Blogs from Bled, Upper Carniola, Slovenia, Europe

Day nineteen. 2023. I love Bled. (I may not have made this clear enough 😂) This morning was a visit somewhere new, a mini zoo. I'm not sure it was what you might expect of a zoo but it had snakes (quite terrifying as they stared at you) lizards (see above) the biggest free roaming grey parrot who clicked and spoke to you (in English) but equally looked like one wrong move and it would peck your eyes out, and all manner of terrapins. They had an insect area, the underside of a giant stick insect will make up all my nightmares from now on, they had fish (well, one tank anyway) chinchillas, hamsters, rabbits (not entirely sure if the small flurries and insects were there as potential food for the reptiles mind you but we'll ... read more

day 15, 2023, Monday, perfect day. A lazy morning in the apartment have us time to watch the football and take in the fabulous weather. Seth and I took a short walk to the shop to get a few supplies, mostly chicken crisps, the mother of all crisps and only available here. We were very restrained, only getting seven packets this time (more to come though) A quick lunch and we made our way back out into the glorious sunshine, Seth and Ash for a swim, me for a sit. After a there and back stroll we settled on a spot. Ash and Seth swam with the ducks and the fish, I listened to all the various nationalities , read my book and took in the fabulous wonderful perfect view. Once they got our, it ... read more

What a stunning country! Our first time in this wooded, green country of just over two million inhabitants dissected by rivers and winding roads. We actually stayed first just over the border from Croatia in Lovsin Estate. The river Kupa bordered the estate and the country. We had oodles of space as the major European countries had not yet commenced school holidays so it was relatively quiet. Swimming was great above the weir and we rented a canoe and paddled gently upstream to another camping spot we were glad we had not found! We met a delightful young couple Emma and Gregor who were holidaying from Celje with their two young daughters whose shyness prevented them from practising their English. The adults, however, discussed the country, its culture, customs and politics for many hours. As a ... read more

Today we’ve booked tickets to visit Vintgar Gorge which is about five kilometres north of Lake Bled. Issy didn’t sleep too well so it looks like I’m on my own. It’s drizzly and a bit grey, and the clouds are down on the mountains which is making them look a bit spooky. We read last night that there’s a free shuttle bus from town out to the Gorge. There must be a lot of people who want to go there; the buses leave about every three minutes. Our Gorge entry tickets are for a very specific time, which is maybe not too surprising given that bus loads full of visitors clearly turn up to get in there every few minutes, plus more in cars, on bikes, and maybe even some hikers. The walkway through the Gorge ... read more

Bled castle The castle's history dates back to 1004 when the German king Henry II conferred the estate of Bled on Bishop Albuin of Brixen. The first castle was built by the bishops around 1011 for defensive purposes. The bishops of Brixen never lived in the castle so there were no elaborately decorated rooms. In the Middle Ages additional towers were built and the fortification system with the wall and lifting tower above the ditch were upgraded. The ditch has now been covered. In 1511, the castle was strongly damaged by an earthquake, but it was rebuilt in the image as it is today. The castle buildings are decorated with the images of coats-of-arms, painted in fresco technique, some are engraved in stone. The castle was restored in the period from 1951 to 1961. The castle's ... read more