I’ve previously discussed our visit to picturesque Bled Island in Slovenia. Today I wanted to share some photos of the highlight of that experience, namely the boat ride to and from the island.
These boats are known as “gondolas”, although they have little in common with the vessels one finds in the canals of Venice. They are passenger carrying boats powered by a single man who “walks” a set of oars to propel the boat. It looked like quite tiring work to me, but these jobs are highly valued and the licenses to be a gondolier in Slovenia are often passed from generation to generation.
The ride allows you to take in the beauty of the lake, the Julian Alps, and the many other gondolas who are making their way to and from Bled Island. The gondolier gets to rest for the half hour you are on the island, before rowing you back to your point of origin.
We visited early in the fall on a crisp and sunny day. It was a very peaceful and pleasant journey!
