Keeping up with Beth

Honestly crossing the boarder from Italy to Slovenia I could tell I was going to love it. Once we crossed the boarder, our train to Lake Bled was something else.

The train ride through Slovenia was something else. The train itself looked out and run down, I remember looking at it and thinking that’s definitely not a train safe for using, let alone travelling hours across the country? The station itself was a quaint little brick building, the area was silent apart form nature and the few voices of traveller and employees, very different from the central city stations that are packed with people and speakers to hear above the ruckus. It felt surreal to be in such a spot. We boarded and in my efforts to get comfortable for the several hour journey, I put my feet up. Bad habit of mine, I sit on a sofa and instantly treat it like my own house, or I find a way to sit cross legged on a chair or the floor rather than 2 feet firmly on the ground where they probably belong. BIG MISTAKE. The warden was not happy with me. I guess I was lucky, he let me off with a warning, informing me next time it would be 50€. Serves me right for not sitting like a normal grown up. But the journey was blissful. The views from the graffiti covered window felt like paradise and it felt like the most peaceful, refreshing moments we’d gasped since England.

Once we arrived we had the nicest taxi driver take us right from the station to our hostel. He clearly saw two very unsure girls and made sure to make us feel safe and give us all the information we might need on our stay here. It seems a well travelled to area for gap year type kids so I’m sure he was well used to entirely lost students trying to find their way as we were. He gave us a history of the area, not that I could remember any of it to pass on now, as well as pointing out key places and shops we may need during our stay as he drive us further down the valley into the town.

We headed to our hostel, one of those with a bar as a reception. I never know if that’s comforting with it being so relaxed and alcohol based or whether it should concern me that I’ll have to put on my heavy drinking mode for the rest of our stay… maybe I’ll have to try out a few more and figure it out! Our room was down in a basement spot. It was sweet, very cosy but a strange layout. Definitely recommend “Bled Hostel” for your stay. It’s close by, it’s easily accessed and has the bar on site, to meet new faces and grab a drink in the evenings.

That afternoon, after we had settled a little we took a little walk around the lake. We tried out the shops, to get cash first. These smaller towns aren’t so easy to use card in, it was incredible even just to go to the cash machine, to wonder by the lake, see the clarity of the water, the mountains and valleys surrounding, the business of the waterside and the culture of the area. It’s very sweet, Bled has a real homely feel. We decided once we had sorted our hostel payment we would do an actual walk around the lake. We thought it would be a whole day out but it took about an hour and a half to do the lap around, but we’re not prone to taking long stops to really appreciate, or to finding the pretty route. We want to get the exercise over and done with. The views the whole way around were incredible. All the boats on the water, people swimming, the floating aqua park, sunbathers on the pontoons and round by the restaurant. Most famously though, the gorgeous church in the middle of the lake. It’s gorgeous. I may be slightly partial to classic old church buildings. Side tangent, I massively represent the “buildings closed church is still open” movement but walking into a building or even looking at the classic ply build church buildings or cathedrals, blows me away. They’re so stunningly built and this one is no different. And to know it’s a functioning church was exciting news to me!

As we reached the end of that walk we did get caught in the sky’s letting loose, as if the rain had been held up all day, but no more. The sky’s unleashed and in minutes from thinking a beer in the sun would be nice, we took the chance and paced it back to our hostel. I am not one built for rain, oh no, I should have been born on a sweet little island in the Mediterranean somewhere to embrace the heat and sun and beach life. But this rain was alright, while it was hammering it down, I realised English rain is horrible for one reason. It’s so cold!

In the evening we decided to step out, chat to some other people. No matter how much you love a person, 24/7 with each other means the freedoms of conversation and interacting with other people, some fresh faces can be an absolute blessing. We met one of the girls who was also staying in her room and her friend who was travelling to meet her, which was so sweet, and before long we bumped into another group of girls who quickly became our company for the rest of our time there. Something about travel and the ease of meeting new people makes these groups of people so special, yet fleeting in the vast span of life.

We had a wild night. I’m not sure we need to relive it too much but a walk along the lake before heading to the bar, and an unintentional detour back to the hostel was one that brought us together like old friends.

When we finally resurfaced with mild symptoms of self inflicted overindulging, the girls from the night before had planned for us to spend a day lakeside and emjoy the beating sun and the incredible views. We chose the right time of year with the weather, July meant anywhere south of England was guaranteed warm temperatures even without the sun. We sat on the pontoon, sunbathing, chatting, working off the hangover with the freshness of the lake water.

I’ve never been a fan of open water swimming, I seriously have some really dumb fear of the fish that I cannot get over. In my head at this moment though, I couldn’t see them? They don’t exist. With that my determination and craving for proper not seawater swim impulsed me into attempting to swim to the island in the middle of the lake. From where we were on the pontoon, it wasn’t the middle but the only way to reach it was water. I didn’t make it all the way, mainly because I’d headed solo and once you reach the island you naturally can’t wonder around in your bikini and drip lake water all the way down the isle of the church, but I’m telling you I could have made it…

It was a super relaxed day and whilst I’m sure you could find plenty of activities in Bled, the lake is the main attraction we went for-so a day spent by the water fulfilled our purpose right? Any tan along the way is purely an extra bonus!

Our next night was spent almost the same, slightly less wild by the end. A few of the girls were leaving so we said some tipsy very sloppy lovely goodbyes, for a group of girls who has just met we sure made it hard to leave each other! The next week was filled with a group chat of updates of new travels and adventures, and reminiscing of our time together.

Our final day was likely our most adventurous. We only had til 11pm to really embrace all we could at the beautiful site and my friend had said the one splash out excursion she really wanted, was to zip line over the valleys. Who am I to say no? I always enjoy tours, but most of the time I’m content being in a different place, walking a different culture and eating. A lot.

The views from up there were incredible. One of the last remaining girls in Bled joined us on our adventure as we flew over incredible heights, shouting

across the valleys (very quietly from the videos) and seeing exactly how vast the land across the area is. It really was something and while I’m not afraid of heights anymore than I am of other crazy adrenaline junkie activities, I thought I would be a lot more fearful and insecure than I was. The guides were fun, chatted and stopped, told us some facts along the way and honestly just made it an experience of a life time. Maybe I ahould go again?

We had no plans for the rest of the day, one thing we had considered doing during our stay but hadn’t quite stepped out into yet, was getting across the the church island-dry. There are boat trips across, or ones you can hire, I’m sure we could have swam with dry bags in hand (or probably foot) but when we decided on one last visit to the lake, the 3 of us had a **** it mentality. When you’re some where special, and under budget like we were, there’s no harm in just splashing out! The group tours look fun, I’m sure you get lots of info but as we normally choose the cheap and cheerful option, we realised the hour or so rent price on a boat would be way better split across the 3 of us and I think we had more fun! It took a while to get used to it but once the rhythm started to be able to relaxed and soar across the water top felt like a luxury. Who needs professionals when you can have even more fun figure into it out and messing up yourself! Getting out and docked at the island was a fun task in that too, trust me.

The 2 native cuisines of Bled, or perhaps Slovenia, is their cream cake and orange wine. As I said, we were going for it that afternoon, we only had a few hours to experience everything we missed out on when we decided to sunbathe instead (worth it). We stopped at a little cafe up the hill to embrace that small part of culture. I’m very slowly becoming a wine person, to be honest all alcohol normally goes down with more force than enjoyment (proof of my not being an adult yet I believe) but we enjoyed our last moments and final trip out experiencing everything that Bled had to show us.

I hope we get to have a reunion with our girls, experience it all again, see the incredible views and really get to throw ourselves into the adventure! Until then…