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| Our home in Dolenja Vas |
After turning around a couple times because of map/direction confusion, we made it to Dolenja Vas. This is where George and Frank's Grandmother was born and raised. We were staying in an amazing apartment (
Gostisce Pri Zalogarju) above a restaurant / bar. The owners were amazing and the accommodations were unbelievable. We had a two bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and living room. The one downside was only one bathroom! If you are ever in Dolenja Vas, make sure to stay here!
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| Dasa with wine dispenser |
Jože's daughter, Daša came get us at our apartment and showed us the way to their house. The party begins! We were welcomed by the Kreks. Beer, wine, Slovenian food, and desserts started flowing.
Two other Samsulans were in Slovenia at the same time as the Benedicts - Jeannette Humphrey and Pauline Lockwood. Ashley and Daša went into Ljubljana's train station to pick them up from their travels to Vienna. On their way back, they stopped at a grocery store. Oh what fun! There was a wine dispenser much like a water bottle dispenser in the grocery store. Other interesting things about the grocery store include the fact that people weigh their own fruits and vegetables and add a sticker with the price. We picked up some wine, beer, and snacks for the apartment.
The party was in full swing when the others returned. It was great to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family!
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| Enjoying our first night in Slovenia |
On Tuesday night, Ruth had a misstep on the stairs and ended up falling down. She hurt her knee and toe, but lucky was okay overall.
Wednesday, September 7
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| Rowboat across Lake Bled |
Jože stopped by this morning to see what our plans were for the day. The ladies were heading to
Lake Bohinj and
Lake Bled. After showing him the route we planned on taking, he suggested a more appropriate (read more appropriate to mean safer) route. First on the agenda was Vogel Mountain for a nice view of the Slovenian Alps and lunch atop the mountain. We had lunch of bean and pork soup and STRUDEL #1! Then we headed to Lake Bled. The water at Lake Bled is so clean and pure that all you need is a cup to scoop up the water. The only watercraft allowed is man powered so there is no slick film of gasoline or oil. It was crystal clear. After struggling to find parking, we got in a rowboat to go over to the church on the island in the middle. It was very picturesque. The castle on the side of the lake was neat to see, but we ran out of time to actually do a tour.
George and Frank drove their car around this Slovenian region and found the town of Sopotnica. They did manage to find a biker bar nearby and stopped by for a drink. After chatting with some bikers, they continued to drive around to view the farm land.
This night, Jože and Ksenija suggested that we enjoy a dinner on top of a local mountain. We went to what is a ski lodge and enjoyed an amazing meal. After driving up the mountain on a curvy hairpin turn road, we arrived and got a beautiful view of the Slovenian land. For this meal, we were joined by Jeannette and Pauline. Ashley got a chance to talk with Jože and Ksenija during dinner. On the menu, there was a meal for two which really was a meal for 3 or 4 people! However, it was delicious. A favorite was grilled mushrooms in butter for an appetizer. We enjoyed STRUDEL #2 tonight. After enjoying the sunset and meal, we had to manage our way back down the hill!.
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| Dinner with Family on top of Mountain |
Thursday, September 8
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| Train ride in Postojna Caves |
On most mornings we are up early, however, on Thursday morning we slept until 9:15 am and almost missed the breakfast that Janez and his wife (apartment owners) prepared for us. The owners were wonderful. After a delicious breakfast, we got ready to go to the
Postojna Caves (or Postojna Jama in Slovenian). We took both cars and headed to Postojna. Frank and Cheryl had gone before when they were in Slovenia. Cheryl told George that it was a train ride and then a little walking. Boy was she wrong! First, it was freezing and everyone but Ashley was in shorts. Second, it was a speeding train ride (they don't want people to stand up to take pictures so the train goes pretty fast). Third, it was a hike up and down hills. However, it was really neat to see the inside of the cave system. They pointed out stalagmites and stalactites that looked like an ice cream cone, a rooster, and spaghetti - George had a humorous comment about what these formations looked like! There were salamanders that live in the cave and are called blind fish. Ashley was able to mail a postcard to Sophia from the inside of the caves. They do request that no pictures are taken in the caves so we obeyed and have few photos but lots of memories.
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| Predjama Castle |
Next, we headed just down the road to the
Predjama Castle. We toured through the castle and took tons of pictures (I think to make up for the caves). The castle was build in a cave mouth and was integrated nicely into the side of the landscape. There was a lot of walking and stair climbing. We headed back to the apartment in Dolenja Vas to get ready for time with the family.
This evening, we had dinner with Kreks, the Rakovecs, and the other Samsulans at the Gostisce Pri Zalogarju. The service and food was beyond comparison. We enjoyed great wines, dined on delicious soups and dinners, and finished the night with delicious desserts. A few highlights of the night was when the Janez told Cheryl that horse was on the menu and another was when Jože shared his knowledge of the family line.
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Dinner last night with everyone
(Front row - Ksenija, Matjaz, Majda, Johnny, George;
Back row - Cheryl, Ashley, Dasa, Pauline, Mitja, Jeannette, Ruth, Joze, Frank) |
Friday, September 9
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| Locks of Love on Bridge! |
Today, the ladies went to Ljubljana for sightseeing and shopping, while the guys hung out with Jože and Johnny. They guys went to Johnny's farm and then to a museum in Skofja Loka. The ladies first went to a Slovenia mall! Lunch was at Al Capone's in the mall and we shared a delicious pizza. Then we headed to the center of Ljubljana. First we went in shops and walked around the city. We walked over the Locks of Love bridge and took pictures in front of the Dragon bridge. There was a bike versus runner race happening in the main section of Ljubljana and there were lots of people milling about. Ashley picked up some souvenirs.
We stopped by the Metro for STRUDEL #3 (in this case we got a cheese strudel rather than apple but it was disappointing). Then, we drove back to Dolenja Vas and spent our last night hanging out with the Kreks. Ksenija was so sweet and made us an apple strudel so we enjoyed STRUDEL #4. Her strudel was very good. For dinner, we dined at the apartment. We had a wonderful time with the Luznar side of the family and were sad to leave them, but more adventures were ahead.
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| Last night with Kreks; Enjoying Ksenija's strudel |
Saturday, September 10
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| Johnny and Majda's place |
This morning, we got up and enjoyed our last meal at the apartment. Cheryl said that today was going to be a dry day for her (no alcohol). After packing up the car, Ashley wanted to see Johnny and Majda's before heading out. There was a wedding going on in town and there were two trees placed on the side of the road with a banner. The wedding party makes the cars stop, but going the other directions (more to come about this). Majda (who speaks no English) was home and we walked around their farm house. Johnny was out working and actually drove up the road as we were leaving. They have cows, chickens, and a pony. We met Majda and Johnny's grandkids who live next door. Majda gave Ruth and Cheryl a lovely lace gift that was made by her mother.
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| Farm Animals; family home, Majda and Johnny's grandkids |
As we left the Rakovec's place, we head back by the wedding celebration. Now for more of the story. The party had been going on all night. They stop all the traffic and collect donations. In return, they give you a glass of wine or a shot of slivovitz. They are playing music and having a wonderful time. You can even see from the photos below that the bride and groom are there. Remember how Cheryl said that it was going to be her dry day... well by 10 am she was enjoying a glass of wine (they gave us the glass to keep!) as we headed to Portorož.
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| Wedding festivities |
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