It was an easy ride out of Ljubljiana. Fantastic cycle paths everywhere. But with all the traffic lights….it was quite slow!
We then hit the main road….which was fast and quite busy….not a cycle path in sight!
So we detoured off the to the left..as you can see from the map. Into gorgeous countryside….
Villages….
….and hills…
….as we climbed quite high…
….before dropping down to Bled. OMG…it was SOO busy. There must have been a 5km tailback of cars….!! We were here for a wedding 12 years ago (more on that later!) in AUGUST and there was no sign of this level of busy-ness!! Thankfully there was a gorgeous cycle path into town…so we smugly raced past…as cars crawled on….!
Bled…the picture postcard of Slovenia really.
But now, sadly, everyone knows about it…and it was just packed! Not the relatively peaceful idyll I remember at all. You can understand the attraction of course for it is lovely!
The church atop the picture postcard island in the middle of the lake is the main focus.
And this where my nephew Peter married Tory back on 2013. (…for those unaware…Peter’s mother Zeljka is from these parts).
You can swim to the island…and this is the most memorable..and funny photo from that wedding!!! Budgie-smugglers and all…surely the best photo bomb ever!
And while I was tracking that one down…I found some more pics!
Fond memories…of a great wedding!
From Bled we headed northish…on a beautiful road….
To Jesenice! Zeljka’s home town.
To be honest…I remember Jesenice from a visit about 48 years ago….as a fairly unpleasant industrial town…with tall chimneys belching out reddish orange smoke into the valley…where it just stayed. I could only find one chimney left….now an advertising hoarding!! How times change…!
Brother Ian had advised us of a good newish pub in gown…so it seemed a shame not to stop for a beer or two en route.
And so back onto the main road for a while….still a bit busy….
…but we soon came across a beautiful cycle path! Which was just lovely…
…full of cyclists…and beautiful scenery…with regular views of Triglav, Slovenia’s highest peak….
…all heading our way to the small town of Kranskja Gora.
This is from our accommodation…….(prices have soared since leaving Croatia…this pokey damp basement apartment was more expensive than our palace on Rab!)
…..and this is the town. Jam-packed full of cyclists!!
With gorgeous views of the mountains down every street.
We ate here… (IZ probably know it!)…great traditional Slovenian food.
A great day all round!
