---

 Japan-Slovenia

　We left Kansai Airport at 2:00 pm on April 26th. We started a 11 days long journey. At Kansai International Airport, I tried through check-in with separate tickets of Japan to Beijing and Beijing to Slovenia, but couldn't. So I decided to re-check-in my baggages at Beijing Airport.
　We arrived in Beijing at 4 pm local time. We had a 10-hour transit time, so we went sightseeing in Beijing. (The travelogue will be described later.)
　The plane arrived at Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia after 10:30 the next morning. It was chilly and there was still snow in the Austrian Alps. We arrived at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in about 20 minutes from the airport. It was before 12 o'clock, but the hotel kindly let us use the room immediately.

 Ljubljana Old Town

　It was raining heavily, so we took a rest. We had lunch at McDonald's next to the hotel.
　It was getting sunny, so we took a taxi to the center of Ljubljana. This time the sun was dazzling. We got off near the Dragon Bridge and took a walk in the old town of Ljubljana.

　We walked from the Dragon Bridge to the Love Bridge. Boat cruises were coming and going on the Ljubljanica river, and there were many souvenir shops. There were a lot of locks under the railing of the Love Bridge. It was lively with many tourists with children. Ljubljana Castle overlooks the city from the top of the hill.
　The weather was nice and it was a free sightseeing before the tour, so we were walking slowly and taking pictures.

　People were gathering for the drum performance in front of Tromostovje. It was lively with young people and children dancing together. Beyond the Tromostovje is the beautiful pink Francisco Church, which is the center of Ljubljana's old town.

　We went around the canal by boat cruise. Unlike Bruges, both banks have a normal cityscape, but there is a park and it has a peaceful atmosphere. The old town is compact, but the center was very lively. It began to rain again while we were waiting for the return bus. We took a taxi back to the hotel and took a rest.

　We slept until after 7 pm. After waking up, we had a Slovenian wine and buffet dinner at the hotel. The Slovenian white wine was light and fruity. There were people next to us which were members of the same tour. (They were from Kyushu)

 Lake Bled

　The first day of the tour. In the morning we headed north through the countryside to Lake Bled. It looked cold outside, and the mountains along the road were covered with snow.
　It was raining on Lake Bled as the weather forecast said. The rowing boat to the island was covered but soaked. We went up the 98 steps and rang the bell of St. Mary's Church. Unfortunately it was raining, so I stopped the traditional challenge of going up the stairs caring my wife in my arms.

　We returned to the boat stop in front of former President Tito's villa and got on the bus. It was warm and relieved. We went to Bled Castle, but the rain got stronger. The view from the castle overlooking Lake Bled was very good, but it was a little hazy due to the rain.I bought a white Slovenian wine of the Bled Castle label at a castle winery.
　We had lunch at a restaurant in Bled Castle. When we went out, the rain became sleet and intense. (It was snowing there the next day)

 Postojna Cave

　Arrived at Postojna Cave at 2:00 pm in about 2 hours by bus. By this time the rain had stopped. There were many sightseeing buses as this is the most popular tourist destination in Slovenia.
　We moved inside the cave by a trolley and took a guided tour on foot. It is a magnificent limestone cave with a larger scale than the caves which I had seen in Okinawa and Halong Bay. Although the course has ups and downs, it was easy to walk without slipping. It seems that 5,000 people visit each day, and the entrance fee is 20 euros per person, so the tourism income is 100,000 euros every day. After sightseeing, we returned to Ljubljana in the rain.

 Ljubljana

　We started exploring the old town from the Dragon Bridge. Since it was before 10 o'clock, the number of tourists was still small. Like Ponte Vecchio in Florence, the Love Bridge (Butcher's Bridge) seems to had tried to put a butcher in a bridge with a building, but it failed.There are a lot of love locks now. In Slovenia, one in four is divorced, so it may be a talisman to prevent divorce.

　In Prešeren Square between the Tromostovje and the Francisco Church, the poet's sculpture is gazing at the lover's sculpture on the wall of the building. I passed the mayor when I was walking to the city hall. He looked very friendly. The fountain of Robba, which stands beside the city hall, is said to have the motif of the fountain of Piazza Navona in Rome.

　St. Nicholas Cathedral was just about to start the mass and couldn't get inside. I bought a magnet and a snack at a souvenir shop and we left the old town of Ljubljana.
　We had lunch with sausages and large beers at a local beer factory called Union Pub where we can drink UNION beer that originated in Ljubljana. It was a slightly bitter but easy-to-drink beer.After this we moved from Slovenia to Croatia.

 Zagreb

　At the border crossing, we left Slovenia and entered Croatia. Each person was stamped on the passport. Arrived in Zagreb at 3 pm, it was also raining in Zagreb. A square sculpture of the city named "Zagreb City Plan" is placed in the square.

　Zagreb Cathedral is a small cathedral that fits the scale of the city. One side of the towers was under construction, but the stained glass was beautiful. The mosaic painting on the roof of St. Mark's Church is cute. It stands at the highest point in the city.
　I bought rain shoes at the supermarket in preparation for tomorrow's walk in Plitvice.I hoped the weather and the road are easy to walk.

　Arrived at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel in front of Zagreb Station where the Orient Express stopped. The interior is very luxurious. There are trams running in front of the hotel.
　We dressed up for dinner at the main restaurant, but unfortunately the dinner venue changed. But the hotel manager apologized by serving us a drink.

---