Our last trip, part 2

After two nights in Bled, we departed for the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana.  Slovenia is not a large country, about the size of New Jersey, so it was not a long drive.  The rain held off while we set out to explore the city.  Simply put, it is charming.  The center of the city is a pedestrian only zone, and walkways lined with cafes and shops are on both side of the Ljubljanica River.  It really struck me how fortunate Slovenia was to only have had a 10-day-war when they decided to declare independence from Yugoslavia.  Sarajevo has the potential to be a charming river city as well, but a 4 year siege really did its damage on the infrastructure.

While walking along the river, we ran into some friends from Sarajevo who recommended a good restaurant, where we sat outside and enjoyed an amazing lunch complete with black truffles from Istria.  After lunch, we took a mini-tram up to the castle above the city, where we got a lovely view of the city below.  After the castle, we headed back into the city to get a peak at the famous dragons, the symbol of Ljubljana.  We then went back to the hotel, so Sam could nap, and so that Liam and Geoff could check out the hotel pool.  After a nice break, we ventured out to dinner and returned to the restaurant where we had lunch. Some might call that a cop out, but lunch was so impressive, we wanted to go back!  Geoff ordered the duck, and it was one of the best things I have ever tasted.

We thoroughly enjoyed Ljubljana.  Geoff and I hope very much to return to Slovenia one day.  It just might be my favorite country visited during our two years here, and let's NOT forget that I am a serious Anglophile who got to go to London twice during that time.  It's a huge compliment to Slovenia.

 The Ljubljana Castle above the city

 MMMMMM...candy!

 At the castle

 The view from the castle

Ljubljana's dragons

Our last trip, part 1

For our last European excursion, we decided to revisit Lake Bled, Slovenia and to tour Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia for the first time.  We decided on Ljubljana after debating such destinations as Venice, Trieste, and Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.  But our limited amount of time, it being Easter weekend, and having two kids in tow made us choose Ljubljana.  It was a VERY good call.  But more on Ljubljana in the next post.  This one focuses on Bled.

We drove the almost 8 hours to Bled in one fell swoop, stopping every 3 hours or so to feed Sam.  Both boys did amazingly well, and we were not surprised by that.  They are the best travelers in the family.  We had to drive through some snow and quite a bit of rain, but by the time we reached Bled, the rain was behind us, and we could finally relax and enjoy the charms of Slovenia.

The views from our room were lovely!

Here is Castle Bled above the lake and the snowy-peaked Alps beyond.

And here is the island and its church.

Dinner #1 = SEAFOOD!  A delicious seafood risotto, some calamari, 

and a pan-seared John Dory.

The next morning dawned clear.

 So we began our 30 minute hike to the castle.

Once at the top, we toured Castle Bled and its museum.

 The monk in charge of the wine cellar let Liam hold a sword.

 The views from the castle were impressive.

Here's a nice family shot.

 Dinner #2 = traditional Slavic fare at Gostilna Union Bled.  

Gostilnas have to follow strict rules and get approval to receive this special label.

That's our dinner over the coals!

 And finally, our post dinner eye candy.

After the boys fell asleep, 

Geoff and I enjoyed some Slovenian wine while taking in these sights.