Memories and Musings: my Recent Trip to Europe VI: Slovenia, Its Lakes and Its Adriatic Coast

I had only a late afternoon and evening of exploring and dining Slovenian style on my first day in the country, at its capital Ljubljana. The next morning I was picked up at my guesthouse (the Stari Tisler, modest but nice, close to the Old Town, inexpensive) at a little after 8 am by, my guide, a young woman named Sanda. I was lucky to be her first pick-up in the comfortable minivan, as we were able to get acquainted before being joined by a Finnish couple, retired doctors, bright and gracious, the three of them some of the finest people I met on my recent adventure. 

The insignificant looking Socerb Castle, our first stop

We traveled to several varied spots along the tiny coastline of Slovenia. Our first stop was at the Socerb Castle, at first glance a just tiny ruin of a place. In fact it was not open to visitors. But the point was not to see its interior, the point was to step a few feet west of the castle proper and see the reason the castle was placed where it was centuries ago: a commanding vista of the Adriatic, some of the Slovenian coastline, and the Italian city of Trieste. All of this was spread out far below us, and while it was not a terribly clear day, we were just able to glimpse more of the Italian coast across the sea.

Soccer Castle held a very strategic position, with wonderful views of the Adriatic, the Slovenian coastline, and to the right, Trieste.

Breathtaking! A great way to start the day, and to understand what Sanda meant when on the way there she told us that Trieste seemed to belong naturally more to Slovenia than to Italy. The strategically important city, and its great bay were retained by Italy after World War II at a time when Slovenia didn't really exist as such, instead as a part of the communist-held Yugoslavia. Another result of borders and frontiers and the politics and power struggles that outweighed natural geography, thus another reinforcement of a theme of my journey. 

The city of Trieste, spread out below us

A bit of the view, a bit of the castle wall

Dottore Gianni LIKES Socerb and the view!

After taking in the view, we hopped back into the van and drove inland a bit, to another place that seemed...let's just say less than overwhelming. We stopped at a tiny village called Hrastovlje, focusing specifically on a tiny church behind a protective wall. 

The Church of the Holy Trinity and its protective wall

The Church of the Holy Trinity had been around for a very long time, since the Medieval era, and its outer wall was typical of churches in this part of the world, for centuries at the edge of Europe and the empire of the Ottoman Turks. The Turks made incursions into Eastern Europe regularly and powerfully. Even the great city of Vienna was threatened by them on several occasions, only finally taking down its own protective walls in the 19th century, and turning those walls into the grand "ringstrassen" (ringed roads) that today surround the city. But that's a story from another journey for another time. 

The Church and wall in the distance

Poor little Hrastovlje was farther east and much less protected than Vienna, obviously, but it tried its best. When an enemy approach was discovered the church bell rang and the people in the surrounding community and farmlands beyond ran for its protection. I must confess that such protection seems inadequate to hold out a powerful army, but I suppose they did what they could with what they had. 

Frescoes surrounding the altar of Holy Trinity

That history would be enough reason to travel to this odd little place, but enter the insignificant looking church and it is immediately apparent why a 21st century tour group puts it on its schedule. 

More frescoes

It is alive with Medieval frescoes. It is almost impossible to find a nook or cranny NOT painted with tales from the Old and New Testaments. 

Still more frescoes

By far the most famous of these is the dance of death, a variation on a vital aspect of the plague years. In the 14th century the Bubonic plague swept Europe, and that was only the worst of many plagues that ravaged the continent. 

The Dance of Death, or Totentanz

Even without the plague the them of the "totentanz" as it is also known is clear: no matter who you are, or how powerful, one thing is certain. Death is going to take you when it will.

There are many visual variations on the dance of death. This one is almost amusing to me, as much of it looks like a chorus line, with the skeletons as well-trained dancers enjoying the steps, and between them individuals of all sorts clearly unacquainted with and uncomfortable doing the dance.

Outside the church, inside its walls

The houses of Hrastovlje, a short walk from the church

This is why I love to travel. I almost always travel alone, but day trips such as this one, with a trained guide first merely finding the place, then taking me there, and more importantly explaining all I need to know about such an out-of-the-way place, are key to the success of any of my travels, especially recent ones. 

