Day 34. Monday 4 May.

Blessed with another bright day, GORJEous day for Vintgar.

Despite D, with Apple Maps help, heading for the wrong place requiring a U turn, we arrived at the Vintgar parking and shuttle bus area in good time. The parking attendant guided D to a spot, then continued to give hand signals to move over to the right about a body width, once we were in the position he put us (D is quite competent without attendant help, thank you) – he threw up his hands, presumably in frustration, when D decided to turn off the engine…he was then onto the next driver. The shuttle (every 7 mins) bus loaded with passengers of all sorts and ages, dress and footwear (yes, thongs featured) and including dogs. One sweet poodle thing snuggled into its human parents.

At the Vintgar entrance folk milled quietly. Tickets are mostly purchased online and entry times are strictly allocated…our ticket was valid from 1123. Gold Coast Jenny (from Our Bled experience) turned up a bit early for her 1150 entry & we had a very brief chat. We entered on time at 1123, of course, & were each issued a helmet and optional hair net.

If anyone tried to enter through the turnstiles before their allocated time, the QR reader would not open the gates (it happened quite a bit while we waited – so good to see…so orderly!) To be fair, there were no instructions at all, so it was easy to be uncertain of the procedure.

The one-way gorge walk was marvellous… water, trees, flowers (perfumed a bit like wisteria), busy little, long-tailed birds – later identified as a Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), chasing insects and flying aerobatically just above the water up and down the river.

And after the final waterfall there was some discussion about how to get back to the shuttle bus pick up point – D advised an American couple using Apple Maps (hmm) and more importantly the information board! We chose correctly.

A signposted 40-minute walk (some serious climbing) back through birch, oak & pine forest, to a very necessary short cheese plate and water refuel beside 15th century St. Katarina’s Chapel, then past summer-grazing pastures (cows & horses) with extensive views of tiny villages strung along valleys, Bled Castle visible in the distance…and finally we were back at the shuttle pick-up point. Of course, just to rub it in some very young children skipped and ran along the mountain track, as others of us huffed & puffed along. Forty minutes was more like 90!

Day 33. Sunday 3 May.

A warm day forecast. Agreed plan for today was to visit Vintgar Gorge. D looked it up online and confidently asserted that we’d be able to buy tickets once we got there – no need to book online. Arrived mid-morning to be advised by the lovely attendant at the parking entrance that the next available slots were not until1400, and that it was best to book online. Pulled into a parking spot to mull this over, deciding to defer until tomorrow – and book online. As we conferred, lots of other hopefuls did U turns!

We wanted to avoid the congestion of Bled, which is just down the road, so headed away, towards Skopja Loka, getting us on to the A2 highway. Before we quite got there T said let’s duck into to Brezje, having seen a brown tourist sign offering something. We arrived in this delightful little town towards the end of an open-air Mass. The Mary Help of Christians Basilica here is the Slovenian national monument to Mary. We thought on arrival that a Sunday market was happening but no, clustered around the church were a café and souvenir stalls, selling Catholic paraphernalia.

Our need was for coffee and a ‘first’ was actually ordering at the counter: until now it’s been table service. But they got the coffee, the jug of hot water and the strudel just right.

Mass finished, bells rang, worshippers moved into the church, queueing to offer prayer to Mary (T learned that this was normal Sunday post-mass practice) and then outside,  cars started to pull into a small adjacent parking area where a priest was addressing a crowd, followed by sprinkling holy water on people & cars. Again, T asked what was happening and learned that it was normal practice to seek ‘safe travel’ , blessings on cars, bikes and motorbikes, a regular event because of, apparently, Slovenia’s high accident rate.

On to Kranj, another quiet, neat pretty town. A walk through the old centre took in a visit to a museum/art gallery, with a retrospective of Alenka Kham Picman (1932 – 2025) which was delightful in colour and abstract shapes/lines.

 Inset in the floor of the building were windows into what had been an ancient burial ground – just a bit eerie,

Kranj Parish Church also had great stained glass windows in abstract shapes/lines.

Then a walk through the town and down to the canyon/river. Being a very warm day, kids were in the river whooping & splashing. T engaged with a couple from Manchester, visiting Slovenia for a week (as you do when cheap airfares get you anywhere in Europe in under 2 hours). They commented on how cheap Slovenia is compared with UK but T said that food prices were on a par with OZ and wages here are much lower. We chatted about this & that and the wonderful weather.

