Slovenia! Lake Bled & Day 21!

We are heading back into the Slovenia countryside today, and our destination is Lake Bled, a small resort town with 1,500 permanent residents.  Located about an hour outside of Ljubljana, it features a 17th century church on an island along with an 800 year old castle.  This use to be an optional trip on this tour of the Balkans, but it is now standard.  I read lots of review online, and many people commented it was one of their favorite activities.

Many people visit and vacation in the Lake Bled area throughout the year.  There is horseback riding, a golf course, 

and a new dinosaur park which my grandson, Jackson, would love!  

There are cabins to rent, multiple hotels, and an excellent management school with one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the region.  Plus a monument of the national instrument, the accordion, is in the middle of a traffic circle!

As I mentioned yesterday, Slovenia only has 30 miles of coastline.  Lake Bled is the only island in the country, and the only way to get there is by row boat!  As the world’s rowing capital, rowing competitions are often held on the lake.  Even Tito had a vacation home here.

There is a steep climb from the roadway up the hill.  Believe me; after being in the Balkans, I think, everything is built on a hill or they add steps so you think it is!

  

The 12th century castle is now a museum along with a printing press reproduction.  

  

The views from the back patio of the mountains…

  

and the island are beautiful!

  

And here is proof I was here!

We are rowed across the lake 

to the island by a young man named Jacob.  He is a cutie…with dimples!  His quiet steady strokes steer the boat peacefully.  I could just sit here for a while!

I look back at the castle and village…

  

and ahead to the church.

  

As we approach the island, the church’s reflection floats in the lake.

There is a legend about the church on the island.  A young woman’s husband died suddenly, and she gave all her money and gold jewelry to make a bell for the church tower.  As the finished bell was being rowed across the lake, a sudden storm sank the boat and the bell was lost to the bottom of the lake.  Distraught, the young woman became a nun.

When one of the popes heard her story, he commissioned a bell to be made and installed.  It is now, allegedly, a wishing bell, and if you pull the rope and make the bell ring, your wish will come true.

It definitely rang!

It’s a beautiful church and altar.

  

  

with an impressive bell tower.

  

There are 99 stone steps from the boat dock to the church courtyard.  Tradition is for a groom to climb the steps carrying his bride, and she shows her trust in her future husband by not saying a word!

  

It was difficult enough climbing those steps with my bag.  I cannot image carrying someone.  However, if young Jacob, our rower, wanted to give it a try, who would I be to complain!

The views from the island of the castle are stunning.  

  



I put my feet in the Adriatic in Opatija, and it seems only fitting to dip them into Lake Bled.  The water is chilly, but clear, and I bet it’s really refreshing on a hot day!

And I was here too!

We leave the row boats, 

the castle, and Lake Bled behind, but memories of today will linger for a long while!

We stop in a nearby town for lunch.  Interestingly, the town’s street lamps are all different!  I don’t like matchy-matchy so these coordinating lamp shades are a hit with me,

  

  

and the views of the countryside are lovely!

People have been trying lots of local beers and wines with very favorable reviews.  One of the favorite local beers is Union.

  

I didn’t sleep well last night worrying about the play I wrote for the group to perform.  I ended up working on it and this blog from 2:30-5:30 AM.  I’m tired, but I don’t want to miss the group gathering on a nearby rooftop to share a drink and watch the sunset.

  


  

And then, it’s back for blueberry gelato to chase my sunset whiskey sour!  Last evening, Janet also got blueberry, and when she returned to her room, her teeth were gray!  She worried she had ruined her teeth, but after 20 minutes of scrubbing plus a whitening treatment, they look great.  She got lemon gelato tonight!

It’s been a long delightful day, but it didn’t start that way.  I didn’t sleep well, and I try to be organized and prepared.  As we head to Lake Bled, I realize I don’t have my hat which keeps my hair out of my face and the sun out of my eyes.  I don’t have my hair clip which with my COVID hair I need up if it’s hot plus in the humidity it has been wild.  On top of this, I think, “Did I put on deodorant today?”

Yes, it’s been a long delightful day, and I don’t think GJ was too stinky as a TRAVEL!