Slovenia was included in my tour of Croatia before returning to Venice to board the plane. When our tour bus entered Slovenia, our guide was obviously proud and excited, because he's from Slovenia. We noticed the difference in the scenery, no ocean views, but it was just as beautiful from another angle. The landscape of Slovenia is simply charming. Towards late afternoon we arrived at our hotel, which was built right by Lake Bled. We had an hour to walk by the lakeside and capture the swans in the sunset.

The next morning we went to Bled Castle overlooking the serene lake and the Bled Island, with the Church of Assumption standing in the middle of it. Then the driver took us to Ljubljana, the capital. The architecture around the Preseren square is absolutely gorgeous. While everyone else was enjoying the Slovenian food for lunch, I walked to take photos of their parliament. The design of the entrance is unbelievable. I haven't seen a parliament anywhere else that is decorated with so many nude statues (photo #60-63).

After spending a few hours in Lujbljana, the group returned to Bled. Some of us took a boat ride on the picturesque lake to Bled Island. The tour of Slovenia was short, yet very impressive.

(All rights reserved)