We left Hrastovle and headed for the Slovenian coast - theirs is a tiny coastline, only about 25 miles in length. Our first stop was its important port city of Koper. I smile as I write this, because if proximity governed which areas belong to what country, Trieste, a huge port, would be Slovenian, and Koper would have remained in the shadows, However, that is often not the case, and certainly not here.

The upper, old town of Koper, in the Venetian style

When one enters the city of Koper it seems modern, dull, and dominated by its shipping business, cruise ships as well as industrial shipping. However, climb - or take a very convenient elevator, as we did - to the upper, older city, and we were thrust back into the heyday of the Venetian Republic, which until its collapse in the 17th and 18th centuries held this area as well as many others. 

More of Koper's old town

The architecture screams VENICE up on the hill. What a wonderful contrast to the port below. 

The nice place where we had our coffee and cake

There ARE however pleasures to be had below, including the seaside cafe we stopped at for a midmorning cappuccino and cake. 

Our cakes

What a civilized as well as tasty habit! I'm not certain why, but I offered to treat Sanda and the Finns to this snack, and after a bit of polite protest they agreed. 

The Finnish doctors and on the right, Sanda

The bill came to under 20 Euros, so I wasn't breaking my bank, and I was rewarded later in the day...but I'll leave you in suspense about that until after you've had a few minutes of reading and photo-gazing.

The the pretty waterside at Koper

The marina and the beautiful blue Adriatic Sea

We had a bit of free time in Koper - we didn't need much - but I spent most of it wandering around thewaterfront. I escaped from the industrial area of the port and found a rather attractive marina. A pleasant enough place, if not a highlight of our day outing.

Upon leaving Koper we headed down the coast to vitally important (if quite uninteresting) salt marshes. Slovenia is actively "farming" - is that the word? salt. There is a small museum on the subject next to the marshes, and a 30 minute film which was fitfully interesting. 

Harvesting salt

At this point in the day, if asked, I could have said that I would not have wanted to miss Socerb Castle and Holy Trinity Church at Hrastovlje, but could have done without Koper and frankly found the salt fields, not a waste of time, but the least interesting portion of our day. My Finnish friends felt the same way.

However! The wise tour group saved the best for last. Iran, the jewel of the Slovenian Riviera (not sure there even is such a title, but I'll dub it that for here and now).  Sanda was not allowed to  bring her car into the city center - Piran is very careful to keep its long areas along the coast and its streets stretching out from the main square.

So, she dropped us in what seemed the middle of nowhere, above the city, at a humble looking restaurant, and showed us the path downward to the city's Medieval walls, instructing us to stop there for the view, then head downward to the church spire. She would park the van in a lot just outside the city, which offered a free shuttle bus into the center. 

My delicious and super-fresh fish at the restaurant above Piran

The dull-looking restaurant set out a lunch that was absolutely delicious, in fact I think it it was the finest meal I had in all three weeks of my trip! I had a fish - and I mean a whole fish - that was simply wonderful, though I had a bit of a time getting at it. I ate slowly a cast glances at the female doctor, who'd ordered the same thing. I'm not sure if she had been a surgeon, but went at the fish as if she had a surgeon's touch. I followed her lead as well as I could. 

Now to my reward. This meal was delicious. It was also quite expensive. The Finns insisted - would not take "no" for an answer - that I let them buy me lunch. If I can be crass for a moment. I got a great deal out of my kindness at coffee break! 

We chatted freely, about politics - they simply cannot understand all the shootings in the US, and they are flabbergasted that a lummox like Trump could even be considered as the possible future president. On both of these matters they were not the only ones who expressed disappointment, even shock, at the Donald and at the shootings. In another conversation an Italian woman I met on a train told me that she no longer felt it safe to travel to the US. I understand how she feels, sadly.

