Day 11 – Bled

 


 

After breakfasting and packing our bags we all had a desire for a nice cup of coffee.  I had found a recommended one which was nearby.  It was another beautiful day in Ljubljana and nice in the sun.  Out of the sun it was very cold.  The coffee place was down at the Central Square.  It was already busy at 9:30am. 

 

We found a place to sit to have the coffee and then we swarmed by a group tour who had a guide pointing out places on a physical representation of Ljubljana. 

 

Our driver picked us up at 11am and took us to Bled.  He was a nice person who had a little English.  Politics is interesting in Slovenia at the moment due to an election that’s just been held.  Apparently one of the prime ministerial contenders is a Serb and it seems for some he is seen to favour Serbs in the country and not the Slovenes and for that reason not liked.  Beyond that information it was difficult due to language to get more information.  Perhaps we will get more later. 

 

Lake Bled was very pretty.  It is not a big lake being about 6 kilometres in circumference. 

 

Bled’s main attraction is its iconic alpine lake with an island, which one can visit on a traditional pletna boat and ring a wishing bell in the ancient church standing there.  Overlooking the lake on a very high cliff is the 1000 year old Bled Castle, the oldest castle in Slovenia. 

Looking at the lake from Bled Castle

 

Once we had settled into our rooms we walked down to the lake and took a ride on  one of the pletna boats.  We had to wait until it filled.  We were up the front and an Indian couple from LA talked with us on the twenty minute or so row to the island.  The person rowing stood on the stern and with two oars very accurately rowed this boat containing about 20+ people.  The boat itself was quite heavy.  The muscles in the rowers arms were impressive. I commented to him that this rowing must make him fit and said that was not what got him fit.  He did not elaborate.  We wandered around the island and took some photos before heading back to base (so to speak). 

Our rower and some of the passengers

A pletna

A pletna nearing the island

 

In contrast we watched a dinghy being rowed by several young women who could only row backwards, that is in the direction the rower was looking.  It was very amusing.  We hoped they eventually made landfall. 

 

Oops how do we row the other way?  

It was a lovely day and we went for a walk around the lack.  Bev and I wanted to climb upto the castle, but Graham’s leg was still sore so he decided to go back and rest at the hotel.  It was quite a strenuous climb with me really puffing by the time we got there.  The views from it were magnificent and made the climb worth it. 

 

When we got back to the hotel we met the bike supplier and set up our bikes for our ride the next day.  They are an electric Scott mountain e-bike and seemed to be quite good.  We were almost ready to start our ride the next day.

Rowing races were being held on the lake

Yet another one of the cutesy island with a church

The photo does not quite capture the grandeur of the scene pictured here

The castle again

Yes I got carried away with photography the islandd

 


 

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