Europe 2021

We're train pros now. Or we thought we were. It never hurts to talk to a local. We planned to return to Vienna with a very short connection a few towns away, still in Slovenia. At the ticket window we were  warned that trains may not run on-time. She suggested an earlier departure connecting in a different city, with a slightly longer connecting time. Good call. Slovenian trains do tend to run behind schedule, which the Vienna-bound fast train almost recovered. The tickets also cost much less than the online price. We were relieved to be back in the now familiar, bustling Vienna with a little sadness. It was time to get Covid tested and checked in for our homeward flights. Vienna also felt a little chilly and hollow without our travel buddies. Hope they were enjoying their onward journey. The folks at  Hotel Domizil  in Vienna recognized us. They were super helpful with travel details like the taxi to the airport and setting up free PCR tests. They've been so friend...

Time to explore the Ljubljana Central Market and a few more museums, taste a few more wines, return to Vienna, Covid test, check-in for our flights and go sleep in our own beds.  I'm even looking forward to exercising off the excesses of this extended vacation. For the last few days there's been an EU mucky-muck staying at the same hotel. As grateful as I am for the validation of choosing a prime location, the drama surrounding this individual is intense. Armed police, personal guards, several fancy black cars constantly blocking the front entrance. Traffic is blocked in either direction when Sir or Madam Big-wig enters or exits the building. Like I said, DRAMA. I miss the farm. Ljubljana is a very green city: electric buses, recycling bins, extensive pedestrian zone... Watch out for the pervasive Wolt food delivery bikes and scooters. They will mow you down. Our architecture, museum and gallery tour was interesting, though not extensive. One...

Not a lot of tourist spots remain open on Mondays after the height of the tourist season. We were in for another low-key day, which suited us just fine. Ljubljana hotel breakfasts are not to be outdone by small-town fare in terms of selection. Flavors, on the other hand, can't be matched against farm-to-table offerings. Happy to taste-test as much as we could manage, we enjoyed a leisurely morning. Time to hike up to the castle. The Ljubljana Castle has a sad history. Never housing clergy or nobility, its primary purpose was imprisonment, especially once the Hapsburgs embraced the Renaissance notion of rehabilitation, and to contain Italian POWs prior to WWI. (Slovenians and Italians seem to have been frenemies for years.) In contrast, visitors will now find a welcoming courtyard with cafés, a wine bar and a great view. We continued our stroll among the many bridges crossing the Ljublianica River. Our hotel is perfectly situated near Triple Bridge . My fa...

We woke to thick m orning fog but chose to pursue a fi ve-mile walk around Lake Bohinj , anyway. Good call. The f og lifted halfway through the stroll, revealing one more sunny day, one more view of Triglav Peak . We've really enjoyed the wildflowers, evidence of forest management, hang gliders and very fine dining. This tour of the Julian Alps, which we booked through an agency, held many surprises for us. The hikes were gorgeous, not too strenuous, sometimes too technical, sometimes just challenging, sometimes just a stroll, and everything in-between. There are a couple of stretches for which I wish there were an an alternative, but in all, a thorough introduction to Slovenian terrain and hospitality. The best surprise of this trip has been the food. I never expected this to be such a foodie heaven. Wonder if I can pack a suitcase full of Slovenian bread. I've found the people here to be hearty, self-reliant, proud, usually patient and eager...

So here's a surprise, something definitely not on the tour brochure, today's hike began at a shooting range. On top of the Pokljuka Plateau lies the biathlon training center. This sport consists of cross country skiing and target shooting. We were not the targets. These are highly trained athletes. Without snow they practice on roller skis. The motion is just like cross country skiing. Several female athletes cruised past us as we observed the target range. The difficult hikes were clearly behind us. Far below Triglav Peak we simply descended 3000 feet over nine miles, passing old farm houses, small solar-powered chapels, and the first fall colors. Our walk ended at fun-looking Lake Bohinj . There were plenty of campers, day visitors, and weekend travelers boating, swimming, tandem hang gliding and enjoying ice cream. We were ready to disgorge our feet from our boots to celebrate the completion of our hiking tour. But where's the hotel? Ten intermi...

What could possibly make this day more perfect? How about this: Perfect weather, not much crowd, six-mile stroll around Lake Bled . First stop was the castle, Slovenia's oldest castle. There's an interesting display of Bled's history in the castle. Tools from the stone age have been found. With iron in the hills this region was important throughout ancient history. There are distinct side-by-side Roman and Slav settlements. The castle itself was first recorded around 1000 CE. Nobility and rich mine owners maintained the grounds and buildings. Bled Castle is also the location for a working Gutenberg printing press. You can view a printing demonstration. Curiously, the first books printed there were ABC primers, not Bibles. It seems there was a focus on improving the education level of the citizens, not just providing status symbols for the wealthy. Enough history. The castle's most interesting feature to us technology junkies was the self-driving ...

