Slovenia - what a gem!

Slovenia was a real treat and a fantastic spot to end my journey with Annalisa. It took over 9 hours to get to get to Lake Bled from Budapest and we had to go back through Vienna to get there. The train trip was quite enjoyable though because the views were stunning. We went all through Austria and saw some big mountains and clear blue lakes.

Thrilled to be back in Vienna...

We both had great books to read

Then we got to Lake Bled, quickly dropped our bags at our hostel and headed down to the lake to see if it was as beautiful as everyone said it was. When we got there we just stood there for a few minutes, speechless, trying to take everything in. It was gorgeous. We found a nice spot on the lake to have dinner and then went for a rather romantic stroll around the lake. It was so nice to be breathing in such fresh air and to see the stars so clearly. After the walk we headed in for a relatively early night because the train journey had exhausted us and we wanted all our energy for the next day.

First glimpse

A nice night for a romantic stroll

We woke up to a glorious day and decided to make our way up the castle on the hill first. It was quite a tough climb but all the hot walking was worth it when we got inside and got to take in the magnificent views. Bled Castle is perched on the edge of a cliff so from there you get the best views of the lake. It was €8 very well spent.

:)

Ready for a good view

WOW!

Church in the middle

Just amazing

On her last day Annalisa mastered the jump shot

Another highlightof the day was the trip in the row boat out to the church in the middle of the lake. We were tempted to hire our own row boat but for the €2 extra each it was worth getting rowed out there, especially since the weather took a change for the worse. It was way further to the church than I thought too. Again this was a spot that had some great views.

Such a good option getting rowed there

On the boat!

Outside the church

The storm clouds coming in

Sweet spot

On the boat ride back we got talking to an American born Slovenian woman. She told us some interesting things about Slovenian history and about how her mother had to escape with her husband when she was only 21. Her mother's father was executed and her father's three brothers were also executed so the only way they could survive was to escape. She was on a trip visiting her family and her mother was sat next to her, she had a big smile for someone who had been through so much. She also told us that when her mother was little she would skate or walk across the frozen lake to the church. Bled must be quite a site in winter time. I asked her about Ljubljana, the capital, since we were due to head there in the evening. Annalisa and I didn't have any idea what it would be like so it was good to get her insight. She painted such a good picture of it that we couldn't wait to get there and left Bled a few hours earlier than we had originally planned. Thank goodness we got to Ljubljana when we did so we actually had time to look around this gorgeous little city.

Ljubljana was a real gem. It had a river running through it and along the river were cafes, restaurants and some great shops. It's a small city but is very hip and cool and the lady on the boat was right in describing it as a mini Vienna because it did have some very grand buildings. I loved walking by the river and popping in and out of the shops.

Ljubljana!

Look at that sky!

By the main square

Cute little streets

Anyone need shoes?

Annalisa was very kind and treated me to dinner since it was our last together and because I will be away for my birthday. She read up about some top spots on Trip Advisor and found a restaurant with great reviews called 'Marley & Me'. We both went for traditional Slovenian dishes and were both very satisfied. I had spicy pork sausages with baked potatoes and vegetables and Annalisa went for dumplings and mushrooms. I had a brief moment after I had ordered when I doubted my choice but as soon as I tried it I was certain I'd made a great decision. YUM!

Yum!

YUM!

The waiter found out we were there to celebrate my birthday (it may have slipped out) so after the meal he brought us a dessert to share and an after dinner drink. It was a lovely way to spend our last evening together. Thanks Annalisa, you're the best travel buddy I could've asked for!

Not going to turn away free dessert!

Cheers chick!

I was very sad to say goodbye at the train station this morning...   Another adventure is just around the corner though. Mmm I wonder, will I get back to Roma?

Time to go our separate ways... at 7am!