Austria

Hello again

We have finally found a computer where we can upload some of the pictures from the camera to update you on our travels. After our last post we bade farewell to Slovenia, enjoying a few drinks overlooking beautiful lake Bled (see picture).

Since then we have been travelling through Austria, starting in the capital, Vienna. Vienna is a huge city, replete with palaces, history, and tourists. We packed in a heck of alot in the 2.5 days we were there. We started by exploring a part of the massive Hofburg palace, which was the seat of power for the Hapsburgs (who ruled Austria and beyond for 600 odd years). The picture below shows a section of the Imperial apartments…this room was used variously as a family dining room and ballroom.

That day we also went to the Sisi Museum, Imperial Silver collection and State Rooms of Franz Joseph. Franz Joseph was Emporer for almost 68 years before passing away in 1916. It was his nephew (Franz Ferdinand) whose assassination was the catalyst for WW1. His wife, Elisabeth (also his cousin and nicknamed Sisi) was murdered by an Italian radical. Austrians seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with Sisi, who was considered the most beautiful woman of her age.

Of course Lesley made sure that we didnt miss the most famous coffee houses in Vienna. Sachertorte (a type of chocolate cake) is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. This torte was the subject of an eight year court battle between Sacher Hotel and Demel bakery for the right to call their Sachertorte the ‘original’. Hotel Sacher won, but Lesley ultimately favoured Demel’s Annatorte (pictured)…a chocoloate sponge with orange liquer and hazelnut.

The next day we set off for more sight seeing (mindful that we had alot of cake and schnitzel to burn off). We visited the Schönbrunn (pictured below), which was used as a summer palace by the Hapsburgs. It was also used as a base for hunting, a favourite passtime of the royals.

There were beautfiul gardens all round, a maze, a zoo, and beautiful long avenues of trees (see picture below). As you can probably tell from the first picture, there were also hordes of tourists… apparently the Schönbrunn gets about 5 million visits per year (13,700 per day).

That same day we climbed the tower of St Stephandsdom Church for a birds eye view of Vienna (see below). This involved 344 stairs in a very claustraphobic spiral staircase. We were dizzy by the time we got up and down…and of course passing people going the opposite way was a challenge. You can see the coloured tiles on the roof of the church. These are relatively new, as the entire roof collapsed from a fire during WW2 (which we learnt on the walking tour of the city we did later that day).

The next day we went to a palace of one of the Austrian generals just outside of Vienna, then got the train to Salzburg (birthplace of Mozart). We set out early on our first full day to visit the fort above Salzburg, passing a bunch of stalls on the way selling giant pretzels (amongst other things). Not satisfied with the hostel breakfast, Tim decided to indulge…

We later found out that Salzburg claims to have had an annual Oktoberfest that pre-dates the big one in Munich. These stalls were part of the setup for celebrations that would last the entire time we were in Salzburg…meaning more tourists, and many locals in their traditional lederhosen. The picture below shows Salzburg’s old town, and the fort we climbed up to on the hill.

We got out of Salzburg on our second full day to visit the Eagles Nest, which is in Germany but extremely close to Salzburg. The Eagles Nest was built as a present to Adolf Hitler on his 50th birthday. As Hitler was afraid of heights and also claustraphobic (the entrance involves a very steep road with sheer drops on one side, and a lift through the mountain), he only visited the Eagles Nest about 10 times (and not for longer than 30 mins at a time). It was used primarily as a reception room for important guests, like Mussolini and Neville Chamberlain. The views were incredible. You can see Salzburg way off in the distance in the top left side of the photo below…

No private cars are allowed to visit the Eagles Nest, so it is necessary to take a guided tour. This meant that when we were visiting, there were seven bus loads of tourists visiting at the same time. Because of the tight schedule for getting people up and down, everyone does everything at the same time. It was a bit of a nightmare, so we found it best to sit outside and enjoy the views and Eagles Nest that way. The building is pictured below…

After that experience we were both starting to feel buggered after seeing so much, and tired of the constant crowds of people. Unfortunately we have also both been battling colds (Tim is pretty sure he has a manflu). That night we spent some time in front of the tv after an awesome pub dinner. Lesley watched The Sound of Music, which was filmed in and around Salzburg. The hostel we stayed at played The Sound of Music EVERY DAY. Tim refused (even though he has never seen it), and watched an action movie instead.

