Tag / Kobarid

An early start was further hastened by a 9am electricity shutoff for hotel repairs. Breakfast and checkout by a quarter til and we headed for the nearby Italian border. Now that Croatia is in the EU, the former border crossing station has been shuttered and the road just zips through with barely a notice. Still, Italy feels immediately like Italy. Building colors shift in favor of that Italian yellow and orange stucco.


Our route took us through tiny Cividale del Fruili. Looped a couple of times through the historic center to check out the church and narrow stone bridge. Jeff hopped out to catch a couple of pictures, but we kept on moving!


The bustling university town of Udine was next, with it inviting historic center. Tree-lined streets and little parks everywhere. This struck us as a very livable city. We found metered parking (just a couple of Euros for our few hours) and climbed the steep, cobbled path up to the Udine Castle, which now holds a museum. The museum was closed for the day, but still provided panoramic views of the old city below. Descending onto the other side of the hill, through a lion-topped arch, and we found ourselves thrust into Venice. The buildings and statues and even the clock tower…all built to reflect the grandeur of Venice. Nearby, it the surrounding old town, we were reminded of Florence, with it’s distinctive architectural style. We certainly aren’t in Slovenia any more!! Ducked into the Duomo…cool and dark…echoes of muted footsteps…a dozen side chapels with typical paintings. Nearby, we grabbed a sandwich and a Coke Light and enjoyed the midday passers-by. We returned to our car via an old archway next to a slow, winding canal.


From Udine, narrow city streets led to the A4 autostrada…on to Venice! The low Italian countryside of the Veneto region flew by.


It’s odd to arrive into Venice by car. But we have arrived by plane and train, and there is always a first for everything. We parked in Venice at the Tronchetto parking garage, which is a modern island near the bridge that brings cars and trains across the lagoon. But a quick hop on the new “people mover” shuttle and we were car-free and immersed in the land of canals and bridges.


We had some extra time, so we opted to walk to our apartment versus riding the vapporetto. A scenic route that thrust us right back into Venice, but quite tiring as well. Lifting luggage over stepped bridges is a pain.


We met Ettore who runs several apartments with his family. Our comfy apartment was on the first floor on a quiet side street in the Dorsoduro neighborhood.


Unpacking later. It’s time to walk and get dinner. We re-traced familiar routes like we had been in Venice yesterday. (It has been since 2008!). Made our way to an old favorite…Impronta. Luscious mojitos. Mouthwatering linguini carbonara and duck gnocchi. Tirimisu just like we remembered!


After dinner, we wandered dark, silent, familiar passages. We got turned around a couple of times. We purposefully took random turns several times…in sheer wonder.


We are so happy to be back 🙂

Awoke to light breezes, dappled sunlight, and an incessant cuckoo in the nearby forest. Although not as fancy as the Cubo breakfast, the Kapp breakfast still had hot eggs and crispy bacon…and cappuccinos….so no complaints here! Packing after one quick night was super easy, and we hit the road with helpful pointers from Peter (the owner).


Emily (with helpful tips from Rick Steves) plotted a winding route through the Julian Alps to our evening stay in Kobarid. But first a drive through the lush, grassy foothills to the north of Bled. The air was rich with wet-grass thanks to light morning showers.


Skirted the Austrian border until we came to Kranjska Gora, where we began our narrow winding path up into the mountains. Tight hairpin turns were cobbled to improve traction. Drizzle became indistinguishable from heavy fog collecting and dripping from the tall pines. Grey peaks laced with remnants of spring snow played peak-a-boo through moody mist.


Stopped briefly at a tiny wooden chapel–the Ruska Kapelica–built in 1917 by Russian POWs to commemorate their fallen comrades as they built this important World War I road through the Julian Alps. The chapel sat peacefully in a clearing in the pines, next to a snow-fed spring, with tiny bunches of white and yellow wildflowers. Another cuckoo in the distance. The air was sweet.


Continuing up, we passed the snow line, and finally the Vršič pass at 1611 meters. Eight degrees Celsius didn’t feel cold, the snow LOOKED cold.


The mountain-fueled rain picked up in earnest. Down we wound–a total of 50 hairpin turns up and down–passing old WWI-era tunnels, supply lines, and border checkpoints marking the Italy-Austria Hungary war time border. We learned that the Julian Alps are enclosed in Slovenia’s only national Park: Triglav.


We joined up with the Soča river as it wound down out of the snowy peaks above. It was crystal clear, tinted turquoise by the sediment it carried. We passed vehicles carrying adventurers and their kayaks…ignoring the rain in favor of a colder kind of wet in the river. A striking waterfall–the second highest in Slovenia–caught our eye off to the right. The falls were full and brilliant. Further down, we stopped in the white-water base of Bovec. The rain let up, and we celebrated with warm pizzas: mine with a super-spicy salami; Jeff’s with ham mushroom and an egg. They really hit the spot.


Dropping further down the Soča, we arrived in compact Kobarid and checked into the Hotel Hvala. Kobarid had a storied history and an award winning museum to show it. The Kobaraski Muzej was named European Museum of the Year in 1993 for it’s striking view of World War I through a simple presentation of photos and artifacts of war.


We opted for a light dinner with a Slovenian ravioli–Žlikrofi–accompanied by cool beers. The rain returned as we reached our hotel, building into an impressive thunderstorm. The rhythm of raindrops on rooftops brought on a pleasing drowsiness.