Day 38 – Monday 15 June

We were reluctant to get up as it meant moving on after breakfast.  Being steps from the ocean has been a very relaxing and indulgent mini rest stop and one we feel very comfortable with.  We did not realise how much we missed the sea having lived away from it for a few years now.  The beautiful lakes and rivers close by to home in Wanaka is nothing to complain about; but there is something special about the sea, gazing with contemplation at the horizon, seeing those sunsets and sun reflections and hearing the water and waves kiss the shore.

After our alfresco breakfast we loaded the car and set off for the Postojna caves, about 50 minutes drive back towards Ljubljana. Postojna caves are considered one of the world’s most famous and stunning underground wonders, and is Europe’s most visited show cave. It is a massive karst system stretching for over 24 kilometres created over millions of years by the Pivka river. It is renouned for its grand stalacite structures, historic underground railway and ‘human fish’ or ‘baby dragon’ – Olm.

It is home of the Proteus anguinus, a rare, blind and pale salamander  locally nicknamed baby dragon (I suspect to increase marketing opportunities). They live up to 100 years old and can survive years without food. You can view them in a tank in the caves and again in a vavarium as part of the ticket option.  They do look like a baby dragon and legend stays dragons lived in the caves and released the babies.  No one knows whey they do not progress from a very infantile stage, perhaps a curse from some witchery?

The caves were discovered 200 years and access has been well developed since then with slip resistant concrete pathways with no steps throughout to provide for mobility needs and the young.  An open air electric train takes you approximately 1.5km into the mountain caves. A tour guide walks you from there a further 1-2km, then the train takes you out. The entry fee is reasonable at around 27 euro, and we included the Valerium so we could get up close to a baby dragon.

I am a bit anxious about being underground, however have done it before and Vern is always a considerate and encouraging support.  The train was super fun and the cool 10 degree breeze and temperature refreshing.  

From the start the caves are spectacular.  We took video and photos, however even with those it is hard to capture the scale and wonder of the caves. Kilometres of formations, winding, caverns, like inspiration for Sagrada Familia.  It is certainly something to be experienced rather than trying to describe it or view others images.  It really was a memorable and magic underworld for 90 minutes – where my knee survived the hills and slopes on the excellent walkways where the wonder overtook any anxiety.

It was just under an hours easy and fast drive (130km highways) to Lake Bled.  The weather there was a little cloudy, however not as bad as the forecast had predicted. We found our rooms which are in a residential part of Bled vs main tourist area, and organised breakfast for the next day before heading downstairs to their separate public restaurant. It was very much bistro, and we enjoyed a quality mortadella and pistachio wood fired pizza and a stuffed chicken breast and wine jus main. Draft liquid to wash it down of course.

We chose this accommodation as there was very little at reasonable prices available closer to the lake.  At the time of booking $600 a night for average accommodation was the only option and we really could not see the value in that.  Our current rooms are costing us just under nzd 200 per night.

Another day of different experience and delighting in Slovenia which has the same nature feel as home and friendly people.  Certainly a great place to visit so far.