Fortunately they told me about their retired life. One pays a good bit of tax in Finland, but they have NO worries when they retire. If only I could say the same! I am panicked at the prospect of having to deal with long-term health care. I simply can't afford me. I've instructed my brother Phil that if it comes to it, he should just shoot me. Sorry for the min-rant. I'll turn it to a positive, as I was touched when they told me about their evening walks. They live in Helsinki, which has a lovely waterfront, in the day filled with fish and vegetable markets, at night safe and quiet. They take walks along the shore most nights, and she (who has better English than he, though he enthusiastically and heroically tries to use it) that on certain nights, if the weather is right and they feel in the mood, they stop at a place along the way and have a glass or two of champagne. 

Some of the Medieval walls at Piran

In short, lunch was great! We found the walls easily enough, and up we climbed. the views of the city and across the Adriatic are terrific. 

The decent view from halfway up the walls

I was ready to stop at the first level of stairs, but they urged me to join them in the climb to the highest viewpoint. They are ten years older than I am, I'm certain of it, but they are energetic. Their urging paid off again. I thought I'd got the perfect shot of Piran and the sea, but when we reached the top the view was even more spectacular. 

The best view (and a postcard image you can find throughout Piran

Tartini Square, large and welcoming

We made our way to Tartini Square, the main square in Piran, and impressive. The centerpiece is a statue of Giuseppe Tartini, who was an 18th century virtuoso violinist and composer. 

Tartini statue in the square named for him

Eateries on Tartini Square

In fact I am listening to music by him as I write this - inspiration! He was based in Venice, but was born in Piran, which was still part of that Republic during his lifetime. Wonder if he knew Vivaldi?

Elegant palace on the square, Tartini statue to the left of it

There we met Sanda, who took us on a nice walk along the waterfront, describing the city in more detail, and answering our questions adeptly. 

Church along the waterfront, Piran

Also along the waterfront, Hotel Piran - I'd stay there!

It may be difficult to read the places on the
signpost (click on it to see it full size),
but one says Miami Beach 8272 kilometers,
below that Sea, 10 meters
and the bottom one Good Food, 9 meters

She got us back to the square and the bus stop just as one was pulling in, drove us out of Piran and back to Ljubljana. We were there by 5 pm. A really fine outing, a really fine day.

********

The next morning I was picked up again at my hotel, this time by a male guide, who introduced himself to me as Nate, and though it is spelled Nejc in Slovenian, it is pronounced almost exactly as I would pronounce Nate. His style was completely different from Sanda's. She was slow and deliberate, he fast-talking and impulsive. His English was better than hers, in fact at first I had to listen for an accent, but while their styled differ I enjoyed both of them and their tours equally.

There was only one other fellow on this tour. The tourist "season" in Slovenia was just picking up, Nejc explained, but I was delighted to get another nearly personal tour from this company which specializes in intimate tours, 8 people at most.We picked up the other member of our party at the airport, where he had flown in from Dubai for a conference - on tourism! He was in the business there and the next day he would meet Nejc's boss in another Slovenian city. At the end of the day he was dropped off back at the airport and a car service picked him up and drove him to that place (forgetting the name though it might have been Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia and in the middle of its vineyards - if I get back I'd like to visit there myself.) He was a very nice fellow, and while the two of them had more in common obviously (the tourism industry - I learned for example that the largest number of tourists in the last few years to Slovenia are South Koreans!), and they are both very good photographers, slinging very expensive cameras while I carried my tiny point-and-shoot, but we managed to have a very good time, as Nejc was very attentive to each of us. Before I continue, I want to say that Nejc is super bright and a professional photo-journalist. In fact in addition to his work for Slovenia Explorers he offers photographic tours to groups of 4 or 5 - all should be if not good photographers, at least very focused on photography, and he teaches them more, showing them the best angles and methods for shooting the perfect picture - smart young fellow!

Our day was...shall we say atmospheric? That's the best face I can put on it. It was drizzling most of the day, and at the one part of it where we needed to be out and walking it was raining pretty steadily. But still we had a great time. Nejc pointed out that the people who go to the spots we did on sunny days could take photos, but they may as well buy postcards, as their photos will not be nearly as good as those on the postcards. On rainy days people will get a chance at more unique and interesting photos (mists and clouds etc) - and if we want sunny shots we can buy the postcards!

Mists, mountains and the tiny island with the Church of the Assumption,
Lake Bled

Our first stop was the most beautiful lake, as well as probably THE main tourist attraction in Slovenia, Lake Bled. We took it in three stages, so to speak. 

