Schlink Attack: Sweetness of Slovenia

Sometime in the last 15 years I have known Mark, I learned that one of his favorite romantic place on Earth was Bled, Slovenia. He hoped one day he would get married in a church that sits upon an island in the middle of Lake Bled. Life threw an unexpected, unplanned curve ball (David's birth) and the dream didn't come to fruition, and never will, if I have anything to do with it. Everything worked out for the best and here we are, now traveling and living internationally with two kids. Anyway, the Slovenia leg of our trip was an easy one to plan since he'd always wanted to come back, and I wanted see the place that gets him a wee bit misty eyed. So we rented a car and drove out of the tight city of Venice, and into the high, wide mountains of Slovenia.

For the week, we planned to see castles, ski, hike, breathe in the fresh air, and play in the snow. The only thing that didn't go according to plan was that it didn't snow, so we had to settle on the lingering frost that coated everything overnight and the sparse, man-made snow at the ski resorts.

The church on the island was gorgeous. Ninety-nine steps lead visitors from the shore to the base of the church doors and tradition requires the groom to carry the bride up the steps. It's paramount to a happy marriage. Beyond the church, on the hill is Bled Castle, built in the year 1011 and is easily the most visited castle in Slovenia. Initially, I was not super gung-ho about visiting, but after some mulled wine and a hefty hike up the steps, my attitude changed.

First off: the view is of course magical, overlooking the lake, which at the time was smoother than glass. Second, the interior rooms were filled with things that kept the kids' attention, from jewels to weapons, toilets to clothes, to interactive videos. What took the cake though, were the castle staff who reenacted time-old professions. Margo and David learned how to bottle wine by a monk, and we met a blacksmith who was not only knowledgeable and hilarious, but a legitimately trained blacksmith. His lineage had been employed by the castle for hundreds of years. At least, that was how the story went.

The blacksmith told us how Slovenia was responsible for outfitting the majority of Venice with wood and ironworks to build their bridges and houses. Both are still major exports for the country today. He showed us his craftsmanship, which I totally would have bought, were it my taste. Another lucky customer would get to buy his exquisitely detailed, soul-piercing Jesus on a cross. Telling us a bit of Eastern Europe history, he described slavery as equal opportunity, and how children and women were not at all discriminated for agism or gender. Fishing around in his apron for a coin to mint for another customer, I asked him if he had future lineage ready to take over his profession so he could enjoy early retirement. He tossed his chestnut brown ponytail, bound by a leather thong over his shoulder and said that first, he needed to find a woman dumb enough to marry him.

Outside of the towns were countless kilometers of hiking and exploring. Slovenes love being outside and take no heed to inclement weather. They simply gear up and go. On the trails, handfuls of hikers blew past us with hiking poles and miniature crampons, backpacks stuffed with backup gear. For good reason too: not even 3km up the mountain the sun disappeared and the trail went from brown to white. Snow covered or not, the trails are well marked with red and white bull's eyes, the official trail marker for their national park system. The trailheads also have signage boasting the power of surrounding oneself in negative ions. They are abundant in the forests, waterfalls, and beaches, and are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost energy. Margo and David enjoyed tracing a finger labyrinth. It was posted along the trail and aims to induce relaxation. Pro tip: always start from the outside in.

I am certain the kids felt self-actualized when we took the kids skiing for the first time. They took a few lessons, skied with Grandma and Grandpa, rode the poma and chairlifts, and were left begging for more. The kids closed out the mountain, something I don't remember ever doing. After a fifteen year absence, I was nervous. Would I remember how to turn if something got in my way? Would I remember how to "ride Fat Bob?" In both cases, yes- thank God. I didn't remember however, was how fast and technically sound Mark's muscle memory was. He gave me a run for my money, and now he's making all sorts of plans to go heli-skiing when we move to Uzbekistan (August 2020).

On the way back to Venice, another dream of Mark's came true. We detoured to the Dolomite Mountains in northeastern Italy. Nearly 3 million years old, the peaks are jagged and intimidating, reaching as high as 10,967 feet (3343 meters). Huge chunks of WWII ran through these mountains with the 10th Mountain Division skiing and fighting between the peaks and ruts. James Bond's For Your Eyes Alone was filmed here as well as Cliffhanger, and thousands of skiers visit the multiple resorts every season. Early January meant frigid temperatures of 5F as the sun ducked behind the mountains. We had the pleasure of reaching these mountains at just about the same time. Subsequently, we drove nearly the entire route in 1st gear and descended into bumper to bumper traffic on the way to Venice. Next up: balmy Sicily, where I could finally wear cute sweaters and not freeze. Or so I thought.