The next day we head to Innsbruck, our last stop in Austria. The town is surrounded on all sides by steep Mountains which are truly epic (see picture below). We have been taking it easy in Innsbruck, which has a more laid back atmosphere that we find agreeable. We plan on doing a bit of walking tomorrow through the green fields and hills.

Next stop for us will be Paris (we are travelling on Tims birthday). The train ride from Innsbruck to Zurich especially is supposed to be one of Europe’s most scenic. Lesley has made a reservation at Paris’ top rated restaurant based on Trip Advisor ratings (but not the most expensive!) to celebrate.

Will keep you posted.

TL

The Bohinj Cow Ball, and Lake Bled

Well the sun came out for the 56th annual Cow Ball at Lake Bohinj, which celebrates the return of local shepherds and their cattle after a summer of grazing high up in the pastures of the Julian Alps.

It certainly had atmosphere…sort of a small Slovenian Easter Show. There were stalls selling cheeses and other goodies, masses of sausages and sauerkraut, an entire cow on a spit roast, and plentiful beer. The whole scene was completed by Slovenian folk music and dancing, frequently interrupted by the locals yelling ‘yeeeeeeheeeeeeeeeeewwww!!!’. It was a bit of a laugh.

Crazy music and enthusiastic dancing aside, the highlight was the actual return of the cows…

and the locals donning their traditional dress…

The following day we bid farewell to Lake Bohinj and caught the bus to Lake Bled, only a stones throw away by Aussie standards. Lake Bled is a glacial lake situated in the Julian Alps. It is extremely picturesque…

First you have Bled Castle (oldest castle in Slovenia), literally perched atop the limestone cliffs on the Northern side of the Lake. The picture below shows Lesley at the restaurant waiting for lunch, with views over Bled and the rural farmland beyond.

Second, you have the 15th century Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, idyllically located on an island in the middle of the lake. To get there, we rented a wooden boat which Tim rowed around the Lake. There are no motor boats on Bled Lake – period (which is probably a good thing). The church is pictured below. Many weddings take place here, and it is considered good luck for the groom to carry the bride up the 99 steps before ringing the bell inside the church and making a wish. Tim wonders if this is also after the groom rows all the wedding guests to the island!

We took a break as the weather was pretty much perfect, you can see the church and the castle in the photo behind Lesley…

After a bit more rowing we just floated about for a while on the Lake. Another view of Bled Castle…

Today we walked to Vintgar Gorge (only three hours return) and took in the amazingly clear waters of the Radovna River. It was then a picturesque walk back through the rural farmland surrounding Bled.

Tomorrow we will leave Slovenia and head to Vienna in Austria. For such a pint sized country there is heaps to do and see here, and the natural beauty really has to be seen to be believed. Any fan of Mudgee would love it here.

TL

Bohinj and the Julian Alps

We have returned to civilization…

After a day trip to the Skocjan Caves (unfortunately no pictures were allowed) we made our way to Lake Bohinj and the small town of Ribcev Laz – our base for exploring the Julian Alps.

Lake Bohinj, covering 318 hectares (790 acres), is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia (see picture below). The lake is surrounded by amazing limestone mountains. The town itself is very small, but has a similar vibe to Queenstown in New Zealand (a sort of adventure sports capital). We checked with the tourist information office to find that the weather forecast was not as good as hoped… rain, with a chance of snow at high altitudes. Still, it was only supposed to be like this for one day, so we set off as planned the following day.

As expected, rain clouds threatened (see photo), but the morning was without rain. To begin with, it was a pleasant walk through villages and through fields to the sound of cow bells.

Then it was time to climb. Entering the forest, what followed was a series of very steep and very rocky zig zags (see photo below). We gained height rapidly… but had to take frequent breaks. We made it to the top and had a massive lunch at a rural pub. Luckily, we arrived as a bunch of 20 odd school kids and their teachers were leaving – in the opposite direction. School excursions Slovenia style!

It had started to rain so we donned our wet weather gear and set off again. The walking was rocky underfoot through some thick forests which were beautiful and green, but very misty and very quiet…

We eventually reached our hut at about 1500m, which was a days climb of about 900m (and 9.5km distance). Not a bad effort! There were five guests that night (including the two of us), meaning the hut was virtually empty (capacity of 80 people). We had a delicious dinner of sauerkraut and sausages (with beer) and chatted to a couple of Israelis and a local who was a former tour guide… all in English of course 🙂

Snow was expected that night, but on waking we found only rain. Ha! we thought. Lesley was even a bit disappointed, having never seen snow fall. We set off in the rain, Lesley with her 1.5 Euro rain poncho (see picture).

