War Stories

Another over the top breakfast - this time a little more rushed as we slept in!

Today was different - a lot more time spent in the bus as we covered a few more kilometres through narrow, winding alpine roads. Our driver Anton is probably one of the most skilful bus drivers I’ve seen. Some of the roads and entrances to monuments that we have covered make Bulli Pass look like a straight and level highway, but Anton, our driver handles them all with ease. We have been fortunate that we have been able to sit in the front seat of the bus for the entire trip. We have offered the seat to all our fellow travellers but no-one seems to want it. This has made some of the more hairier sections of the road feel a bit like a roller coaster ride at Disney World!


The trip followed the Soca River which flows down from the mountains and is a consistent jade green in colour. At one small village, we crossed a bridge and stopped for a “Japanese” moment. Here, we discovered that the world championships for bridge diving took place. I found it hard enough to look down to the water below, let alone contemplate standing on the tiny platform and launching myself into the icy torrent underneath!

Today was also different because we visited the small alpine valley town of Kobarid. Here a local resident, passionate about his village’s part in a major WW I offensive, has set up a museum. This man’s passion for finding relics and documents from this brutal period knows no bounds. He has devoted 20 years to creating his museum and an hour spent with him shows the grim reality and abject stupidity of warfare.

The offensive lasted 22 months, through two winters, and was mainly fought out on the high mountain peaks surrounding the town. The one miracle that he was happy to report was the fact that the town itself suffered no damage and remains intact to this day. More reminders of this period were seen as we travelled on through the narrow mountain passes. Several forts or bunkers still occupy strategic positions along the road.

A lunch stop in another small alpine village of Bovec allowed Jill to purchase our first souvenir a hand painted copy of the end of a bee box. These were common at the end of the nineteenth century as the bee farmers would identify their own bee boxes by decorating them with colourful pictures. We saw a similar product at a later stop but they were more expensive - so Jill was pleased with her purchase.

We finally arrived at Bled - a beautiful town built around a lake. This place is very touristy - complete with castle overlooking the town and a huge church built on an island in the middle of the lake. Today we will explore more of this beautiful spot. The best thing about this part of the trip is that we get to stay in the one place for 3 nights - no more packing and unpacking for a while! We have a large room in a beautiful hotel. Last night most of our group congregated in the lobby bar and socialised. We have been very lucky to be travelling with a congenial group.