Lesce Bled

Ah, yes, bit of a cock up with the train times to Lake Bled this morning... I had it in my head that they were every 30mins or so, so I turned up at the train station just after 10 (I don't do early starts on holiday unless absolutely necessary!) to find the next one wasn't until 11.30. Oops! Meandered about a bit, then got on the train. It's funny, when you're used to 5/6 hour train journeys, 45mins is really just a snap of the fingers :-) However, Lake Bled train station isn't actually at Lake Bled. Off the train and onto a bus then... I've quite surprised myself really there - normally I would have the entire journey mapped out, times and all, but I'm just like, yeah whatever :-)

Lake Bled was well worth the trip. Such a beautiful place - the blip is the view from today's lunch table. After lunch I took the boat across to the island (just to the right of the shot), which has a church at the top of a hill. I took the slope rather than the steps, and you would've sworn I was an asthmatic 90 year old by the time I got to the top. Well it was hot! And steep(ish)! It's the only church I've been in on this trip that wasn't packed with tourists - I rang the church bell for luck and made a wish - no, I'm not telling you what it was ;-)

I do wish I'd done a bit more research though, then I'd have known you can swim in the lake - ooh that would've been lovely. The sun was hot hot hot, and the lake water was clear and cool, but not freezing. I had to content myself with sitting on the edge of the lake, dipping my feet in. Had a 2 scoop ice cream - vanilla with raspberry and chocolate, and pomegranate (get me, branching out from lemon!) while I sat, then got the bus and train back to Ljubljana (bit of a wait though, so a beer at the station went down very well).

Heh, I feel like such a seasoned traveller, I could cope with anything! Even the thought of the wrong train yesterday morning didn't bother me, I just thought well I'll get off at the next station and come back - how bad can it be??

I wonder if I smell? I fervently hope not. Did I mention it's hot?? The forecast for Zurich tomorrow, and Paris at the weekend, looks much cooler. Nicer to walk around on, but a small part of me will miss the sauna-like, dry heat of southern Europe.

Just nipped out for a quick bite to eat tonight - though of course it's never quick in Europe is it - waiting to be noticed (or is that just me?), waiting for food, waiting to be noticed again so I can pay the bill! The hotel have been very helpful in printing my boarding pass for tomorrow, and ordering me a taxi for 5.45 in the morning - bleurgh! At least it means I'm in Zurich for 9am, though I don't plan on doing a great deal...

Dober ve?er x

ps the buskers have turned up, dear god I hate the sound of the accordion, as does the dog a few tables down I suspect!