Updated: May 31, 2010

This year's vacation is a long one and will fulfill a dream to visit several countries from my "list of places to see." The past two summers we vacationed in the wonderful village of Serfaus, Austria and basically stayed put for 7 whole days before visiting family in England.

This year's destinations include Croatia, Slovenia, a few days in England and even 1 day in Venice.

After several months of planning and making reservations, the trip is virtually all in place. Here is how it has all been mapped out. As usual, my plan is to list things we hope to do and come back and update this page after the trip to review each.

Our flight (via Munich) will arrive in Zagreb around 10am on Wednesday morning and we will stay for 3 days with my cousin ZiZi and her family and we will let her be our guide. I know it will be a fun few days meeting lots of family and getting a glimpse of the things Croatia has to offer. It will only be a taste, though.

She has mentioned the possibility of a day trip one day to a coastal town on the Adriatic sea called Opajia.

In Zagreb we will see family and any sights ZiZi plans for us.

Saturday morning we will take the train from Zagreb to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Originally we were going to rent a car from Zagreb airport, but I soon learned that it would more than double the price to take the car in one country and return it in another. The solution was to take the train and rent the car in Slovenia.

The additional problem was that we since we will be coming back to Ljubljana we wanted to rent the car in the city instead of the airport, but because we will be picking up and dropping off the car on a Saturday and Sunday, the in-town locations were not open. So now when we arrive by train, we have to catch a 45 minute bus to the airport to pick up the car. This should be the only tiresome part of the trip.

Slovenia - Lake Bled - 4 days : Saturday to Wednesday Morning

After picking up the car at Ljubljana airport, it is only a 30 to 40 minute drive on highways to Lake Bled.

If it all goes as planned it should be about lunch time when we reach Bled. I think it will be wise to stop in Bled, have lunch and visit tourist information for maps and brochures before contining a mile or so further to the village where our Farm-Hotel is located. This farm stay should be very interesting. The building is very new and breakfast and dinner are included and we can borrow bikes for free.

We will stay at Lake Bled for 4 nights and hope to see the and do the things listed below while there.

Lake Bled Activities

• Bike around the lake
• Visit Bled Castle
• Ride the summer luge in the hills overlooking Bled
• Swim in the Lake
• Take the bus to Vintgar gorge, visit the gorge and walk back to Bled.
• Try the famous Bled Cake
• Take a Vaperetto boat to the island in the middle of the lake.
• Go rowing on the lake

Farm website: Mulej Bled

Slovenia - on the way to Izola : Wednesday

Izola is less than 2 hours from Bled, but it will take us all day to reach Izola because we have plans along the way.

My Grandmother and Great grandmother grew up and lived in a village in Slovenia until my Grandmother was 15. My great grandmother left her house behind and relatives still live in this house, although we've had no contact with them. This village , called Brezje , Creknici, is the first stop on this Wednesday. I wrote to the relatives who still live in the house but they have not responded to my letter. If I can't meet them, at least I can take pictures and visit the churchyard for some family research.

The second stop is just a few kilometers away - the Skocjan caves are tourist caves - the biggest in Slovenia. There are some meadow walks on the grounds of the caves so we can do a bit of walking as well.

After visiting the caves, we will continue on to Izola and hope to arrive in time for dinner.

Slovenia - Izola - 4 days : Wednesday evening - Sunday morning

In Izola we have booked a nice hotel in the heart of the old town, right by the sea. We have a room with a balcony and a sea view and the only worry is the lack of parking. However, I have written back and forth with someone at the hotel who has promised to help us find safe parking if there is not a spot free when we arrive.

There is an old railway line along the coast that is now a bike trail so we hope to go biking, exploring the town, swimming in the sea and we will have a day trip on Saturday pre-booked to go to Venice.

The Venice trip is only available on Saturday while we are there, so we want to prebook to ensure we get to do it. It is 2 hours by catamaran to Venice, a guided tour in English of the main sights and then the afternoon to do what we want before catching the return boat at 5pm. Of course we hope to do a gondola ride even though they are frightfully expensive.

We also plan to book a picnic cruise from Izola. This 3 hour cruise includes a picnic lunch of grilled sardines and swimming.

We also hope to bike along the coast one day to the next town and back.

Slovenia - Ljubljana - 2 days : Sunday - Tuesday evening

On Sunday we will check out of the hotel and drive to Ljubljana airport. This trip should be about 2 hours.

We will return the car at the airport and take the hotel shuttle into the city.

There are several walking tours of the town and we will do one of them, and check out the castle and explore everywhere on foot and take a river cruise.

We will also rent bikes (we hope) to explore a park not too far from where were are staying.

I was contacted a few months ago and told our flight from Ljubljana to London was cancelled. I managed to get a rebooking but now it is a connecting flight via Vienna, Austria and now we arrive at Heathrow instead of Gatwick. This flight leaves Ljubljana 3 hours earlier too, so we will have to get to the airport soon after checking out.

The new flight will arrive at Heathrow (if on time) at 6:35pm. There is a rail link bus that will take us from there to Reading where we will be met by Sally.

England - Devon - 5 days : Tuesday (late) - Sunday afternoon

Graham's sister will be meeting us at the airport and driving us down to Ottery St Mary in Devon where she lives.

While in Devon I expect we will do some lovely walks and a possible trip to Bath. I also hope to have time to visit my pen friend Anne in Glasonbury as well, most likely while Graham plays golf.

Finally, on the last day, Sunday, Graham will spend the day with his brother while I travel by train to London to get my London "fix". I contacted my friend, Ernie, who lives there and he has offered to meet me and give me a tour of Beatles sites.

After my day in London, I will work my way to Heathrow airport and the airport hotel I've already paid for. Graham will be driven there by his brother and will bring my luggage. Our flight home is at noon the next day.

Should be a great experience.