Today started out a bit overcast and cool, but by midday was sunny and warm.

Around 7 or 8 p.m. the clouds started rolling in and the sky darkening...and not just your typical sundown darkness.

I was sitting in the ˝chill out room˝ with a girl from Washington state and chatting and about an hour later the thunder started, then the rain and lightning.

Its passed for now and seems clear again, but gotta say, thunderstorms in Slovenia are pretty fun. Its like being a kid again with your face pressed to the window, watching lightning and listening to thunder for as long as it lasts.

It's my last day in Bled. Im catching the bus soon to head for Maribor.

I've loved this town and met a lot of great people here.

Last night, the girl from Washington and I were chatting and heres some interesting things we noticed:

Slovenia is maybe the prettiest, cleanest, nicest, most organized countries either of us have been to. She's been to more countries, but I agree. I decided last night too that if I spoke the language, I'd love this country as much as I love New Zealand.

I also learned from the couple I met at the caves last week, that this is a major transition for Slovenia. It only became an independent nation, freed from Yugoslavia, in the early 1990s and apparently, it didn't used to be so nice. So, kudos to Slovenia.

We also decided that as much as we love to travel, experience new cultures and meet people, we both appreciate a familiar song, book, movie, or just something simple that reminds us of home. Must be why I turn to my trusty ipod when I get lonely or stressed out in foreign countries. And why I found myself watching an old episode of NCIS last night when I was bored.

But, thats all for now...catch you all in Maribor, the gem of the northeast of Slovenia. Then to Ptuj, a town that was mentioned by name as early as 67 AD.

Its been warm and sunny almost everyday Ive been here and Ive got the rosy cheeks to prove it.

But last nights thunderstorm left clouds and rain today and its actually cold in Maribor.

The bus ride from Bled to Ljublijana was alright, I think I somehow developed motion sickness though.

Switched to the train in Ljublijana and was paranoid that I was on the wrong one, but I was in fact on the right train and it was a nice one too. Shared a cabin with a very nice Slovenian woman and had great views of the countryside, mountains and rivers. Also made some progress on my book -- Andrea Mitchell's bio -- without too much of the random motion sickness.

There's some sort of tennis tournament in town and there are kids everywhere. There was also some rowing event going on in Bled I think since I saw it on the news when I got here. Although I didn't notice them in town while I was there, but I didn't go by the lake this morning on my way out of town.

Tomorrow I think I'll day trip out to Ptuj and see the church there and then come back to Maribor and tour around town for the day. Probably heading back to Ljublijana either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and think I'm going to add some day trips from there.

But for now, time to sort hostel bookings and call it a night so I can go back into traveller mode in the morning.

David left this morning so I was on my own to head up the hill to Bled Castle, part of which has stood on the cliff overlooking the lake since the 11th or 12th century.

Its 600 meters up and the bugs seem to get worse as you climb. But, made it to the top and the views were well worth the climb. Got to climb all around the castle too and see a replica of a Guttenburg printing press in the town that used to be the castle prison. And the bird that spoke Slovenian whistled at me.

Discovered on the way back down that I had taken the longer and tougher route up, but its good for me I guess. Forget the gym, go to Slovenia. Get the best workout of your life, everyday. As David said, little in Slovnia was built for the tourists. The best sights require some effort to get to.

At the bottom of the hill, went in the church, which was beautiful and very quiet.

Walked around the lake a bit more, watched swans chase each other and children chase ducks.

I'm off to catch the bus back to Ljubljana then to Maribor.

That was my plan for Monday, but instead, I walked out of town with David to the Gorge.

It took less than an hour to get to the gorge and it was nice walk through the countryside near Bled.

The gorge was absolutely stunning and David let me take some photos with his digital camera since I once again killed my battery and failed to bring any extra batteries. Stupid square batteries.

But, the clear, blue-green water, was calm in some places, but ended in a beautiful waterfall, complete with a rainbow in the spray. Not bad for a days walk.

We made it back to town around 1:30 p.m. and putzed around for a bit, then decided to rent a rowboat and take ourselves to Bled Island.

Good thing David had rowed before, since I hadn't in ages and it was pretty windy on our way to the island.