Last town for the day was Skopja Loka, with another ancient centre on the river, and a castle/monastery & steep steps to an outdoor museum within its gardens, showing some of the town’s previous agricultural heritage. There was a very welcome beer before wandering around the open-air museum.

The day had passed with terrific quiet ambling in picturesque settings within the surrounding Julian Alps…just lovely and no more than 40 mins from ‘home’.

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.

Day 31. Friday 1 May.

Fantastic doonas, albeit singles, meant a cosy night’s sleep… and the serenity! What to do today? Well, first thing check out the railway station for whenever we look to do the Bohinj Rail scenic journey between Jesenice & Nova Gorica, through the Julian Alps that we’ve heard about/read about). Apple Maps took us to the closest station: deserted, no doubt due to the three-day long weekend. Hmm. T asked a couple of (slightly suspicious of us) women pushing a pram, and one told us we were at the wrong station, pointing generally in the direction of the main town. Back to Apple Maps which took us, probably giggling – got you again – to the main Jesenice station, again deserted, but with information in English about train schedules. There was a train going in about twenty minutes to Nova Gorica, it was a highly recommended journey, we had a car park, we could buy tickets on the train: ‘why not?’ said T.  D was compliant. Duly boarded, and D had enough time to buy online the SZ Turist weekend option, which included the return trip, in First Class! We were away.

Terrific photo opportunities – except that either the train was going too fast, there was vegetation in the way, or we weren’t quick enough. We passed picturesque, perfectly manicured villages; rivers and streams; canyons; fisherfolk in the river; cyclists; hikers; villagers tilling the soil or telling tales; rail officials in red hats…..

Nova Gorica was a bit of a surprise. Lonely Planet describes it as ‘the best thing about Nova Gorica is leaving it’ amongst other similar put downs. Nova Gorica is right on the border with Italy – it’s adjacent town is Gorizia.

We had a couple of spare hours after coffee, so just strolled from Slovenia into Italy. Suddenly, we understood most of the signs! There had been a serious event in 2025: constant signage for Go 2025 (the prestigious European Capital of Culture (ECoC) title. Although much was closed, being May 1, we got a positive feel for this border town – or rather, for the Italian side which had plenty of charm & style. We could have easily spent a few hours wandering but there was a train to catch.

As we headed back to catch the return train we agreed that the Lonely Planet assessment was very harsh and didn’t reflect our admittedly very quick visit on a public holiday. But perhaps we’re not the main LP audience?

Return journey a repeat of the outward one, except for a long delay at Bohinjksta  Bistrica  waiting for the train coming from the other direction.

A lovely day out!

Day 30. Thursday 30 April.

A beautiful bright morning. Checked out of the apartment in good order. In lovely sunshine, but a very cool breeze, walked to pick up the hire car from SixT, stopping at the café we’d dropped in to yesterday. The proprietor greeted us, remembered our order, and said that if our luggage was stolen from outside, we could run after it; we suggested HE could do that. Had a quite long conversation about life in Australia – tried not to be too pessimistic! At least we’re all safe.

VW T-Cross SUV picked up and on our way.

Rather than the direct route we detoured on minor roads, more or less parallel to the highway (A2). Traffic was light (because of the holidays, we’re told) and patient – no rush or pressure as D reacquainted himself with driving on the wrong side of the road and T got use to the closeness of the shoulder.

Good views of the mountain range in the middle distance, with quite a bit of snow on the higher peaks.

The final leg into Jesenice was a flashback to Spain and Portugal – narrow, winding roads with very sharp corners.

Arrived at the location, but unsure of which was our house: D was picturing a different set up – one we’d considered but passed on. Fortuitously our host Natasa arrived at this point and checked us in. The house was inherited from an uncle of her ‘man’, who had no children, and they have renovated it. We are the only occupants! Luxury, with no one scraping above or running water, or doors closing. Views of mountains are terrific.

Natasa advised us that the next two days are Public Holidays (something to do with May Day), so no shops will be open – and, as we’ve discovered, they’ll be shut on Sunday too. So off to Lidl for a big shop to see us through. The supermarket was SUPER-busy with the impending long weekend panic-buying. It’s difficult to buy in small quantities: although D’s potatoes are vital, we really don’t need a 5 kilo bag of them (T’s opinion). And how’s the garlic supply? T only wants one bulb, not three, but will buy three to get one. Where’s the consistency? But a real treat…some beef that will make a stovetop casserole (no oven).

