As our last day comes to a close, we’ve been sitting here thinking about why this area has become one of our favorite corners of the world. There is a specific kind of magic that settles over everything near the Alps; it’s a feeling that’s hard to articulate if you haven’t felt it. We find such peace in each of these countries when we are surrounded by these mountains, and really love the different languages and cultures (and food!).
On a side note, our winter obsession with a certain farming simulation game on Steam finally paid off. Driving through the backroads, we realized just how realistic that game actually is, because it was clearly based on European farming vs American. We both grew up in the middle of nowhere, but we weren’t farmers, so the game was our primary education on things like tractor types and specific harvest processes. Seeing it all in person was fun. We were also struck by the contrast: modern machinery working right alongside people still using incredibly manual tools. One field we drove by, the husband had his tractor to pick up the dry hay, and the wife had a rake which must have been putting it in the pile for him.
Anyways, we made the trek back to Zagreb today with a few stops…
Grad Žužemberk: A quintessential medieval fortress from the 1000s. It’s exactly what you picture when you think of a castle.
The Lego Quest: We hit back-to-back Lego stores (one in Slovenia and one in Croatia) purely for the passport stamps, of course.
Grad Samobor: We reached this one just as we crossed into Croatia. However, between the ridiculous heat and my legs finally calling it, the climb was a no for me. We saw the ruins from below, which was plenty for me, and Kevin officially counted it toward the castle tally.
After checking in, Kevin decided life was a bit too quiet, so he managed to pull the SOS line in the hotel bathroom while trying to figure out how to turn off the fan. Thankfully, the hotel staff was understanding, even if their emergency check in wasn’t exactly on our itinerary.
A quick dinner, and early to bed tonight with the alarms set for 3:00 AM. Our feet finally had a reprieve today — clocking in at a modest 6,400 steps and 16 floors.
Until the next trip.
