The HarmsBoones

A group of people playing in an apparent rain shower in a pedestrian square. László is centered with his arms out.

Slovenia: so hot right now

Literally. The continent is just beginning a heatwave with a striking resemblance to the one that is (hopefully) leaving the US Southwest and Slovenia is no exception. We left a few days ago after sustained days above 80ºF and high humidity. Since then, it’s only gotten hotter. Today’s forecasted high is 94ºF, in a place where air conditioning is hard to come by. It was hard enough for us to stay cool, so I’m glad we were there then, not now.

Danielle and I first visited Slovenia in November, 2010, when we had a four day weekend from our jobs teaching in Hungary. After a night in Zagreb on Halloween, we took the train to Ljubljana, then a bus up to Bled. It charmed our socks off thirteen years ago and we tried to find our way back ever since. Our objective this time around was oriented around staying cool, but it was still a major success.

Two young adults, Danielle and Greg, with a wall behind them. Above the wall, a castle in ruins is centered on an overcast sky.
Danielle and I at Grad Kamen, a castle in ruins near Radovlice, Slovenia in November 2010.

The way in

It’s a bit of a long train journey from Munich, but it’s super rewarding to watch the Alps suddenly rise in front of you then disappear into tunnels only to emerge high in a valley, with some of the Austria’s tallest peaks surrounding you.

From there, the train exits Villach into the Julian Alps, the peaks start to blend with the Dolomites to the west. With steep, jagged, karst mountains, the Julians form a cozy basin in which most of our adventures took place.

A woman, Gog, sits in a train car observing mountains and forest out her window.

We spent one full day in Ljubljana to recover from the journey and see the city before we headed to Piran on the coast and Bled in the mountains.

Piran

It was nice to have time to spend in Piran this go around. Our 2010 trip revealed how much more there was for us to explore around here but we only spent one night in this former Venetian town on Slovenia’s shores.

Two adults, Danielle and Greg, on a concrete platform beside the Adriatic Sea. Behind them to the right, the shore-facing buildings of the Slovenian city of Piran.
Danielle and I on the ocean-front in Piran, November, 2010.

Our primary objective was to swim. This was because it’s something we all love, but especially László, to do, but also because it was among a vanishing number of ways to escape the heat.

There’s something really joyful about watching a 4 year old jump into deep water beside much larger kids. We brought a PFD and goggles for him to wear, which helped him feel more comfortable, and swim in water well over his head (and mine). I don’t really know how to describe the mix of determination and pure glee in his face as he jumps in, swims around to the ladder, climbs, and repeats. Neither is there a word for the mix of pride and astonishment I felt observing his bravery as he jumped from heights greater than any I’m comfortable with, even as an adult, into the sea. Watching László interact with water was a highlight of the trip for sure.

From the beach we walked along the trail that follows the old city walls into the town center for dinner. It was mostly as Danielle and I remembered, but again, it was nice to be able to actually set, observe, and enjoy the place a bit this time around.

Close up on a child, László, wearing a bright green PFD and standing in the Adriatic Sea. A coastline belonging to Italy is in the far background.
László, delighted to be in the water after a long day in the car.
The same child swimming in the direction of the far shoreline.
László ponders a swim to Trieste.
Two adults, Danielle and Greg, 13 years older, standing in a white marble square in Piran.
Danielle and I at Tartinjev Trg
A grown up, Greg, and a child, László pose with tongues out.
Two adults, Greg and Gog, post on an old city wall with the city of Piran behind them. In the far background, a coastline belonging to Croatia is visible.
Gog and I with the Croatian coast in the background (to the south).
The sun setting on the horizon off the shores of Piran. The roofs of buildings city is in the foreground, and a glimpse of coastline appears at left.
Sunset over the Adriatic.
Gog poses is almost the same spot Danielle and Greg posted 10 years earlier.
Gog on the edge of town.
In the foreground, the waters of the Adriatic. In the far distance, the Italian coast.
The Italian Adriatic Coast to the north.

All László wanted to do was play in the plaza. There are few to no cars allowed in the old town of Piran, so we didn’t really have to worry about him running into traffic. He mostly ran in circles trying to play with other kids who didn’t necessarily know that’s what he as trying to do while we sipped drinks and ate dinner. (Nancy was the winner on that meal with a delicious tuna steak.)

