If you ever fell in love with a place, it surely wasn’t as charming as to literally make you fall –landfall, to be precise, from a bike.
Been to Lake Bled? The Slovene crown jewel, rest assured, will likely make you fall -in love, fortunately. If you had that obliged Bled signature cream cake –try at Slaščičarna Šmon- , then you are ready to begin your steps around the walking ring, either by the side of those boxy hotels or the overlooking castle.
I, counseled by my local friend, happened to be bike riding –too much beauty in such a short time had to be admired in a faster, burn-cake-calories way. That said, we embarked on the tour, but hey, one has to snap a few pictures, and being in such a photo-prone site, how could I miss the task. Stopping every 10 ft or so, I ended up slowing the whole party; at that rate, and dusk not far, we rushed to finish the lake’s circling trail.
Unaccustomed to going up & downhill in such an erratic and touristic manner, I eventually found myself far behind my friend. Who can you blame if not the enticing and exuberant scenery for my irrepressible will to capture it? That was, at the moment, my coup de foudre, meaning I was nothing but enchanted.
Or distracted from the more mundane task of actually riding a bike, I would soon and painfully realize. Going a bit downwards, a stroller, a mom and some toddler –who seemed to be trying his first steps on Bled as well, at that very moment-, sent me flying after hard-hitting the brakes, landing swiftly a couple yards away against that very own paved circuit I had been until moments before enjoying. With bruises, cuts, and both knees in pain, I felt wrecked, unable to stand, let alone ride back. Notwithstanding such condition, I had no choice but to get up, which I finally did when people helped me up –the kid’s mother witnessed the whole stunt, and was very apologetic; well ahead, my friend went back the trail to find me in pain, urging me to get better immediately, so to reach Radovljica ASAP. Somehow, forces were gathered, and so I set onto the wheels once again –walking wasn’t truly an option.
No more bike + photo duos took place in Slovenia.
