The lead up to Christmas in Australia is usually an endless few months of catching up with friends, shopping, Christmas parties, sun, the beach and the huge build-up to the relaxed weeks in the sun that the proceed the festivities. On the other side of the world with only a small group of friends, no family and the country plunging further and further into the depths of a drab, grey Winter it is no surprise that the lead up to Christmas this year did not really feel much like Christmas. We decided that if we were going to have a northern hemisphere Christmas we might as well make the most of it and ensure it was a white one. Slovenia here we come!

We left a surprisingly mild London on Christmas Eve and arrived at our hotel in Bled just before midnight after a flight to Salzburg in Austria and a long bus trip through the alps. We were exhausted when we arrived, but awaiting us was a supper platter supplied by the hotel, the sound of bells chiming in the local church to welcome in Christmas Day and the faint outline of the gorgeous view that we could look forward to seeing the next morning.

We awoke early on Christmas Day to open the gifts that some family and friends had sent over and called home to wish our families a merry Christmas. The bells in the local church were once again chiming and we opened the curtains onto our balcony to reveal a beautiful day with blue sky and an even more beautiful view. We could see across the lake, with its famous island and baroque church, the Bled castle, the snow covered steeple of a nearby church and out towards the surrounding mountains and the Bled ski slope which towered above the town. It had obviously been snowing a lot in previous days as the ground was covered with a thick layer of soft, brilliant white snow and the buildings were dusted with a covering of powdery white.

Skiing Slovenian style
After a quick breakfast we headed off to collect our skies and make our way to our first day of ski school. The lesson was on a small slope above Bled and I decided to join Andrew in the beginner’s classes given that I hadn’t skiied for ten years. By the end of the class I was bored and frustrated and decided that the only way to find out whether I could still ski or not was to head to the top of the chair lift and give it a go. Luckily for me it seems that skiing really is just like riding a bike and, to my joy, I managed to get down the slope without a fall! Poor Andrew’s first experience on skis was not such a happy one and I think by the end of the class he was ready to throw his skis and poles down the nearest slope and never set sight on them again!

By now it was time for lunch and we set about trying to find something suitably decadent for our Christmas meal. Unfortunately the shops and restaurants were all closed so we ended up back in our hotel room mid-afternoon eating mince pies, Haigh’s chocolate frogs and Marks and Spencer’s jelly lollies. Not such a bad Christmas meal in my opinion but certainly not turkey with all the trimmings! Note to selves, Christmas celebrations are very much a Christmas Eve affair in this part of the world!

As a side note, skiing in Slovenia doesn’t really rate in comparison with the famous, big, high resorts in the French or Italian Alps and certainly doesn’t have the choice or runs or resorts, but if you are a beginner or intermediate and looking for somewhere with beautiful views, culture and a laid back atmosphere, or if you are travelling with kids, Slovenia is a great option!

The legend of the sunken bell
As dusk descended on the snow covered slopes surrounding Bled we wandered along the path that ran alongside the lake, joining a big crowd of local people and tourists to watch ‘the legend of the sunken bell’ being performed. Christmas Day had been bright and sunny with blue skies and no snow, which was a little bit disappointing, but there was already at least three foot of snow on the ground and the path around the lake was stunning, lined with snow covered chairs and statues. On our way we picked up some freshly roasted chestnuts and hot gluwein and finally felt that we were experiencing a bit of what a white Christmas should be like! The ceremony included a night time dive that is a tradition of the local diving club, brrrrrr, even in full length head to toe wetsuits, much chiming of bells and a voiceover of the fairytale in both English and Slovenian. Even standing next to a gallon drum of fire our feet were soon completely numb so we headed to a local coffee shop for another glass of gluwein before dinner. Given that all the restaurants were closed we had dinner in our hotel. A Christmas dinner of chicken schnitzel and mashed potato, salad and dessert buffet. This was certainly a different Christmas that we wouldn’t forget in a hurry!

Let it snow!
The snow that we missed out on on Christmas Day had well and truly arrived overnight and we awoke on Boxing Day to a near white out with a constant stream of enormous, soft snowflakes floating from the sky. It was absolutely beautiful. Sitting at the window-side table at breakfast watching the snow fall was an incredibly relaxing way to start the day.

The rest of our skiing would be done at the resort of Vogel an hours drive up the mountain. It was a gorgeous drive through barren snow covered fields, quaint little villages, snow-covered baroque churches, fast flowing alpine streams and the odd glimpse of the Julian Alps. After a trip further up the mountain on a big enclosed gondola we were ready to hit the slopes. I decided to move myself up to the intermediate ski class and left Andrew to it in the beginners. Unfortunately the heavy snow meant there were no views of the surrounding mountains but we had a great day. After a hearty lunch of wild boar goulash and thick brown bread in a warm, rustic hut that housed the restaurant it was a little hard to get motivated to hit the snow again. It was worth the effort though as Andrew and I had only opted for morning ski lessons and spent the rest of the afternoon messing around on a beginner’s slope. Thankfully the morning’s lesson had been a little more successful for Andrew and he could now manage to stop (most of the time)!

For the next three days and nights the snow continued to fall in strong and steady flow of huge, white snowflakes covering the countryside and buildings in an ever growing layer of picturesque white and encroaching more and more onto the roads, so the bus trip got hairier by the day. We spent the days in ski lessons in the morning and a bit of private tuition in the afternoon (me as teacher of course!) and by the end of the week Andrew was down a long beginner’s slopes without a single stack. Woo hoo! Daytime temperatures were between minus 5 and minus 10. Most evenings we ventured out and walked around the gorgeous snow covered path that surrounded the lake, stopping on the way for a gluwein to stave of the frostbite. The path was covered by overhanging branches that got thicker and thicker with snow each evening, as did the park benches and statues that were scattered around the lake’s edge. The thick snow muffled any noise that came from the small town of Bled and walking along the path the only noise to be heard was the crunching of snow under your feet. It was incredibly beautiful and tranquil.

Bled Castle & the infamous Lake Bled island
On our last day in Slovenia we decided to ditch ski school and spend the day looking around the sights of the town. We woke to a beautiful day with blue sky, not a cloud in the sky and no sign of snow. We debated changing our minds and heading to Vogel, to make the most of the weather and see the mountain views, but in the end we were very happy with our decision to stay in Bled. We walked up through the village houses to the stunning Bled Castle which is perched on top of a cliff overlooking the town, the lake with it’s famous island and church and onwards as far as the eye could see to the Julian Alps. It was spectacular and the round, red-roofed and snow topped columns of the castle reminded me of the smurf village. Back down the steep snow covered slope and around the now very familiar lakeside path we walked stopping along the way to make the most of the perfect photographic conditions.

After lunch with a gorgeous view of the towering mountains surrounding the town we hired a boat and made the trip across the lake to the island holding the picturesque baroque church. Legend has it that if you are able to pull the bell cord and make the bell chime three times then your wish will come true. Andrew was successful first time and after a few goes I was also able to secure myself one wish!

Accommodation
We stayed at the Hotel Jelovica on a half board basis booked with our flights through Thompson Ski. It was a great price, and a great location, with lovely views and just a short walk to the Bled Castle or the lakeside walk which took you into the heart of the restaurants etc.