SLOVENIA

Hello, luv!

Hi there!

My name is Martha and I am a single, retired woman from the Denver area who is a big fan of Rick Steves tours. Since my first trip to France in 2012 I have been hooked! I am in love with England and decided to take the Villages of Southern England tour in the fall of 2018.

Day thirteen: We are off to Slovenia...

Alas, our time at our island paradise was at an end but we still had more adventures to go... Mitch and his bus were like pigeons looking for home. The trip across the border was just as smooth this direction as it was a couple days prior.

We stopped in Ljubljana (said lou blee aw naw) for a few hours. Like so many other places we had seen, there is a castle overlooking a capital city straddling a river. This one was small and compact so we had plenty of time for a walking tour with a local guide and then some free time. I knew I would have a couple days here on my own after the tour so I enjoyed the beautiful weather people watching with a gelato.

Ljubljana had some really interesting buildings and bridges. The Dragon Bridge was my favorite!

Statue of the poet France Preseren was on the main square.

The castle watches over the city center.

We arrived at our final stop, Lake Bled, late in the afternoon and were on our own for the rest of the day. As this is a small town snuggled on the shores of a beautiful lake with the Julian Alps in the distance, I chose to just wander around and take in the beauty.

Looked like the Julian Alps had fresh snow!

I wondered if this guy caught any fish???

Day fourteen: Lake Bled

The next morning we all gathered to take a pletna boat across the lake to a small, picturesque island with and a quaint church on it. We all took turns making wishes and tugging the bell pull.

After returning on the pletna we were on our own for the rest of the day. It was rainy again so I chose to walk partially around the lake and stop for a piece of the famed cream cake at Hotel Vila Bled. It was lovely to enjoy Tito's previous residence and pretend I was a guest among royalty.

Many of us had partial bottles of drinks that we could not take on our forward journey so we gathered in the hotel for an impromptu happy hour. It was one last time to share a drink and laugh with our new friends.

Our final dinner was, as always, a bittersweet event. A good way to reflect on the tour and have one last chat with a tour mate. George had a fun recap to remind us of what we had seen and done for the last couple weeks and a couple tour members had kind words for a great tour guide.

Day fifteen: Goodbye tour, hello again Ljubljana!

The last morning of the tour was, as luck would have it, a beautiful sunny one. I spent some time before breakfast taking postcard-like pictures of the shimmering lake reflecting back the scenery. The only official activity this day was the hotel breakfast but tour members were on their own schedule. George had organized transport onward for those who needed it; I shared a car with two other couples to my hotel in Ljubljana.

My solo time in Slovenia's capital was a delightful, relaxing two days. I explored the streets and took a morning for the farmer's market. Then jumped on a funicular up to the castle and gazed at the town spread out before me. But, mostly I just enjoyed the lovely weather and watched the people. One day for lunch I got a pizza and beer beside a prominent walkway and just soaked up the ambience. The Spring days were spectacular and lots of Slovenians were out, taking advantage just like I was.

Ljubljana's landmark Triple Bridge.

The main market square had beautiful produce and flowers. On this Saturday morning there were many locals stocking up on fresh food and neighborhood news.

The Castle had several interesting historical displays.

View from the Castle grounds. Note in the forefront the produce market.

Lunch was perfect for people watching!

I really enjoyed seeing all ages and walks of locals while I wandered the streets.

Some final reflections...

Lessons from Slovenia: This is the best little country not previously on my radar! It felt more modern, less medieval. The people were nice and friendly and Ljubliana a delightful town for just hanging out. The scenery near Lake Bled was stunning and I bet the Julian Alps would have been a treat. Next visit, for sure!