We docked without anyone falling in the lake and climbed the 99 stone steps that by tradition, a man getting married in the church at the top has to carry his bride up those steps as the last test of whether he can marry her.

I can't imagine being carried up those steps, nor do I think I'd want to be. It would be a hard fall back down, straight into the lake...in a wedding dress. Not a pleasant scenario to me.

But a church has stood on that spot since the 1100s or so and its amazing that they were able to build a stone church, tower and some other small buildings on Slovenia's only true island.

Theres a wishing bell in the church and you'll hear it all day long in town. The legend is that a woman lost her husband to some pillagers and was so distraught that she gathered all her gold and had a bell cast. It was to be put in the church, but on the way some sort of storm came up and the boat overturned and the boater drowned. The bell sunk to the bottom of the lake and the brochure didn't say whether it was ever recovered. She was even more upset now, so she went to Rome to become a nun. The pope somehow heard this story and commissioned a new bell, which is now in the churh and supposed to grant wishes to those who ring it.

We only paid €10 to rent the boat for an hour, but we ended up being gone for two, but no extra charge. Quite a bargain really.

I got quite a bit of sun for the day and was exhausted. We spent ages trying to email those pictures to myself, and eventually I got frustrated and quit. We went for pizza instead.

I think the author of my Lonely Planet guide was confused when he wrote the book, because the train station is certainly more than 2km from town and it's certainly not an easy walk with a 20-30 pound rucksack after you've already been walking creation for a week.

Plus, it's not the easiest hostel to find and is up a decent hill. By the time I got here, I was exhausted.

But, no stopping while traveling and I set out to wander a bit. The camera battery also died in Venice so I was searching for a disposable, but again, Sundays aren't conducive to getting much done here.

Instead, sat on a terrace for a pizza dinner and watched the sunset over Lake Bled.

At the hostel, met a great Canadian couple and my roommate, David, from England. We chatted for a bit and it turned out to be a pretty decent night. We had our own bathroom in the room, so I took a nice, long, hot shower, and this time, no water on the ceiling.

Leaving Venice wasn't tough, just packed up, ate breakfast and finally had a cup of coffee, and hopped on the boat back to the train station.

Of course, the guy at the ticket window wasn't friendly and while I'm sure he spoke a least a bit of English, he wasn't in the mood to be helpful that morning.

I got my ticket for the 10 a.m. train to Gorizia at 9:59. Plenty of time, the ticket clerk said.

He was right. Made it on, and all was well until just two stops from Gorizia.

The train conductors went on strike.

The train stopped and I had no idea what to do next.

I was sitting on the train thinking it would keep going, until the conductor came and said "train doesn't go there."

Luckily, I ran into a Slovenian guy who works in Dublin and was on his way home to Nova Gorica, which is where I was headed. Plus, he spoke Italian.

We also ran into an American couple from Seattle and the four of us sat around, waiting, as train after train was cancelled due to the strike. We'd contemplated calling Slovenian guy's family to come get us or to walk. The Slovenian guy even bought us a coffee while we waited.


Finally, two hours later, we were back on a moving train.

Despite being behind schedule, we had a good time and all made it back to Nova Gorica eventually.

Of course, at the Nova Gorica train station, the ticket windows were closed. Oh the joys of traveling in a predominately Catholic country, on a Sunday.

I wandered the platform and finally found someone who reassured me that the train to Bled was coming and I could buy my ticket on the train.

About 30 minutes later, I was on the train, looking out over the Socka River.

And two hours later, I was at Lake Bled.

I made it to Venice with no real problems and headed straight for the hostel. That's when it got a little tougher. They don't really have roads, or cars, but canals and boats. So figuring out which boat goes in which direction is a bit of a challenge. Especially where there's a crowd trying to do the same.

But, the couple I met in the Postoyna Cave live in Italy now and they told me to get a Venice Card, which is like a metro card or all day pass to public transportation in any big city. Definitely a money saver.

Found the hostel, checked in and changed, and about two hours after arriving in the city, was finally ready to go exploring.

I hopped back on the boat at the Zitelle stop, just two away from San Marco, which was my first stop. Visited the Basillica, in just 30 minutes, since the bag check closed at 5 and they wouldn't let me in with my little backpack.

