It’s our goal to have coffee at the most beautiful places and I’m sure this will be one of the best during our trip. Alone at lake Bohinj with cristal clear water and an immense reflection in the water while some ducks came to check out if we would share our breakfast. We didn’t. Our food isn’t good for animals even though they crave for it. But oh my was this a magical moment. We took our time to really enjoy the moment, inhale so we would remember this.
It’s one of those things that’s a little hard when traveling like this. We see so many places, experience so many things, explore many locations that you tend to forget those moments. That’s why we try to remind ourselves at these moments to really enjoy it, take it in and remember the feeling they give us. Which we did. But, when the clouds came and the coldness returned in our bones we decided it was enough.
Covid-19 makes traveling a bit more adventurous but at some places it also makes it a lot more boring. When it’s cold, nothing is open therefore not much to do, it get’s quite boring. So, Slovenia we will be back when it’s warmer.
After two hours we arrived at the border into Croatia. To our surprise there was a lot of barbed wire at the border. Apparently Slovenia is tired of being a transit country to refugees. For us transiting the country it’s not a problem, but when you are fleeing a war zone or oppression you are not allowed to enter. So they are fencing their borders with Croatia once again. A horrible sight and it made us a tat nervous. Not too much though because there is something we have that makes us very privileged travellers and that is our Dutch passport.
When we got at the border we were stopped by the police asking us for our passport and where we are going. “To China!” We answered. They always look a bit strange when we tell them we are on our way to China. But often it makes for a nice conversation or a laugh. This time as well. It took a while for him to check the car (she is old so has an old license plate by which you do not know where she is from). After a couple of minutes we were allowed to enter Croatia. Oh and nothing about Covid-19.
Soon we found out that in Croatia everything is open; bars and restaurants. Well the terraces are open. Good enough for us. We drove all the way to Plitvice National Park, through amazing forests. What we found interesting is that everywhere you drive you see these holes in the landscape around you. No idea what they’ve been. Maybe some air or gas, or a prolapse, I don’t know but it looked interesting.
After another 3 hours we arrived at a campsite, checked in and had our first diner in a restaurant since Appenzell, Switzerland. Wow, that seems like so long ago!
We went to bed early cause the next day we would visit the famous Plitvice waterfalls. The waterfalls are amazing but because winter is still here half of the waterfall is closed. Unfortunately for us that’s the most beautiful part of the park. But, we still got to see the beauty of the place. One more night near the waterfalls and we are really done with the cold. So South we go.
Our destination is Zadar, while on the way we stop at a cave. Before entering the cave we have lunch in the nearby village. More like a ghost town. It’s like one of those towns where people are born, never leave and know only that. Where the men start drinking at 12 and the women work in the local supermarket. These kind of towns always have a strange impact on me. But, I must say that we had a nice coffee here, at a local bar through which windows you can’t look and even though it’s not allowed a group of friends is drinking and smoking inside. We also had a nice sandwich which was made inside the supermarket by one of those women from town working there.
Back to the cave! The cave is 345.8 meters long and 35 meters high. Sounds like big but we soon find out there are caves in Croatia of 13km’s and some are nowadays even combined to a length of 50 something kilometers! Very nice. What’s also nice is that it’s 8 degrees inside which is warmer than outside. After 1.5 hour walking through the cave hearing Croatian jokes and interesting information on cave colors, forms and history we are truly heading south.
Finally warmth; 13 degrees, sea and an amazing sunset!
While the sun made way for clouds the highways changes into a small road. The change of roads reveal the border is near. We get off the main road, enter a village, drive up a hill and there it is ‘Welcome to Slovenia’. Suddenly we are in Slovenia and when we get to the other side of the hill a new highway is visible.
We drive towards the North, Bled will be our destination for today. Unfortunately for us the raindrops turn into snow flakes and if we wouldn’t notice this our feet would tell us. I’m sure my toes turned blue because oh my is it cold in the van. Every time we are cold we wonder why we haven’t fixed the heater. Probably it’s because we thought we would drive towards summer now winter.
After one and a half hour we finally arrive in Bled. Bled is a very famous lake of Slovenia and near the border with Austria. On a hill a castle is visible and on a small island in the middle of the lake is a church with some houses. The town itself isn’t that interesting. I guess in the summer when Covid-19 didn’t exist it must have been great to be here but now… Shops are closed, it’s cold, people are nowhere to be seen. It kind of feels like a ghost town. We drive around the lake and back into Bled to find ourselves some food. Yuri sees a pizza delivery car and we decide to follow it, soon we find ourselves near an ice sporthal and at the pizzeria ordering beers and pizza. We ignore the strange looks and the parking machine and eat the pizza in the van.
