Biel, Zurich & Ljubljana
After failing to find suitable accommodation in Interlaken, Lausanne and Lucerne we were forced to settle for the unknown (to us) city of Biel. We knew it was on a lake but other than that we stepped forth into the unknown.
What we found was a marvellous town perched majestically on a lake hemmed in by imposing mountains and miles upon miles of vineyards.
Biel facts:
It is the only town in Switzerland where both French and German are spoken with no precedence of either. Every sign, legal document, schooling etc is done in both languages (and the 2 are usually mixed up in speech which is confusing when you start in one and finish in another)
It is the manufacturing home of Rolex
It has the oldest 'old' town in Switzerland
After our first night in the town we headed to the tourist information for some assistance for a suitable walk. We were not disappointed, even though soon after we started the heavens opened (we are not expecting sympathy), and continued more or less all day.
The walk took us through wooded hillsides, grazing land complete with bell clanging cows, down through a steep sided gorge of jaw dropping proportions, through geometrically ordered vineyards and finally along the lake shore.
It came as some relief to experience country air (however damp it was) and views after spending so much time in cities.
The next day we headed to Zurich for the afternoon (again, we couldn't afford to stay here). The lake was particularly impressive, although it has to be said that their take on the Geneva 'fountain' was somewhat lacking. After a spot of lunch with the swans on the side of the lake, we headed up the cathedral tower for some great views over the city. The rest of the afternoon was spent happily wandering around the streets in the sunshine - a truly relaxing way to spend some time.
Jenny also saw fit to buy a (another) handbag - though to be fair this was on the back of David scoffing at the thought of me needing to bring one before we left home and then soon seeing the benefits after a couple of weeks spent with his short pockets full to bursting with everything from the camera to sunglasses cases…a cunning ploy on my part perhaps?
It was then time for our 2nd night train experience - from Zurich to Ljubljana. We had already decided to splash out and go for a couchette rather than a normal seat and this turned out well, though there is something a bit odd about sharing such a small space with 2 other people. It was all surprisingly comfy (those of you who know of the 'famous' Glasgow night train experience will appreciate the full worth of that statement) and a relatively refreshing nights sleep saw us arriving in Ljubljana bright and early to the sight of locals tucking into breakfast beers and kebabs - at 8.15 in the morning. Impressive. I'm pleased to say that this was one custom which we didn't join.
Ljubljana is an extremely pretty town which, like many, is overlooked by an impressive castle. After ignoring the funicular and walking up to the castle we discovered that this is a castle that has been sympathetically and impressively modernised - you still get the sense of, and indeed are surrounded by history, but unlike, for example, Lisbon castle, it's a bit more than rubble. In some ways you get more of a sense of how it must have been as a 'living' building. The tower also gives fine views over the ancient city and the famous red roofs below.
A fantastic lunch (at a price that was a relief after Switzerland) saw our first taste of Union beer, which became a strong theme of the next 48 hours. It also has the honour of being David's favourite beer of the trip so far - high praise indeed.
We then learnt another lesson; duct tape cannot fix everything in a hostel room. We were taken to an absolutely abysmal excuse for a hostel room at the very top of the building up 4 flights of stairs. The door couldn't be locked and wouldn't even close. The lockers provided as an alternative to a locking door were too small for our bags and bizarrely there was a built in ancient cooker rusting in one corner. Needless to say we soon kicked up a stink and after some time an acceptable room was found.
David then got his next shock. Despite direct foreign office advice, he was expected to make his own bed.
David then got his final shock of the day when Jenny beat him at crazy golf. As with normal golf his putting stroke fell apart when put under pressure. He is now trawling through travel guides looking for an opportunity for revenge - so expect crazy golf to appear on here again!
The next day we headed out to a small town not far from Ljubljana called Sofja Loka where we had been told about a good walk we could do. On arrival at the station (which was in a different parish to the town) there was no map or directions to the tourist office so we took an educated guess which, for once paid dividends - albeit eventually.
The walk we had planned (with help from the tourist office in Ljubljana) turned out to be 25km further on from the town so we found an alternative which provided great views achieved by walking up lots of hills. Thankfully for this walk the weather was hot and sunny and we found lovely lunch spot overlooking a wooded valley.
Next stop Zagreb!
David's abridged version:
No abridged version this time as David is still making his bed...