It soon started to snow lightly which was a thrill. The walking was much easier on the second day, so despite the weather we were enjoying ourselves. Our walking notes said there would be stunning views, but we couldnt see anything due to the weather which was a bit frustrating (see picture of Tim in the snow).

Snow continued, getting heavier, but the path was very clear and also well marked. We made our way to the Triglav lakes hut for some lunch (see picture). The hut was dwarfed by the mountains around, many of which were obscured by the snow and cloud.

We set off for our final six kms of the day, heading up the valley behind the hut. Our notes said it would be a scenic and gentle climb. It would have been, if not for the weather (see photo).

By now, snow was really starting to obscure the track and to deepen, up to 30cm at times. In addition, the wind was blowing the snow into our faces, so it was hard to see. We reached 1850m (our highest point)… whilst we had the gear to go on, after some cursing, we thought it was better to alter plan and head back to Triglav Lakes to spend the night. Disappointing…but the priority was self preservation…not progress at any cost! We stopped for another photo a bit further back…

We met the Israelis coming up the path on the way back…they were only half committed given the weather, so on seeing us, we all headed back to the hut for beers, wine and some more sausage and sauerkraut! A total of 13km for the day.

Day three we set off around 8:30 in the opposite direction to everyone else (down!). It was a beautiful walk with much better views of snow capped mountains. We even saw some wild chamois (goat-antelope type animal). It was nice to see some sun!

We did a 7km walk in the morning, with an option to do an extra 6, but rain clouds were threatening again and our feet were hurting…so we headed to Dom Na Komni (our final hut) for some chill out time. The hut was perched on top of a hill with stunning views over Lake Bohinj (see picture of the hut behind Lesley).

Tim had carried the tripod the entire trip, so damnit! despite the non perfect weather, we used it…

Our bedroom window had a similar view down to the Lake. We settled in for a warm night and had, to quote Lesley, the best strudel ever.

Our final day today was a long zig zagging descent of about 1000m, a visit to a waterfall, then a 5km walk to Lake Bohinj. From there, we caught the tourist boat, aka ferry, to the other side of the lake and then legged the final 500m to our accomodation.

Ah, so there you have it. We have blisters, our muscles are sore, but we feel like we have achieved something and earned many more desserts.

Tomorrow is the annual Cows Ball, a zany folk festival held on the Western side of Lake Bohinj. We are sure it will be a highlight. Touch wood for good weather!

Keep you posted.

TL

From Croatia to Slovenia

Hello dear reader!

Following Dubrovnik we took a bus north to Split, second largest city in Croatia. The city is centered around the ancient Roman palace of the emperor Diocletian, who ruled Rome from AD 284 to 305, and had the palace built for him as a retirement home. The foundations are the best preserved (pictured below), as everything above ground has been lived in over the centuries.

We scaled Splits bell tower (see picture) to get a better view of the expanse beyond the old town walls. It felt like a pretty dodgy climb, particularly going up as you could see between the stairs with each step. Surviving the experience, more cathedrals and museums awaited us…

We found that Split has a different vibe to Dubrovnik, less picture perfect and more lived in. That said, it is not without its charm or share of impressive sights. The shots below show dinner for two (under ten dollars), with a view of Splits main promenade behind. The tallest building on the right hand side of the two pictures is the aforementioned bell tower.

Same same…but different…

On our second day in Split we did a day trip via car ferry to Hvar island. Lonely Planet describes Hvar as Croatias most luxurious island. Our first port of call was the fort overlooking Hvar town, with the view pictured below.

After exploring in the midday heat we had a very nice seafood lunch on a terrace overlooking the water, complete with lemon flavored beer. Another stroll around the island revealed hordes of sunbathers spread out on the rocky coast in front of uber luxury hotels.

From Split we made our way into Slovenia to the north. This involved a train to Zagreb, capital of Croatia, and a second connecting train to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia. The first leg was seven hours. The three hour wait in Zagreb then turned into a six hour wait due to delays. Utilizing our rescue pastilles, we remained in a state of zen calm before ultimately arriving in Ljubljana around midnight. The joys of travel…

Our accommodation in Ljubljana is a backpackers joint (as opposed to the private accommodation we have thus far been using). Our first stay in a dorm room (admittedly with only four beds total) was much more pleasant for us than our fellow backpackers as we scaled bunk beds in the dark!