Our stomachs are full, our bodies a bit warmer and it’s time to find ourselves a spot to stay for the night. We found a nice parkinglot at a hotel. Normally one is not allowed to stay in the parking area of a hotel but the hotels are closed so who cares, right?
Well, the next day when the workers of the hotel arrived we were kindly asked to leave 😉
My mum told us about Bohinj lake, a place where she stayed with her parents, my grandparents. But, before we would visit the lake we decided to have a hike.. or two. We hiked near a gorge and to a wonderful waterfall. In Slovenia almost everything is closed and they hope to reopen in June. Unfortunately for us that also means that gorges and waterfalls are closed. Really? Yep, to maintain the pathways they request a small entrance fee. But without tourists there is no reason to have these places open so everything is closed. Luckily we often find ways around it and sometimes it’s good to ignore some signs. Sorry, but if you only follow rules and regulations your life’s going to be decided by governments and not by yourself. We live our own life’s so we sometimes listen and sometimes we don’t 🙂
Finally we went to Bohinj lake and wow! Where Bled is definitely a tourist destination Bohinj is more natural. Yes, it’s also a place where lots of tourists go to but there is more nature around it. It feels a bit more unspoiled and inhabited than Bled. It is beautiful and we actually saw some dear at the lake and about thousands mice. They are everywhere here. Like the owls and birds left and the mice took over.
We found a nice spot to stay for the night, at a waterfall and even though it was -8 degrees we were warm and cosy in the van (thermo underwear and layers helps). It’s probably the coldest night we have experienced up to now but this time we were prepared.
A long time ago, I’m not really sure when, I stumbled upon the story of the Silk Road. Not Marco Polo but Herodotos made me read the first travelogue about this ancient trade route. Of course, I knew about the route. Even though I didn’t pay attention during history classes in school (hate myself for that) soon after I graduated started getting interested in routes like this.
Trading & Travelling
The Silk Road has something in particular that I love, it’s the travelling through different places. And because of that experiencing all types of food, unknown habits, beautiful languages. When the Silk Road was truly a trade route one didn’t travel through countries but through lands, often not owned by a government but by a tribe. There were bandits along the road, now there are groups we often call terrorists, but they are just bandits developed in time. The road was and still is dangerous but also adventurous and a revelation.
Products from East to West and vice versa were done. The trade route brought us silk, spices and gun powder, and also religion, languages and diseases. Not much has changed right?
From West to East the goods included:
Horses
Saddles and Riding Tack
The grapevine and grapes
Dogs and other animals both exotic and domestic
Animal furs and skins
Honey
Fruits
Glassware
Woolen blankets, rugs, carpets
Textiles (such as curtains)
Gold and Silver
Camels
Slaves
Weapons and armor
From East to West the goods included:
Silk
Tea
Dyes
Precious Stones
China (plates, bowls, cups, vases)
Porcelain
Spices (such as cinnamon and ginger)
Bronze and gold artifacts
Medicine
Perfumes
Ivory
Rice
Paper
Gunpowder
The black death
We are now one year in a pandemic. One year in which millions of people got ill, many died, many more survived but we all were hit by the virus. You do not have to get sick to be hit. Restaurants, pubs and shops closed. People lost their jobs, their freedom and their friends.
Well, that’s not new. Along the silk road came many deseases, one of which we know as ‘the black death’. Venice, being the end of the silk road – or the beginning, got hit three times by the Black Death. The last time, in 1629, more than 50,000 people died. That’s one third of the city’s population! One third!
The ancient trade route
But, let’s focus on the good stuff. Of which one is definitely the silk that came to Venice. Besides silk there were lots of products being traded along the Silk Road, but still the road is not called ‘The Tea Road’ or ‘The Road of Spices’, not even ‘The Ivory Road’.
Silk in particular was very valuable and one of the most beautiful products that was traded along the route. Still, spices such as pepper (in that time called ‘The Black Gold’) were also quite expensive. It is said that the uncle of Marco Polo left him spices in his will.
Back to silk. It was called the Silk Road simply because one of the major products traded was silk cloth from China, nothing more and nothing less.
Let’s explain silk
💥 What is Silk? Silk is a natural fiber produced by insects as a material for their nests and cocoons. There are several types of insects that produce silk, including silkworms (the most common type of silk) but also beetles, honey bees, bumble bees, hornets, weaver ants, and many more.
⚡️The history of Silk The earliest example of silk fabric comes from China when it was used in a child’s tomb to wrap the body. China dominated the silk industry for many years, and initially the material was reserved for the Emperor. The Chinese used silk as a form of currency, and cost was measured in lengths of silk.
What is the Silk Road?