The castle at Lake Bled

First we drove to the castle, which sits high above the lake, and offers great views (greater, in spite of Nejc's consoling remarks, on sunny days than on rainy ones). He gave us a brief overview of the castle and left us on our own to explore, but always checked in with us - and warned us about the overpriced wine shop in the castle's basement. If we wanted wine he'd tell us of places in Ljubljana where we could get a much better deal.

He also took us to what in his opinion (and he's a pro) was the finest spot to get a photo on the castle grounds, and using our cameras took photos of us there.

Nejc's favorite spot for a good photo from the castle

A shot through a window at the castle courtyard

The castle has ben around for 1,000 years and is filled with history of the area, and as with other parts of Slovenia, the history goes back before the days when ancient Rome controlled it, so there is a lot to consider and see. An unexpected treat was a group of female Slovenian tourists who organized themselves in a part of the castle and burst into song, probably folk tunes from the country. 

The hills are alive...with the sounds of music from
this women's choir

A view from the castle ramparts

After the better part of an hour at the castle we drove down towards the lake, parking at a rather interesting piece of history, the villa of Tito, now a posh hotel. 

Marshal Tito's villa, now a hotel

It was from here that part two of the Lake Bled experience began. Our boatman was waiting to take us to the tiny island in the middle of it, on which sat an old church. The fellow looked like Charon rowing souls over the River Styx and into Hades, but he was very nice and good at his work.

The captain of our pletna boat - grim looking, but nice

Our guide Nejc, our friend from Dubai, and our skipper - the wood on the boat is polished to a real shine, visible even on a rainy day

The boat we embarked in is called a pletna, not dissimilar to Venice's gondolas, in that they are handmade and beautiful, but they are wider and can seat up to 20 people and the "gondolier" (pletna-ier?) uses two oars rather than one. 

A passing pletna

This has been a family business, or rather the business of several local families, ever since the 18th century when the Empress Maria Theresa of the Austro-Hungarian Empire gave permission to certain families who lived on the lake to make boats and row people back and forth from different points on the shore to the island and back. The business has stayed all in the families ever since then, and there is good money to be made. Nejc showed us our pletna-ier's car - a beautiful Mercedes.

The church from our boat

The castle from the island

Once off the boat on the island there are 99 steps up to the Church of the Assumption. It is an easier climb than you might expect, and it is a very pretty church, with quite a history. In the 8th century the place was a pagan temple devoted to the goddess of love and fertility. Four other versions of it existed at different times, and the one you see today is Baroque. It is being renovated just now, but one can still enter and ring the bell. If you can get it to ring three times with one pull it is said that all your dreams will come true. So of course I tried it - I'll let four pics say a thousand words:

Prepared to ring the bell - grim determination

A look of surprise when I realize how difficult it is

A running start

I finally got it to ring just once - but 3 times on one pull?!? Guess my dreams won't come true - perhaps if I had put down the umbrella and my man bag?

In addition to the church there is a gift shop, a cafe, where Nejc and my new friend from Dubai had a mid-morning coffee (I resisted the urge), and a small art museum. We were on a fairly strict schedule as our boat had to return 1/2 hour after our arrival, so the visit was brief, but certainly enough to get the feel of what Nejc called "Slovenia's only island" I thought at first that he was joking, but I thought back to yesterday's tour of the 24-mile coast. I'm now convinced that he's right!

The powerful falls at Vintgar Gorge

Part three of the Lake Bled experience was saved for later in the day. We now proceeded to the nearby Vintgar Gorge, a dramatic rushing mountain stream which had over the centuries cut a passageway between the rock on either side. A walkway led from one end of the gorge to the other. 

Rickety looking but quite sturdy walkway along the Gorge

Nejc dropped us off where most people ended their walk, so we'd have a good look at the waterfalls on that end, then drove to the other end to meet us. It was raining lightly now, and we had a half hour trek through the gorge - it took more like 45 minutes, as my Dubai friend wanted photos everywhere. But I didn't complain, as it was quite dramatic and beautiful even in the bad weather.

