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