Considered a trip up to the top of the tower across from the church, but for €8, I figured the postcard was cheaper. You're supposed to be able to see all of Venice and on a clear day, as far as Slovenia and Croatia, but it wasn't that clear.

They say the best way to see Venice is to get lost. So I did. For hours, just wandered through the alleys, over bridges, and when I couldnt walk another step, rode the boat all the way around the city back to the hostel.

But after a few minutes in the hostel, I got restless, so I went back out. Debating whether I should buy dinner or Murano glass earrings. Those are made from glass blown on Murano Island, between Venice and the mainland. I opted for lasagna, because I was too hungry and I already have glass jewelry from London. They make great glass pieces in Slovenia anyway, and it costs about half.

Ran into two ladies from California and we wandered around some. They were hilarious and we found some streets and parts of the city I hadn't seen earlier, mostly because we were lost again.

Alright folks, its late and Im tired, so will post more tomorrow!

One of those crimson shirts about caused me to tumble down the steps of a ponte (bridge) in Venice when I spotted it on the street below.

I also instantly became one of those tourists I hate. The kind that stops, out of nowhere, in the middle of a pathway and causes everyone behind them to lay on the breaks or duck around.

But, a Roll Tide shirt in Venice? I had to be sure. So I waited for the man to take a photo of his girlfriend or a duck, couldn't really be sure, and then I waited some more for him to walk straight back toward me so I could read it clearly. Yes, Alabama's reach is as far as the canals and plazas of Venizia. All this made funnier by the fact that the guy wearing the shirt was absolutely not from Alabama. Or even the U.S. He may very well have been Italian, but I couldn't make out the language quick enough, even though Id been standing and staring at him for several minutes at that point.

Guess you never really can wander all that far. Something familiar always follows.

Other odd spottings in Venice:

A bride, in full wedding garb, looking very ticked off. But I would be too if I was fighting my way through the streets of Venice and people were stepping on my dress. But, she had her fiance/husband and bridesmaids in tow so I'm sure she had everything her way eventually.

On the Rialto Bridge, saw what may have been part of a bachelor party. Group of guys, mid to late 20s, all very loud and drinking. One, the groom perhaps, was wearing striped but mismatched socks, two different shoes, Mardi Gras beads, an ivy wreath and a hat that looked like Dr. Suess cross-bred with St. Patricks Day. He was very drunk. So drunk that he tried to talk to people -- through the window -- of shops on the bridge. He put his beer down on the sill to do so, probably to use both hands to steady himself. Alas, he wandered off for more merriment without his beer.

Alright, it's been a few days, so I'm breaking this into a few posts.

You know in cartoons when someone turns the water on and the hose swirls and the person frantically tries to catch it, making a mess in the meantime?

Well, that's what I did Friday night at the hostel I finally made my way to in Nova Gorica. I left the library after my last post and hopped on the bus and got off in Rozna Dolina, a little village right on the Italian border. I was thrilled to have my own room with my own bathroom, so I decided I would dump out my entire bag, spread things out everywhere and take a nice, long, hot shower.

It wasn't a stationary shower head though, it was one of those stupid moveable ones, with the long cord. Can't remember what they're called and while they're great in theory, that's how water ended up on the ceiling -- and all over the wall and floor -- of my hostel in tiny Rozna Dolina.

But, I did get my long, hot shower and a decent nights sleep. Although I'm pretty sure a Spanish couple were sitting outside my window and they talked forever.

The next morning, got up early, waited a good 45 minutes or more for the bus back to Nova Gorica. Walked, and got lost again, through town to the train station, caught the shuttle across the border to the Italian train station and headed the two-hours to Venice.

This post was originally posted in May 2009. I'm remembering how stressed I was on this day and how hard it was to get a good photo inside a cave. 

Lonely Planet guidebook. You are seriously failing me on this trip.

In Nova Gorica right now, at the public library. Not entirely sure where Im going to sleep tonight. Need to go sort that out in about five minutes. But, in this town, and the last, Lonely Planet maps and information have not been awesome. Oh well, making do as I go.

