15,562 steps 6.92 miles and 54 floors
We have a nice breakfast with Anja and Teo (who is equally friendly and generous) and they give us some last-minute recommendations for today. What was originally a trip to Lake Bled expanded because they had just gone to see Bohinj (the bigger lake, past Bled), climbed to see the waterfall and had a nice lunch. Sierra and I rented a car in town, so we just had to walk a mile or so (sans our heavy bags).
As we walk through town, things are pretty quiet except for about 49 asians in the square taking mad pics of an ordinary-looking building, and one guy facing them taking pics of them taking pics. As usual my obligation to be discreet overrides my desire for an amazingly hilarious picture...but hopefully you can imagine what it was like. We also pass some neighborhoods that look like the war-torn Balkans I'd imagined, and see plenty of graffiti. One notable spray paint quote in English said: "Coincidence is the God's way of remaining anonymous." ...we liked that one. Good job, spray paint person.
We rent a little VW with a stick shift, and Sierra is happy to get to drive a manual again. The guy tells us we can drop it off after hours tonight, so we don't need to rush back by 3 (GREAT NEWS since it's already 9:00 and Bohinj is 90 minutes away). As we drive out of town, we're exhilarated by how nice it feels to just have the freedom to take a car wherever we want. Sierra keeps commenting on how similar the foothills of the Julian Alps are to her hometown of Quincy, Ca. She also comments on how the road seems to curve for no reason through a valley--why doesn't it just go straight?
We drive through town after town and roll up to the area where the ski lift is. We pull into the parking lot and realize we're at the ski hill not the waterfall...so it's time to move on. Well, we don't know how to shift into reverse. I try to push the car backwards but can't do it myself. The guy in front of us won't move or just doesn't understand me. Then the nice parking lot man, a big guy in his late 60's, kindly helps me push the car backwards. Haha. We plod onward up a cool little curvy road (barely big enough for 2 minis) and find a place to parallel park at Slap Sovinj. Slap means waterfall, and Sovinj means something like "source of life."
Such a cool green color. It really struck me as much more beautiful than expected--we've both seen a few waterfalls but this was worth the hike.
The hike is snowy and cool, and we say the new greeting we learned, "Dober dan," back-and-forth with hikers. It's about 3km up but it goes pretty fast, and we're at a beautiful little waterfall with crystal clear green water. We take it all in--the falls, the cliffs above, the trail, the stream--and take time to snap several pics. It was cloudier than we'd hoped, but we could still see Lake Bohinj in the distance. We head back down.
Bohinj was bigger than Bled (we passed both on the way up) but I wouldn't say it was mind-blowingly beautiful. We took a few snapshots then went on to the restaurant Rupa that Anja and Teo had recommended. We did make a wrong turn or two and then Sierra spotted "Rupa" just in time and we stopped. It was in a little farm town riddled with hay racks (toplar) and in clear view of a small ski hill.
Oompa Loompa music played while we ate mushroom soup, bratwurst, albino asparagus and Anja's recommendation: Ajdovi Krapi (it's a buckwheat ravioli filled with cottage cheese and a cream sauce--different but interesting). I had a half liter of Pivo Varna, a Pilsner from Ljubljana--and Sierra tried a white coffee since we'd seen them in town. We eat delicious sausages and a nice soup, all delivered by our traditionally-dressed waitress (kind of like a Bavarian doll).
On the way out there's a playground and Sierra encourages me to get into the train. She gets some funny video of me trying to enter and exit the wooden locomotive. Meanwhile the sun takes over the sky and the clouds go away faster than you can say "Na zdravje" (cheers)!
We get to Lake Bled and look for parking, and get ourselves into a pickle where the car is facing downhill and the only way out of the lot is uphill. For a few minutes I'm not sure how the heck we'll get out, but Sierra and I trouble shoot a bit and she figures out reverse. Sweet baby Jesus we're saved! An incredible feeling of relief washes over us (or probably just me--Sierra just kinda rolls with everything). We walk along the lake and take postcard-pictures of the church on the island, and the castle on the cliff over Lake Bled. The skies are blue now and it's gorgeous out.
We stop in and rent a boat, and I volunteer to row. I still row from time to time and while this boat doesn't have a sliding seat, I get to row backwards and I can adjust the foot-rigging by moving a piece of wood. I row us across the picturesque lake to the back of the island and we tie up the boat and walk to the front stairs.
I'd read that there's a ceremony where young men attempt to carry their future wives up the stairs, and if they make it they are "fit for marraige." Not all of them make it though--and Sierra doesn't believe I can make it up the 50-60 steps to the top but I am confident. She films some amateur footage while I pick her up in my arms and start up the hill. Well...long story short we make it, and it doesn't feel like it's 45 degrees anymore.
Sierra is impressed with my manliness now and I'm officially fit for marriage. We had only seen about 10 people until two boats pulled up to the island, one full of a hodge-podge of white folks and the other a group of Asians. Watching some of the interactions (including a well-times comment from an old Irishman) were priceless, as usual. We check out the church, the views and the gift shop, and get back in our little sloop.
I row us back to shore, we walk back to the car and we decide to skip the stop for the special cake Anja recommended and just head back to Lj.
We have a bit of time to do laundry then we return the car and walk around looking for dinner. It's funny to me that the first place we go seems to have more expensive food than the US, but when wine is virtually free and there's no tax or tip, it ends up being a pretty cheap meal. In fact, the more wine you drink, the better deal Ljubjana is.
We have a good thin pizza for an appetizer than go have more amazing Slovenian-style food at a second place, then walk home. I comment that we haven't had a single bad (or even mediocre) meal in this country, and we agree Slovenia beats Italy in the food department, hands-down. Heck...it beats most countries.
We head back and get to sleep. The train leaves for Croatia at 8:25 tomorrow.
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