BTA part four - Slovenia - Bled

After three days in Ljubljana and the Hostel Celica, we took a bus to the small town of Bled in the Slovenian Alps. John is a very keen bird watcher. He has many other talents such as singing Christmas Carols out of season and talking in broad Geordie All The Time. I like his bird obsession better than these others. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of birds and their habits. So we had always intended to spend some time in the country so he could discover what was living in the area. Slovenia is 65% trees, great habitat for birds. Lake Bled is a wondrous place. If you stick that into Flickr, this is what you get.
So after Granada, Barcelona, Verona and Ljubljana, we were ready for a bit of country.
John was off at first light - he made his hostel breakfast into sandwiches and was off into the unknown. I had a more sedate time of it.

Second breakfast. Journal, map couple of postcards, inside this time with a view of the lake I then walked round. Its about 6km and gives a view of the tiny island from every side.

I observed the polite notice asking me not to feed the swans

and half way round I met with this chap who was painting the same view of the island over and over again.

He looks quite a character doesn't he? Well he was hilarious. I got into a lively conversation with him about why he always painted the same view with no variation except the colour. Well - he had found the perfect view so why change perfection?

So of course I parted with 4 Euro for one - I thought this was very reasonable with the chat thrown in.

He painted a quick sketch of me on the back of the picture and when I complained that he had painted me too fat he said - 'You are a Big Woman with a Forceful Personality and if you were my wife I would give you a slap and tell you to get back in the kitchen!'
Hilarious!

Next day - John was off in the woods and mountains again and I climbed up to the castle on the side of the mountain (without oxygen) and sat with the sun on my back for hours.

Remember it was February, but the sun was warm and the sky was blue, not quite as blue as this postcard, but you get the idea.

Spring flowers everywhere, I will load them onto Flickr now, and of course the patterns and colours that I love all around if you have the time to see them. So great to be there with that sort of time and no agenda except my own.

isn't this fabulous! And this..


Bled is usually covered in snow at this time of year, but only the mountains were snow covered.
Slovenia was a constant surprise for both of us. While I was drinking coffee and eavesdropping on cafe conversations (and being grateful not to have to have them) John was finding birds he had never seen and having his own adventures. (Thinking that the other side of a river looked more interesting and deciding to wade across only to find it deep and fast in the middle and then to be in a restricted army zone with notices warning about live ammunition and strictly no admission - that sort of thing)
It was our favourite place. I would go again and explore more. But we had a Train Ticket to use and we were on our way to Croatia next.
Thanks for reading along with me. I am loving this so much.

Comments

[Sue]

Hi Kate

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading of your exploits. What a fabulous time you obviously had - I loved the bit about having your own agenda. Oh to be able to do exactly what you want, when you want, with no thought for others. Not that I'm selfish, mind, it's just a wonderful thought!!!

Sue x

[Alison]

Welcome back Katie. You look as if you have had a truly fantastic time!!!
Take care,
Alison x

[Zoe]

Oh that man! I bet you couldn't stop laughing. Sounds like a lovely unspoilt place. We like singing Carols out of season too!

[katie]

And football chants - I forgot about the football chants

[rosie]

hmm, maybe football chants is just a bit too much! Love the notice about dandelions! what was the most exciting bird that John saw? (yes, I'm a closet ornithologist, but not so keen that I would ever consider wading across a river).

[Tammy]

Thanks for taking me to Lake Bled....how idyllic....looks like something out of a fairy tale!
Your photography is most awesome!

[dottydesigns]

Hi I haven't commented before but looked at your blog just before you went away and thought what a great thing to do with your son. my sons are 12 and 13 and love travelling already, I would love to do this with mine when they are older. I love all your photos.

[Lindsay]

Ooooh! I want to go! I want to go! How incredibly lovely!

[Alison]

Hi Katie,
I have left you something over at my blog:-)
Take care,
Alison x

[willow]

OK, I'm am SO ready to hop a plane and go there!