Our First Weekend in Slovenia

"I feel Slovenia"- its Slovenia's slogan and I can completely understand why! We went this past weekend and it was fantastic... probably the most relaxing vacation since the Smoky Mountains before we left the states.

We stayed in the Julian Alps- below is a picture of Lake Bled. Bled is gorgeous... a castle sits above the town on a cliff, and a picturesque church sits on an island in the middle of the lake. Who can resist?!?

To get out to the island we rented a small rowboat- although Trent did most of the work I tried to help!

Once on the island we went to the Church of the Assumption to ring the lucky bell. Note the directions... men should not attempt to kick women in the face while ringing bell. Noted.

So here I am ringing the lucky bell and trying to get all the luck out. I only was told AFTER that you are supposed to make a wish first! I just thought you'd get some luck... so I might need to go back...

Trent also rang the lucky bell. And didn't kick me in the head.

Our first Slovenian beer- delish!

Next we went to Bled Castle to look around and have dinner. The castle was amazing... great views and a small museum of Slovenian history.

So romantic!

The next day we went to Lake Bohinj. Bohinj is bigger and is much different than Bled. We started with an early am hike to the waterfall- Slap Savica.

A rainbow...

The view from Slap Savica- you can see Lake Bohinj in the distance.

Trent at Lake Bohinj.

 

There are more pictures on facebook- if you don't have facebook let me know and I can email you the rest of the pics! All in all a great weekend. We will be going back for sure- next maybe fly fishing the Emerald Trail or seeing the costal areas in June... but Slovenia is now one of my favorite places!!

Poland

The reason for this trip really began years ago when Trent and I went to pick out new plates from "Blood Bath and Beyond" (as we have nicknamed it). We picked out a set we thought would last, as any newly married couple does, but the dishes soon chipped and discolored. Becoming frustrated, we decided to overhaul our kitchen contents. And SINCE we are in Europe- why not stock up on Polish and Italian pottery??

Starting with Polish pottery.

We did our homework and mapped out a trip to Boleslawiec, Poland, the birthplace of beautiful, hand painted pottery.

But we also wanted to see a bit of Poland and experience the culture. I pictured a quaint little town similar to Germany's Triberg. But we were quite wrong- the town is much larger and MUCH less touristy than we'd thought. It wasn't too bad- but we were somewhat taken aback by the cleanliness and crowded streets.

But making the best of it we found a cute little Polish restaurant. Warm and cozy- we prepared for our first Polish cuisine. And then they brought bread to the table... with a side of lard. Yes... LARD. See picture below.

We put some on a knife to be sure... I really thought we had to be mistaken. But no, just a nice helping of pure animal fat. And what was even more interesting- the locals all loved it! We watched as they lathered it on big hunks of bread and then topped the lard with a spoonful of sugar.

**Yuck**

But other than that the food was great!

Below- Yummy Polish dishes! Gołąbki (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice), pierogis, and a delish chicken "pancake".

The unexpectedness did not end with the meal. We checked in to our hotel which has now won the award for "Most Random Hotel Room Ever".

See below that the "sitting room" has both a piano and a massaging chair. There were also a few china cabinets with crystal cups and other items one might place into a china cabinet found in a hotel room.

The bedroom was behind this room, enclosed by cardboard partitions. But other than an odd smell it was clean and we woke to a yummy breakfast. (Travel tip- take travel candle and matches. Helps more than you'd think!)

The next day we went to the city of Wroclaw and looked about. We didn't take any pictures... but it wasn't a very nice place. The tour books can be very deceiving at times.

So, Poland- check.

How `bout that Italian pottery??

Bearlin

 Bearlin! A great way to tour the city of Berlin- by BEAR!

See? Even Trent got into the spirit of Bearlin. Well... a little, anyway.

Germany! Here goes...

 So! Germany. Here we are. Settled into a house in a TINY village, Trent hard at work, and several European cities on the list to visit. As Francis Bacon once said (as quoted on the Celestial Seasonings chamomile tea box), "Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience."

Thus begins our education of Europe and it's history.

I will be updating this blog with our travels and pictures (so for those of you without facebook pay attention!). See below our TINY village- home base.

Our dog Bosco, the "welcome" mat in our driveway.

Below- Trent and I in Strasbourg, France

More to follow!!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey..... internet!!!!

After almost 6 months of no internet, the drought is over! I can't even being to say how happy this makes me! Not that having internet is everything, but it sure helps one feel connected. AND it is too late for me to get in on the current semester, but I can register for summer now!

At some point I will upload some pics and new posts- but now its off to surf the web!

Woohooo!!!!!

The Jellyfish

This experience REALLY warrants a blog- so here it is!

Last weekend we went to PC Beach to relax for the day... no big oil has been reported there YET so we are trying to make the most of our remaining beach opportunities. Well, no oil, but some jellyfish! I got stung on my belly... looks like three tentacles got me from top of my belly all the way down to my hips and around to my back. It stings and its very uncomfortable when running, but other than that no big deal. EXCEPT... I sure don't want scars!!



So I called the clinic on post and asked for an appointment. No appointments left, but they told me a nurse would call. She did call later in the day and asked what was wrong. I told her what had happened and when, and said I wanted to know if I was doing the right things to treat the sting and prevent scarring.



WELL- she then told me that it would only scar if it was an open wound/bleeding. I told HER that I wasn't so sure, since I have scars from curling iron burns and THOSE weren't open wounds. (Seriously what woman among us hasn't been burned my a curling/straight iron or stove/hot pan before??!) So she said she would go ask a doctor what I should do or see if I need to come in.



Then she got back on the phone and started reading verbatim from a "physician's wilderness guide to medicine" (what happened to asking a DOCTOR??). She told me to rinse it with salt water/urine during the first few minutes after the sting (even though I had JUST told her it was a few days old). She then told me to try meat tenderizer (already told her I had tried that) and vinegar. And now comes the best part... she asked what type of jellyfish stung me. I told her I had no idea- I'm not familiar with the jellyfish species that might be present on the Florida gulf coast. So she asked... "Are you SURE it wasn't a BOX jellyfish?"



At that point I was torn between saying something funny or rude. Seriously? Hmmm... well I didn't travel to a location close to Australia... and I didn't get rushed to the hospital or DIE... so... no... don't think it was a box jelly. Should I also make sure I wasn't victim to an underwater bear attack?

Universal Truths of June

• Horses cannot outrun horse flies. I don't know why I even try. Also, a direct hit with a fly swatter will NOT kill a horse fly. Oh- and they can draw blood.

• You can tell how bad the humidity is when your sunglasses fog up on you.

• As much as country music idolizes "down by the river"... stereotypes become TRUE down by the river. Just something to keep in mind.

• No matter how slow you move- having sweat marks is GOING to happen. Might as well look like you were trying to exercise anyway.