Driving to the Julian Alps, through Slovenia, we passed through many small towns. As we approached the Alps, the snow cover became thicker and the temperature continued to drop. Western Slovenia borders Italy, and the small towns we traveled through had a very Italian feel. These small towns were very reminiscent of the small Italian towns we visited in Sorrento, Italy.
Our GPS lead us further up into the mountains, and the road became narrow as we climbed higher and higher. The drivers coming from the opposite direction continually veered into our lane, we had a few close calls. We were not exactly sure where we were going but hoped the GPS would not steer us wrong. When the Soca River came into view, we were spell-bound. We had never seen water this color, so turquoise. We could not help the urge to pull off of the road, to stop and take pictures. As we were snapping photos, a man drove up and unloaded large water containers from his trunk. He carried the containers down to the river and filled them with the clear, bright water. Before we knew it, there was our hotel, The Penzion Boka. We maneuvered a u-turn so we could pull into the hotel parking lot.
After getting out of the car, we took a few moments to soak in the amazing scenery of the Alps, including Slovenia's tallest waterfall. We couldn't believe how lucky we were, the Soca River which we had traveled across Slovenia to see was directly behind the hotel!
We checked into the Penzion Boka and carried our bags to our room on the 2nd floor. Our room was very nice, we were happily surprised. We chose the Penzion Boka online and had only the reviews to go by. This hotel was the absolute cleanest hotel we have ever stayed in. After setting our bags down and gaining our bearings from driving all day, we walked down to the river.
The banks of the Soca River offered unbelievable views of the surrounding Julian Alps. The crystal clear water was magnificent and flowed straight down from the snow covered Alps. The banks were covered with white river stones, perfectly smooth from rushing water. I remembered how we had tasted the water in Rome, which poured from the Fountain Barcaccia because it was supposed to be the best water...anywhere! I thought that this water must be better, seeing that is was coming straight from the snow capped Alps! So, we each put our hand into the rushing water and took a sip. It tasted very clean...but who knows lol! We spent about a half hour by the water before stopping to enjoy cappuccino in the hotel cafe. The cafe, like the river bank, offered spectacular views of the alps. Before going back up to our room, we checked out the restaurant menu which looked nice for dinner.
We went to dinner at the hotel, planning to order soup. The server informed us that in addition to the menu, a "set menu" of four courses was being offered for only 10 euros per person. We could not resist this delicious deal. Our first course arrived, mushroom soup served in a lovely silver pot which was set in the middle of the table. Dusty served us both a bowl and it was fantastic! Our second course was a salad of greens with two types of beans, corn and cabbage. A gourd oil was placed on the table as well olive oil and balsamic. Our entree was chicken in a green pepper corn sauce ,with potatoes and apples. Finally, for dessert was apple strudel. The meal was delicious and well worth the 10 euros each!
The next morning, we enjoyed a buffet breakfast that was included in our room rate. Breakfast offered a much larger selection than we were expecting. Fortunately we were the first guests in the restaurant that morning. We took our time and enjoyed our breakfast and me my coffee!! Before long we were back on the road, with Broggingen plugged into the GPS.
