Caves and castles

---

---

The beds were very uncomfortable so none of us slept well but we had a lazy start to the day as our first stop - 10am tour of Postojna caves - was just down the road. Again LOADS of people. The caves felt a lot more touristy - especially with the twee train ride to start it off! It was also a lot colder than the Škocjan Caves & I was glad I'd brought a jumper. The caves were beautiful & we saw olms!!! Such awesome animals! I love that people used to think they were baby dragons!!!!

After the cold caves we were for once glad to get back into the sun. Vicky & I did a bit of shopping then joined Chavaunne for lunch - wraps with roasted veg & pine nuts with optional cheese &/or prosciutto. After that we went for a look around the Vivarium where there were more olms & other cave dwellers, but disappointedly most of the tanks seemed empty - I don't mean we couldn't find the critters but that the tanks were completely unlit so nothing could be seen in them & the signs were blank.

After this we headed up the road to visit Predjama Castle - a beautiful castle perched in the middle of a 123-metre-high cliff for more than 800 years. In the cliff behind is the largest cave castle in the world with a network of secret tunnels, from where the knight Erazem of Predjama would set out plundering! Fewer tourists here - possibly because the free shuttle bus from the caves wasn't running - which was nice. I've visited many castles over the years but this is now my favourite! The way it's grown with extensions with rooms at different levels & some interesting shapes where they've been fitted it - the chapel especially - gave it a wonderfully higgledy-piggledy feel!

We then drove back to Ljubljana, checked into our last Slovenian apartment then dropped the hire car off before walking into town in search of supper. The apartment was very small but nicely laid out (I got a comfy top double bunk!) except there was a window between the bedrooms that has no glass or shutters which seemed a bit odd! We found the car park ok but then it took us a while to find the hotel where we had to drop off the keys! We started off the evening with some very tasty cocktails by the river then found a decent restaurant where Chavaunne & I had some very tasty wild boar. We finished it off again with ice-creams whilst walking home. We packed up that evening & said our goodbyes as Vicky had a very early start to get the bus to the airport & we weren't much better with a bus to catch to Croatia.

---

Photos

The armoury
Predjama castle