Living in Europe gives one unique travel opportunities. Crossing borders into different countries, languages, and cultures is as simple as driving 40 minutes to the east into France, or a few hours south into Switzerland. I could drive 6-8 hours and have passed through multiple different countries depending on the direction. It’s freeing.

Travel companies are exceptionally popular here. Different companies host a multitude of plans that range from day trips to week-long vacations. I’ve utilized these companies a few times, mostly for the day trips. It’s simple: you board the bus, ride to your destination, take part in optional or included activities, board the bus again – exhausted, but fulfilled – then head home. The bus drivers will often provide beverages like water, beer, wine, or Coke. Sometimes some snacks. By law, the drivers have to stop every so many hours, so the opportunity to get up and stretch your legs is given. I really enjoy having this option.

Since mother’s day was on the horizon, I wanted to go somewhere new. I wasn’t really willing to spend too much money, or fly anywhere, so I perused by agency trip options. A turn and burn day trip to Slovenia immediately caught my eye. Tristan wasn’t interested. At all. But a friend from work was, so we booked it.

We boarded the bus around 8pm on a Friday night and arrived at Lake Bled, our first stop around 8 the next morning. K and I opted out of the optional boat ride, walking the circumference of the lake instead. The day was perfectly warm; the sky perfectly blue; the water a brilliant shade of turquoise. An hour is all it takes to walk the entirety of the lake – and at the end, we sat in a cafe and shared a piece of Lake Bled’s signature cake: kremna rezina.

My motion-sickness wouldn’t have tolerated a ride on the little boats, dramamine or no, but I enjoyed the story behind their crafting. The Pletna boat is unique to Lake Bled and built by local Slovenians. Their craft dates back to the late 1500’s, and the building of the boats, as well as the job of navigating them, has been handed down generations. I enjoyed watching them dart across the water to the island, my feet firmly set on solid ground.

Visit this website for more information about Lake Bled, Slovenia.

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Our main destination was Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana (lew-blee-ahn-ah), so we boarded the bus once again before being dropped off in the heart of the city.

K and I appreciated the flexibility of this trip. We had purchased the optional guided tour, but after lunch, we decided to skip the tour and meander around the city ourselves. We stepped in and out of the tourist-driven souvenir shops, chatted with some of the loveliest locals, tried to get a foot massage, enjoyed plenty of delicious food, and indulged in gelato not once, but twice.

Ljubljana is one of those little gems that hasn’t quite been discovered by the rest of the world yet. The tourist crowd is steady, but manageable. Shop attendants can spend time telling you the history of their city and country. They thank you for visiting and sincerely hope that you enjoy your visit. The city itself is much like any other European city: it’s snuggled up around a river, little old buildings stacked neatly along the streets, a castle sitting atop a hill, and a legendary dragon.

At the end of the day, we rejoined our group for a boat tour down the river, had dinner, then boarded our bus for the long ride home. We arrive back in town early the next morning exhausted and content. I’ll see you again one day soon Slovenia.