Slovenia: Lake Bled - One Of World Most Beautiful Lakes

Slovenia, August 2013

Bong...bong...bong

The sound of church bell woke me up in the morning. I slowly opened my eyes and stared to the ceiling of my room, trying to remember where I was. Jump out of bed, I slowly walked to the sliding glass door which lead to the balcony. As soon as the door opened, I could feel the cool air brushing across my face. Walked my bare feet on the cold balcony tiles, my eyes widened...I was then mesmerised by the stunning scenery lie in front of me. Clear blue sky and mountain range as a background with a lush hill in the middle of a tranquil lake. To me it's a picture perfect of beautiful Lake Bled.

view from my balcony

the traditional Pletna boat

Lake Bled surrounds Bled island in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia. The lake is a mixed of glacial and tectonic origin. The best way to take a tour across the lake is by taking a traditional Pletna boat. The sound of water lapping against the oar and the nature sound of birds chirping, I found it very relaxing. I smiled and put my camera down...I just want to absorb the beauty and enjoy the moment.

each Pletna boat has different names

Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church

stairs to the church

Within 15 minutes of Pletna boat ride, we reached the bottom of staircase which lead to the church. One interesting story that I found about wedding in that island was every groom has to carry his bride to be up the 99 stone stairs and ring the church bell. It is believed will bring good lucks to the couple.
Note to self: lose some weight before your wedding day.....unless you're marrying Hercules :p

According to a legend, the temple of the ancient Slavic goddess Siva, once stood in the place of the present Baroque church. The temples disappeared during battle against the Christians, who destroyed the altar and built a church. Another important part of this church would be the bell. It is said whoever rings the bell will get their wish come true. Can you guess what I was wishing for? :)

I could sit here all day long

the gold plated altar

souvenirs

Pletna boat in Lake Bled

view from the top of Bled castle

Before heading to Postojna Cave for a journey to the centre of the earth, I made another stop at Bled Castle. It's perched on top a steep cliff, 130 metres above the glacial lake Bled. And you know what that means? Yup! Some exercise for my leg and bum while reaching the medieval castle, but the view from the above was worth the climb up though. It was one of most jaw-dropping scenery I've ever seen. The history of the castle reaches back to 1004 when the German Emperor Henry II gave his estate at Bled to Bishop Albuin of Bixen. Bled Castle is the oldest castle in Slovenia and is now arranged as a exhibition area.

beautiful Lake Bled

hi there! :)

good night

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U Paasha Seminyak Bali

Nestled in the heart of hustling bustling Seminyak area, U Paasha hotel is a great place to hang out with friends or family. They have 3 restaurants that offer unique choices for hotel guests and outside patrons. Alibi is a New York style bar with live music and has a scrumptious tapas menu that will tickle your taste buds. Alcove is more a fine dining restaurant for those who prefers to have a fancy gastronomic experience. While the Rooftop Pool Bar is a casual place for chill out with a large pool in the centre and lounge style day beds. Their menu includes snacks, cocktails, margarita and signature selections of fresh fruit sorbet tea quenchers.

rooftop pool at U Paasha Seminyak

view from the rooftop

I instantly fell in love with the view from the rooftop and chose to have my lunch there. While the location is not exactly by the beach but from the rooftop you'll still have the gorgeous ocean view and feel the sea breeze gently blow your face. It's also a good thing that I could order some food from Alibi and Alcove menu. I was overwhelmed by the wide ranges menu from their restaurants and spent sometime to think before finally decided what to order...

nori-rolled fish fritters

Started with a dish of fish rolled in dried seaweed then deep fried in tempura batter and added a dollop of miso mayo sauce. It has a crispy texture on the outside and a juicy fish chunk inside. It's quite an interesting dish, I might say.

vegetable samosa

Samosa, the famous snack from India is basically a fried or baked pastry with savoury fillings. The one that I had here actually tasted quite mild and has a melt in your mouth fillings, served with java curry mayo. It would have been perfect if the skin wasn't too oily though.

miso glazed gindara

I really liked the taste of the fish. Gindara, the white flesh fish has a soft flaky textures and sweet flavoured, while the sauce tasted something like teriyaki sauce but with salty aftertaste. Baby Bok Choy or is often called Chinese cabbage were crunchy and juicy and so was the mushroom.

gado-gado

They also have some Indonesian dishes on the menu such as Gado-Gado (boiled vegetables served with peanut sauce), Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup), Sate, Soto Ayam, Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice), and more.

trio crème brûlée

Original creme brulee, Pandanus creme brulee and Kopi Luwak (civet coffee) in one serving. Yay! I could have them all. It has a sweet creamy taste and a crunchy smooth texture all in the same bite. My fave definitely was the Kopi Luwak, the fresh coffee aroma tickled my nose while the strong taste complement the rich custard perfectly. I loved it to bits! Special thanks to Lidya for this scrumptious suggestion :)

triple deliciousness

For you who loves to hang out in the hip area of Seminyak - Bali, you might want to check out this place. Here's some of their latest promotion for March.

Everyday is a party night at Alibi

U Paasha Seminyak Bali
Jalan Laksmana No. 77
Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia
Tel. +62 361 8465 977
Fax. +62 361 8465 988

*I was invited as a guest. But opinions, happy tummy and the dancing taste buds are all mine.