Globespotting: Lake Blad, Slovenia, October 2006

This was my first trip to Europe. My girlfriend and I spent about 10 days touring Slovenia. We wanted to go to a great place that wasn't "over-touristed." This photo is of an island in Lake Blad. Local folklore says that if you go to the church on the island, ring the bell and make a wish, your wish will come true. We took a pletna, a kind of boat, out to the island. These are hand-rowed boats, all family owned and operated. The captain of our boat said his family had been operating boats since the 12th century. It was sunny, warm and very peaceful; there were no motorized boats on the lake. The church was open to the public, and it had a big rope to pull to ring the bell. You can ring it as much as you want, but others were lined up waiting. We rang the bell once and then moved on. My wish came true: I wimped out and wished for a safe and happy trip, which we had. My girlfriend didn't tell me what her wish was.

Scott Bravard of St. Petersburg as told to Fred. W. Wright Jr.

[Last modified July 19, 2007, 12:58:57]