Mid-afternoon and the central heating is on – it will be a cold night, the air chilly at 5 PM as we walk down to the local Mercator for a few things we forgot (primarily the aforementioned trinity of garlic). Down the road, then a lane, peeking into backyards that are laid out market gardens, down some steps and there, under an umbrella was an older lady with a fruit stall…it’s strawberry season, and she’s got mandarins, asparagus… and the pears? Just about every house has a vegetable and/or fruit garden, all looking very ready for the new season.

Come 6pm & we need the heating…the lovely hydronic is not so responsive…we can ‘hear’ some action, but the panels and pipes are only lukewarm at best. Across the road a chimney has smoke…it’s rather inviting.

Day 29. Wednesday 29 April.

A wet day looms. So first purchase was a brolly (T lost hers way back) but the new one was unkind & took a chunk out of D’s finger…and we didn’t have a bandaid or a piece of string! Like the nuns in Hvar (sort of) braided a piece of garbage bag into a usable thread.

We do sometimes plan ahead, so our next stop today was to the tourist information office for advice on getting to and around our next stay at Jesenice, up near the Julian Alps. The young woman was very helpful, firing up her computer and looking at various options – which mostly turned back to the idea that a car was the best way to achieve what we wanted, as local bus connections were not showing. Convinced, we went to Sixt, having previously googled hire options.

Natasha at Sixt was equally helpful, suggesting we’d be best with a small SUV like the VW Tiguan. Convinced, we agreed with that. Next was insurance cover, which was earnestly explained to us. Again convinced, D opted to take out full insurance, just for peace of mind, although he usually doesn’t. No questions about licence, and age was not an issue either (maybe OHS – or age discrimination – do not exist). Car booked for pick up tomorrow. We can now start looking at what we might do for the eight days of the hire: we have a Slovenian road map (bound to be some decisions – and decisions reversed!)

That sorted, and a coffee hit, off to the Ljubljana Emporium, five floors of high-end clothing and apparel (Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren…& Slovenian designers)…nothing bought, and it seemed like everyone who came in were gawkers on a wet day, just like us. But in the haberdashery shop next door, T made her second purchase on this trip: an embroidery thread (or an emergency piece of string at 65 cents)…yesterday had been the first purchase: a ticket to the loo at the castle for 1 euro (last of the big spenders).

Rain was persistent, but the tour groups went on regardless.

Interesting architecture in a green city, with some interesting graffiti and fun offerings, but not sure that D’s ‘eggs tale’ could be beaten.

Stopped at a gallery on our usual route into town: A delightful exhibition by a Hungarian artist, Alexandra Faltisz, a fairy tale illustrator, graphic artist, and art teacher. The exhibition was playful and joyful drawing on ‘fairytales’ from childhood & stories told in painting, collage and linocuts. T particularly liked the collages with their bits of lace and crochet.

Returned home for a cuppa and decided, eventually, to go out again to take a boat tour on the Ljubiljanica. We were joined by a small group that seemed to be hosting a visiting Korean student. A young man, perhaps a university student, seemed to be his ‘keeper’ and kept up a continual, irritating (to us) commentary in English along with an even more irritating, constant and loud giggle. Who says we’re grumpy old folk?

The boat tour itself with no commentary, was unremarkable, although it did provide another view of this very pretty, green city – through rain-soaked windows.

Tomorrow, on the road again ‘poop poop’.

Day 28. Tuesday 28 April.

A fair day forecast ahead of possible rain tomorrow, so we opted to do ‘outside’ stuff today. But first stop was to the closest Mercator supermarket to get supplies for breakfast. Had an interesting conversation with the lady on the checkout – her English was very competent. She spoke of ‘depression’ as a national characteristic, brought on by excessive Government intervention. Like Stella in Dubrovnik, she mentioned cost of living issues, and low wages – and a reluctance of the young to work (guess she would have been in the 50-60 age bracket).  And politics: one learns to ‘zip the lips’. She spoke of a brother living in the US, who’d had heart surgery, but who would never return. Didn’t quite get to the end of that story: pity we were interrupted by another customer!

