Slovenia! We are now into another "new" country for us, this time Republika Sovenija. Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia and achieved independence for the first time in 1991. It's a small country about the size of New Jersey but one-fourth the population and borders Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy with only 29 miles of Mediterranean coastline.
Our first night was in Ljubljana ("lube-yana") at an old Coachmen Guesthouse with a restaurant where we had our first Slovenian traditional food. We enjoyed a quick walk around the town but we will be back for several days next week.
Our first night in Slovenia
Goulash with big dough balls served in the individual pot
third floor up without elevators are very common
twin wooden platform beds with the shared bathroom down the hall
Picking up our car the next morning we headed out towards the resort town of Bled which lies on a small lake, 1.5 miles long, that is extremely popular with tourists from everywhere. We were there on Easter weekend so it was even busier with families and young people. Slovenians are very active sports people and Lake Bled is the training ground for Olympic rowers boasting several medalists.
Bled is famous for its Cream Cake-puff pastry, custard, whipped cream, puff pastry, and icing sugar
Our bed and breakfast accommodations were about 1/2 mile uphill from the lake which we walked several times, easily getting in 15,000+ steps on our Fitbit pedometers - thank goodness!
We hiked one day to the Vintgar Gorge where the River Radovna has carved a mile-long gorge into the mountainside. Boardwalks hanging on the rock ledges and bridges crossing the rivers where really picturesque. We discovered the day we went was the seasonal opening day and was absolutely jammed with people on the way out but did thin out on our return.
local Bled cheese and Slovenian beer
A visit to the cliff-hanging Bled Castle (Blejski Grad) was a must although after the hike in the Gorge we chose to drive up rather than walk the steep hill trail. The castle perched 426 above the glacial Lake Bled is the oldest in Slovenia and has been occupied by several different rulers and bishops for over 1,000 years.
Now the castle is over run by travelers in big bus tours!
Finally we were treated to a free evening performance of tradional Slovenian music and folk dance in one of the bigger hotels.
And Jack even joined in on the last "dance"!!
We enjoyed all the traditional foods for Easter-hard boiled eggs that are colored red using natural dye of the red onion, potica sweet bread, ham baked in pastry with horseradish and delicious desserts.
Potica-delicious creamcheese filled bread
traditionally colored eggs
ham baked in bread loaf with cabbage & horseradish
Bovski krafi-a boiled sweet dough stuffed with a Bosc pear mixture
Cockta is a herbal-based drink that is similar to Coke-it was made in the 1950's before Coca Cola could be imported into Yugoslavia
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