Got up this morning and walked the 1km to the Postojna Caves. That was worth the hike and the ticket price. The cave is roughly 3 million years old and was discovered in 1818. It opened to the public in 1819 and I think the guide said they'd had electricity down there since 1824. Either way pretty impressive. When the crowd broke into groups by language for tours it looked like I was the only English speaker for a second. Then a lovely couple joined. She's South African, he's Swedish. She told me that military forces had stored ammunition in the cave, until the Allies figured it out and blew it up. I'd have to check that, but would make sense.

The caves were great, although my legs were hating me the whole time. We only walked about an hour and it wasn't too intense, but after yesterday's hike, I'm still feeling it. One couple brought a baby to the caves. Thought that was a bit odd. Not a toddler. A baby. In a cave. It was about 45 degrees and wet and dark in there. By the time we got to the ˝concert hall˝ the baby was wailing, so it echoed everywhere.

Caught the bus to Nova Gorica this afternoon. That took almost two hours and when I got here, I got lost, accosted by some annoying kids and a soccer ball and eventually ended up here at the library. It's been a slightly rough afternoon. Since I got here, nothing has gone quite right. Still haven't found the hostel, so I'm leaving momentarily to catch the bus to Rozna Dolina, which is about 4km away and where a hostel is. Hopefully, they have a room. Fingers crossed! Because if not, I'm a little bit screwed.

Tomorrow morning I'm walking across the Italian boarder to catch the train to Venice. And I do have a hostel booked when I get there. I'm tempted to just go now, since I'm pretty sure they aren't full, but I think Im too tired for that.

The ride from Postojna to Nova Gorica was nice though. Very green, saw some great churches and castles. And a Betty Boop bag on a local girl on the bus.

Well, booked hostels through May 14, except for tonight. And just missed the bus again. Have to wait another hour. It's too bad there aren't more accommodation options in this town. I'd like it better if there were.

Alright, done for now. Will be in Italia tomorrow and hopefully in a better state of affairs!

This post was originally posted in May 2009.

I did today.

Well, if you count hoofing it up a hill for a few kilometers until a very nice Slovenian woman takes pity on you and gives you a ride most of the way up. And then you climb all over a castle in a cliff thats cold and dark and leaky (from being partly in a cave) and then hoofing it back down, the whole 10 km back to town.

If that's not the life, what is?

Actually, it was a fantastic day, minus the fact that I can't really feel my legs now and I know I have blisters. Tomorrow I'm walking just a kilometer to the caves, and I think it might be rough.

But, let's pick up where I left off yesterday. When I left the cyber cafe, I wandered around a bit more and wound up at the park. Just sat there and watched people walk by for at least an hour. An adorable little girl came up with who must have been her grandparents and was feeding bread to the pigeons. It was a tough concept for her, because she tried to toss the entire chunk at once instead of little bits at a time. Then she ran around and scared all the birds. Amusing.

Back at the hostel, I met Isabel, a French-Canadian from Montreal, but she spoke English! And another kid from California. He just finished his sophomore year at a school in Portland. Isabel and I went for dinner, pizza on the river. A small is actually a pizza bigger than your head, so a good deal really.

Caught the bus for Postjana this morning and while walking to the bus station almost choked on my water when I saw a Duke t-shirt in a store window. It was a sports store, but all the shirts in the window display had American teams and schools on them. Plus, there is American music everywhere and at the bus station, a girl had an Old Navy shirt. Even saw a Ford on the road.

There's some sort of sporting event going on now outside the hostel. Not sure what it is, but its loud and there are lots of people everywhere. Its not even my hostel, but mine doesnt have Internet, so had to come over here. But at least its free!

Back to the castle. It dates back to the 12th century and the oldest surviving records of the castle date to the 13th century. It was built with security in mind and is built into a cave below a cliff. Predjama Castles most famous resident was Erazem, who was there in the 15th century. He managed to defend against a month-long assault. But legend has it that a disloyal servant gave away his location -- when he was on the toilet -- and was killed. That was in 1484. There's a cave under the castle too, but I didn't go in there.

Headed to Postojna Jama (cave in Slovene) tomorrow. Its supposed to be amazing. I'll report back afterward.

Until then. Na svidenje.