The count down begins...5 sleeps to go...

I am down to the last 5 days.  Tomorrow, I take Dad to the airport to go home.  He is happy and tired.  I have taken him around the Netherlands, Slovenia, and then the Rhine in Germany.  Last few days, he just hung out here in the apartment and he was fine with that!

I am still getting through all the photos so I better get posting the rest before Wednesday.

Lastly, I am returning here again August 10th.  Why?  They have not found the person to succeed me so the assignment is extended until early to mid October.  I will be back and forth a few times, but as much as I have enjoyed being in Europe, there is something nice about coming home.  All this travel is wearing me out :-)  I have to figure out now what else should I do when I return?  I hear Barcelona and Prague are great places to visit.

We are off to Germany tomorrow

Though I have not finished my photos and stories from Slovenia, I am still trying to keep everyone up to speed.  Today, I drove to pick up my Dad from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.  He finished his great vacation for 2 weeks with his family in Slovenia.  We arrived back home this evening around 10pm.

Tomorrow Dad and I are setting off for 3 days in Germany in the Rhine river valley.  I arranged for us to stay at a hotel which is overlooking the Rhine River in the town of Bingen.  It is very central on the River and we can go in several directions.  It takes about 2.5 hours to get to Bingen but I think we may visit Maria Laach (a volcanic lake) near Koblenz tomorrow morning and early afternoon then head for Bingen in the late afternoon.   It may also be worthwhile to visit the Moselle River.

Well it is now just after midnight and it's time for sleep.  Only 12 sleeps before I return to White Rock - so hard to believe the adventure is almost over.

Slovenia part 3 - Ljublanja, Bled, and Bohinj

 

 

On the Monday, we set out early and drove to the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana.  First stop was the Ljubljana Castle up on the hillside just above the city.  What a fantastic view!  Here are some photos of the castle...

 

 

 

Entering the main gate

 

There were several children touring the castle this day.

 

A local artist (self portrait) inside one room in the castle

As we left the castle, we took a lift down the hillside directly into the market centre in the city.

 

There were several vendors selling plants, flowers

 

We did not spend a lot of time in the city as it was becoming unbearably hot.  So we then took to the highway and headed for the Slovenian Alps on our way to a tourist hot spot called Bled.   It was about 30-minutes from Ljubljana.

Bled is known for 3 things - a castle on the hillside, a little island with a church on it and the lake.  In order to get a great view of the area, you must climb up a steep pathway with worn stones (kind of slippery to climb) to the castle.  But  I did it and needed a bit of a rest at the door of the castle...

A well on the first level courtyard of the castle

The colour of the lake is unbelievable.

 

Frank and Martina look out from the first courtyard
over Lake Bled

The little island with a church

First level courtyard

 

Another church directly below the castle

Second level courtyard of the castle with
a chapel on the left

 





 

Dad at the Tiger Bar in Bled

 


After being in the sun for sometime, we needed a cool drink so we went to the Tiger Bar for some time in the shade.  (We also had a crème cake.)

Now it was onto Lake Bohinj which is also the name of the town.  Lake Bohinj is the biggest permanent lake in Slovenia shaped by a glacier.  The water in the lake changes 3 times each year.  10 different species of fish live in the lake and this church is near the shore of the lake.

 

See the fish in the lake?  They will come right up
to your feet if you are wading...

Reminded me of Hanama Bay in Hawaii

We then headed for a late lunch to a little restaurant which served authentic Slovenian food.  Dad chose sauerkraut, homemade port sausages, and boiled potatoes.  I kept it light with cold cuts, cheese and some homemade bread and plenty of water.  (About 35 degrees today.)

 

We then headed back to Novo Mesto to meet with my cousin, Dusan, and my Aunt Anna and Uncle Joe and more family.  Next post will have more about Trsk Gora...