After spending a few hours in Ljubljana, I went back to collect my bags from the locker room and got on a bus to Bled, Slovenia.  I was going to be spending two nights here.  My hotel was Hotel Krim.

I had a balcony that I spent more time on than anywhere else.

Balcony view:

The main attraction of Bled is the lake, appropriately named “Lake Bled”.  Overlooking the lake is Bled Castle, with the Julian Alps setting a beautiful background.

My first mission here was to walk around the lake.  My hotel was only a few blocks.  As I walked and it came into my line of sight, I got so excited.   The water here is just as clear as it was in Plitvice.  It is a 3.5 mile walk around the lake.  I took breaks to sit and admire the scenery, feeling full of peace while staring at the beauty before me.  It may be too early for me to settle on a place to retire, but as of right now, Bled tops my list.

In the center of the lake is a tiny island named Otok.

I took a boat (called “plenta boat”) here to visit the church.

Once you get to Otok, you climb up 100 steps to the church.  Inside the church is a rope to pull the church’s bell.  Superstition has it that if you can make the bell ring three times with one pull, your dreams will come true.  With the booming sound of tourist’s voices, it isn’t exactly easy to tell for sure if you have rung it three times.  But it is easy to convince yourself that you have.

There is a little tourist tram that runs around the lake.  It is worth a ride.
And as always, obilgatory casino picture!

Before going to bed on my last night, I asked the front desk for the number of a cab company.  They offered  that the night handyman would drive me.  This made me feel relieved as my departing train was at 4:00 am.  I was so scared I would not be able to find a ride.

Next stop: Venice.