It’s the route linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Like I wrote before, silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went east. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the Silk Road.
Venice and Silk
Situated in the heart of a lagoon on the coast of northeast Italy, Venice was a major power in the medieval and early modern world, and a key city in the development of trade routes from the east to Europe. Its strategic position on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, within reach of the Byzantine Empire and traders from the Near East, allowed the city to become a hub of trade in the west, receiving goods from the east by sea and disseminating them into the growing European market.
A trade treaty between Venice and the Mongol Empire was established in 1221, illustrating their ambitions to extend their trading capacities across Central Asia. Both luxury goods and daily necessities were exchanged in the markets of Venice, from salt and grain to porcelain and pearl. Similarly, gems, mineral dyes, peacock feathers, spices, and a profusion of textiles such as silks, cottons and brocades from Egypt, Asia Minor and the Far East all passed through the ports of Venice, and were taken on by Venetian merchants to Europe, where they were becoming highly desirable and valuable items.
Marco Polo
It was from Venice that Marco Polo, himself a Venetian, set off on his famous expedition to the east in 1271, returning in 1295 with stories about eastern cultures, peoples and traditions that were considered unbelievable by contemporary audiences. His journey demonstrated the possibilities of travelling to the east, and did much not only to create a western fascination with the east (especially through his travelogue The Travels of Marco Polo), but also to put Central Asia, India and China on the western medieval map and thus to encourage further trade and communication in this direction.
Silk weavers in Venice
The Venetian Republic became the centre of a maritime empire of unequalled power, extending over the entire length of the shores around the eastern Mediterranean, to the islands of the Ionian Sea and to Crete. By the end of the 13thcentury, it was one of the most prosperous cities in Europe.
During this time there were about 30.000 silk weavers in the city. Now only 1 survived and we arranged a visit to this silk weaver in Venice; Tessiture Bevilacqua. We got to see their workshop and how they make beautiful fine fabrics for high quality fashion. They got requests from the Kremlin, the White House and many more. The production is extremely complex and still carried out by hand on 18 looms of the 18th century. It feels like stepping into history.
So, silk came from China and ended up in Venice where weavers made the most beautiful products from it. Like we always do things differently we made Venice the starting point of our Silk Road Advanture.
💫 Is there something you’d like to know about the Silk Road, our trip or Venice? Leave a comment!
We are sitting at the grand canal of Venice. Just ate a delicious pizza and drank a home brewed beer of the same place. We are looking at the beautiful architecture while the gondolas make ripples in the water. The church bells ring in the distance and the seagulls are fighting for the little food they find on the street.
It is our last night in this wonderful city. The city that breathes history and is founded on cultures from afar and close by. The tourists are gone and so is the rush. Tranquility and peace has returned to the city, as did the clearness of the water and the fresh sea air. The prices went down and the lines for museums disappeared. The gondolas are no longer conquering the little canals of the city as they lay covered in blue sheets waiting for the pandemic to end.
We are sitting here, at the grand canal, very conscious of the present. Now and here is where our journey starts, it’s where Marco Polo brought us and the Silk Road made us venture. As travel is restricted it might not be the most logical time but it is a unique one. One we might not experience ever again.
It’s getting dark and the buildings in front of us turn on their lights. The sound of people eating comes from the tiny alleys and less and less boats are sailing the canals. The world turns dark and the city turns silent once again. The few tourists that did venture to the city search desperately for food while the Venetians return home to their families. Now the streets belong to the runners who finally are able to jog through alleys and over bridges in their hometown.
Wow! I’m sure our trip East couldn’t start any better. Until now we have ventured south, now it’s time to follow the footsteps of an adventurer and the many merchants migrating along the Silk Road. The advanture just started ♥️
“Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.”
Those wise words are written by Shakespeare (and we take them very serious on this journey). To be more precise, the words are written in the beautiful love story ‘Romeo and Juliet’. You probably know where I’m going now. Well, we didn’t actually. After walking the streets of Verona in search of the tourist attraction we got lost, amazed by the beauty of the city and awed by incredible buildings we wouldn’t see if in normal times we would follow the flock of tourists to a tiny alley. That tiny alley leads to the reason of tourism in Verona. But, I think that would not do Verona justice.
Romeo and Juliet
To be honest, I do not know much about Romeo and Juliet, even though I got the complete works of Shakespeare in my home. But, I do know of the balcony in Verona and the wall covered in, not love notes but gum. Luckily the walls are cleaned and no tourists could be found anywhere near the balcony. We had the whole place to ourselves, we could’ve written as many love notes as we wanted. We didn’t write any… We also didn’t touch the breast of the statue of Juliet. Normally I find it kind of weird to touch the breast of a woman I do not know and that feeling doesn’t change with a statue, whether it brings luck or it doesn’t. Also, it is not allowed to touch her breast at the moment. Not because of a #metoo initiative but because of Covid-19.
