Awakening to another beautiful morning in this stunning region of the world, the day began with a great breakfast. We were ready to meet a day that continued to get better ... for a while.

We awoke to sunlight peeking over the distant hilltops through our open window and enjoyed the cheerful songs of birds in the meadows. Today we begin our walking holiday in Slovenia.

We were expecting beautiful vistas overlooking the foothills and mountains of the Julian Alps, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. But don't forget to look down.

As the taxi pulled into the drive of Pri Lenart, Zana came out and warmly greeted us with a big, cheerful smile. Such was the start to several days of wonderfully challenging walks over some of the hills and mountains of Slovenia.

It was our last night in Ljubljana, but there was no rain or clouds or winds. Then jeannie said, “I don’t feel so great and my stomach is still a bit unsettled.”

Though Slovenia is a small country, it isn’t lacking in interesting things to see or places to visit but, we didn’t have an automobile, and many places are essentially inaccessible by public transport.

As we departed Trieste, Italy, I eagerly scanned the roadside for the first indication that I had entered the country that my Dad’s ancestors came from, and only two generations removed.

The longer we stayed here the more we came to appreciate the origin of the name Ljubljana. The most popular belief is that it derives from the word Ljubljena, meaning “Beloved”. And we agreed.