With main breakfast supplies of bread, milk, yogurt, banana we were set up for the day. Spent some screen time wondering about car rental versus bus travel and the next accommodation. The ease of bus is inviting and from Ljubljana day trips are do-able but there’s something about the prospect of getting quieter accommodation, for which you need a car. T is particularly conscious of others above (water running, furniture scraping, feet…). Booking made for Jesenice, a town in the Bled area, accessible by bus and maybe train. From there we’ll hit the big spots of Bled & Bohinj and take the scenic Bohinj rail trip through the Soca Valley( return)…lots of tunnels.

Setting out for a tourist day, we passed through a mixed market – fresh produce, flowers, clothing – that the tourist office told us opens every day except Sunday and public holidays. So much produce! It can’t all be sold.

We then spied the little green tourist train, and having established it as a (limited) hop on/hop off ride, boarded.

 It arrived fairly quickly at Ljubljana Castle where we alighted. A coffee to get us kick started – T ordered a Florentine, D ordered the Apple Strudel.

The table was dive bombed by sparrows keen to join in, but were waved away. Afterwards, a couple came back for the crumbs, as well as a Mediterranean Crow. Very cheeky birds.

T was keen to learn more about Slovenia’s history, so that was our first destination. Well, in summary, it’s all about conquest, struggle, reconquest, revolution….Romans,  Ottomans, the the Austrians, Venetians, the Slavs, the French, Italians, the Germans….the Yugoslavians (more recently).

To clear the brain fog we climbed the tower for a panoramic view of the city, the plain and the surrounding mountains, including the Julian’s in the north still with a lot of snow.

Dragged ourselves into the Museum of Puppetry, because it was included in our ticket, and pleased that we did. There’s still something magical about the pre-digital world of puppetry.

Back to the very bumpy green train to finish the tourist circuit. A loud bang and the train stopped, with the driver getting out with his walkie talkie to check. Turned out a kid had jumped on the running board of the last wagon, and opened and slammed shut a door. T reckons she saw him sitting inside: the driver said no and that he was ‘disgusted’ with ‘kids these days’. The commentary on the bus regularly referred to Ljubljana’s status as an exemplary ‘green’ European city, a reputation that needs to be held onto. This may be so for the moment… (getting rid of cigarettes would be a positive thing) but economic development/productivity/energy demands in a fragile Europe must be a serious issue.

In search of dinner…ingredients for 2 pasta meals from Lidl & then back to our abode, passing through lots of folk with disposable income.

Day 27. Monday 27 April.

As we left this morning, D made a comment that if he were living in an apartment complex in Zagreb he’d have to become an ‘Ove’ & do something about the graffiti (over spray?) and more particularly the piles of rubbish just left around & spilling very untidily out of bins.

An early departure for a walk back to the bus station, retracing our steps from a few days ago, gave us time for a relaxed coffee. There seemed to be some confusion about the order, much to the amusement of a nearby gent. To make sure D typed it into Google Translate and chased down our waiter, to be reassured that ‘I’ve got it’. The order arrived: two double espressos, hot water on the side, two glasses of cold water, and a shot of something amber in a glass. Mystified, T checked out the docket that seemed very expensive – the shot was Jack Daniels! D took it to the counter, adamant he hadn’t ordered it, never drinks it, never has – and was given a refund. We worked out later that the waiter had probably heard ‘jug of water’ and interpreted it as a Jack Daniels.

Boarded smoothly, although D overheard another traveller being told by the Flixbus staff that his ticket said departure was at 1200 and it was now 1205. Oh dear! Croatian punctuality rivals D’s, although our 1215 bus left at 1216.

 A smooth trip. A request to the driver to raise his sunscreen just a bit so we could see ahead – we had paid a bit extra for the ‘panorama’ seats right in front – was met with great humour and pretending to misunderstand, lowering it further.

At the border with Slovenia the bus was boarded by a policewoman checking passports – which consisted of a glance in passing.

A 15-minute comfort stop after an hour gave everyone a nicotine break. We are constantly surprised by this…all ages, fags, e- cigarettes, vapes…We seem to be the only non-smokers, something else to set us apart.

Scenery was ‘gentle & green’ and neat…agricultural landscape, mostly wheat, and small towns with castles and spas.  Tractors were busy. Such a change after Croatia’s coastal rocks & sea.

