There are some massive advantages to traveling in the off-season. We’ve saved money on accommodations because prices are typically lower and we sometimes have had trains all to ourselves. Even at the most popular attractions, we haven’t run screaming from hordes of tourists, or had to wait our turn to take a picture. We have enjoyed serene moments where we’ve made intense connections with our surroundings and each other, reminding us of everything that is great about this fancy-free and nomadic life path that we’ve chosen. I’m not sure that we could replicate those moments in busy-tourist-season.
But then, thanks to the off-season weather, we sometimes get this…
That’s me, at one of Slovenia’s most popular tourist attractions, Lake Bled. Behind me you should see ducks gliding gently in still water, their wet feathers glistening off the warm sun. On a nice day you would be dazzled by lush foliage and bright blue skies. We would have loved to show you Bled Castle up on a rocky hill, or the tiny island with a famous neo-gothic church that sits on an island near the far shore.
We’ve seen some gorgeous pictures of Lake Bled previously, and were so anxious to experience it for ourselves. We wanted to take this picture:
And this one:
But instead we got this:
And this:
And, froze our butts off while we did it.
Just when we thought it was hopeless, and the cathedral would remain completely out of our sight for this wintery visit, there was a small break in the fog. There it was, visible for only a few seconds. We stopped pinching our legs for circulation just long enough to lift the camera and snap this shot that we love…
So the trip wasn’t entirely for nought, we got a little lucky. And, it just gives us one more reason to come back (like we even need another)!
Many thanks to Steph at twenty-somethingtravel.com for her pretty pictures of Lake Bled!
12:28 pm
Hi guys!
Love the last two photographs by the way. Very romantic and fairytale like.
Yes, Slovenia’s weather has been a tad off for a while now and we’re never known when the next “blue skies – grab your camera moment” is going to arrive.
Keep up the good work with this blog as it’s a pleasure to read!
Sean
8:57 am
Thanks so much Sean!! We are excited to come back sometime in summer to see it again – we heard about some sort of festival where they float candles in the water in July? Would love to see that!
3:49 pm
We love exploring Europe in the off-season too. But, yeah, the weather can sometimes be a pain in the butt. Like when we visited Venice in a freezing deluge in March… not so romantic. On the up-side I think you get to experience the real character of the places you visit. I love to moody foggy photo you guys took and it’s a photo that not a lot of other visitors will have
Alison recently posted..Visiting the Cliffs of Mohre, County Clare, Ireland
8:59 am
Thanks Alison – we got so lucky with a couple of photos, that the fog just broke briefly. I do love that one, but still wish we could have seen more of it! Venice when so cold would make a big difference in being able to enjoy it!
6:52 pm
Traveling during the off-season can be tricky, but your photos are still very pretty! Really enjoying your posts
Keep ‘em coming!
Savannah recently posted..Barcelona Daytripping: Figueres
9:01 am
Thanks Savannah! I have to say that we are generally lucky with weather overall, this was just one instance of it getting in our way!
8:20 pm
Love this! Reminds me of my visit to Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal in November. The day started off clear and sunny and by the time we reached the north tip of the island – the part with the best views, we were in the middle of a snowstorm with near white-out conditions. My pictures of Lake Baikal didn’t exactly turn out as planned either…
Katie recently posted..Hitting the Wall
9:03 am
I suppose you should expect that in Russia in winter!
And as we are generally very luck with weather, we’ll take this one *miss*.
8:31 pm
Umm, well, call me crazy, but I love that last foggy photo of yours!!! LOVE it. I’ve seen plenty of sunny photos of Lake Bled, but never one like that.
Amanda recently posted..Photo of the Day: Milford Sound
9:03 am
Thanks Amanda! We were so, so lucky with getting that picture. And I love it too!
8:44 pm
Hard to beat that last photo! And once you’ve got a photo like that you can run to somewhere warm!
9:04 am
Oh yes, there was definitely some running back to town! As fast as our frozen legs would carry us!
8:46 pm
I like your photos better. I can totally commiserate with the not-fun part of freezing your asses off, but I’d have to say it was worth it for those last two photos. Beautiful and unique!
Peg recently posted..Brazil – Fazenda Shangri-La in Aldeia Velha
9:04 am
Thanks so much Peg. I am happy with our pictures, but also am jealous of the blue skies in the other!
11:26 pm
Your photo’s seem mystical. Love them!!
9:05 am
Thanks Mom! xo
10:47 am
The last photo is so cool very mystical!
James Cook recently posted..Midweek Snapshot – Scottish Highlands February 2008
4:34 pm
Thanks James!
11:00 am
Your photo of the lake and island is beautiful, not just lucky but good photography skills!
Natasha @ Wandering Kiwi recently posted..Travel foodie: The island of Ischia in Italy
4:35 pm
Thanks Natasha – very sweet! I consider us lucky to even have seen it at all!
11:02 am
I really love your last photo and that mysterious feel to it.
Better luck next time!
Marko @ Travel Photo Blogging recently posted..Lyrical Minutes in the City of Ljubljana
4:36 pm
Thanks Marko! We’re excited for another chance to shoot it in better weather conditions!
11:37 am
Pretty! I happen to love foggy pictures.
cheryl recently posted..A Kei Kegami Restrospective At The Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam.
4:38 pm
I like them even better when someone else is taking them and I’m not freezing my ASS off!
3:36 pm
I actually really, really love the fog photos! Maybe it’s because I live in the desert where it’s sunny approximately 364 1/2 days a year.
Abby recently posted..Costa Rica coffee yum
4:39 pm
Haha! And then the desert goes wild for that other 1/2 day!
