Bohinj

We've spent nearly a week in this valley west of Bled, first at a campsite near the lake and then a second site midway along the valley. The weather has been beautiful for walking in the morning but by mid afternoon it is in the mid 30's and time for a rest.


One day we took the gondola up into the Alps and then walked up the ski slopes to find some isolated patches of snow.

Another day we walked to the end of the valley and climbed 546 steps to the waterfall, yes we counted every step on the way down!


Yesterday was Slovenia Day (15 years since independence) and we walked the other direction to a small hillside community and joined them for morning tea. Nice cake and schnaps or wine, definitely no tea.
Today we plan to catch the train to the west side of the country through the mountains. There is a road but it has 50 hairpin bends so we are going to let the train take the strain and enjoy the view.

Skyping

For the last few days we have had wireless access to the internet. This campsite has only had internet for a week and they have not worked out how to charge yet so we have parked close to the reception building and have had access from the van. The great news is that we have been able to use Skype to talk with family and friends. If we have spoken with you then
thanks as it has been great. If you have Skype and we have missed you sorry and if you do not have it then please think about it as talking with everyone and catching up with the news has just been wonderful. The photo is of Jane talking to our friends Doug and Julia who have a webcam. Imagine our surprise when we skyped them and we could see them on our screen. We have to have one of those next!

Bled

Bled is situated in north west Slovenia. In winter it is a ski resort and in summer just the most beautiful place with views to the snowy Julian Alps even in June. We are camped by the lake which has the only true island in Slovenia in the middle.





Yesterday we walked around the lake and then took a ride in a pletna, their traditional boat to the island to make a wish while ringing the church bell.






Today (Wed 20th June) we walked to Vintgar Gorge. This is a walk constructed on boardwalks suspended from the gorge walls. It was a spectacular 1.5 klm walk and worth the hour and a half walk there and back in the heat. On the way back the heat got too much and we had to have a swim in the lake followed by a few turns on the water slide (you are never too old for fun).






For those considering trips to Europe we would recommend Slovenia as a must see place. We have fallen in love with everything here.

Slovenia

What a surprise this has turned out to be. It has taken me weeks to persuade Stephen that we should drive through Slovenia to Austria and it is beautiful. The scenery amazing, the people friendly and the main roads in excellent condition. We had planned to stay a few days and it will probably end up being a couple of weeks.
We had not managed to buy a map before leaving Italy so we were going to be restricted to the motorway from Italy to Austria. Our first stop being Postojna and on our first day there we hired bikes from the camp site and rode through the forests to town.
The tourist info office was a mine of information. Free maps, books on camping sites (there are only 50 in the country and free camping is illegal) and free access to the internet at the local library - what a bonus. We had to have a complete change of plan once armed with so much knowledge.
Yesterday (day 2) we went on a visit to the caves at Postojna, the largest cave system discovered so far in this part of Europe - 21 klm in all. We took a train ride along two klm and walked one. It has spoilt us forever, the sheer size of the caves and the formations was amazing.
Next stop a small town north of the capital Ljubljana, the camp site came from the official camp site book. We did not know it was only 2 star until we drove in the gate, thank goodness we are self sufficient. The location is great, the views of the mountains superb and the faciliies definitely lacking!
We were going to take the train today (Saturday day 3) into Ljubjana, however the trains do not run on the weekend. So we took the bus and it was a very scenic ride through every local village! We enjoyed a walk around the city and had lunch by the river.

Venice

What a perfect city to end our Italian adventure. We have loved Venice. Our first day was spent walking and wandering around the city and on our second we bought ferry tickets and spent the day on the water.

We are in the process now of preparing for a country change. We plan to spend the next 2 weeks in Slovenia. The van has been washed, the washing is up to date and we will do a last Italian supermarket shop in the morning. We will probably not get internet access for a while.

Lake Garda and Verona

The temptation to take a slight detour and spend some time by the northern Italian lakes was too great and we headed inland and north to Lake Garda. The campsite promised to be spectacular and it was but at a price. We had seen at the resort sites how small the pitches could be and this site was no exception and was full. We had the option of being in the middle of the pack or paying extra for a lakeside double sized pitch. We threw money at the solution.
We spent only 3 nights there but were rewarded with brilliant sunsets over the lake each evening.
On the first day we walked out along the Sirmione peninsula, we must have walked about 12k in all but it was beautiful and well worth the effort. The town of Sirmione is very old with narrow street and a castle.
On the next day we took the local bus to Verona. Being a Saturday it was quite quiet apart from the tourists and we managed to walk around easily and of course took photos of Juliet's balcony.

Adriatic Coast

A visit to the Adriatic Coast off the normal tourist route was an eye opener. We spent two nights at near Rimini at an Italian seaside resort. As you can see from the photo the beaches while sandy were just covered in sunbeds, umbrellas and very well fed Italians.
We were fasinated by the fishing methods used on the canals. Large nets dropped from poles suspended out from sheds along the banks that seemed to offer the fish no chance of escape.

Assisi

On Monday 5th June we left Rome and headed north to Assisi - home of St Francis. He was born here, died here and is buried here, and only lived to the age of 44. We visited his tomb which is deep under the magnificent Basilica. The town of Assisi is delightful - very clean and pretty. The people of Assisi obviously take great pride in their town.Most towns in Europe are 'twinned' with another town in another country, for cultural exchange etc. Assisi is twinned with Bethlehem!

Roma

We stayed in Rome for 6 nights. The campsite is a short bus and metro ride from the city so we went into the city most days and saw nearly every sight! We did find Rome noisy and crowded - see the photo of Stephen on the Spanish Steps. However, it is quite an experience to be among all that history - see the photo of Jane in the Forum. The paintings and sculptures weren't bad either! Crossing the street in Rome takes nerves of steel. You must cross on a pedestrian crossing (otherwise you get run over or arrested) and the traffic doesn't stop, it just weaves around you. There are also signs everywhere to beware of pickpockets, and it is depressing to see so many beggars on the street and on the metro. On Sunday evening we met another couple for dinner in the Piazza Navona. Ray used to work with Jane at Waste Services, and he and his wife Jenny were at the end of their 6 week European holiday - we just happended to be in Rome at the same time. It was great to have a chat and compare notes on where we had been, and the dinner was made more interesting by a thunderstorm just after the main course! We moved inside for coffee and it was a great conclusion to our Rome experience.

Campercar?

Just a quick blog from the campsite. Saw our first "car tent" yesterday and thought it was worth a picture. Wonder if this will catch on in Australia? Good way to keep the snakes out!

Sorrento to Rome via the beach

We left Sorrento on Sunday to avoid the lorries on the road again. Big mistake. Half Naples and Rome were heading to the same stetch of coast we were. The traffic was horrendous and the campsites full. We finally found an excellent site with access to its own sandy beach only problem was finding space for our towel!
We went to bed surrounded by Italians and woke up Monday morning to find only 4 vans left on the site, everyone had gone home. Monday was a magic day with the beach to ourselves. However it was time to head back for more sightseeing and Tuesday saw up head towards Rome.
It is now Wednesday and we have been in Rome 24 hours and we are exhausted. We had forgotten just how big and busy it is. Today we have visited the Vatican. The queues were short and we were at the front in less than 30 minutes. We realised after that being Wednesday the Pope was doing his presentation in the square so presume everyone was there.
The picture is of Stephen in St Peter's Square.
We will stay here enjoying the sights till early next week before heading east first and then north to Venice.