This morning we made our way up to Ljubljanski grad, the castle perched on a hill above Slovenias capital. On a clear day you can see one third of Slovenia from where Lesley is standing (see picture). The views were awesome, as was the history which we learned about on a guided tour. The area of the present castle is thought to have been settled continuously since 1200 BC. It has been variously used, as poor folk accommodation (in the 20th century), a prison, a fortress, and even a military hospital during Napoleons occupation.

The streets of Ljubljana are very pretty, particularly in the oldest part of town. Despite being a capital city (population approx 260,000), the place has the feel more of a large contented country town. Needless to say, we find the vibe very agreeable. There is a huge number of picaresque restaurants and cafes along the Ljubljanica River, and the willow trees remind Tim of Mudgee (see picture).

We also took a walk to Tivoli, a huge park very close to the old town. A pleasant surprise was an exhibition along the main thoroughfare consisting of US and Slovenian themed National Geographic photography. So nice!

The rest of the afternoon is probably best summed up with the picture below. The kindle is getting a workout. You can see Ljubljanski grad on top of the hill in the background.

Tomorrow we plan a day trip to Škocjan Caves, then we leave Ljubljana the following day and head west for our trekking through the Julian Alps.  We will be sure to update you again on our triumphant return.

TL

Dubrovnik and Montenegro

Day two in Dubrovnik started with a walk to Fort Lovrijenac (pictured), located just outside the Old Town. The fort was built with very thick stone walls on the sea and land side (12 metres), but only 60cm thick walls on the city side. This was so the commander of the fort could never rebel against the city!When we were exploring around the fort we spotted a small beach below. Beaches in Croatia are mostly rocks and concrete slabs (for sunbathing)…but the waters of the Adriatic are crystal clear. Lesley can be seen in the picture below showing off her new bikini. We had beers after the swim in the cafe above Lesley…nice!

We also went to the Dubrovnik Maritime museum which was interesting.The prosperity of Dubrovnik has historically been based on Maritime trade (but now mostly tourism). The 15th and 16th centuries were boom times for Dubrovnik, where it was the only east Adriatic city-state to rival Venice.

Next day we set off on a day trip to Montenegro. We were keen to see Kotor’s old town (pictured below). In the photo you can see the walls on the hilltop above, which were built by the Republic of Venice. According to our tour guide, the experts still have no idea how these walls were built, given the technology that was available back then. But built they were! We were hoping to do the walk up to the fort but didn’t have enough time…

After walking around the old town, we took the opportunity to get our feet wet in the Bay of Kotor. Surrounded by the limestone mountains of the Dinaric Alps, Kotor Bay is quite a sight!

Next stop on our whirlwind tour of Montenegro was Budva, which has become a bit of a tourist destination and resort town. Budva also has an old town, which exceeded our expectations (see picture below).

The following day we set off early and caught the ferry to Lokrum Island, just off Dubrovnik. We trekked to the top of the island where there is a fort, offering great views over Dubrovnik (see below).

Tim climbed to the top of the fort to get a better view…

After our hike to the top of Lokrum we found a private ‘beach’. Whilst there wasn’t any sand we took the opportunity to enjoy the crystal clear waters and absence of other tourists.

We feel like we have ‘seen’ Dubrovnik, and we are growing quite fond of the place. Tomorrow we will be heading north to Split (4.5 hour bus ride). Will keep you posted.

TL

First day in Dubrovnik

Well! It was an epic journey to Dubrovnik, involving three plane trips (the longest being about 12 hours) and two bus rides. We (finally) arrived after 34 hours travel door to door.

The first afternoon we went for a few drinks and a quick swim, which felt like bliss. After an early dinner we hit the hay and clocked in a solid 10 hours sleep!

The next morning we were up bright and early to explore the Pearl of the Adriatic. The main promenade of the Old City (pictured below) is unbelievable, and can get incredibly packed later in the day. Fortunately there are numerous ice cream vendors to keep the hordes of tourists cool.

After breakfast we did the walk around the Old Town fortifications. This was a definite highlight, with stunning views from all directions.

After another swim we caught the cable car up to the top of Mt Srd. The views were spectacular but we were buggered. The picture shows Lesley taking a rest with a view of Dubrovnik and Lopud island below. 

There is an old Fort (built by Napoleons troops) up top which was a great vantage point. The fort was quite important militarily, particularly when Dubrovnik came under attack by the Serbian Federal Army in 1991. Not so long ago!

We have a few more days here before we head north to Split. Will keep you posted.

TL