s-LOVE-nia

When Patrick first surprised me with our incredible trip to “Croatia and The Julian Alps” – I had no idea what to expect from the second leg of our trip. To be completely honest, I had never heard of the Julian Alps, specifically. And knew little to nothing about Slovenia. Man, was I missing out!

After my first and only run of the vacation (whoops), we packed our car and left the gorgeous coastal town of Rovinj – our final morning in Croatia. We had a long drive in store, and a reservation to make at Hiša Franko – one that we absolutely could not miss!

The steep and winding roads of Croatia led us across the Italian boarder, where we admired the scenic vineyards and picturesque towns adorned with old churches, markets and locals enjoying their Sunday.

As we crossed the border into Slovenia after a three hour road trip, the hills became even more dramatic, and the mountains were covered with a thick fog that made for breathtaking views of the Slovenian countryside.

The vast landscape of Slovenia is incomparable; it’s serene and when you gaze upon it, you feel so at peace. It’s like a fairytale brought to life.

When we arrived at our quaint Airbnb, we freshened up and made haste to lunch (more to come on that later in a special “foodie” post a la Chef Cash). Hiša Franko was everything we could have imagined in a fine dining experience – and it was so much fun reflecting on the Chef’s Table episode and watching it come to life in front of our very eyes. With a full course tasting menu and wine pairings in our bellies, we set off into the countryside for a hike along the Soča River.

The vivid colors of blue that fill the Soča River are unlike any I’ve seen before; turquoise, light blue, navy, etc. The shades are brilliant alone, but paired with the proud evergreens that line the water and the monstrous mountains hovering in the background – it’s absolutely stunning. We made our way through the trails, over rocks and swinging bridges, down towards the rushing river below.

As we rounded what felt like our 100th bend around the slick Soča rocks, the water opened up to a massive waterfall (Slap Kozjak). It took exactly five seconds for Patrick to shed his shirt and camera and dive head first into the ice cold waters. I volunteered to photograph his waterfall fun, and opted for dryer hiking conditions on the way back. We sat on the rocks to admire the scenery and appreciate Mother Nature’s beauty.

Rain was forecasted for the evening, so we took shelter in a local pub – Hiša Polonka – where we sipped on draft beer and shared a cheese plate. With a fire crackling in the corner, we enjoyed the people watching as the skies opened up and poured on the quaint town of Kobarid. We made our way home and let the steady sounds of storm settle us into sleep.