Monday, March 14th. Flights were fine, though airport layovers were agony. Due to my injured foot, fate promised that I’d have to walk miles between gates. But I arrived home without incident.

The trip was great from many perspectives, sad on others. (Frustratingly, the “homeless person” provided a constant stream of irritation. But enough of that.) The wars of the 90s are still an ever-present stain on the region’s history, and I frankly don’t believe that the book is closed on their causes and effects. Although it wasn’t spoken of much, it was clear that the events unfolding in Ukraine was bringing out uncomfortable memories and fears.

But on the great side, the people were fun, friendly and surprisingly smart. That last discriptive is not meant to be condescending. Perhaps their need to adapt to so many languages and dialects has made them quicker to understand. I found it unnecessary to better explain my often obtuse questions, and the answers were often far more complete than I expected. Indeed, a common habit from tour guides was to first put my simple questions into an historical context, then provide an answer. I found this extraordinary.

The entire tour contained so much of local history, customs, and flavor, I hesitate to say I intend to return. But wait! In another month I’ll visit two of the destinations again on an ocean cruise! Can’t wait.

Sunday, March 13th. Most stores are closed on Sunday, though it’s not a very religious country. In the morning we cruised along the canal that splits the city. An antique market had an amazing assortment of weird odds and ends. Military medals, tobacco tins, kitchen tools, etc. The afternoon was free. Owing to a sore foot, I just stayed in and composed a 12 minute slideshow for our farewell dinner. The dinner was at a fine restaurant, where we were loud and unruly customers.

A short day.

Saturday, March 12th. Drove north to Bled. Marvelously beautiful day with equally marvelous views. Chosing the best photos was hard because they were all beautiful.

Friday, March 11th. Entered Slovenia. Modern country, nice roads. Makes a big deal that their country has LOVE in its name.

Postojna Caves was impressive, though I’ve become so accustomed to caves it wasn’t one of my favorite tours. An electric train takes a large group to a destination, then everyone walks, as a group. At the end another train returns everyone back to the beginning.

The capital, Ljubljana, is very impressive. Clean. The center is car-free. Beautiful shops with nice souvenirs. I walked around without my camera for a change. We’re here for the next two days, so there’s time for photos. Excellent guide, though she was visibly shaking with the cold. Dinner at a fine place. Spaghetti Bolognese with a sausage on the side. Good wine.

Tried a wine testing. Disappointing, but primarily because the wines were heavier than I like. I’m sure others would have enjoyed them.

Thursday, March 10th. Visited two “towns” and one truffle hunter. The first town was your typical village on a hilltop. Large cobblestones composed the street going up. A few gift shops were open. Spent a long while in one shop that provided samples of truffles, chocolates and liqueurs. The fortress on top was unimposing as forts go, but it had its charm. Marvelous views, though a little hazy. Walking the wall was refreshingly easy. The stroll back down was dominated by focusing on not tripping. Everyone seemed to buy something in the shops. The townfolk seemed thrilled that tourism was coming back.

The next stop was alongside a forest to meet a truffle hunter and his Labrador hunting dog. We all learned a lot about the business of “hunting” truffles. Eventually the dog was set lose and within minutes started digging. The master pushed him away and, using a small shovel, came up with a truffle in seconds. Looked like a blob of dirt. It was an interesting hour.

The next town bills itself as the smallest one in the world, with 30 residents. Named Hum. Great lunch (including truffle pasta). An energetic town guide provided an inspired tour of the local cemetary and chapel, then a really cool small museum, consisting of a reconstructed general store, boot maker shop, pharmacy, schoolroom, etc. We were allowed to touch things! One of the nicest museums I’ve ever visited.

Even though the day consisted of a lot of bus riding, it was an enriching experience. But, I still don’t like truffles.

Wednesday, March 9th. A long drive to the coast of the Adriatic with a significant stop at Plitvice Lakes, a World Heritage National Park. A series of lakes with numerous small and large waterfalls. We had the option to walk along the canyon rim or hike down to lake-level and then take a boat ride. I opted for the lower choice, but I’m sure the rim walk was also fine. Sunny day. Took the oppurtunity to play with shutter speeds with some success. Great time. Deboned trout for lunch.

Because of our visit to the Lakes, our roads were largely local all the way to the coast. Bus driver is fast! Stopped at a monument identifying itself as being exactly equal distanced from the Equator and North Pole. Sign said 5,000km from each, which is surprisingly fairly accurate.

Beautiful hotel view! Due to the illnesses that swept through the group, the local OAT representative arranged a four-person band to perform before dinner. Reminded me of Mexican bands. We later spent the evening sharing our (mostly fun) experiences with the rep, while he explained some of the organizational processes of pulling off such great trips (with some occasional bumps). We were curious how OAT found some of our more off-the-beaten-path hosts.

Tuesday, March 9th. Drove out into the countryside to visit a well-known sculptor and Tito’s birthplace. Both were interesting, but it was a longish bus ride. Tito’s home community has been converted into a museum town. Many terrific displays and houses.

Lunch was at the top of a hill, unsuitable for the bus. It was a short but steep stroll. Beautiful castle in the distance, allowing me to use my big lens for once. Turkey for lunch, plus delicious apple strudle. Animals roaming around the grounds.

Back in Zagreb, I gave a nickel tour to someone who, due to illness, had to skip yesterday’s walking tour. I was impressed that I could reproduce the route from memory.

Had a jalapeño pizza for dinner.