Day Three
3 June 2012
Weather: Sunny, low 20s
Cat count: 0
T-shirt count: 1
You know the jetlag has been conquered when you can wake up
just before the alarm two days in a row.
The cats were nowhere to be seen but
there was a note about scrambled eggs and the Prater hunting grounds.
They know were leaving Vienna today.
I left breakfast until the last minute as I figured it would
take the cook a while to replace the eggs. I arrived just in time. The
breakfast is strangely sparse but it doesn’t look like it. Lots of cereal,
breads (no croissants), fruit and spreads etc. But all I could find that I like
is the eggs, toast and bacon. The tea is good.
As we boarded the bus, there was a rotation list with
everyone given seats in the front but everyone was given the option to go back
if they wanted.
They did. The entire bus is pretty well taken up with the
odd empty seats being used for bags.
And cats.
The rest are in the overhead with swishing tales obscuring
our views.
I’ll have to have a chat with them.
As we left Vienna, Gasper started to go through the
itinerary. I didn’t hear it all as the people behind me were complaining that
he wouldn’t shut up – ten minutes after he started. Not sure what they were
expecting. Total silence? They made loud comments about anything they didn’t
like and since my hearing isn’t best, their complaints over rode what he was
saying.
Including the part about where the washrooms were at our
rest stop. (I later told him I was half deaf and couldn’t hear him over the
couple behind me. Luckily, I can move.)
After our rest stop, Gasper started a game where he’d get us
to guess who he was. The hardest one was that he was a food. We guessed
everything to no luck – water, milk, juice etc. I mentioned oil and he said no
but said that there was pumpkin oil available in Graz. The Australians said
they couldn’t take the oil back with them. He knew that and said North
Americans could.
Then he noted that last year he had smuggled a big sausage
into Canada.
I have no doubt you could hear the laughter in Adelaide and
Vancouver.
Don’t think Gasper knew what we were laughing at. His
English is very good but as with so many second languages, you don’t always get
the nuances.
All in fun, Gasper. Believe me, I know I’ve likely done the
same thing speaking French.
We arrived in Graz just after 11 am and drove towards the
city centre. Gasper said it’s usually very quiet there on Sunday with no stores
open.
Nope. Today is a festival day of some sort and everyone who
lives in Graz is at the city centre. There are bouncy castles (that absorbed
the cats for the whole 2 hour stop), concession stands and a lot of food places
open.
Not a single souvenir shop was open. I couldn’t get as much
as a fridge magnet.
But I did come away with some nice photos. We must have
walked for a half hour to get to the centre and then a little farther to get to
the river for some nice photos of the river and of the clock tower above.
It’s
original apparently, having escaped bombardment. Gasper said something about
asking an enemy to leave it while the rest of the town burned. Didn’t catch it
all.
I should have brought my hearing aids.
At noon, Gasper let us loose on the locals. We could walk up
to the clock tower or take an elevator.
It’s like 30 degrees out. Guess which one I did?
The hill is full of tunnels, dug during the war. One tunnel
leads to an elevator and it was very cold.
I could have sat there for the whole hour in the natural air
conditioning.
The elevator usually costs .80 Euro but today was free.
There was no line and the elevator was quick – up through a vertical tunnel and
you could see the carved walls as you ascended. The view from above is
beautiful and worth the detour. It didn’t take long.
If you walked, that would be another story.
If I was in shorts, I would have walked down. Instead, I
took the elevator and started a search for an ice cream. I found a nice shop
with ice cream and gelato. I had to pay for the cup first then they gave me the
chance to take a slice of any flavour. I wasn’t sure what all the flavours were
but chocolate and vanilla were a given. I also tried nougat.
The ice cream was superb. Very rich and full of flavour. A
small cup cost 4 Euro. About $6.
Exactly what a good ice cream should cost.
I met up with others from the tour and Casper had a bit of a
job finding us all. I had to pay for the busted bouncy castles thanks to 315
clawed cats then I herded them back to the bus.
Good thing they have nine lives.
We continued on through some Switzerland like countryside
with the gorgeous houses on the hillsides.
Gasper went around with the optional
list and I spoke to him about Montenegro. Turns out we will have close to a day
and a half in the Old Town as it is and he promised me enough free time to see
the War Photo display. So, I signed up for Montenegro, but he seems flexible if
something changes.
He also tells us that Dubrovnik is separated from the rest
of Croatia by a short section of Bosnia (its access to the sea) and that we
would be crossing the small section on the way to and from Dubrovnik, but on
the way back, we’ll actually stop. I’ll step inside the country for the first
time in 18 years.
This time, I’ll get a fridge magnet.
We crossed into Slovenia through the empty border crossing
and went through the longest tunnel in this part of Europe. Lake Bled was only
about 20 minutes from there. All eyes were on the sky as the weather seemed to
go from clear skies to threatening skies in the space of that tunnel.
Gasper gave us his Slovenia talk and language lesson. The
words look an awful lot like Bosnian. And Croatian. And Serbian. Probably a lot
like Montenegran too.
He said Slovenia has 2 million people and is one of the most
forested nations in Europe by percentage (almost 60% is forested). The country
declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and Yugoslavia responded by
attacking the border crossings - not wanting to lose the tax dollars or
something to that effect. I think it had more to do with Germany being far too
close to Slovenia (with which Slovenia has ties) and Belgrade being so far
away. Serbian was more concerned about Croatia as it had a large Serb
population. The Yugoslav incursion into Slovenia lasted only 10 days and
they’ve been at peace ever since.
