Day 32. Saturday 2 May.

After looking at possible destinations for our next stay, weighing up attractions and distances, we wondered if we could extend our time here by two days and use this location as our hub. It worked, so we’ll be based in Jesenice until Wednesday (gives us time to use all the Lidl supplies).

Weather forecast looks unsettled from Tuesday, so decided to get the outdoors activities ticked off. Today was Lake Bled, with perhaps a canyon walk. It is a short trip, a bit under twenty km, but quite slow – which suits T.

Well, we arrived at Bled, along with throngs of tour groups, families, cyclists, couples, joggers, walkers…..the place was heaving with people, cars, buses, bikes, bicycles, scooters. Found a car park away from what seemed to be the main part of town and wandered down to the lake to start our circumnavigation. That became the sort of jostle experienced in big cities. So many people, groups, random crash halts and of course posed photographs! Stuck with it for a while (about 45 mins of the lake circuit) – long enough to admire the beauty of the place, both natural and built. Water colour is that green, surrounding forests also, and sky true blue. The little boats carrying about a dozen passengers each are rowed by burly-looking guys across to the island monastery, there is a bell ringing constantly, other little two person row boats are dotted about (so romantic, says D). And there are some fish.

Decided to abandon the walking circuit, it was time for coffee so tramped up steps to Kavarna Park café (the viewpoint was fabulous) but wallet was truly bled by the most expensive coffee ever: two doppios and a piece of the famous Bled cream cake, which D had never heard of (a bit like an overweight vanilla slice) was charged as four (expensive in their own right) espressos plus the cake.  T struck up a conversation with a woman from the Gold Coast & so didn’t challenge the bill & spent the rest of the day rationalising it as a ‘mistake’. Gold Coast Jenny waxed lyrical about Bled: T said ‘it’s a bit Disney’ and didn’t have the heart to say we were abandoning the scene. She was very grateful to D who, doing his Ove thing, cut off two potential queue-jumpers, young American women, pointing out that Jenny was actually next in line for a table. Jenny had waited at the beginning of the row of tables; everyone else just passed her and positioned themselves, hovering ready to jump on the next vacancy! What queue?

They didn’t take it all that well, one saying aggressively when D tried to explain the situation ‘It’s OK, I believe you’, which suggested she didn’t. D could take on several Ove-style jobs in any of the places we’ve been (policing rubbish disposal, traffic, tickets, queues…)

Giving Bled a miss, we drove along the Sava Bohinjka. That worked well – crossed the river a few times, taking parallel minor roads through some of the villages we saw yesterday from the train, and had a picnic lunch in a quiet spot on the river near Brod. A couple pulled up in a simple oldish, home-made motorhome (French plates) & put out the table & deck chairs. We reminisced about our Gloria days. And there was the kozolec (the iconic Slovenian structure, complete with hay), showing its style. We’d only come across a few with hay hanging; mostly they have been storing timber. Timber…it’s the primary source of heating in rural areas & we’re wondering about the effects on forests & air (especially as Slovenia prides itself on being green).

Continued our drive along the river and arrived at Bohinj. ’Let’s do the the Vogel funicular’, gulped at the price, but after the coffee experience, who’s counting?

Joined the informal ‘queue’ 15 minutes before the ride: watched in resignation as later arrivals just walked past to be in a better position. Eventually accepted that this is how it is – no apologies, no quarter given, no embarrassment – and joined in.

Took the ride, gulped at the height and ravines underneath, held on tight and bravely kept eyes open. Views of Triglav and Lake Bohinj below on such a perfect afternoon were magic.

Return gondola trip boarding was the same as going up: and the carriage was crammed over full. But safely on the ground, it was time to head for home via Bled; maybe all those folk have also turned around! No such luck, it was peak hour…traffic crawled along, bumper to bumper, for about thirty minutes, travelling only about two kilometres. Folk swimming & sunbathing, cycling, walking, cycling, walking, jogging…there was really no time pressure & the mountain vistas were terrific.  Eventually the traffic eased once we through the town, and we were home by (late) beer o’clock.

Tonight is meatballs and the long-awaited mash.