Yesterday we spent our last morning in Bled. The day started out cloudy but we got lucky and it cleared up. We took our final swim and even Mommy got into the lake!

Next, we drove 45 minutes to our next destination, Ljubljana, Slovenia. We stayed at a really nice hotel and we had access to the club level! Our first activity in Ljubljana was a bike tour. We had a great guide and biked all over the city. We learned a lot about what current life is like in the city. The current mayor of Ljubljana has been the mayor for 12 years and has done so much for the city. He made it so no cars could be in the town square and also made changes to make the city more green. There are several kinds of recycling bins and the city monitors each family’s recycling. The place is also very clean. We didn’t see one piece of trash on the streets the whole time we were there. In turn, Ljubljana got awarded greenest city. There was also golf carts going around the city that had a phone number on them and said “call for a free ride.” We saw many people riding around on them. I don’t think we’ll find those in New Jersey. In addition to learning a lot about Ljubljana, we biked all over the city, and overall had a fantastic tour.

After the tour we went back to our hotel and took a swim in their rooftop pool. It had a great view of the city. For dinner we went to a interesting Slovenian restaurant. We were first brought delicious homemade bread. Then they brought us two more kinds of awarded Slovenian olive oil. It was so good. As if that wasn’t enough, they brought us a treat from the chef. By the time our entrees came we were all pretty full. Nevertheless, our meal was delicious and we got to sit outside on a nice street. On our walk back you wouldn’t believe how bustling the city was on a Tuesday night.

Today, we walked back into the old town and did some shopping. We went to a place where they made special Slovenian salt (it was recommended on our bike tour) and bought some cooking salt and got to try dark chocolate with sea salt. Very tasty. We then did some more walking around and got a few more nice souvenirs. For lunch we had a very specific kind of Slovenian food. It was good, but very different. Of course, we went to the best ice cream place in the city and had some delicious ice cream.

When we first arrived in Ljubljana we weren’t sure if it was going to be that great, especially because our hotel wasn’t in the best location, but by the end, we all thought it was a really great and interesting place. (Especially Mommy!) We are now on a train heading to our next stop, Salzburg! See you there:)

Today we had yet another delicious breakfast at our hotel with a beautiful view of the Alps and Lake Bled. We then made our way down to our hotels private beach area by Lake Bled. The lake was so nice and we got to relax by the lake for a while. There is a little island that many people take rowboats to, so we set off on a rowboat. Unfortunately, Daddy had a lot of trouble rowing the boat and it took way longer than it should have. As you can see from my face in the picture below, Charlotte and I weren’t happy. On the way back from the island, we decided to swim back in our life vests. Even though it was a long swim, we beat Mommy and Daddy on the way back!

Here are some more pictures of our deck and swimming area. (They are in a slideshow)

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Greetings! We’ve been very busy. 2 days ago we spent our last night in Rovinj, Croatia. They were having some kind of festival and all the lights were off and there was music and people everywhere. It was SO crowded.

The next morning we bought Croatian perfume for Mommy, truffle oil for Charlotte, and a snow globe for me. We then took a long car ride and drove to Bovec, Slovenia. It was about 4 hours but we drove through the mountains and it was very scenic. 

Once we got to Bovec we went on a white water rafting trip in the Soca river. Charlotte and I were very scared and didn’t want to do it. We went on the shortest and easiest tour. The water was SO clean and known for its “emerald” color. Not to mention the river is surrounded by the alps. While Charlotte and I were scared about the rapids, Mommy was going crazy that she didn’t have her camera on the trip. The rafting company is supposed to send us photos so stay tuned!

After the rafting trip we drove about an hour and a half to our hotel in Bled, Slovenia. The drive was a little treacherous because we were high up and the roads were windy. When we got to our hotel it was very late and quiet. We quickly found a restaurant and had a very nice meal. Now, we are sitting outside our hotel, eating breakfast right next to Lake Bled and the mountains. Pictures to come soon!

Hello! Today we got to swim in the Adriatic Sea. The water is clear, blue, and the perfect temperature. In the morning we had an amazing breakfast out our hotel. (See below) Next, we got on a 20 minute boat ride which took us to a little island off Rovinj called Red Island. We swam and had a nice lunch there.

After Red Island, we took a bike ride on a nice bike path that goes around Rovinj. It was very crowded with bikes and people because everybody was leaving the beach.  (There were places off the path to swim) We took another swim here too.

Today we have been in 3 countries! It has been a long day.

Last Morning in Venice

We woke up in Venice, had a quick breakfast at our hotel, and said good bye to Venice. We took a water bus and train which took us to Trieste, Italy. (Right on the border of Italy)

Slovenia

From the train station in Trieste, we took a cab to a town in Slovenia called Koper, where we rented a car and had a late lunch (with ice cream of course!)

Croatia

We drove about an hour and finally arrived at our final destination, Rovinj, Croatia. We are staying at a beautiful hotel. It’s very modern and has great service. We took a walking tour around Rovinj with a very good and informational tour guide and now we are back at the hotel getting ready for a late dinner. It’s been a busy day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

For dinner, we took a boat off to a part of Venice that is it’s own separate island. The boat ride only took 2 minutes but you would be surprised how choppy the canal water can get. The only form of public transportation in the city of Venice are these boats that act and look like buses. They run frequently and stop at many places. We first got a drink and sat on a roof terrace in a Hilton. There was a very pretty view of Venice. Then for dinner we sat by the water which was also very pretty. I got pesto pasta and it was my favorite meal so far! Buona Notte!

After our tour we did a lot of walking and got lunch. For lunch we had really good sandwiches and then we got more gelato. It was even better than last night!

After yesterday and today, I can say we have gotten a good sense of what Venice is like. There are so many different ally ways and turns which makes it very hard to navigate around but everything is relatively close. We’ve learned that not a lot of people actually live in Venice and majority of the city is tourists. Some people say it’s like Disney world because with all the canals and tourists it doesn’t feel real! I wouldn’t go this far but it definitely doesn’t feel like any other European city we have gone to.

It’s now about lunch time and we are all very hungry! We had a great but hot tour. Here are some beautiful pictures of the canals.

Good morning! Today we slept till 10 and had a nice breakfast at the hotel. We are going on a walking tour until lunch and hope to get a good sense of the city. Let the day begin👍

For dinner we went out with the Green Kahan family. We ate at another Italian restaurant which was very good and also had Italian gelato for the first time. Everything was delicious! Unfortunately with all the excitement we forgot to take a picture but here are a few pictures from the way to dinner. See you tomorrow!

For lunch we went to a Italian restaurant (no surprise) where we got pizza, pasta, and salad. It was good but I think we will be having better. After lunch we walked through St. Marks square and we visited Doge’s Palace. It was a huge fancy palace and we took an audio tour. Lastly, we took a tour in a gondola boat through the canals.

Busy afternoon!

When we got to the airport, we took a speed boat to our hotel in Venice. We started out in the big canal and then turned into the street canals. There were many boats in the water. We are now in our hotel (not sleeping! crazy right, I guess we all got enough sleep on the plane) and heading off to get some lunch.