The boat trip from Venice to Piran was uneventful and we arrived without any problems. Our hotel was only a short walk from the pier and seemed a decent place. The day was nearly over when we arrived, but we had time to grab a bite to eat on the water. Our waiter was drunk, or so he acted, and the food was similar to Italian: I had the spaghetti Napoli and gelato for dessert.

After this Tyler, Brent and I played 20 questions on the river bank for awhile before walking the length of the coast to the tip. During this walk we saw a top-less girl and I was unsure if this was normal or not, but Tyler especially enjoyed the view, before we headed back to the hotel.

June 24, 2005

We arose early to grab breakfast and see the city. Brent was convinced that the man at the nearby table was Hank Azaria, but I was doubtful; he had an English accent and a mole on his left cheek so we'll have to check it out later (I later checked, it wasn't him).

After breakfast and a quick stop at the bus station to check bus times, Brent, my grandpa, and I headed up the hill to the old Greek ruins. The views were well worth the journey, but soon enough we were walking the streets to get the feel of the place before taking off.

Our trip from Piran to Ljubljana was nice as we passed through mountain valley to mountain valley. We arrived at the bus and train station, threw our bags in storage, grabbed a kebab, and headed into town. I think everything I've ever heard of the city is true: it's pleasant, but also moves at a slow pace.

We walked around randomly most of the time until we found ourselves at the castle at the end of the day. The views were great from the tower and the chapel displays the region's past under Germanic rule.

I have little to say about the city, I liked it, the kebab man gave us free juice when we bought the kebabs and everyone I talked to seemed very nice. The people here seem almost excessively nice, but we were on a schedule so we headed back to the bus station and got a bus headed for Bled.

We arrived to Bled early enough to find our hotel, check in, and grab dinner. The service was slow, but the food was excellent. They say Slovenian food is all borrowed from its neighbors and most of us went with the Italian, which was excellent.

June 25, 2005

My dad and I arose early, because we wanted to walk along the lake's coast to see the area. This was a great decision; there was absolutely no one around, the water was still, reflecting everything, the local fishermen were out on their boats, but there was not another person in sight.

Once we got back, we picked the others up and hiked to the castle. The hike wasn't too bad and the views were again splendid. The castle had little to offer other than the views so we took pictures and headed down to row out to the island with the church on it; the symbol of Bled.

We rented two boats; the rowing was slow and round-about, but we made it there and found a wedding taking place. The woman at the door was very nice, but let us know that we could enter only if we didn't talk and turned off our cell phones. The church and island were much more impressive from afar, but it was a nice exercise rowing out there.

Continue the above trip to: Austria