Soča River
Although Slovenia is quite small in square footage, its natural wonders are of grandiose proportions. One of the most scenic rivers in all of Europe, the Soca River, originates in the Julian Alps and snakes its way through the western end of the country into Italy. Its emerald waters are so clear, so pristine, so inviting, yet not so easy to get to. Not only was the mountainous road alongside the river the windiest we’ve been on in Slovenia, it was also congested with vehicle and bike traffic sharing the same narrow lane. Around one bend, all traffic was stopped because there were cows crossing the road. On other sections, foot traffic was a cause for caution and delay. This drive was such a mess, but understandably so since the area is so beautiful and has so much to offer in terms of outdoor activities.
We waited until we crested the mountain pass to look for a place to stop for lunch on the river. From our parking spot off the side of the road, we had to backtrack to find a more shallow, safer crossing to the opposite bank, which had more beach area to hang out on. The glacial water was indeed glacial. By the time we reached the other side of the river, our feet and legs were painfully numbed and experiencing pinprick sensations all over.
Not long after we arrived, we noticed that we were no longer alone. On the rocks in the middle of the river a little upstream from us, there were a couple of guys playing in the water. One of them was in his birthday suit sitting crossed legged looking our way. Lyle, shooting upstream begrudgingly was forced to capture our new friend in many of his shots. Hahaha
A little ways down the river, we scouted out an isolated area with a miniature beach, big boulders and pockets of water deep enough to jump into.
Anh Vu started the boulder jumping fun, and soon, most of us were following suit. The water was so cold it stole our breath away. But the cold was also so refreshing and addicting. The current was swift and carried us quickly down stream once we hit the water, especially if we curled up into a cannonball. Luckily, not far downstream the river became too shallow for the current to continue carrying us at top speed so we could stand up and fight our way to back to the beach.
With just a little encouragement, Chi Nga dipped herself all the way in. Head and hair all wet. Now Sandy had no leg to stand on. If retired Chi Nga was brave enough to tackle the icy cold river, Sandy, so young and healthy, couldn’t be afraid of a little water. So with an itsy-bitsy more peer-pressure, Sandy too succumbed to the river nymphs…only to turn around and run squealing and shivering out of the water as quickly as possible. But didn’t you feel all nice, clean and accomplished afterwards, Sandy? What a perfect way to end your trip.
Piran
After frolicking in the river, we dropped Sandy and Phong at a remote looking train station with no attendants anywhere to be found. We weren’t quite sure if the station was actually open, but the displays out on the platform showed the correct time and destination for their ride back to Ljubljana.
The next morning, Lyle and I went exploring around town. We went up to the walls of the old fort for a beautiful view looking down at the town with its dense maze of terracotta rooftops and its church prominently occupying one of the highest spots closest to the sea. We even saw a few swimmers swimming the length of the peninsula and a couple individuals parading around on the beach naked.
The rest of us drove south to Piran, Slovenia’s most popular coastal town. Piran is a well-preserved medieval town that sits on the tip of a peninsula jutting into the Adriatic Sea. As it was once a part of the Republic of Venice, the architectural influence is immediately noticeable. The Old Town is paved with cobble stone streets winding through narrow alleyways between tall buildings very similar to many medieval Italian towns. Our Airbnb, right in the middle of Old Town overlooking Tartini Square, had a decorative balcony of architectural importance, so many tour groups would stop right outside our building to talk about it. A statue of Giuseppe Tartini, a Piran-born world famous violinist and composer, stands at one end of the oval plaza that bears his name. It is also the city center and main venue for many cultural events that take place in town. On one of the nights we were there, the plaza was full of music from a live concert that was raising funds in support of the flood-damaged areas in the north.
Another major difference between Piran and other Slovenian towns we’ve been in was the food. Being right on the sea bordering Italy, the food in general and the seafood specifically was so fresh and delicious. Definitely inspired by Italian cuisine. There were so many seaside restaurants to choose from, everyone could find a place to watch the sunset while enjoying their meal. The only downside, I got my first mosquito bite while enjoying that sunset dinner.
We thought Lake Bled had good water temperature for swimming. That was before we dipped into the Adriatic Sea. The water was just perfect for swimming after a warm summer’s day. We could have stayed in forever. Though it was salt water, the sea was extremely smooth feeling, and when we got out, we didn’t feel the stickiness that we were used to from the beaches at home. Also, it seemed like this part of the Adriatic Sea had just the right amount of salt content, enough to give us a noticeable buoyancy but not too much that we felt like we didn’t have much control.
The water was so inviting, we went for a sunset swim our second night there and then again the next morning at sunrise before saying goodbye to Piran.