Arrival on time and another walk to our ‘condominium’ and for the first time a couple of the cyclists, one food delivery, warned of their coming with a bell.

This time we’re doing AirBnB.  As we stepped out of the lift on the fifth floor two folk were leaving the apartment we’d booked. One was a real estate agent, the other perhaps a client.  He seemed a bit put out that we were early at 1500, when check in was 1600, although our instructions were clear that we could arrive early if the cleaners were finished. T interpreted him saying that the apartment was ‘on the market’ and then asked if he’d sold it…’No, today is the first day it’s on the market’. Checked that with the owner who was slightly apologetic: he’s trying to get an idea of its worth should he ‘decide to sell’. We do not anticipate potential buyers wandering through over the next three days!

The apartment is spacious, with separate longe and dining areas, a change from the studio style.

T had been very pleased that we’d used up all fresh supplies in Zagreb, hence the backpacks only had the essentials: herbs, oil, laundry detergent (a new addition) a packet of pasta, an unopened block of Parmesan..and a bottle of wine. So, the first task was off to the nearest Mercator for milk, bread & some fresh bits for dinner…it was shut. Slightly odd, as it’s Monday. A quick Google check confirms our suspicion – today is a public holiday to celebrate the Day of Uprising Against Occupation (formerly Liberation Front Day or Resistance Day), marking the establishment of the liberation front in 1941. Of course – we’ve done this before! We traipsed around for a while hoping to find ANY corner store open, just bread and milk would do – no luck. T was wondering how to turn a pack of linguine & a piece of Parmesan into a meal. We had passed through an interesting street just back from the river where little restaurants and ice cream parlors were open and T had seen a customer with an enticing mezze plate, so we went back and ordered the same… a very substantial and delicious felafel meal, with a couple of beers. It will keep us going till Tuesday. It included a bowl of potatoes.

On the short walk back to the apartment we stopped at the bridge to take some photos. A group of Asian tourists demanded that T get out of their picture opportunity! As we left D stood next to one of their many models, taking her turn, and said ‘get out of the way’. They enjoyed the joke.

Just for fun, T tries the tv…there’s virtually no choices, but fortunately there is a ‘Lone Star’ channel serving black & white Western films…Roy Rogers, Annie Oakley, John Wayne, Randolph Scott…24/7!!! D will be up all night. T is transfixed – just realising what she’s missed out on.

Dinner

Day 26. Sunday 26 April.

Today will be a quiet day, T declared, no more than 8k steps. Plan is to do a loop: Strossmayerov Park, Botanical Gardens, Art Park, and Museum of Illusions. Departed a bit before midday, after some lovely catch-up calls home.

We had in fact been through the top part of Strossmayerov Park before, so once we got there headed down towards the railway station, admiring the facades and the green space. D was desperate for a coffee – we found a nice spot right in front of the station. Coffee culture is strong here, and happens at so many outdoor  ‘lounging points’, usually a drinks-only thing, so D’s hope for an accompanying pastry were dashed.

Apple Maps decided it did not want to guide us to the Botanical Gardens: just dropped out repeatedly as soon as directions were asked. Google maps was more obliging. A slow walk along the shaded paths, with T delighted to see that weeds were allowed to grow in pretty much all the beds! Fisher garden joins the club.

The frogs were having a great time, making a lot of noise, and were not ashamed to show their skills, perhaps tadpoling.

Apple Maps now on best behaviour, so let’s go to the Art Park, located just opposite the entrance to the Tunnel Gric. A couple of guides promised an abandoned park, transformed by street art and a vibrant open-air museum. It is all boarded up and gates padlocked – no entry. Staff at Café Grif directly opposite had no idea what T was asking about. Seems the reviews might be a bit out of date.

Maybe we do the Museum of Illusions. As we got near, Ilica street was closed off for market stalls, probably stretching for over a kilometre. What fun! As well as the stalls, there were a couple of dance groups giving demos and inviting passers by to join in. People-watching is a lovely slow activity. Enjoying the atmosphere so much we dropped the idea of visiting the Museum AND there was a Heineken stall nearby! Folk gather in groups and as solos …a lovely atmosphere.

T has designed tonight’s meal, cleaning up veges & rice, so it’s duck into Spar for the missing ingredient.

Step count: 12770.