An Unfortunate Name for a Beautiful Place

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Geo: 46.3683, 14.1147

Our night in Zagreb was one of only two single-night stops on our itinerary, so we only unpacked what we needed. Our bags were collected, we ate breakfast, and then met our local guide for our formal tour of Zagreb. Starting on the bus, we got an overview and orientation to the city, and it soon became evident what a green city it is, and how far they have come in revitalizing the city since independence. We learned that during the Yugoslav era, Belgrade was deemed the political capital, whereas Zagreb was designated as cultural capital for the country. As such, Zagreb has an inordinately high number of museums and cultural venues. There is a heavy Habsburg influence in the architecture of the city, particularly in the downtown area. The majority of the massive (and soulless) building of the communist era is confined to the outer edges of the city. The city was also not damaged during WWII, so most structures from the Austro-Hungarian period still stand. It's similarity to Vienna and Budapest became more and more evident as we toured the city.

Our bus dropped us off a the highest point of the city, and with our guide and ear whispers, we commenced on a comprehensive walking tour. The upper city was all but empty as we walked around, and it made us wonder where everyone was, particularly as it was Good Friday and a local holiday. As we progressed downhill, however, we soon encountered more and more locals, until we reached the main pedestrian squares (where we had been the previous night). Three of these main squares were full with open-air weekend markets, selling every possible foodstuff imaginable. There was also an outdoor Easter market, similar too but not as extensive as the one we saw in Vienna a week earlier.

We were cut loose to explore (read "shop" and "eat"😉 on our own, until we reconvened around 2:30pm. We had a great time and definitely wish we'd had more time in the city. It is someplace to which we could easily return and spend some serious time.

From here, we had about a two-and-a-half hour drive to Bled, in Slovenia, which would be our final resting spot on this tour. We had to leave Croatia, and as we approached the Slovene border -- relatively close to Zagreb -- we saw our first evidence of the Syrian migrant crisis. As I wrote earlier, Slovenia is a member of Schengen, so I had expected to go through some form of formal border check, but as we approached the large border checkpoint, we could see rolls of barbed wire extending as far as the eye could see on both horizons. We were told that the barbed wire extends the entire border, and was hastily erected in response to the migrants. Traffic in both directions was heavy, but the lines were particularly long coming INTO Croatia. Our guide explained that there are very high concentrations of "former Yugoslavs" who moved to Europe in the early 1990's, and it is tradition for them to drive down and return "home" during the Easter holidays. We were all asked to physically leave the bus and have our passports reviewed and stamped. Despite this, the check was none too intrusive and we were soon on our way.

Whereas Zagreb and the high plains had reminded us of Vienna, almost as soon as we entered Slovenia, the countryside and increasingly mountainous terrain reminded us of western Austria, near Salzburg. Successive green valleys were filled with small villages with red roofs and onion-domed Roman Catholic churches. It was very deju vu'ish, and this really carried on when we approached the Lake Bled area, which is a mountain lake nestled in the foothills of the Alps, and which has a distinct resemblance to the Salzkammergut region of Austria.

Bled itself is a very small town, which is now admittedly touristy, and which sits along one edge of Lake Bled. Above the town is Bled Castle, and the lake's sole island houses a beautiful church. The setting is idyllic and the sun had reemerged for our arrival.

The only optional tour for which we had not originally signed up was scheduled for this evening. It was a "traditional Slovenian meal and cultural experience," in a small neighboring village. Given the last-minute option, we decided to join this dinner tour, and we were very glad we did. We made a 20-minute or so drive to the small village of Radovljica, which looked as though it was deposited 200 years ago and then forgotten. We had a short walking tour with Rok of the pedestrian-only old city, which was enhanced as the sun set and we watched several priests pour in and then prepare for Good Friday services, which was about to begin. We were, not surprisingly, the only non-locals around, and it added to the experience.

Our dinner was both a meal and a "cultural experience." We went to a local inn and started in their underground wine cellar, where drinks and snacks were served while a local trio (an accordion player, and two dancers) played music and danced. The wine was flowing freely, and that continued upstairs, where we assembled for our dinner, which was quite good. Near the end of the meal, the trio returned and we embarked upon more dancing, but this time we were encouraged (selected) to participate. Both Anna and K were brought up to dance a polka, and then K was selected for a "hat dance," which involved a circle of women locking one arm, donning hats, and then using their free hands to grasp the hat of their neighbor and move it to their head in rhythm with the song. The song got progressively faster, and as one person messed up, they were removed from the circle. This continued until there were only two. It was great fun.

Our ride home was a little more rowdy than usual, given the free-flowing wine and beer, and it was a wonderfully fun evening. I had feared it would be tacky and touristy, but it was not, and instead it became a highlight of our trip.

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