EUROPEAN ESCAPADES- A whirlwind tour to Slovenia!
As many of you know I had to interupt my Asian adventure to address some unexpected health issues- tad scary but totally fine now (phew!).
Whilst I hadn’t planned on being back in the UK for a while, it’s been super nice to check in with family and friends again, even though it was a little strange to be back at first!
My return has bought several silver linings; I’ve got to meet my second cousin Evie Grace who is so cuddly and adorable (Junebug, I love you!), attend my sister’s graduation (Abbie, You make me SO proud!) AND go on an European road trip with my sis, Uncle and Popsicle!
In short, life is SWEET!
the hills are alive with the sound of muuuuusssic
Though I missed my best friend’s engagement party (I was there in spirit Abbey and Ste!) our European jolly was one of the most enjoyable trips I’ve taken to date. The 4 of us drove to Ljubljana (capital of Slovenia) to watch an England football match (European Qualifier) picking out pretty towns and points of interest along the way.
We stopped in a different location every night, choosing accomodation and cuisine that were traditional for the area.
The itinerary was packed with cool places to visit and breathtaking views.
It was a whirlwind trip with plenty of laughter, not to mention unforgettable experiences from start to finish (we really didn’t stop the whole time we were away!)
THE ITINERARY
Places Visited:
Bruges > Turckheim > Colmar > Bavaria > Salzberg > Hallstatt > Bled > Ljubljana > Venice > Verona > Sirmione > Fiesch > Zermatt > Chamonix > Reims
Countries Visited: France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland
Points of Interest Visited:
Bruges Belfry, “Little Venice” Colmar, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles, German Alpine Road, Villa Trapp, Kelhsteinhaus “Eagle’s Nest”, Hallstatt, Lake Bled, St Mark’s Square, Arena di Verona, Juiliet’s Balcony, Castle Sirmione, Lake Garda, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc.
The Vacay
The holiday was filled with highs. Not only was the football far more entertaining than we have grown to expect (Slovenia 2-3 England!) we were totally floored by the natural beauty we experienced on our trip.
The route took us to pretty French towns, fairytale castles and sun-kissed alpine pastures, past crystal clear lakes and through mountainous bypasses. We drove to Salzberg via the German Alpine Road which delivered majestic panoramas of the Bavarian Alps.
We ate schnitzel at a German gasthaus owned by a former Nazi, and enjoyed pretzels outside the Kehlsteinhaus; Hitler’s ’50th Birthday’ holiday home.
Spent a night in the West wing suite of Villa Trapp- a previous residence of the Von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame!
Stayed at a goat farm near Lake Bled; where we drank shots of 40% Slovenian snapps and unsuccessfully tried to milk goats! #Shame
Visited both the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles; the latter inspiring the design of Disney’s Magic Kingdom!
We took cable cars to view the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc (which were astounding).
And put on several pounds eating gelato and slurping lattes during our stint in Italy.
What now?
exciting news!!!
Having got the OK to resume my travels again, I’ve decided to fly to THE PHILIPPINES!! #WhyNot
A week on Saturday I shall be venturing to Manila to reunite my fellow ENFP vibe-giver Karina. I’m super excited to have a friend to travel with and share the experience- I literally CAN’T WAIT.
We are planning to spend a month island hopping in the Philippines before heading over to Borneo, Malyasia for a few weeks. From there Karina will most probably head back to the States and me to Thailand to continue my Stray tour.
It’s funny, I spent months drafting my trip to Asia to have my plans turned completely upside down with the open of a letter. Fortunately my little health scare proved to be nothing serious, of which I am enormously grateful, but it just shows how much we often take our good health for granted. A healthy body and mind really is one of the most valuable blessings we can have in life; we should never cease to appreciate it.
Life is full of twists and turns and I’m just so happy that I can continue my travelling!
Here’s to the next chapter!