#nando being smooth operator over there

[aaltilis]

Fernando: Hi Lance, would you help me for my new year's resolutions?

Lance: Depends on what resolution.

Fernando: I want to go on a date with this person I've been crushing on.

Lance: Okay, what should I do?

Fernando: Say yes.

[rememberthattime]

Chapter 16. Lake Bled

Whew! Thank God for that Harry Potter play weekend because this busy season did not get any easier. My last post was just two weeks ago, but I’ve put in over a month’s work hours since. 

It was a manic, shit-your-pants, ‘85 Bears blitz, but Chelsay and I had strategically placed this trip to exhale. Our light at the end of a chaotic tunnel: three days in Lake Bled, Slovenia. 

The words “Bled” and “Slovenia” don’t sound like a place you’d go to relax, but I’d heard about this lake town when we first came to Europe. I actually tried to fit it into our Christmas 2015 trip but didn’t have time after Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Although we had to wait until February 2017, walks around the lake and snowshoeing in the surrounding mountains seemed like the perfect outlet after busy season. 

The weather when we arrived didn’t exactly cooperate: cloudy, cold, and dumping rain. My visibility was about what Chelsay’s is normally (so, blind), which means we couldn’t see much of what makes Bled so attractive. That said, the rough weather provided two positives. First, the cloud cover gave our walk a mysterious, Budapest-in-the-fog vibe. Second, no one else braved the rain, leaving just me, Chelsay, and her red umbrella to peacefully take in the sleepy Slovenian setting.

To stay warm and dry off, we stopped at a few cafes on our way around the lake. Our first break was for coffee and Slovenian cream cake (I think its three layers were cool whip, whipped cream, and vanilla Snack Pack pudding). 

At our second stop, we’d intended to just get tea but happened to find a restaurant the hotel had recommended: Sova. 

…Holy shit. This place was an all-timer: right up there with the ribs in Copenhagen, breakfast in Paris, amatriciana in Lake Como, hot dogs in Iceland, or doner kebabs in Berlin.

I said that we’d originally walked in for tea, but once we saw everyone else’s meals, we had to order. We weren’t even hungry, but we ended up with prosciutto-wrapped steak in a unique but phenomenal mustard, creamy mashed potatoes, perfectly cooked spaetzle in a creamy black truffle sauce, and a smooth Slovenian merlot. That same meal in London, first of all, would not exist, but second, would have been ~£150. We walked out with about a £7 bill and a reservation to come back the next day. 

After dinner, we didn’t last much longer… Given the past two months, all I wanted was sleep. We also knew the following morning would have clear skies, so I begrudgingly set the alarm for 6:00 despite only 15 hours rest in the three days before coming to Bled.

The alarm rang the next mornUGHHHH! I didn’t get up. I felt like I didn’t even fall asleep! I just laid there in bed… seriously debating whether I should just sleep in. We came all this way for the views though, so I defeatedly left the warm bed and started bundling in layers. I convinced Chelsay to wake up too… the only thing she said for 15 minutes was that she hated me. 

We raced the sun as it rose above the lake, searching for a perch to take in the views. We’d seen a path on the previous day’s walk, but weren’t 100% sure where it would lead. Chelsay and I started hiking, but the trail didn’t seem to be getting above the tree line. We had to get back for cave kayaking that day, so I got impatient and broke off the path. The hillside was covered in leaves and extremely steep, so Chelsay and I were scaling basically on our hands and knees (picture Spider-Man scaling the side of a building). It reminded me of the time we had to manically cross a Scottish river on all-fours trying to catch the last ferry back. I was so sweaty, and so tired, and so panicked that we wouldn’t find a lookout before having to head back for kayaking. 

Thankfully, after about 15 minutes of trudging through thick woods, Chelsay spotted a perch above the tree line. We ended up seeing that the path we bailed on led precisely to this point, but regardless, we still made the summit just in time for sunrise. 

Tucked at the base of the snow-capped Julian Alps, surrounded by small villages spotting the Slovenian countryside, hosting clear skies and bright sun rays… sat the stunning Lake Bled. It might have been heaven. 

We had the same feeling after the Neushwanstein hero shot: a mix of bliss and relief. In both cases, we feared we would miss the view we’d flown so far to see. In both cases, we had to overcome an obstacle. And in both cases, the reward was magnificent. 

