A short walk, he said.

Those words sounded perfectly reasonable at the time.

We were staying in Radovljica and decided to walk to the famous Lake Bled. I didn’t think too much about the distance — that realisation would come later… much later.

Setting off early, we followed the quiet roads and pathways towards the lake, walking through some of Slovenia’s most beautiful countryside.

The landscape changed gradually as we made our way along the route. Dense forests gave way to rivers, open farmland stretched across the valley . It was peaceful and beautiful and I was lost in the rhythm of walking, in observing the countryside and thoroughly enjoying myself.

It was one of those walks where the journey itself became the destination.

tiny villages appeared along the way — each with their own quiet rhythm of rural life.

At last, our destination was in sight.

The landscape had flattened, and in the distance we could see the town of Bled. After hours of walking, there was a definite sense of achievement. We were nearly there!

But, seeing Bled and reaching Bled turned out to be two very different things. The town may have been visible, but there was still quite a distance to go.

Have you ever noticed that the final stretch of a journey is the longest one.

It turned out our “short walk” was closer to 10 kilometres.

Phew!

But every journey needs a reward, and ours was waiting for us in Bled with a famous Slovenian cream cake (kremšnita), a very generous slice of layered pastry, custard cream and vanilla goodness.

The story behind it actually started back in Canberra.

Before we left for Slovenia, a Slovenian friend had insisted that when we reached Bled, we simply had to visit a particular café and try their vanilla slice. According to her, it was “the best vanilla slice in the world”.

Well, that was a recommendation we were happy to investigate.

After a 10 kilometre walk through beautiful Slovenian countryside, sitting down with a huge slice of kremšnita felt like a very well-earned reward.

It was very much enjoyed.

Lake Bled

If ever there was a place that looked as though it had been lifted straight from the pages of a fairy tale book, Lake Bled would be it.

The emerald-green lake, framed by the Julian Alps, is stunningly beautiful. At its centre sits Bled Island, home to the picturesque Church of the Assumption, while high on a cliff overlooking the water stands Bled Castle, Slovenia’s oldest castle, keeping watch over the lake for more than 1,000 years.

The lake itself was formed by glaciers during the last Ice Age, creating such a the peaceful setting. A walking path circles the shoreline, revealing ever-changing views of the island, castle and surrounding mountains, each one seemingly more beautiful than the last.

Lake Bled feels tranquil and peaceful. Walking along the shoreline is one of those experiences that feels magical. It was well worth the long walk to get there!

As beautiful as Lake Bled was, our favourite memory of the day wasn’t the scenery.

It was meeting Bobi.

Perched on a low stone wall beside the lake, the French artist quietly painted postcard-sized watercolours of the ever-changing view before him. We couldn’t resist purchasing one to take home.

Then came an unexpected surprise.

Bobi invited us to sit for a portrait, and within a short time he had captured us both with pen and ink. Watching him work was almost as special as the finished piece itself.

That quickly inked portrait still hangs on a wall at home. Every time we walk past it, we’re transported straight back to that sunny afternoon beside Lake Bled.

By late afternoon, our legs had voted unanimously against another 10-kilometre walk.

The bus back to Radovljica suddenly seemed like a very sensible idea.

Sitting on the bus, we reflected on what had been one of the most memorable days of our trip. The walk had been longer than expected, the cream cake had lived up to its reputation, and meeting Bobi had given us a souvenir far more meaningful than anything we could have bought in a shop.

Catherine & Jeff