Lake Bled, Slovenia

Sitting in our base bungalow in Norfolk seems like a good time to write these final travel posts.  Oh the sad finality... So there we were, mid PCS without orders and Memorial Day rolled around.  Mike asked if I wanted to go anywhere (ha!, of course I do).  Slovenia had piqued my interest many times and I really didn't think we'd make it but we decided to hop in the car and head over with perhaps a stop in Salzburg on the way there or back.  The drive:  Beautiful.  We have been to Austria a few times but the drive to Lake Bled, Slovenia requires a drive across all of Austria and it was beautiful.  All was great until the border where one tunnel lane was closed and lanes were alternating.  We waited at least 35-40 minutes for our turn.  They do require a vignette but it's an easy peasy purchase at the border.

Lake Bled is gorgeous.  It really is.  But it was a bit strange also.  They cater to tour buses in droves with older travelers.  Nothing wrong with that--In fact, I love to see older folks traveling all over the place and I understand the bus tours are a wonderful way for them to do so however, it is a bit unnerving when you're in a restaurant or the hotel and several buses with a few hundred people are just dumped causing chaos.  Then, there was the other extreme.  Club Bled, on Friday night played MegaDeth type music; live and unbelievably loud until the wee hours of the morning.  This is a small area so there was no escaping the boom.  It was odd on this gorgeous, serene lake in such a scenic setting to hear something so hardcore that just didn't seem to quit.

Regardless of the at-times strange atmosphere, this was a great weekend break.  For those considering Lake Bled, this is my overall assessment:  If it was a one-destination weekend from Germany, I would go to Switzerland over Lake Bled. The same crystal, slate blue water, excellent surroundings, but with the serenity you expect.  However, if you are combining the trip with Salzburg and/or Croatia, it is absolutely worth a stop!  The castle lit up at night, the island with the church--it really is breathtaking.  We spent the first morning jogging around the lake and there are markets and things to stop and enjoy.

We made lots of new friends! 

 This guy is impatient and will "tell" you he wants more by pecking at your legs.  He's a big, old dude so it's a little intimidating when he comes running towards you but he's very friendly--albeit pushy.  Reminded me of Chalky the Spanish Donkey.

View from our balcony. 

Castle lit up at night

Not much else to share about Slovenia.  We cut the trip short by a night because we were trying to sell my Jeep and folks were calling which created a little anxiety that we should head back to the land of responsibility.  Good while it lasted.