Monday, 26 May 

Opatija, Croatia - Bled, Slovenia 

Hotel Park, Bled 

Weather - Warm and sunny in the morning, late storm - Max 24c

Today we left the Adriatic Coast, headed north, left Croatia and arrived in Slovenia. After a scant breakfast due to a locust plague of Chinese tourists we were on the bus at 8.30am. It was a diverse day with a visit to outstanding caves in the morning, visiting a castle, icing gingerbread in the evening and a fantastic group dinner.

After leaving the hotel and a half hour’s drive we reached the Croatia/Slovenia border and went through without stopping and just like that we were in Slovenia. The country has only 47kms of Adriatic coastline and 60% of the country is covered in forests. It is very green. It has half the population of Croatia at 2M. 

We arrived at the Postojna Caves at 10.00am for our 11.00am tour. We spent the spare 45mins having a coffee and a slice of a yummy apple strudel. The ticketing schedule was strict and we were required to queue at 10.45am for the tour. We were in a group of 100 for the 1.5hrs tour of exploring a part of the 24kms of the cave system. Only 5kms is open to the public. Initially we caught a small train for 3.5kms and the remainder of the guided tour was walking on a footpath for 1.5kms. The path wound its way through the impressive stalactites and stalagmites. It was was a one way route and there was no turning back. One of our group members, Jill, remarked that it was like being in an IKEA store!

The cave was carved out over millions of years by the Pivka River which runs through the cave system. 

The temperature in the cave is a constant 10c degrees all year round. Initially we felt cold but soon got used to it. The different formations formed over millions of years is impressive. Some reminded me of bushy trees. Another was called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

When we emerged from the cave we could barely see as we had become accustomed to the dark cave. We had time for lunch including a gelato before heading north. 

About 10kms further up the road from the cave was the unique Pradjama Castle. Before viewing the castle Sanda brought out a bottle of Rakija (the most popular spirit in Slovenia) so we could toast those who had a birthday in May. Like Schnapps it is also has an acquired taste! 

Pradjama Castle was built in 1274 within the mouth of a cave to make access difficult. The castle has been privately owned by many through the centuries and after WWII it was confiscated by the Yugoslav authorities and turned into a museum.

Leading up to the castle was a photo opportunity. Most of the group joined in and we had fun being Lord and Lady from the medieval times. 

We left the castle at 2.15 and made our way to Bled arriving at 4.00pm. On our way we skirted around Ljubljana. We’ll be there in two days time on our way back to Zagreb. There was still a little snow on the tall, rugged mountains overlooking the city. Closer to Bled it rained heavily and the temperature dropped quickly from 24c to 15c. The traffic was heavy as well. 

Our hotel is terrific and sits on the shoreline of Lake Bled and we will be here for two nights. We have a balcony to admire the view over to the small island. 

At 6.10pm we met in the hotel lobby to go to a group dinner. We had a fantastic evening at Radovljica which was five kilometres south east of Bled. The small town had a terrific chocolate-like seat at the entrance of old town. 

We went to the Gostilnar Lectar (Gingerbread Museum) and in a very old vaulted cellar below a 500 year old house we were given the background to making the traditional red honey gingerbread hearts. We were shown very old hearts, up to sixty years old, which have lasted because they are made with only three ingredients and do not use eggs, oil or milk. 

Following the demonstration we went to an area where we painted our own red hearts with a choice of colours, icing flowers, miniature mirrors and sayings. It was a lot of fun. We obviously need a bit more practice!

A scrumptious traditional dinner followed accompanied by traditional music and dancers. Mushroom soup was served in a whole loaf with a lid. 

For dessert there was a range of choices served on a shared plate. We tried a new cake called the Slovenian Layer Cake (Gibanica). It was not sweet but we enjoyed it with its layers of poppy seeds, cottage cheese, apple filling and filo. The ingredients and the name are protected by law.

When we left the restaurant Henk and I had our photo taken in the red heart outside the museum and restaurant.

It was another great and varied day. Time in now going fast and this time next week we will be back in Brisbane.