5 Reasons why we loved Slovenia.

1. Skocjan Caves

A friend advised us that we must travel to these caves which have been created when the Reka River trundles around Slovenia for a while before heading underground to a depth of 300m and continues under the mountains for 3km or so. The caves are up to 170 m deep in places with 45 m suspended bridges, underground waterfalls, lakes, stalactites and stalagmites. It is amazing and World Heritage listed of course.

This really does leave the Buchan caves or those ones near the Coonawarra for dead. Cathy has remembered they are called the Narracorte Caves, not as good as the wine from the district.

2. Friendly People

These must be Europe´s friendliest people. Everybody speaks English and has a cheery smile and happy demeanour despite our unconfident attempts to start conversations with our only Slovene word Dober Dan (Not Slobadan I had to keep reminding Cathy as she jokingly talked about him with her loud whisper voice). We even got to watch the BBC English TV shows subtitled which was a pleasant change. And the crazy author did it in the end of the Midsummer Murders. Who would have thought! Never would have watched it in Australia but loved it in Piran.

3. Diversity

We were standing in the snow at 1pm and then eating an ice cream on the beach at 4pm. Slovenia has everything and it is so compact. It takes no more than 3 hours to get from anywhere in the country to anywhere else. Plus they have great cuisine and fantastic wines, including the best Cab Sav we´ve had since Tunisia.

4. Rowing on Lake Bled

If there´s anyone left who hasn´t been to Lake Bled, there´s a 1200 year old castle on a postcard perfect lake which can be reached by rowboat. While I was not a young Clint Robinson, it was great to have a go on the rowboat in such an environment. Cathy was hysterically laughing as we went around in circles and at one stage nearly fell in as she doubled over!

A rare highlight was being attacked by a crazed swan as we entered our row boat. I took one to the shoe and David took a nasty bite to the knee as we fended off the swan with oars. He really was territorial but us big fellas with our oars emerged victorious.

5. Ljublana

Our first taste of Eastern Europe. Where bad fashion happens to good looking people. We will report further on the fashion of other Eastern European destinations later in our travels but at the moment think snakeskin suits on women, lycra body suits emerging out of too tight jeans on women and check suits on men. 'Lubbers' itself was pretty with a castle, U shaped river bend and great beer places.

We've now gone further East back to Western Europe and arrived in Vienna. What can be said about this city?

Its full of culture, Mozart, Strauss, Music 365 days per year. Its full of museums and it has a reasonably confusing public transport infrastructure. At the moment, for the first time in the last 2 days, we are not lost.

We have also learned about the inbred Habsburgs who ruled for 600 years by marrying their cousins and other people´s cousins.

For those following with their Jacaranda Atlases at home we are now off to Munchen (Munich), the Romantic Road, Dresden and then Berlin.