We walked back to the restaurants and tried to find some with vegetarian options for JP and Pirjo. It was a bit pricey, which I suppose was to be expected in a touristy region, but I was quite happy when my plate of calamari and chips arrived. Sure, it wasn’t as big a portion as I was growing used to, but the free round of Schnapps was great!

Our group walked up to the Bell Tower, and me and Pirjo decided to pay the one euro fee to climb it. It was a harrowing climb. The steps were made of thin wood which bowed under foot, but it was worth it for the view of the market below. Within a few minutes, the bell rang, and scared us nearly to death. I checked my watch and made sure we had gone down before the next ring at half past.

The girls wanted to go for another swim, so me and JP found a bar on the main square and enjoyed a dark larger whilst people watching. It was busier now, with cyclists and an elderly man having a fantastic time on roller-blades, to which a group of passing children applauded. Lots of people had glow-in-the-dark toys which they shot into the air and watched as they glided back down to earth. It was very relaxing. We had another drink when the girls arrived and got a photo of us together.

Before we retired, we went to grab some food from the late night bakery; much cuter appeal than a kebab shop! We took our food and sat on a wall overlooking the harbour and listened to the distant concert. It was hilarious when a policeman came and told us we had to move on. We looked and realised we were outside the police station and sitting on the wall wasn’t allowed. Such rebels! We wandered back to the room, but not before sitting on the grass and talking for a while. I was relaxed and in one of those natural highs that only come after a happy night with friends.

Note the police boat in the foreground!

This was part 3 of a five part post. Click here to check out parts one and two. Next time we leave the seaside to see a swarm of bats in the Škocjan Caves and try out local drink and night life in Ljubljana.