Slovenia: Bled

Bled, Slovenia: lake bled and its island, slovenia's only one
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Papa Damien''s wake up call came nice and early, and Mama prepared a fantastic breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and an assortment of fresh juices.  Papa is a big drinker...real big drinker.

Every morning I went down to the kitchen the old man was swigging away at some sort of alcohol, usually Slovenia's fantastic beer, Union Pivo.  Unfortunately for those who are staying at the hostel, Papa is the one who drives and picks everyone up from the town of Bled (pop. 10,000) 10 kilometers away.  The drive is interesting to say the least.

Magnificent Lake Bled

Bled, Slovenia: fish (i bet you didn't know that)
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I trekked up to the Bled Castle, accompanied by a lovely tour group of Italian senior citizens with no manners.  Surprise, right?  The castle is actually pretty lame, with little interesting to see inside the walls.

However, the view from the castle is excellent - the turquoise Lake Bled and its island silent below, while the Julian Alps rise behind.  A postcard moment.

I then walked the 4 km lake, watching the rowing regatta along the way, composed primarily of Eastern European teams.  Being a Sunday, the lake was packed with regional tourists and little kids.  I was about to call it a day when I stumbled upon the tourist info booth and asked the helpful employee which spot most of the incredible postcard views originate.

Bled, Slovenia: steep staircase/ladder leading to top of the osujnica trail
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She provided me with the location, a 40-minute hike up a small mountain behind the lake.  I made the trek up the Osujnica trail for an unforgettable view.  The lake, city, and small towns of the Bled region were in the distance, creating a spectacular panorama.

After returning to the town, I watched some of the England World Cup match with a lovely Irish couple from the hostel at Pub Bled, and then got picked up by Drunk Papa.

Since there's not much to do in the town I was staying with...in fact, there's nothing to do, I sat and admired the view from the patio while exchanging travel stories with my fellow hostel guests - some Irish girls, a professor and his wife from Minnetonka State in Minnesota, and some Scots.