4:42 pm
Too much fog and I can’t I see anything… just kidding, they look great and wonderful, especially the first one.
9:16 am
We barely saw a thing ourselves! Thanks Mae.
5:40 pm
wow those are so creepy looking! i love them!
Maria D. recently posted..Cheap Transportation to Buenos Aires Airport
12:47 am
Although the weather didn’t allow you to get the photos you wanted I think the ones you got were still pretty awesome. Love the snowy trees and the ducks.
cailin recently posted..Tenerife confirms my love for food in Spain Pt 2
1:05 am
This just totally happened to me in September at the Point Reyes Lighthouse outside San Francisco. It looks like you guys handled it well. (There is not a picture in my collection of me flipping off the fog….)
Erik Smith recently posted..Photo of the Day- Budapest, Hungary
4:11 am
Goodness, all bundled up – what a difference from when I first (digitally) “met” you two back in the tropical sunshine of Honduras.
Absolutely fabulous pics! The foggy faaaaaarrrrr more interesting than the clear.
Dyanne@TravelnLass recently posted..(CELTA) D.O.N.E. Woo-HOO! (and some luscious travel plans…)
4:30 am
We like traveling off season too- less crowds, more intimate, and less expensive. I like your quirky whiteout photo. I think it shows a whole different side to Slovenia vs. touristy photos
Mary @ Green Global Travel recently posted..GLOBAL CUISINE: Mary’s Oatmeal Fruitcake Christmas Cookies
11:45 am
I find the two shots you took (except the one of a total wall of fog, of course) to be much more beautiful than the ones you showed where it’s nice weather. They tell more of a story.
Denise recently posted..The Benefits of Slow Travel
3:59 pm
A FREEZING story! Haha, thanks Denise!
3:51 pm
Whoa. Definitely dig the fog. Unreal shots. I think you should add the last one to your post card series
Phil recently posted..Traveling from Accra to Bamako by Sound
5:56 pm
Love, love LOVE the foggy pictures! They are so creepy, mysterious, and beautiful!
Emily S. recently posted..This is a Hold Up!
9:00 am
I never thought about how nice the photos were at the time, only about how damn cold I was!
7:04 pm
Wow, that last photo was definitely worth the wait! I’ve got some of my own that look similar to the rest of yours, although mine are from a trip to Rio…you’d never know I’d trekked up to the giant Christ statue from the completely grey backdrop behind me. Makes the good photos and good weather days just that much better.
Emily in Chile recently posted..Tourist vs. local
9:01 am
Ah – what a disappointment to trek all that way and not see the view! Hopefully you get back there on a better weather day!
7:58 pm
Your view of the fog looks a lot like what we saw at Machu Picchu!
JoAnna recently posted..Here’s a Question for You: Week 50
9:03 am
Did you get to see it through the fog? That place is so hit and miss, hey? We never actually made it there when in South America, it was all closed due to rain washouts.
5:28 am
Oh la la… me likey the fog! Gives the lake such a dramatic tone.
6:47 pm
Just love that last photograph. So unique. It is different from the hundreds of samey images you get of Lake Bled, even the snow scenes. How fortunate the boat (pletna I think is the correct word) was there.
Some of my best photographs are in “bad” weather when most people don’t venture out
11:16 am
Cheers, sometimes things just work out, even when you don’t think they will. Agreed, that you certainly get a different perspective when the weather is not optimal.
12:39 am
While it would be great to have both, I love the shot you DID get.
Jeff recently posted..Woman Crossing Courtyard in Villa de Leyva
11:21 am
Thanks Jeff. I really enjoyed the day and the effect the fog gave.
8:37 am
Wow, that’s insane! I was there in August this year and it was beautiful! I still like the misty look of it now in winter though, although it’s a shame you didn’t get to see it in all its glory!
Lauren recently posted..Lauren Vs. Food: Learning How to Cook Korean Food.
7:51 am
We most definitely want to return to see it in the sunshine, but the atmosphere with the fog was just beautiful.
3:17 pm
You were in Newfoundland, sure! Should be used to a bitta fog!
Candice Walsh recently posted..Merry Freaking Christmas
10:26 am
Alas, never visited the Rock in winter.
2:31 pm
That last photo is incredible. Totally worth travelling off season to get pics like that.
Andrea recently posted..2011 Year in Review
9:12 am
Yes, we are so glad it worked out that we got one nice pic. We weren’t sure we would!
6:55 am
Haunting and inspiring pics! When I was there last year, I had a total fiasco rowing my boat and can only imagine what would have happened had it been foggy. No one on shore would have been safe.
Scott recently posted..My Dia De Los Meurtos in Mexico
9:27 am
Oops! Yes, I can imagine that would have been a little dangerous.
2:00 pm
This problem is not unique to Europe. I have a similar mental image, if not a picture, of myself on top of Table Mountain, in CAPE TOWN, of all places.
Theodora recently posted..We Love Finland — And You Could Win A Trip There
10:14 pm
Oh good grief! In Cape Town! Ah, just more reasons to go back.
9:38 am
Ahhhh…the table cloth as the cloud cover veil on Table Mountain is affectionately called I believe. Perhaps I should know for sure having been born there and visited since!!
The mysterious pics are far superior to the claer day shots anyway so there is always a reason for every situation.. great shots.
Gary Thomson recently posted..Weekend working on our new life
2:57 pm
Thanks Gary! We are happy with how our pictures turned out but do wish we could have seen Bled in better weather, especially because of our frozen body parts!
8:42 pm
The pictures are amazing! The fog really brings special chilling effects to the whole picture. Thank you for posting the pictures!
Alexa Meisler recently posted..Estiatorio Milos & Knave: A 5 Star Evening in New York