Venice, Croatia, Slovenia

Aug 31-Sep 6, 2009
LH471 YYZ-FRA, LH4082 FRA-VCE, LH4085 VCE-FRA, AC877 FRA-YYZ

Although we love Europe, we normally make it a policy to avoid the summer months like the plague (which I’m sure probably spread through Europe in the summer).  However, AC conspired to have a sale that tipped the scales and technically it was September so we were hoping the crowds will have thinned.  Next time I probably should do a little more research, as we ended up in Venice during the Film Festival at the tale end of the trip.  However, we did survive the summer crowds and enjoyed some nice weather for most of the time.  The trip to Venice was planned in February and then Tom did the research to add the driving destinations.  Although we only had few days on the road we got a sampling of Croatia and a pretty in depth (for us) tour of Slovenia.  We also had a great price line experience in Venice with one of the best hotel deals I’ve ever had even during the film festival.   Who knows perhaps we’ll be back in Europe another summer.  

Sep 1
After a run through Frankfurt we caught an earlier flight to Venice

Campanille and Doge’s Palace from the Vaporetto (water bus)

From Venice looking across the canal to San Giorgio and it’s very similar tower

Church of San Moise is where the locals go (to avoid the crowds)

Scali Contarini del Bovolo external staircase (circa 1499)

Rialto Bridge over the grand canal

Vaporetto traveling a scenic part of Grand Canal

Gondola riders take tourists across the grand canal

More canal views from the Vaporetto

San Marco square and tower at night

La Salute Church lit up on the shore of San Marco Canal

Sep 2
The morning in Venice and then pick up the car and head to Croatia

Me looking out from our hotel room in the Hilton Molino Stucky

St Mark’s Basilica with a crowd of tourists; lines were too crazy to go in

Looking back on Venice from San Giorgio island

After lunch we walk Tartini Square in Piran, Slovenia a former harbour now filled in

Art for sale in the steep cobblestone streets Rovinj, Croatia on the way to bell tower

Looking down on the Mediterranean from the St. Euphemia bell tower

Tower staircase

View of Rovinj at dusk

After a nice seafood dinner along the Mediterranean we return for night view

Sep 3
After staying in Rovinj we head back to Slovenia

Empty streets of Rovinj in the early morning

Morning view of the tower

The incredible vast Skocjan Cave in Slovenia

More of the massive cave

View of day light as we walk our way out of the deep cave

Predjama Castle built into the side of a mountain

Ljubljana Castle exterior (the interior closed due to convention)

Interior of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Ljubljana

Exterior of the church

We had a nice dinner along the Ljubljana river with a floating band

Sep 4
After staying in Ljubljana we drive to Lake Bled

River running through small town of Kropa

Beekeeping Museum in Rodovljica allowed us to escape the rain

Church of Assumption in the centre of Lake Bled

Vintgar Gorge with light rain seemed like a good idea

Vintgar Gorge with torrential rain probably wasn’t a good idea after all

After drying out we have dinnerand view Bled Castle lit up over the lake

Sep 5
After morning in Lake Bled we head back to Venice through the alps

With the clouds gone the alps are exposed in the morning

Church of the Assumption with the alps in the background

Continuing view of the lake and surrounding mountains

Glacier as we drive into the Julian Alps

The rain from the previous day is still leaving its mark

Small Russian Chapel in Triglav National Park

Approaching the top of the mountain pass

More views from Triglav

I brave the snow and cold for a photo

Kulze Fort near the Italian Border

Looking back toward the Julian Alps up the Soca River

After a long day of driving we take a sunset walk through Venice

Gondolas parked for the evening

A close up the Venetian tiger in San Marco square

View along the Grand Canal

Our hotel lit up for the night

Sep 6
The morning in Venice before our flight home  

The stairs of Doge’s Palace

Part of the Palace Interior

Incredible pattern in the Palace floor

Traveled home to Toronto through Frankfurt