SUMMARY Woke to gray skies and off and on drizzle but soldiered on to Lake Bohinjsko for our planned hike. We walked along the northern side of the lake and were rewarded with beautiful and very atmospheric views. On the far side of the lake we had a snack and caught a ferry back to our starting point. Local lunch in our town was interesting and dinner back at our hotel was excellent. - Karen
DETAIL We meet for breakfast at a reasonable hour. The meal is included in our room rate. The spread is impressive with lots of local products. We eat more than we should, sampling the delicacies.
We revisit our rooms briefly and dress for our hike around the lake, maybe in the rain, and then pile into the cars. The sky is threatening and low wispy grey clouds decorate the alps all around us. We’re still hopeful it’ll clear up.
After a false start parking, we lock the cars and begin our circumnavigation of the lake. We’re doing the north side so we’ll be on a trail and not the road. At first we’re next to a huge field but soon we’re in the woods at the very edge of the lake. From what we can see, the water is very clear and deep quickly. The ever changing views of the high alpine mountains are all gorgeous. There’s no snow we can see now, but we’re sure there is a lot of the year.
After a couple of hours, and a few cloudbursts, we are 2/3rds of the way around the lake. There’s a big camping area with tents and RVs and buildings with toilets and showers. Most importantly to us there’s a modest open air restaurant/bar and a boat to take us back to our cars in about an hour. We get beers, fries, chicken fingers and potato soup between the three couples.
The long boat is electric and silent. The young men running the boat are likely working during their summers off from school and they control the boat’s playlist. We hear Pink Floyd, The Clash, and part of a Paul Simon song before one of the guys takes the mic. He introduces himself, the boat and the lake.
He talks about how this is one of the rainiest places in Slovenia, but that this wasn’t always so. A couple of hundreds of years ago a terrible drought led the locals to reach out to the then pope: what to do?? The Pope, of course, knew. “Build a church on the south edge of the lake and give it a roof like the back of a camel”. And to this day, no drought. Why didn’t we think of that? (The church is still there and its roof does look like a camel.
Back at our hotel our host recommends the restaurant “Strud’l” for good local fare for lunch. It’s a short walk and has lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Alas they’re all filled with locals having lunch. We find a table for five and add a chair. The menu has lots of stuff but not a lot we recognize. Food is ordered and it’s good. Jota is a favorite. We’ll have it a number of more times before the end of the trip.
After lunch Ron, Nancy, Karen and I go to the indoor water world. Lots of fun. Warm “hot” tubs. Huge connected indoor pools, outdoor pools, abusive bubble pools (standing and laying down), rivers/channels in which to fight the current, and a multi-story water slide that Nancy and I tried. I got water in crevices I didn’t know I had.
Some of us use the sauna. No bathing suits allowed. They had signs in two languages stressing just how unallowed bathing suits are in there. There was also a sign with a bathing suit with a diagonal line through it. You have to be naked, we get it. But… at the restaurant, where we’re having breakfast and dinner, the door from the outside has the exact same graphic sign. Hm. We have to dine naked??
So there’s that water world, which is included. There’s also a semi-private spa, available for groups of up to six, for €40 per room. Or, for an extra (but undisclosed) amount, a lone couple could have all of that space for themselves. According to the brochure, this last option is for couples looking to have “extra cuddles”. We were rolling on the floor laughing at what “extra cuddles” might mean.
We again have drinks before dinner and again our waiter is the furry faced mountain man. He’s funny as ever.
Dinner, again is great. Fixed menu, duck, gnocchi with cottage cheese, beet with goat cheese amuse bouche, big dessert, mignardise. Some of us aren’t always big duck breast fans but this was tender and delicious. All good. Time for bed. Tomorrow we head up even higher into the Julian Alps, I believe.
Photos
Ron ready for coffee and breakfast
Yummy omelet with cheese and veggies, and always garnish and often edible flowers
The water park beyond the park park
The only animal we saw during our hike, and this one was made out of metal, I think
The alps were always there and always inspiringly pretty but not always visible
The locals dressed funny but man they were handsome
Our walk around the lake, through the woods, started with a walk next to an alpine meadow, well mowed
Then we got to the woods and the lake and all
We got some good reflection views
At the far end there was a bridge over a creek/river. Likely glacier runoff? Fairly clear.
Mid day snack
Our boat back to civilization
Nancy and Ron enjoying the boat ride
I don't think this is the church with the camel roof. That was obscured by trees and I couldn't find a picture of it on the internet. As long as the Pope was happy.
Walking back to the car we got a good amount of precipitation. We looked around for a rainbow, but no such luck. Damn you, physics and light diffusion theory.
Our second mid-day snack, aka lunch. Apple Strudel and Jota from Strud'l
At dinner, with wine. They have tasty wine here, but some unusual bottle shapes.
Delicious duck brest. Not sure where that pesky liver got off to, but dinner was very tasty, nonetheless.
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