Week 36: Ljubljana, Bohinj, Bled and Zagreb

A busy week! Food markets and friends in Ljubljana, roadtrip and nature walks at the breathtakingly beautiful lake Bohinj and Bled, settling in Zagreb for some work-filled days, and going crazy over fresh veggies.

Welcome to our weekly recap! This one's for September 5th - 11th, which is week 36, 2014.

Tip of the week: Open Kitchen food market takes place on Fridays (March-October) at Ljubljana Central Market. The Open Kitchen is open the whole day and you can finds tens of different food (and drink) stalls there, as well as some tables and benches. There is a good variety of both local and ethnic food, and the prices are very affordable. We had some fresh falafels and spicy Egyptian chicken stew, both good!

Memorable moment: I walked the path on the north side of lake Bohinj. There was hardly anyone else around, just me, the path and the sparkling lake. 7km of pure bliss. My feet were flying, stopped only by the views demanding to be photographed.

Workwise: Busy, busy, but nothing specific to report. Except that we managed to take a whole weekend off for a roadtrip! Huge improvement for balancing our lives. I had much more energy when getting back to my laptop on Monday.

Random thought: I'm so glad I wasn't the one driving on our roadtrip. The streets of the villages at the Bled / Bohinj area are a seriously tight fit when there's oncoming traffic, even the roads can be very narrow. The road in this pic was about the widest we came accross. Add to the mix the speeds locals drive and you really need to concentrate. Hint: if you're renting a car, choose a small one! - And no, the locals don't usually drive old army vehicles.

What I've learned: The Vintgar gorge was first opened to public at 1893 and the wooden walkways and bridges already existed then - of course the ones there now are not the originals, but have been renovated several times. After seeing the place, I can understand why it was the first tourist attraction of it's kind in the area and why it still draws so many visitors. It's just so beautiful! Word of caution though, get there early to avoid the masses. We were there a bit after 9 in the morning, and while we did have a peaceful walk one way, with tons of great photo opportunities, on the way back (there's only one path, used for both directions) there was a lot of walking in lines and waiting.

Food love: Fresh veggies! Cheap and plentiful at the Dolac market, right in the center of Zagreb. I filled two bags with these treasures when visiting. The plums are sweet, the tomatoes tasty and I made an excellent stew out of the peppers and onions.

Surprise of the week: Even though we've had good luck with our Airbnb apartments, and this happens every time, I'm still surprised when I walk through the door and the place is just perfect for us. Our place in Zagreb has a real kitchen, big living room with a huge, comfortable sofa, and a balcony with great views over the neighbourhood. (The pic is from the balcony, since we already spread our stuff all over of the apartment).

When also the owners are helpful and friendly, and provide much more personal service than hotels (pick-up from train station!), I don't get why people stay in hotels for any period longer than few days. - We won't anytime soon, since I have booked our Airbnb's for the next two months. Belgrade, Skopje and Athens, we are coming!