Slovenia

 

The Julian Alps

Piran

We arrived in the early afternoon at the crowded Camp Fiesta which had few sites available, restrooms in poor repair and no pool but was just steps through a nice park to the Adriatic Sea with a pebble beach. These were round pebbles, not the small sharp stones we’d thus far encountered. Dermot stayed in the shade while I floating in the sea staying cool waiting for a later, and hopefully cooler trip into the town which was only a 16 minute walk away. The path from camp to town followed the beach climbing upward to the Cathedral atop walls with great views overlooking the town square and port below. 

As we followed our guide, we noted that most of the people in the campsite and even in the town seemed to be Slovenians judging from the license plates and conversations making it a bit of an undiscovered gem. We descended into Tartini Square which was atmospheric and enjoyed the views from along the harbor. Though it didn’t seem overcrowded, we were lucky to find a table for an early dinner at Pri Mari (the second restaurant we picked from the guide after being turned away at the first). Sated, we wandered the small back streets and alleys without a plan since it was so small you couldn’t get too lost and very much enjoyed the town. Mary Murphy wrote a more comprehensive post on Piran: Picturesque Piran

Click here for our photos and (i) for information.

The Karst 

Park Škockanske Jame

The good news is: this was the best, most exciting cave experience I’ve had to date. The bad news (for you) is that they didn’t allow pictures while we were in the caves.  If you're interested, do a google image search and you'll see what I mean. 

The walk is not for anyone that has trouble with stairs or tires easily but it rewards your efforts with huge caverns, massive stalagmites, and a long, meandering pathway intermittently lit looking like something out of a creepy sci-fi movie. As if that wasn’t enough, the cave system starts with a river near Piran that disappears underground and runs for miles until it emerges again in Italy. We saw and heard the water flowing far below us. Though we experienced it during a time with little rain and, therefore, low water volume; due to a constriction further along, rainy weather fills it up and the water is a raging torrent. Leaving the caves, we took a slight detour on the way back to the ticket office to a scenic overlook at the town that sits above the collapsed valley (which used to be part of the cave system until the roof fell in).

You'll have to zoom way in on the town it get a feel for how deep that gorge is. This town is not on my list of potential places to live!

Ljubljana

We arrived late at Ljubljana Resort Hotel & Camping which is a small campground adjoining a resort-style pool and other amenities which we were allowed to access on a limited and/or reduced-rate basis. We resolved to spend the first night touring the gym, relaxing, eating at the camp restaurant and strolling the nearby path along the river. 

The next morning we easily caught a bus into the city (public transportation, check) and immediately wondered why the streets were so empty. We only spent one day in the actual city but it was not too big and not too small, it felt just right. There are no big sights to see but there are a thousand little details that, together, make it very livable. The main square was charming and there were more people but nowhere was excessively crowded. The streets are closed to traffic making it so much more relaxing to wander. There was an extensive market all along the river, ample bike paths, many eateries, the remains of a Roman town, and gorgeous architecture. It’s also clean and green with many leafy parks and fines for not recycling! Locals were very friendly and most also spoke excellent English which made everything about our travel here easy. Even the bus drivers met our fumbling attempts to use the bus card with patience and a smile. We left a bit early so Dermot could catch the All Ireland game at camp but I must admit to being smitten with Ljubljana.

We spent much of following day doing a bit of planning and some chores then headed for what was billed as a resort-style pool. There were two enormous pools that had many features to delight any child and some adults and it was packed. Since Dermot and I are looking for comfortable lounging chairs with umbrellas for shade, we were out of luck on this very hot day as every lounge chair around the pools was taken or draped with a towel. We swam in the water for awhile and found a picnic table in the shade but didn’t stay long.

Lake Bled

The following day checked into Camping Sobec and felt lucky to find a space in the “free areas” since the first place we called was booked solid through August. “Free” in this case means there are no set boundaries, you just park wherever you fit. Rain featured heavily in the forecast for the afternoon and following day so we left chairs to hold our spot and headed into town to get in as much sightseeing as possible.  

Finding parking was a nightmare with the lots set aside for campers requiring payment for the full day assuming we would spend 24 hours there. We eventually found a lot we hoped would not be upset if we temporarily defined ourselves as more of a car/van than a camper since we were only staying a few hours. I downloaded an app that allowed us to extend our time if needed (and we did - twice). 

Lake Bled is a very charming area complete with a castle on a dramatic cliff far above the town. We walked around the glacial lake enjoying the views and taking pictures along with all the other tourists. Smarter people (locals, presumably) wore bathing suits and ignored the signs forbidding swimming in the lake. I eyed the castle far above dubiously but eventually decided it was worth the estimated 20 minute hike uphill since waiting for the shuttle would have landed us there during a rain storm. Calling it a hill made it seem more doable than a "cliff." The weather app indicated it was 90 degrees which at least partially explained why the ascent was more challenging and sweaty than anticipated. The views were worth it, in retrospect . . . maybe. The castle and museum were somewhat interesting and the wine served by a man dressed as a monk was nice.

When we returned to camp, our chairs had been moved aside and Dermot had to square off with a young Aussie couple to reclaim our space but with a bit of reshuffling we all found room. Showers and cool drinks were necessities. 

Perusing Mary Murphy's blog, I found her post on the area which is much more informative than mine: Bled - Simply Bled

The Julian Alps

Our original plan was to wait out the rain in camp but the forecast now gave us a clear window to make it through the Vrsic Pass and we took it. Dermot drove the 49 hairpin turns (they’re numbered!) while I narrated and navigated using Rick Steve’s Self-Guided Driving Route. Our van isn’t an automatic it’s what Fiat calls "Comfort-matic," which means you don’t have to shift gears, there’s software that mimics automatic shifting. This usually works pretty well but on mountains, the engine revs alarmingly higher than seems warranted. We made the bicyclists very nervous. 

The views of mountains, forests, glaciers and river Soca were stunning. Unfortunately, the summit was jammed with people all trying to get the perfect shot and the size of our van made it unlikely we'd snag a parking space so I just took shots through the window as Dermot drove. We camped outside the town of Bovec at Camp Polovnik, happy to be on relatively level ground. This area has many adventure sports offerings like white water rafting, kayaking, hiking, bicycling and paragliding. The option that most appealed to us was kayaking but the water levels in the river were low so we passed.

There were still miles to go on the self-guided tour so the next morning we headed for the town of Kobarid watching for the sights along the way. This region was the site of fierce and pivotal fighting in WWI and we visited the extensive collection of war artifacts at the Kobarid Museum. It was sobering to look at the pictures of those who had been gone for over 100 years and realize we still hadn't found a way to ensure the enduring peace we all need and want.