Around the World with Marsha & Joel

Out of Bled and through Slovenia’s beautiful countryside, up and down mountain switchbacks in a state-of-the-art coach that takes them like a Porsche Carerra (almost). On the way to Opatija, our first stop on the Adriatic we stop to visit the Postojna caves.

The huge cave complex is the second largest in Europe. We have to ride a specially build train over 3/4 of a mile into the heart of the cavern.

The stalactites and stalagmites are impressive and challenge your imagination at every turn of the trail.

A guide leads us up and down a steep walkway that extends over a mile. It’s wet and (somehow not) slippery.

It takes over an hour to get through and it’s a constant 48 degrees. This is not an ice wall though. The calcium carbonate (limestone) builds on itself at the rate of about 1 mm a year.

Besides the formations that conjure organ pipes, scenes from hell, chandeliers, etc., the cave also houses the amazing living creature called the “human-fish”, the olm or Proteus anguinus. It’s a long, skinny, pale-pink salamander-like creature that can grow to a foot long. It can live for 100 years and survive up to ten years without eating. Their heartbeat can reduce to 2 per minute. They’re celebrated as a kind of national mascot. Here’s a link to our train ride out:

Video of Train ride out of Postojna Caves

Now we head off back into Croatia to our first look at the Adriatic from a quaint, fashionable Riviera town, Opatija.

The weather has turned beautiful; low 70s and sunny. Nice to walk along the beach, buy some sunscreen, chips and wine — and stop for a glass of wine with some fellow travelers before dinner. The setting and view is spectacular. The wine is good…and cheap — two big pours for less than $6. Time for dinner and then an early wake up for a full day excursion tomorrow of the Istria Penninsula. See you then.

[Interesting aside: As we’ve been traveling around we’ve noticed that there are no people of color – anywhere. Naively we asked our guide why that is. He reminded us that up until the 90’s these were communist countries. So, no immigrant communities had been or could be established. As the area did open up it was just not a place immigrant populations would be attracted to. Coming to a foreign place that had no community you could be comfortable with would not be first on your list. The only exception is the Chinese, who did establish a community by setting up small businesses].

Awakened in our beautiful, modern hotel on a chilly mountain morning, overlooking the picture-postcard Lake Bled.

The lake is surrounded by the majestic Julian Alps, still capped with snow. We drive around the lake after breakfast and climb up to the Bled Castle perched on a cliff high above (you can see the castle beyond the island church in the above photo).

A castle view above Lake Bled. The castle was built in the early 12th century to protect against local foes and later the Ottaman empire. It became less important as time moved on, but was later used as an SS headquarters by the Nazis during WWII. They left with most of the treasures and burned the rest near the end of the war.

The view back across to our hotel (the highest one)

The castle is beautifully preserved with not-too-hokey demonstrations of black smithing, bee keeping, and wine making (vineyards not far away). The wine in Croatia and Slovenia is good and getting better all the time by the way. Some American wine makers are helping develop the art there.

It’s also the perfect place for this young, just married couple to save some money on wedding photography using the art of the Selfie.

A view from the ramparts

Later in the afternoon we take a trip on the unique Pletna boats (no motorized conveyances allowed on the lake) to a tree framed island in the middle of the lake.

The old church, 100 steps above the lake…

…is restored marginally with only a few of it’s original fittings still on display. We discover the real charm of the church for us is the modern art displayed in an upstairs gallery.

A local glass maker and local abstract artist really brighten up the drab restorations as we listen to the visitors ringing the “good luck” bell in the belfry by pulling the rope in the sanctuary three times. Some take it very seriously.

To end the afternoon, we drive an hour to a magnificent national park, Lake Bohinj, surrounded by majestic mountains.

The statue in the background honors the first team to climb the highest mountain in the area in 1775…while wearing wooden clogs! Don’t make climbers like the used to I guess.

The two statues in the foreground walked across the street to a well-known restaurant and had a “light” lunch of indigenous goulash (huge and delicious) a sensible salad, and a mixed grill that included over one half each of a chicken, pig, steer, plus several sausages. Needless to say dinner was scant.

To try to work off the LUNCH we trekked off on a three and a half mile hike around Lake Bled. A must do if you’re ever here. It was crowded as we are in the heart of a National holiday, but the scenery is gorgeous. And, believe it or no, it did give us a slight chance of eating something for dinner.

The other thing we forgot to mention, just for your edification, Ljubljana is Melanie Trump’s hometown. Yes.

Tomorrow to the Postojna Caves and on to Opatija, back into Croatia. good night!

We were warned that crossing the border between Croatia and Slovenia (from non-EU to EU) could be a three hour ordeal of waiting as both Croatian and Slovenian guards (sitting at tables opposite each other) have to stamp your passport,  passing them back and forth “very efficiently”. Fortunately our guide, Rok knows the drill and took us quite a few miles away to a lesser used crossing (further in miles of course) where the agents got up on the right side of the bed, didn’t make us get off the buss, even smiled while collecting our passports, and had us on our way in 1/2 an hour…saving over an hour and a half on the trip.

[Note: Forgot to identify the paintings yesterday. They were a Manet and a Reubens]

[Also, an apology and a promise. I’ve been having some real difficulty with photo downloads that I can’t solve while away. There are some really good, informative shots that you’re not getting to see. As soon as I get home I’ll load them and send you a link to see if you’d like. Anyway….]

Into the charming and beautifully restored old town of Ljubljana. The architecture of local Jose Plecnik befits the capital of Slovenia. It suffered from a devastating earthquake in 1895 and has been coming back ever since.

No cars are allowed inside the town’s inside ring anymore, but bikes are becoming a bit of a nuisance.  Ljubljana was named “greenest” city in Europe and it is. Saw the mayor (below) who is an innovator and a gladhander. Electric cars join the bikes inside as the only wheeled transportation. Recycle containers including biodegradable (above) that are locked and has scales. Residents have a card they insert when what they dispose of is weighted on an integrated scale – it credits their annual bill.

The mayor, working on a Saturday, greeting everyone and posing with members of our group.

There are six bridges that cross the river running through the middle of the town (that was raging today because of the heavy rain we’ve had the last couple of days) connecting loads of small shops, outdoor cafes, restaurants and, of course, a farmers’ market.

Some of Plecnik’s work and restoration.
Now we head off toward the historic, resort town of Bled, only about an hour from Ljubljana. Rok, our guide, was raised in Ljubljana and you can see why he loved it. As a boy he lived on a farm, just a few minutes from the town center. He had the best of worlds, with all the city could offer and minutes access to rural beauty and quiet and to centuries of history, including the Castle on Lake Bled we’ll explore tomorrow.