BEAMET: Slovenia

Hi all, I write to you on day 2 of the Great BEAMET.

We left Stansted midday yesterday and already that seems like an eternity ago. With the hustle and bustle of the last few days at school it seems like the BEAMET has just suddenly arrived and hit me in the face, which also means that I don't feel quite prepared for it.

That certainly hit home yesterday when I realised at the airport that I had forgotten to transfer my memory cards over from my old camcorder to my new one - which I can get away with I suppose, but I won't be able to do any quick little video messages standing outside some important place (this I had hoped to do in Israel, so that's a pity). Oh and I've forgotten a few other bits and pieces but hopefully can make do...

Anyway the flight to Ljubljana was pretty uneventful (except for some dodgy turbulence - can I just say I'm having some trouble typing this blog as in typical European fashion, the letters are not where they should be - so if you see me typing a load of z's, be aware they're supposed to be y's).

We stepped off the plane late afternoon to 35 degree heat (after having left London where at midday it was barely 20... bit of a shock to the system!) and then promptly wondered what to do. I had booked accommodation for the evening in a little town called Bled, but couldn't see where to get the bus from, and anyway, we decided that as Agata will be joining us tomorrow for a few days, we could just hire a car and drive to Bled. So we did.
Sounds easy, doesn't it. But the 'map' we have, if you can call it that, is less than ordinary and a journey which should have taken 45 minutes took us 2 hours.

We arrived at Hostel 1004 to find that they hadn't even built the beds we were to be having that night. She told us it would take an hour or so, and as it was still light, we decided to walk down to the lake and have a bit of a look around. I have to say Bled is a very beautiful town, the lake is just gorgeous, and the instant I set eyes on it I felt the rubbish of the past few dazs at school melting away.

Got back to the hostel and the beds were now assembled, so basically I crashed for the evening.

Next day (today) we got up and wandered down to the lake to see it all in the day. I have to say it really is stunning. In the middle of the lake is a little island upon which is a cute little church. Slovenia sure seems the place for cute little churches, and they are all built in the same style. On top of the hill, overlooking the lake, is Bled Castle, which looks like it is about to fall off the hill and into the lake!

We spent most of the morning wandering about Bled (there were craft markets to see) and then Agnieszka took the wheel and we headed off to Bohinj. This is another lake, like Bled, which was formed by melting glaciers, only this one is not so touristy. We got a boat to the other side of the lake and then decided to walk back around the lake. Sounds like a good idea, but the walk was 8 kms and it was, by this point, rather hot. So, when we got back around, we had to have a swim in the lake, glorious it was too, and then a coffee at a cafe overlooking the water.

It was at this point that madness set in. We realised with Agata arriving tonight we wouldn't probably be travelling back this way again. Bled and Bohinj are part of the Triglav National Park, which has as its main attraction, the Julian Alps. The Vršič pass is a road that crosses the Alps, is very spectacular, and has a height of 1611m above sea level. So, we decided to drive there and have a look - only its 5.30pm now and Vršič is in completely the opposite direction to Ljubljana. Madness!
But it was glorious to see, and well worth it. This meant that the drive to DIC Hostel, Ljubljana, mostly took place in the dark, with me driving, wrong side of road and all, and Agnieszka attempting to give directions from the 'map'. Fortunately I only went the wrong way down a one way street once... Suffice to say we arrived several hours after we intended, but it has been a good few days, and we are looking forward to Agata's arrival later this evening. I do wish though that the hostel had airconditioning - or at least a fan...

Tomorrow the plan is to see Ljubljana and then maybe start to make our way to Croatia, or we might stay another night in Ljubljana, depending upon what the others want to do.

Stay tuned! The Great BEAMET has begun...

Lake Bled with the Castle overlooking the lake

Hiking at Lake Bohinj

Lake Bohinj

The Julian Alps on the way to the Vršič pass