Ever since we moved to Europe in 2011, Slovenia has always been on my list of countries to visit. In case you’re not aware, I’m half Slovenian….thus the extreme interest in visiting Slovenia. So after almost 4 years, we finally made it there over Easter weekend. And even better, my sister and her family and my cousin Catherine and Aunt Cynthia were all there too!
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| The apartments where we stayed |
In France we get Easter Monday off so we took Friday and Tuesday as vacation days and made a long weekend of it. My sister Julie and her family, coming from Saudi Arabia, got in a few hours before us and after a quick greeting at the airport, they headed to the apartments we had rented. We then waited for Catherine and Aunt Cynthia to arrive 30 minutes after us and we were off to the apartments as well. We decided to stay in Ukanc which is near the western side of Lake Bohinj. We wanted to be somewhere a little more remote and had found these apartments that looked just perfect. And they were! The place we stayed was so picturesque. We were right by the mountains and Triglav National Park and there was a little river running by with green everywhere you looked. It was so peaceful and felt like we were camping.
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| On a bridge in Ljubljana |
Our family and Julie’s family shared an apartment and Catherine and Aunt Cynthia were in an apartment just next door. We settled in that first day, making a trip to the grocery store to get stocked up, checking out the nearest playground with the kids and just relaxing.
Saturday we took the hour drive and headed into Ljubljana for the day. Unfortunately it was raining pretty much the entire day but that of course didn’t stop us. We checked out Preseren Square and the Triple Bridge which are right next to each other and then found a Bosnian place for lunch. It was perfect! Yummy sausages, mustards, meats and breads. We then wandered around Ljubljana, checking out the marketplace with all its fruits, other food, flowers and handmade goods. Ljubljana isn’t huge and I can imagine that it would be wonderful in the summer time to sit along the river enjoying a glass of beer.
The next day was Easter and the Easter bunny found the girls and filled their baskets, even hiding a few eggs for them to find. After the morning activities we headed to mass at St Martin’s church in Srednja vas, about 3 towns from Ukanc. It was a tiny church on top of a little hill with a parking lot for maybe 6 cars. We noticed that most people were walking up the hill, no doubt just walking to church from their homes. It was a gorgeous view from the church and the church itself is exactly what you would expect from a small village church. When we got inside it definitely felt like we were visitors as we got the feeling that everyone knew everyone else and we were the outsiders. But we still enjoyed a Slovenian mass in this quaint little church.  |
| Happy Easter! |
After an Easter brunch at home, we went over to Lake Bohinj to check it out up close, including the church of St. John the Baptist that sits right next to it. The picture I have below is the same scene that my Grandparents took a picture of a long time ago when they visited what was Yugoslavia at the time. They had asked my Dad to paint it and I remember clearly that painting hanging in my Grandparent’s kitchen for many years. So it was even more special for me to go see this same exact scene for myself.
Monday was our last full day in Slovenia and we headed to Bled, just about a 30 minute drive from where we were staying. The first thing we did was get on a boat and take the short ride out to Bled Island which sits in the middle of Lake Bled. We checked out the church that sits on this island along with a great view of Bled. In the church there is a bell and if you ring it three times you get to make a wish.
We headed back to Bled and found a spot for lunch. And just in time I might add. The entire day so far had been sun and blue skies and shortly after we sat down for lunch with a view onto the lake, the weather took a 180 and became a snowy blizzard. It was whiteout conditions. That lasted through lunch and then miraculously as we were finishing up, the weather turned back to blue skies and sun. Perfect for wandering around and exploring Bled. Catherine, Aunt Cynthia and Cecilia headed up to check out the castle. The rest of us took a walk along the lake and then found a cafe off the beaten path recommended by Rick Steves where we could find a Bled traditional cake, kremna rezina. It was delicious and worth the search.
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| The guys and sleeping babies in front of Lake Bled |
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| The kiddos on Bled Island |
That about wrapped up our day in Bled, we headed back to the apartments to pack up and get ready to leave the next day. We so thoroughly enjoyed Slovenia. It is one of the prettier countries I’ve been to for sure and would go back in a heartbeat. Perhaps this time in spring or summer when the weather is a bit warmer.
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| Lake Bohinj |
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| Lake Bled |