He said it’s the 9th smallest country in Europe,
and he goes on to say nice things come in small packages.
Oh, did I mention he is Slovenian.
We pulled into the hotel which has greenery planted all
along the balconies and it’s growing over the sides so much that the rooms
below have vines hanging over their balcony. The whole wall is green.
It’s 4:30 which gave us a half hour to get ready for the evening
optional. Gasper had said he’d only do the Postojna Caves if he had a minimum
of 15 people. From the way he said it, he didn’t expect to get that many, but
when he asked, he got more than 15.
315 times 4 paws, actually.
Some of us love caves and we stacked the deck.
Since enough people (and felines) wanted to see the caves,
he compromised on the Bled Castle optional and arranged it for our arrival
which gave us precious little free time, but with this optional done, we can do
the other two tomorrow!
Love it when a plan comes together.
So, we scramble up to our rooms. Mine is small. One bed, a
chair and CRT TV, but the TV has the Discovery Channel and National
Geographic!!! There’s a safe (that I managed to screw up but they reset it for
me), a hair dryer, shampoo stuff, mini bar. Didn’t notice an iron yet. There’s
no bath. Just a shower.
And the internet is free in our rooms.
Sweet!
Despite Gasper telling us that he was trying to arrange Lake
view rooms, we all face the town.
Don’t think I’ll be in the room long enough to notice.
I pass my luggage coming up as I head down to get the bus.
Most of the tour is doing this optional and we joke that if this is an
at-leisure tour then the lively would kill us. LOL
We drive a short distance to the Pletna boats (they’re like
long gondolas). I’m in the front look back at the rower…and take a couple of
discreet pictures.
He can row my boat any day.
It takes about 20 minutes to cross the pristine Lake Bled to
the only island on the lake. (I thought I heard Gaspar say it was the only
island in Slovenia). We dock at the bottom and look up.
Way up.
99 steps.
Now, if there were a beer on each step, we’d have a song!
We all trudge up the steps to see the Church of St. Mary’s
at the top. A bell is ringing and ringing and ringing. Turns out it’s a wishing
bell and every tourist wants to take a try.
It must drive the locals crazy. LOL
I took a glance inside. I didn’t hear the history of the
bell. Too noisy in the church. I went for a walk around the church to take
pictures then walked halfway down the steps and sat there taking pics of the
boats on the lake and Tito’s former summer place.
Beautiful.
We took the boat back to shore and got back on the bus. By
now, our stomachs are rumbling and if the cats have emptied the buffet by the
time I get back, we’re gonna have a problem.
And they`ll be down to 8 lives.
First, we head to the Bled Castle which is perched on a
cliff overlooking the lake. What a spot for a castle. We drive around the lake
and see that the entire lake has a walking trail. What a way to preserve a
spot. Apparently, no more building is permitted around the lake. At the end of
the lake is a rowing area that was set up for a major competition. You can see
the lines of buoys extending out into the lake.
By now, I’m so wiped, I’m not taking a lot of notes about
the castle, but I knew the internet would be full.
Here’s a link to the local
site that explains the history of this amazing spot:
We drive up a very steep road and park below the castle.
Then we see the ramp up…and up….and up to the castle.
We all want the 99 steps now.
This is not a spot for slippery shoes. Good footwear is
essential.
The views from the castle are beautiful. Unfortunately, the
sun just hid behind the bit of cloud surrounding the lake. Yup. There’s a huge
blue area directly above us and a bank of cloud surrounds the blue to the
horizon.
We get a shower and I’m hoping a rainbow would show up over the town.
Wouldn’t that be sweet?
But no go.
We invade the small souvenir shop and I pick up the shot
glass for my sister in law and find a cute t-shirt. It’s packed in a little
lycra bag with the same design on it. I got it as much for the bag as for the
t-shirt.
And fridge magnets galore. I covered everything we’re doing
in Slovenia so that I can be sure I got them all and don’t have to look
tomorrow.
We get a half hour to walk around and take pictures then
head back to the bus. Good thing the showers let up or some of us would have
been slip-sliding down the rocks to the bottom.
I sense another song.
We drive back to the hotel for 7:30 and Gasper tells us that
the buffet is at 8 and to meet him in the reception area.
So, at 8 pm, he has 26 very very hungry people surrounding
him and he gave us the details for tomorrow. It was that kind of situation that
whenever he asked if someone had a question, you were quietly saying “no!”
Turns out about 24 of the 26 were thinking that.
He finally takes mercy on the drooling masses and lets us
loose on the buffet. I didn’t even pick a seat. I just picked a plate.
Gasper said this hotel was well known for its food and I can
believe it. It was delicious. Steak, turkey, potatoes, vegetables and the best
meatballs I’ve ever had. We get a bottle of water between two people or you can
order your own drink. The nice part about a buffet is that you can eat and run
and most of us are done in an hour.
An early night and a late wake-up. A tour traveller’s best
friend.
Turns out the green balconies are the cat’s best friend. They`re
out swinging on the vines.
I locked my balcony door and went to bed.
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