Bled

Our second day of heat escape found us swimming in Lake Bled. A glacier-fed natural lake tucked into the Julian Alps famous for the church built improbably on an island in the middle. Here again, László seemed like such a natural in the water. He jumped straight in, unbothered by the temperature differential between the air, body, and water. He went down the water slide probably a dozen times, swam out to a swimming platform with Danielle and Nancy and jumped off that, he even went off a 3m diving board. By himself. Twice. I swear this kid is part fish.

We didn’t do a lot of the other things you’re “supposed to do” in Bled: take a Pletna boat out to the church. Visit the castle. Climb Triglav mountain. Golf. (I mean, who cares about golf, it’s literally everywhere.) But we did have a ton of fun in the water, stayed cool, avoided major sunburn, and took great pictures in the process. Need we do more than that?

A child, László coming down a water slide into the lake-pools below the Bled castle. To the right of the slide, near where it meets the pool ann adult, Danielle, watches.
Could anything make a kid happier than a water slide into a lake? Not this kid.
An adult, Greg, and child, László enter the pool off the water slide.
A child, László, plunges feet first into a pool off of a 3m high diving board.
László takes the high dive.
A wide view of Lake Bled and the mountains surrounding it. In the foreground, Danielle and László smile from the water. In the near background, the Bled church is visible.
Danielle and László swimming with the famous church in the background.
A wide view of the Sava valley taken from a lookout in Radovljice, Slovenia.
The Julian Alps above the Sava Valley from Radovljice, Slovenia
László looking satisfied with his donut-hole-like snack in Radovljice.
László got some donuts called Miške that made going to a gorgeous mountain village worthwhile.

Ljubljana’s own weather

The climate in the city was hostile to our desire to enjoy the place, but we did still manage some delightful moments in the Slovenian capital. A few things that are neat about Ljubljana include: Vending machines for fresh eggs, raw milk, and basic OTC necessities from the pharmacy. A gorgeous riverwalk with many pedestrian-only bridges. Water fountains everywhere. A castle that is used primarily as a museum and cultural center (and has a funicular train to the top). And, finally, Ljubljana’s own weather, an art installation in Prešeren Trg that sprinkled water overhead, high enough up that it felt, and looked, like an extremely isolated weather event. Much like a refreshing rain shower on a hot day, this was a nice touch to help us cool down and have some fun after roasting all day.

László, who is most comfortable when proximate to water, was especially pleased with the custom weather events happening in Prešeren Trg.

I still have a lot of fondness for Ljubljana. It’s a funky place with an easygoing vibe, arts, and unmatched scenery. I think we’ll try to go back in the fall or spring next time, or at least ensure we book a place that for sure has air conditioning for night time.

End of a trip

This concludes the whole-family portion of the Great Sabbatical Euro Trip. We all departed from Jože Plečnik International Airport last week, but to different destinations. Gog took László home with her via Amsterdam and Chicago while Danielle and I carried on to Madeira via London.

A Transavia jet pulls away from the gate toward the runway at LJU airport for takeoff.

It was an absolutely amazing adventure, and a tremendous privilege to have this experience wandering through foreign countries with László and Danielle, and, for the last few days, Gog.

When we started planning this trip back in late 2022, we had all kinds of grand ideas. I think we hit the right mix of familiar and novel, even if we ultimately weren’t quite as ambitious as we started. We’re still learning how to travel with our kid and our limitations both individually and collectively. I’m glad we prioritized what we did rather than trying to do too much that was wholly new or more complex because it made learning how to travel with a child a bit easier.

I hope this is the start of a lifelong obsession with travel for László, and that it is not the end of our international gallivanting together.

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Greg Boone

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Comments

2 responses to “Slovenia: so hot right now”

  1. Joan Avatar
    Joan

    Amazing trip! I’m so glad you kept this blog. No doubt László will be a swimmer! Enjoy your week as a couple. ❤️

  2. Enfys Avatar
    Enfys

    Coincidentally, I’m just finishing reading a fantasy series set in Ljubljana. The basic premise: “What if you found out you were the Chosen One when you were in your 40s?” The omnibus of the full series is really affordable on Kindle: https://amzn.to/3Ov5a6s I’ve really enjoyed the series.