Up in the Clouds

A later start this morning meant a bit of a sleep in. Then, on the bus and heading up the valley to the Triglav national Park and the highest mountain in Slovenia. Here in the Bohinj region, there is another, even bigger alpine lake, and at the edge another ancient church.

Undergoing extensive repair, the walls inside and outside this church are covered with frescoes dating back hundreds of years. The date has been written in stone in the courtyard - 1639.

Back in the bus, we headed further up the valley until we came to the aerial cable car at Mount Vogel. This marvellous piece of engineering takes skiers in winter, hikers in summer and travelling Aussies at any time, up a steep cliff face to a landing almost a kilometre above the lake below. The view is breathtaking and you are literally walking in the clouds. The weather was bracing, to say the least, and the average temperature, proudly displayed in large digital figures averaged 3.8 degrees. With the strong wind blowing, and with the wind chill factor, the real temperature was more like -3.8 degrees! We braved the cold and wandered about the mountain top taking photos and admiring the last of the winter snow on the ski slopes. A nearby chair lift is evidence of the activity that must take place here during the ski season. While we were there, we had the place to ourselves.

Lunch was provided in an alpine hut - quite a comfortable restaurant, but with the alpine ambience. We enjoyed a thick and hearty barley and ham soup followed by a delicious apple strudel. Of course, the obligatory red wine was also enjoyed. After an enjoyable hour or so, we headed back to the cable car for the journey back down the mountain side. This ride rivals anything Walt Disney could imagine.

Further up into the valley, we came to a small village where we visited a museum dedicated to the herdsman whose job it was to take the cattle up into the higher pastures during the summer months. When I say summer, don’t imagine balmy days and frost free nights. These hardy men and women had to live in small wooden buildings, alone and self sufficient. Every item of furniture had to be transported up the steep mountain side together with the equipment needed to manufacture the cheese for which this area is renowned.

After the museum, Tatjana “surprised” us with a visit to a nearby cheese shop where we were given some samples of the local cheese to taste. As we entered, shots of shnapps were handed out - the ladies were given blueberry shnapps while the men were provided with a concoction that resembled mower fuel. Dave came to my rescue and volunteered to drink mine for me. What are friends for?!

Back on the bus, we headed to Bled for our final night in this beautiful town. As we reached the end of Lake Bohinj, Tatjana pointed out a statue of a legendary animal that was said to have created the valleys and the rivers of the area. We took the opportunity for a “Japanese” stop as Tatjana explained the saga. The story goes that this animal guarded a treasure and a young hunter, who had fallen in love with a wealthy princess, set out to steal the treasure. The young woman’s mother had said that he could only marry her if he returned with the treasure. He succeeded in spearing the animal, but didn’t kill it. In a rage, the animal tore up the landscape with its horns and killed the hunter. Drops of the animal’s blood turned into a crimson flower which adorns the area. What some prospective mothers-in-law will do!

When we returned to the hotel, Anton, our coach driver had to leave our company so that he could return home to be at his niece’s wedding that night. We all wished him well and he joined us for a full group picture on the steps of the hotel before he drove off in the coach. Our final night in Bled was the farewell dinner for this part of our extended journey. We visited a gostilna, or restaurant, renowned for its food and enjoyed a four course meal and the customary liquid refreshments. Many good wishes were extended to our American friends and we boarded our smaller bus for the ride back to the hotel.

We sat around in the comfortable chairs just off the hotel lobby and talked about the great experiences we had shared. The resident piano player amused us with his interpretations of many well known songs - when I say amused, I mean his playing was a joke! Liz collared Tatjana and squeezed as much information about the next stages of our trip from her as she could. With all the tips provided, there’s not much we should miss as we head back to Ljubljana and then on to Zagreb.