My first trip to Europe

Where do we begin?

Right, it all started in YYC (Calgary, Alberta) when me and my girlfriend decided to take a trip to Europe to see her father. It had been almost a decade since she saw her family in Europe and this meant we needed to get serious about our trip. First, we had to book the tickets and we did so four months in advance. We were able to save money booking ahead of time and the time allowed us to prepare for the trip. Second, I had to get my Canadian Passport. Having lived in Canada my whole life, I never got one.

It was also my first time seeing him, which added to the excitement and “anxiousness” of our adventure. After preparing for our trip we were able to work a few grueling months after buying our tickets and we were already “up in the air” before we knew it. Did I mention flying on a plane is also grueling? Our total air-time was about 14 hours, during which we attempted to fall asleep as we knew "Jet Lag" was soon to become reality. However, sleep was impossible for both of us, I mean, is it possible for anyone? We even tried drinking enough wine to pass out, but this made things much worse after the drunkenness wore off. As we left darkness in the West, it took about 3 hours of flight time and the sun was rising in the East. The Swiss mountains are the first sight of land we seen since departing Canada and they are just beautiful. So, our final destination (Venice) was quickly arriving and as the alcohol wore off, we were less than excited.

(Switzerland)

Venice, nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you, the name resonates with romance! Romance was definitely a great description for this beautiful city. However, with no sleep and a slight hangover, my girlfriend and I were more interested in finding food and some coffee to endure this lengthy day. We landed at the Marco Polo airport, and began our journey on foot to find the best food possible. Italians are well-known for there pizza, so we made it our mission to find a true pizzeria. After walking around in the blazing heat and talking to some locals, we finally found some pizza! It truly was delicious and much different than North American "crud". After we regained our bearings, we located a train station and purchased some bus passes to make our way to Ljubljana, Slovenia. The bus ride was glorious as we ventured through Southeast Italy and seen the most famous Trieste! Finally we were en route to her father's whereabouts.

(Real Pizza, notice the differences)

The bus ride itself was about 4 hours, which seemed much longer in our zombie-like state of mind. Sleep was the only thing on our minds when we arrive to her fathers. Once we entered Slovenia, I seen the landscape change from mountainous/ flats to rolling hills, and plenty of forest. It truly is a beautiful country, I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of it before! It is incredibly small, and the country on maps looks like a running chicken. After contemplating it's beauty, and our lack of sleep, we had finally arrived to Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital). This city was even more incredible than the pictures had shown, the architecture was jaw-dropping. It's people were also very healthy-looking and happy. Shortly after we arrived to the bus-station, we met her dad. I felt a wave of anxiety come over me as this is my first time meeting him with his daughter (Does he own a shotgun?).

(Rustic Metallic map of downtown Ljubljana)

Turns out he was a really cool dude. I definitely had nothing to worry about, so we continued our journey to his residence. I figured we would just pass out as soon as we got there, but I couldn't have been more than wrong. After a very short drive, we arrived to his residency, which was just as beautiful as the country is. We were greeted by two dogs (Din, and Rona) which had a very lovely welcoming and also my girlfriends cousins. I quickly realized we would not be going to bed any time soon when her cousins brought some drinks out. It was time to introduce myself and make a good impression. It must have felt like the hell-week the Navy Seals go through, but we did it! After finally sleeping, it was time to begin our three-week adventure. First destination: "Šmarna Gora"

Šmarna Gora is basically a small mountain (or hill, if you will) that overlooks most of Ljubljana. Many of the locals climb to the top daily for their workout as the climb is somewhat intensive and takes about half an hour. The hill is covered in trees and pastures, so we met some happy cows on the way. Once at the top, we quickly noticed an old castle with a restaurant underneath it. Everybody was out on the patio enjoying an early afternoon beer (Lashko and Union are the common ones) or a nice glass of vino! The view here was also astonishing, depicted here in the next picture. You can clearly see the landscape and some of the city of Ljubljana in this picture! Beautiful......

(Slovenia)

After drinking many Lashko's and socializing with the locals, it was time to begin our descent and continue our journey. Next stop, Triglav National park!

(Famous Bovec sign that people put stickers on)

That's right, Slovenia has mountains too! It was now our goal to see them and experience some world-class Zip-lining in Bovec. We started our relatively short drive (compared to commuting in Canada) early in the morning. The country-side started presenting more and more hills until eventually the hills were tall enough that they towered above you. We had entered Triglav National park and it was just blissful! The roads were tight, and very zig-zaggy as the elevation gain was incredible. After driving through and admiring the beauty of the mountains, we finally arrived in Bovec and are ready to fly through the mountains! Bovec is a small village that has many extreme sports as it's next to the world famous Soca River. Zip-lining here is also world-class as they have 10 Zip-lines and the whole experience takes about two hours! After an incredible day of fun, we were headed back home to get well-rested for the most well-known caves of Slovenia.

(Postojna Caves, Slovenia)

Caves, just the name creates the image of a wet, damp and cool place. We were excited to finally visit the famous Postojna Caves! The drive there was only about half an hour (as Slovenia is a tiny country) meaning we had extra time to enjoy ourselves! These caves are definitely the most touristy spot in all of Slovenia as they are easy to access via road and also neighbor an incredible castle. First stop, the Postojna Caves! You ride a small train for most of the distance in the caves, however you do walk about 2 km, and it is incredible. The stalagmites are created from Calcium build up over thousands of years, where this cave once used to be filled with water. It's vast emptiness and size makes it easy to hear the echos of the tourists.

These caves also host some very rare creatures known as "Proteus Anguinus" which look like albino salamanders. Depicted in the picture below. I couldn't snap a photo of one within the cave since the light would harm them but here's one from google!

(Proteus Anguinus, Postojna Cave)

After about a two hour experience in the caves, it was time to visit the incredible Predjama Castle which neighbors them. It took only an extra ten minute drive to reach this very unique piece of art. At First glance I wondered in awe how it was built, as the Castle is literally built into the mountainside (very strategic protection). Upon entry, it felt like a massive maze as there was many rooms all serving a purpose. There was a torture room, place for prayer and much more. The most interesting area in this castle was where the cave in the upper-back corner went. They wouldn't let tourists travel the vast network of tunnels but I could tell it was used for an escape passage. After wandering around for countless hours, we decided to grab some dinner nearby and head back home to get ready for our next adventure. Our next location would be none other than Piran!

(Predjama Castle, Slovenia)

Piran itself is a beautiful older town, but what makes it truly special is the Adriatic Sea. Upon arrival, you will notice the landscape open up to lots of water on the horizon, and an oddly placed town that extends into the Adriatic Sea. Many who come to this area of Europe are attracted to Croatia for this experience, however you can also have it here in Slovenia! The sea is warm, the beaches are full of tourists and you have all the amenities you want. After an incredible day in Piran (also acquiring a nice tan) it was time to head back home and get ready to head back to Canada.

(Piran, Adriatic Sea)

Overall, Slovenia was worthwhile to travel to, not only to see my girlfriends family but also what it has to offer! It blows my mind that this country is generally unheard in North America as it has some of the best sports, sights, and adventures to be had!

That being said, see you again Slovenia!