Another similarity between Neushwanstein and Lake Bled: in both cases, the rest of trip was like playing with house money. We’d gotten the view we’d hoped for… now anything else would just be a bonus. With Bled, the “anything else” would be kayaking through old mining caves and another round at Sova. 

We actually lucked into the cave kayaking. I’d envisioned spending the Saturday snowshoeing in the mountains surrounding Bled. After two months trapped indoors during busy season, I thought the snow and fresh air would be a perfect break. 

The hotel had connected us with an outdoors shop that could bring us, but we were so busy the week before that we decided we’d just arrange in-person. That was the lucky part. Rather than pre-booking snowshoeing, we stopped by the shop and saw the kayaking option. Chelsay and I knew it would be the more unique experience, so it was an easy audible.

The 21-level (!) mine shaft is located in the Alps’ peaks that make up the Slovenian-Austrian border. It was primarily mined for lead, but since its closure in 1999, the shafts had been put to a different use. 

When the mine was still operating, crews had to pump out any water that had seeped through the limestone walls. Once abandoned though, the pumps no longer operated, the mining shafts began to fill with water, and the 17th level provided the perfect cave system for kayaking. 

After a two hour drive from Bled, we arrived at the mine entrance near the mountain’s peak. We geared up, boarded an old miner’s train, and took a jerky, 10 minute ride deep into the mountainside. Through the cracks of the cramped and rickety cabin, you can see the light disappear into complete black. Once inside the mountain, the air was mild (50 degrees), humid (90% humidity), and completely still (don’t fart).

I mentioned that we entered near the mountain’s peak, so it was over 400 creaky steps down to level 17 where our kayaks awaited. From there, the guide let us roam through the haphazard tunnels on our own. 

With only our headlamps as guides, we waded through the dark maze. The circles of our two spotlights were genuinely the only light exposing the lead-rich limestone and crystal clear water. At 17 floors beneath any access to the outside world, these  mine shafts were completely untouched by sun, wind, or pollution. 

In some spots, the cave rooms were massive and around the size of a house. In others, the tunnels were no more than four feet high and four feet wide – we’d have to lay back in our kayaks and “paddle” by just pushing off the walls. 

Making a bizarre experience even more bizarre, Chelsay and I would sometimes turn off our headlamps and float through the mine shafts in pitch black.  No light, no sound, no breeze.

Not necessarily no smell though… A pair of rougher British girls had come cave kayaking as well. I assume these girls were from Grimsby (Sacha Baron Cohen movie reference). Some of their highlights from throughout the day:

Genuinely believing dinosaurs were a myth

Taking a Skype call from her nephew on the ride to the mine shafts. When she hung up, she told her friend, “That wuz the one born ‘n the motorway.“

Being a vegetarian… after having worked at Nandos

Breaking the one rule of being trapped in a small, breezeless tunnel! Before releasing us into the mine, we were gathered in our kayaks and listening to the guide. From the girls’ kayak, we heard a hollow rumble followed by a rhetorical question, “D'you hear that?”

We separated quickly though and were on our own soon, navigating the dark tunnels for a few hours. 

I was completely exhausted afterwards… either from the paddling or excitement (or fear). Luckily, we were able to rest on the ride back to Bled: we’d need all senses ready for Round 2 at Sova.

We’d been thinking about the spaetzle, steak, and Slovenian red all day, so we ended up ordering the same dinner and drinks as the night before. It was just as phenomenal. This time though, we also added two extra dishes: spicy ribs and, my favorite dish from the weekend, chocolate soufflé with strawberry sauce and cookies & creme mousse. Nothing will ever pass La Carta de Oaxaca on April 10, 2015 (our engagement night), but this meal has to be in our Top 5. Again, the bill was something like £11.50. 

Our flight back to London was the next morning, but we hiked up to Bled Castle before leaving for the airport. As we took in the incredible views one last time, we talked about what a perfect weekend it had been. 

Lake Bled won’t be the first place we think of when reminiscing on our time in Europe. It more likely falls into the bucket of “Trips that Delivered More Than Expected”. Like Milan and Budapest before, we arrived with little expectation but left with a thorough appreciation. These types of trips tend to remind us of how lucky we are… Not only do we have an opportunity to see the world, but we get to take chances on places like Lake Bled, Slovenia. As I said in the Morocco post, the trips that seem the least routine or push us out of our comfort zone… are the ones that are the most fulfilling.