Let’s All be Stupid Together

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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 looked a bit flimsy in the pictures we’ve seen, and apparently it‘s so narrow that they only let you walk in one direction. I hope whoever designed it allowed for the weight of so many visitors.

I set off through the drizzle. It’s a couple of kilometres hike to the bus stop, but I make it in good time. But hang on, why is there no one else here? Maybe the previous bus just left. I look at the familiar timetable that I saw last night. Hmmmm. It seems I may have read it after having one too many local craft beers. It does indeed have a lot of times on it that are about three minutes apart, but these are when it leaves from each of twenty or so stops between here and the Gorge; it only leaves from here once every couple of hours … and I’ve just missed one. I think it might be better if I don’t tell anyone that I actually believed a bus load of people leaves from here every three minutes. But it seems that embarrassment is the least of my problems now; I’ve got no transport and only an hour to get there or they won’t let me in. I consult the Google machine. It seems that if I walk the five or so kilometres really quickly I might just make it.

I take a few wrong turns, and stumble up to the entrance five minutes late. I was right to be worried. There’s a very stern looking lady (she mustn’t be Slovenian) asking people when they’re booked for, and she’s not letting anyone past if they’ve turned up at the wrong time. A bit further on there’s a turnstile where I have to scan the barcode on my ticket. I hold my breath as I wait for the light to turn green. It seems that five minutes late is OK .... but six might not have been.

The Gorge is beyond spectacular. It’s a series of rapids and waterfalls through a narrow canyon with sheer vertical cliffs on either side. The water is crystal clear and there’s a fine mist rising from the surface. I can see now why they only let you walk one way, there’s scarcely enough room for one person to fit through some of the sections against the cliff faces, let alone two. And it’s just as well they limit the number of people. Everyone stops to take pictures, and there’s no room to get past them while they do, so it’d be mayhem if it was a free for all and everyone turned up at once, not to mention the possibility of the walkways and bridges all getting overloaded and collapsing, and us all plunging into the chasm.

The canyon ends at a one way turnstile. I can see a few people trying to get through it the wrong way, and they don’t look overly happy; it’s a long trek up over the mountains to get to where they need to be to go through the right way. I wonder how people can be so bad at reading instructions. …. then I remember about the buses that I though left every three minutes with hundreds of passengers in them. Maybe I should go with the people who are trying to hike in the wrong direction and we could all be stupid together. It’s been a long morning of hiking, so I’m glad it’s not me who has to now hike up over the mountains. But wait, how do I get back to Bled? Hmmm…. it seems by hiking up over the mountains… The hike through the forest is very green and pleasant, well except for the uphill bit, which now that I think about it was all of it. I emerge at the very pretty onion-domed Santa Katerina Church. The views from here down over villages and farmland back towards Bled are excellent.

So what now? Well I suppose I have to walk back to Bled. I think I’ve done about twenty kilometres today already, most of it unplanned, so what’s another ten. And while I’m at it, why not try and kill myself even more by walking up the thousand or so steep steps to Bled Castle; after all it’s only a minor detour.

I read that there’s been a fortification of some sort up here on the sheer clifftop where the Castle now stands since the eleventh century, and it’s been strengthened a few times over the journey particularly during the Middle Ages. It’s built around a couple of courtyards, and includes a restaurant and a museum. The views down over the Lake and the surrounding countryside are excellent.

Back at the B&B it’s time for a relaxing rest. And that was going very well until we get an email from our host to say that she’s tested positive to COVID …… for the third time. That would be the host who served us breakfast this morning, in our room. I’m not quite sure we can fight the dreaded virus with alcohol, but it certainly won’t be for lack of trying. Issy orders one of the many vodkas on the dinner menu, to be accompanied by Coca Cola. She tells me that vodka is tasteless. Why then, she asks me, are some vodkas more expensive than others? I’m glad it’s not just me who worries about mindless trivialities….

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Vintgar Gorge
The scenery keeps getting more beautiful.