More of the Gorge - that tree trunk doesn't stand a chance

Some climbing was involved

Probably not a great idea to fall in- quite the trek along Vintgar Gorge!

On the way to our next stop (lunch!) we passed the method of drying hay peculiar to Slovenia, and in some Tyrollean regions near it. 

a hay rack, this one a kozolec

This is part of the same hay rack above, but with more of a roof attached

The single rack with a narrow roof is generally called a kozolec (I use the word generally because there are a lot of other names for hay racks), the double rack, which can get pretty complicated, is often referred to as a toplar. From what little I read about them, I know that there are many variations.  

The double hay rack or toplar

A field with some double hay racks in the background

Something similar in my own memory was what was referred to as a corn crib in my paternal grandparents' farm (my grandfather was Croatian, not Slovenian, but close enough I suppose). I'm sorry I don't have a photo of that structure to compare, but it was not very different from the double hay stack pictured above.

The little town where we ate lunch

Lunch was had in a little town near the second lake of our day, which we'd see immediately after our meal. The restaurant served traditional food, and in the background Slovenian folk tunes were played. After Nejc described several possibilities on the menu I KNEW I wanted a slow-cooked stew. of at least two meats, potatoes and onions, primarily. 

My wonderful stew

While it doesn't look like much in the photo, it was delicious. Interestingly, the place was called The Croatian. I don't know if Nejc always brought guests there or if he did it especially for me, as we'd discussed my background - but I prefer the latter theory. 

A Croat who can't speak Croatian shakes hands with a Slovene who CAN
speak Croatian!

I would, wouldn't I? He explained that a Croat had not founded it; instead, the only man in town that could speak Croatian started it up, probably to attract Croatian tourists, as many visit this beautiful area.

Lake Bohinj

Our next attraction was Lake Bohinj, more Alpine in nature and larger than Lake Bled; conveniently not too far away. Lake Bohinj offers a different kind of beauty as Alps nearly surround it. Unfortunately we saw no Alps, as clouds completely covered them, but it was a fine experience, and very atmospheric, nonetheless.

The limestone creates the green coloring in parts of the lake

There is a limestone base to the lake so some of it nearly glows with a greenish tint. The water is pure, and no gas-powered boats are allowed on the waters of Lake Bohinj.

a dock at the edge of Lake Bohinj

There is only cruise boat, and it is electrically powered. This is also the case with Lake Bled, by the way. They are very conscious of their ecology in Slovenia, and a good thing too. I actually stooped down at the lake's edge, cupped my hands and drank from it - purer water I've never tasted.

The end of the lake and the beginning (at the bridge) of the Sava River

We had our look at Lake Bohinj from the southeast corner of it where, under a bridge, the lake turns into one of Slovenia's most important rivers, the Sava. New building has been forbidden at any point along the four kilometers of lakefront, but nearby shops and rental places provide canoes, kayaks and windsurfing equipment, and there are several hotels very nearby, so it remains a pristine but active area for water sports. 

A view from the bridge - young fish, I think Nejc said they were trout, on the lake

A lovely place, even on a gloomy day

Back at Lake Bled, the  restaurant where we had our snack

It was time for us to head back toward Lake Bled, for our final treat of the day: a traditional cake, called cremna resina, and coffee of course, at a lovely restaurant near the shore of the lake. 

Cremona Resina - the golden lower layer is a ridiculously tasty custard

While I almost never eat cake or pie here in the US, I definitely partake when I'm in Europe. And this was heaven. I must say that I was seldom disappointed in food on this trip, but Slovenia was possibly the most impressive in my dining experience.

A view from the outdoor tables at the restaurant

Then back we went, dropping our Dubai friend at the airport, then continuing to chat as we drove into Ljubljana. 

It had been a great day, as good in its way as my very different trip the day before. While I didn't see all of Slovenia I think I got a good taste of it - and I liked what I saw!

This may or may not be my last post about my recent trip. I am thinking of doing one more, on the places (Milan, Salzburg and Munich), that were brief stopovers, places that I'd already seen, but that facilitated relatively easy transport to the places new to me that I've already described. But will I have the energy? Here's hoping!