A Garden Party on the Mountainside

For my last day Irena and Roman organised a barbecue at their cottage. Polona their older daughter was also there and I could meet her too. She is a mountain climber! Roman was the grill master and there was a huge amount of delicious food including salads and ajvar sauce, cevapcici, sausage, and chicken and grilled cheese! The weather was wonderful and it was a great end to my visit. Later Irena drove me to Ljubljana to the bus station. It was time to say goodbye. It was a wonderful visit and I experienced so much. Irena and her family are wonderful people and took such good care of me. Slovenia is a great country - it has everything including the sea! 

The Fairytale Lake - Bled

After our time at the lake we went for dinner to a great restaurant with a view of the mountain peaks. I had delicious ravioli with a truffle sauce. Then we took a drive past Lake Bled with its island and castle and 'kremeš' cream cakes. It was nice to see it. Then we drove up a series of hairpin bends over a mountain. We stopped at the top to enjoy the view of the church on the mountaintop. Then we drove down into the Selecki valley where Zelezniki lies, passing Roman and Irena's cottage on the way. We also went to see the blast furnace monument in Železniki town square. 

In the evening we visited Irena's  mother and I managed to feed Loti, the world's most fastidious little dog. Then we sat and talked and I asked to see some pictures of Roman and Irena's trip to the Holy Land. Another amazing day. 

The Mountain Lake

After our hike we drove to a huge fantastic lake called Bohin jazera. It is 4.5km long and about 0.5km wide and surrounded by dramatic mountain peaks. The water was about 22°C and very refreshing to swim in. There were plenty of people, but it was such a big lake that it didn't feel crowded.

The Julian Alps

On Saturday we had a mountineer breakfast and then drove along the long and winding road up the mountain Ratitovec. We had fantastic views of the highest mountain Triglav and the different ranges. We picked raspberries, and at the end of the road we set off to hike up to the top of the mountain. At the mountain cottage we had tea and enormous fresh Slovenian doughnuts. Delicious! We came across an ant hill and Roman told me to put my hand on it for 10 seconds, then brush my hand free of ants and inhale the formic acid to clear my lungs! 

Slovenian wine

On Friday evening we tasted some Slovenian wine from the area we had visited.

Piran Harbour

Piran - town of the Venetian Republic

After lunch, Roman drove us up the coast to Piran - a beautiful medieval city that was part of the Venetian Republic for 500 years. The signs were in Slovenian and Italian.

We climbed the town defensive wall and visited the church. Then we made our way through the tiny winding alleys down to the town square and harbour. We had a refreshing drink and ate delicious ice cream. 

Friday - a trip to the sea!

We set off after breakfast and proper Turkish coffee for a trip to the seaside resort of Strunjan. Although it had rained in the night, the weather was glorious. There were plenty of people enjoying the long weekend, but it wasn't difficult to find a spot to settle and we swam in the warm Mediterranean, sunbathed and had a lot of fun. Then we had a nice lunch. I had the biggest plate of freshly grilled sardines which I stuffed in a roll. Delicious! 

Thursday - a happy reunion!

Irena and Roman came to pick me up and we drove to Železniki where they live. I met their daughter Eva, who speaks excellent English,

and Loti, the very discerning dog. There was a visit with some family friends and Irena and I took Loti for a walk around the town. In the evening we visited Irena's mother who live in the next block of flats.

Thursday - the Path of Remembrance

In the morning I went for a walk along a short part of the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship and by the river and back to the Guest House to wait for Irena. The Path of Remembrance is 34km long and circles the whole of Ljubljana. It is a reminder the the barbed wire barricade set up by the Italian and German occuping forces to cut the city off during WW2. 

Wednesday - curry and more jazz

After the museum, I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch. Then in the evening I went back to the Jazz Club for a drink. 

Wednesday - the City Museum

The museum also had a fascinating exhibition on the history of Ljubljana. I even met a Pioneer.