Easy day. Sunny, moderate hike in Slovenia's most visited natural feature and only national park. Back-to-back hiking days are starting to take a toll. We're ready for a little less technicality and a little more sightseeing. But first, another massive, delicious breakfast spread. I'm really going to miss these. The bread is the best I've ever tasted, a national treasure. Forget the lo-carb diet here. You're going to miss the good stuff. Our ride to the Triglav National Park arrived promptly. It was time to burn some calories. Can't call today's effort a hike. It was more of a wander day. An amazing turquoise, super clear river flows through the Vintgar Gorge . The falls are not the biggest, the walls are not the steepest, but the gorge goes on for over a mile. There's no reason to hurry past. On the way to Bled, our location for the next two nights, we sauntered by St Catherine's Church. It dates back to the late middle ages,...

Fun hiking day once again! A transport to another spot on the Austrian-Slovenian border dropped us off just as the morning fog cleared. Off we went. First up was a ridge walk to tunnels dug for merchants way back when this region was part of Corinthia. The path wasn't too narrow and there were cables, except just before the first tunnel where a landslide had obliterated the path. That was one of the scariest things I've ever done. But we all made it through. The rest of the day was smooth sailing. We continued along paths significantly drier compared to yesterday. We're also becoming a bit acclimated to the steeper climbs and descents. We wandered through some beautiful hills and forests in no hurry at all. Today the unique architecture at one mountain hut garden stood out. It may not be up to any building code, if there is one, but benches and shelters seem sturdy, using whatever material is on hand. We also passed by bee hives, the ones in boxes. Ea...

In bright red letters the preamble for this hike read, "Please only do this longer route in perfect and dry weather!" They even said please. The r ain stopped almost 24 hours ago, so we went. It was treacherous. The route went as follows: Preddvor (a town) up a STEEP climb to St. Jacob's Church (closed, but tea available at the attached hut), to a peak (X marks the spot, fogged in and cold!), across a ridge (one-foot-wide walkway with steep drops on both sides), to a mountain hut (also closed, no tea here),  back down STEEP trails (wet tree roots, loose gravel, no fun) to a couple of villages (smiling people, friendly dogs, beautiful gardens 😃) to the pension (we were virtually crawling). Had the fog rolled away, giving us the incredible views reported by previous travelers, I'd have a different report. As it was, this is definitely a been-there-done-that experience. The conditions were still too wet for us to enjoy, but it was a good, hard wo...

Our intended hike this day was called for rain. The altitude profile was pretty intense. This hike was deemed too treacherous by the hostess at our lodging. Thank goodness. We eagerly concurred. This was the elevation profile: Forget it! Our hostess outlined another hike without the dicey trails and extreme climb. Off we went. First we headed to the Slovenian-Austrian border, but some of us didn't bring our passports. I'm not admitting anything, just sayin'. Following this route we casually strolled past the non-present border guards and headed to the road which traces the border. Totally enjoying the day, clicking away pics of the Jezersko Valley we marched along until until the fog rolled in. Then we couldn't find the return path, or an alternative route from Google maps, or an alternative route from Alltrails. All routes dwindled away into brush. Even the official target-like trail markers disappeared. Feeling the chill and hunger ...

Good morning! Masunjek. No, that doesn't mean good morning in Slovenian. It's the name I couldn't remember yesterday for the hummus-like buckwheat and cream spread we enjoyed. Maslo means butter. Found it written in the guidebook provided in the room. Today's hiking plan noted 7.5 miles and 2500 feet of elevation. There are cables and ladders. Actual mileage may vary, of course. Our stay is a bit away from the trailhead. We managed 9.6 miles and 2513 feet of elevation. We reached Ceska Koca , the oldest working mountain hut in Slovenia. The climb and cables were technical and intimidating, but the views were stunning. In true European form, we enjoyed a bowl of hot soup at the peak and a beer at the bottom. Yep. This is the trail. Locals are used to this. Exploring in a new environment means the day was full of surprises. Today I learned the hard way that the thermostat-looking thingy just outside the bathroom door heats the shower wat...

Arrived in Slovenia. Ahhh! Beautiful! fesh  air!  Big friendly farm dogs Good beer! Half price.  Enough city.  Let them eat cake. Nope. Too late. We polished it off in seconds. Our accommodations are on a farm, a lodge on a farm, called Senkova domacija .. Everything is very eco friendly. Foods are traditional and prepared right here. I've never seen such an immaculate farm. It's been in the same family for over 500 years. The buildings were updated over the last couple of years with traditional alpine furniture and modern European conveniences, which I'm still trying to figure out.  Although just a stone's throw from the Austrian border it's a whole other world from the one we left. The Slovenian language sounds completely unfamiliar. It's quite disorienting. I asked the name of a hummus-like spread made of buckwheat and cream but still can't remember it. Whatever it's called, try it. It's really good and filling....

Before we viewed Rodin's The Danaide we ventured out to another Viennese cultural experience, the laundromat. There aren't any good ones in the city center, so with smelly bags in hand we boarded the subway for a couple of stops. Big, clean and efficient, as expected of Austria, this laundromat also works by speaking to Alexa...in German. Oh well, the touch display had an English option. Off to the Albertina Museum for our daily dose of culture, Impressionist, Expressionist, Cubism, New Objectivity, pre-surrealism.... early 1900s works this time. Wow. There are many works I could stare at for hours, like the Rodin sculpture above and this Evening Landscape by Franz Sedlacek. Each room had something really eye-catching. I took a bunch of pictures and notes, but it's just one of those places you should see for yourself. There are also images for which I am at a loss to why this is art. From the following collage: one of these hangs on a refrigerator, o...