Whether this is the balcony Shakespeare writes about is not known, still many many tourists come to this particular part of Verona just to see the balcony.
The military defence architecture of the city
However, Verona is more much more than a balcony and touching the breast of Juliet. There are amazing buildings, tombs and churches and there is even an arena! Not as big as the Colosseum but still, pretty impressive. Verona also has a castle, cute squares and two city gates to enter the old town. You can find good food, nice drinks and very kind people in the city.
The history of the city spans more than 2.000 years! Already in the first century BCE a Roman colony was established at this strategic spot. Isn’t that amazing? Verona belongs to the Venetian Republic from 1405 to 1797.
The tusk of the elephant
Something I found rather interesting is the tusk of an elephant hanging below an age. Of course that has a story, so here it comes; it is said that the elephant tusk would fall on the first bypassed who is free of sins. So, of course it hangs there for centuries and will keep hanging there for centuries. But, a fun fact is that thousands of tourists, including popes from Rome, are passing through the arch. We did as well and guess what? It still hangs there.
We visited Verona just for a day and I think that is enough but I’m sure when all the museums are open you can stay here for a weekend, enjoy some opera, eat your way through the city and get to know all about their buildings and the strange stories like the Elephant Tusk Story.§
Whether you like him or not, when a person like Hemingway says “it is the most beautiful valley in the world” you have to check it out. And so we did. After visiting my friend in Turro we headed to celebrate Easter in the Trebbia Valley, which was only a 45 minute drive.
Around Milan there is honestly not much to see. The landscape is flat and filled with industry. But then, less than an hour below Piacenza there is suddenly this green lush valley through which the Trebbia flows. A beautiful valley which separates the flat landscape surrounding Milan from the sea.
Corona free Bobbio
The first stop on our trip to our stay for the night is Bobbio. Bobbio is just a small town at the beginning of the valley. The main attraction is the Roman bridge, Ponte Gobbo or Ponte del Diavolo, built entirely of stone from Roman times, which connects the village to the other side of the river.
We didn’t spend much time here but we did walk around, had a coffee, visited the market and were surprised by the amount of people on the street. If it weren’t for the face masks – which you have to wear everywhere in Italy – you wouldn’t know there was a pandemic.
Easter in Italy during Covid-19 regulations
The pandemic is something different here in Italy, and especially in this region. This is actually the area (Piacenza) that was hit the hardest last year. Many people died and even more got ill. But, also here people get tired of the restrictions, people want to move on. Nevertheless, the government has learned from last year. This year there will be no Easter celebrations, travelling to other municipalities is forbidden and only two people can come to visit.
Which means, we were also forbidden to drive to another municipality. Thus, we decided to explore the region and see for ourselves if Hemingway was right.
The artist village Brugnello
As soon as we left Bobbio the road went up and around the mountains, deep down the Trebbia River was visible. We had lunch at a very nice picnic place but when police told us we weren’t allowed to stay here we moved on to find another spot. And we are very thankful for the police to urge us to find another stay for the night because this way we ended up in Brugnello. The cute and beautiful little village on top of a cliff overlooking the river whirling through the mountains like a snake.
Brugnello is also known as ‘artist village’. It’s a tiny cluster of stone houses and perched on top of a 464-meter rocky spur jutting above the river. The origins of this villages dates back to 560 A.D. someone tries to tell us in his best English mixed with Italian words. The village is inhabited by artists who are restoring the houses and streets, hand-carving each home’s shutters and using local stone to decorate the lanes and make chairs and benches. Thus, artist village. “It looks good but we are not done yet” the owner of the only restaurant in the village tells us. Normally the area is packed with tourists from Milan, now the streets are empty. And so is the parking lot.
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We asked the villagers if we can stay there for the night and they give permission. Well, who would say no to such a cute van! A parking lot sounds a bit boring but this one is actually amazing. It’s the parking lot of the hotel and has a magnificent view not only on the village but also on the river down below and the green all around us makes this the perfect Easter hide-out.
After a couple of nights spending at this beautiful village it’s time to hit the road again. We are on our way to Venice and before we reach the amazing city of canals, gondolas and bridges we will check out a very famous balcony. Can you guess which one?
Hi there! We are Milene & Yuri. We are travelling the world together since 2015. Our endless curiosity and will to explore has resulted in many cool, and somewhat extreme, adventures. On MYgrations you'll read all about our adventures, you'll find lots of information about the countries we visit you won't find anywhere else and more. Enjoy!
We’re also grammin’
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