A much gentler day today as we don’t leave until 09:00
and although a bit overcast at least it isn’t raining.
I love the journey today as it isn’t too long and the
motorway through Austria has to be one of the prettiest around as it weaves its
way through the Alps to Slovenia where the scenery is less dramatic but still
beautiful.
It isn’t long before we are getting wet again and have a
short comfort stop just as it starts to rain heavily.
For lunch today we come off the motorway when we reach
Slovenia and spend a couple of hours at the stunning Lake Bled.
We arrive in Bled at 12:15 and are staying for two hours
departing at 14:15. It is a shame that it is still raining but the clouds are
high and there is still no mistaking how beautiful it is here. And it is warm
so the rain doesn’t spoil things too much.
I go for a stroll to the Tourist Information Centre to
pick up some information as I’m returning here next month with another group
for a week.
I then go in one of the big restaurants overlooking the
lake for a spot of lunch and find all but one of the group in there! I should
have walked them all here first and bagged a complimentary lunch!!
It is busier than usual with the rain bringing everyone
inside but the service was efficient as I enjoyed an omelette washed down with
a coffee.
Back at the coach the passengers start returning and at
14:15 I am one person short. No problems as I’m sure he will turn up soon.
He doesn’t!
I will always wait for an hour just in case watches
haven’t been changed and a genuine mistake has been made. After an hour I am
concerned for the passengers safety and start the process of contacting
hospitals and police.
The gentleman concerned is a seasoned traveller so I am
becoming very worried when we pass the hour late mark and there is still no
sign of him. I have already walked around the lake and town but couldn’t see
him so once back at the coach I ask everyone to wait while I go in search of
the hospital and police.
I go to the Tourist office again and the lovely young
lady there calls the medical centre but they have no record of our missing
passenger although they will call back after checking A & E. They call back
with a negative which I suppose is a good thing.
I seem to remember having to do this on the last tour to
Lake Garda! This is slightly different in the fact we are on our way to another
country, and one not in the EU yet, so if we go then it will be very difficult
for our missing person to follow as his passport is on the coach.
The young lady has given me a map showing where the
police station is so off I go to find it. The station is not far from the coach
parking and the officer at the desk is extremely helpful and takes down the
passengers details and what I can remember he is wearing. Another policeman
appears and is sent out to look for our lost man saying it will take him about
half an hour to drive around the lake searching.
I walk back to the bus to wait with the rest of the
group. While here I call Wendy in the office to find out the passengers next of
kin as I don’t want to leave him behind without telling anybody. We don’t have
another number (something I will start insisting on in future) so she has to go
and visit his neighbours as well as call the few people we know are friends.
In the meantime the police car appears with a wet, dirty
and dishevelled passenger in the back.
Phew, what a relief! The policeman seems as happy as I am
about finding our passenger and after shaking hands he is off back to the
station and we can continue on our journey to Croatia.
I call Wendy to call off the English search!
By the time we depart we are two hours late so I call the
hotel to tell them we shall arrive at 19:00 and not 17:00.
I think everyone is relieved and I don’t hear any
dissenting voices as we continue through this lovely country.
At the border we have to show our passports to the
Slovenian policeman and then proceed to the Croatian border where a policeman
will get on the coach and stamp each passport as they are not in Europe. Not
quite anyway as they join the EU on July 1st – one week from today!
Perhaps this is why after having my waybill stamped the
police just wave us through!
We have a quick toilet stop at the border with the ladies
all queuing for the disabled loo due to their traps all been holes in the
floor!
From here it is only about twenty minutes to Opatija and
our hotel, the lovely Grand Hotel 4 Opatijska Cuijeta. The hotel is made up of
four buildings all close to one another and all bearing the names of flowers.
We are in the main hotel Camelia. I prefer it in this main building as this
also has the restaurant in but it is a nightmare accessing by bus.
I will only come down to the front of the hotel today and
the day we leave as it is very tight.
As we drive into Opatija I show the passengers the
town and then go to the hotel which is
situated overlooking the harbour and in the centre of the town.
I have to drive down a short street then reverse up to
the hotel which all sounds easy but it isn’t! To reverse there is hardly any
room to turn with parked cars in the way, traffic coming up from the harbour
and a very unforgiving wall behind me. Nicola jumps out to make sure I don’t
hit said wall and it takes about eight shunts to finally get round and back to
the hotel. It is now 19;10 and as soon as we pull up the porters are ready to
unload the cases. We are quickly checked in with everything being done with a
calm efficiency. They now have some parking spaces at the hotel for three
coaches but they are all taken up.
I drive the couple of miles to the parking area where a
man in a little parking van will take me back to the hotel and then pick me up
again on Wednesday morning. A good service but it does cost 1200 Kuna, about
£135 for the week.
Dinner (and breakfast) are substantial buffets and you
can come down for either at whatever time you like with the dinner going on
until 22:00. I find this very relaxing and after the delays of today there is
no pressure to arrive in time for a set dinner time.
I have a beer before dinner and then afterwards walk down
to the harbour for a nightcap but end up leaving half a pint as it has turned
cold and I’m very tired and need some sleep!
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