Friday, June 2, 2017

What'SUP Bled

 Lake Bled!  It has been on my bucket list since I found out that we were moving to Europe over three years ago.  And we were finally here.  And yet, here I was,  a bit apprehensive.  We had gotten a peek at the lake yesterday, and I was really looking forward to spending some time on that ridiculously turquoise water this morning, but I was also dreading it.  You see, I had booked a stand-up paddleboarding trip based on the glowing recommendation of a friend, and I trusted them wholeheartedly but you guys, I trip walking up the stairs.  I also fall over when I am standing too still, and I do not have a single graceful bone in my body.  Yet, here I was, scheduled for a two-hour tour, where I would have to stand upright on a wooden board with nothing but water underneath me for stability.  I was sure that I would end up in the lake, more than once.   Can you understand why I may have had a second thought?  Or two.  But I was there, my girls were counting on me, and so we suited up (literally, we suited up in the parking lot just off the lake) and jumped in knees first.

I sent the ringer in first.  Mostly because I wanted the girls to have no fear when it was their turn and if they watched me flip the board and sputter back to the top I thought they might have second thoughts about jumping on the boards themselves...So B was number one on the board.  And he was a pro from the get-go.  He went from knees...


 to paddling...

to standing in under a minute...

My turn.  And I somehow managed not to flip the board over!!!  I mastered the knees position faster than I thought I would but wasn't steady enough to try standing up quite yet.


But with both parents on boards and not in the water, MadHatter was anxious to get on her own and get started.  Thankfully, she has great balance and a can-do attitude.  Within 5 minutes she was up and paddling forwards, backward and in circles.  This girl was a natural.




Finally, Stinkerbell hopped on the front of our Marina's boat (our guide, I will mention her awesomeness more than once in this post).   And we were all off.



 Stinkerbell catching her balance...


And once she got her bearings Marina let her take control!  Which rocked her world as she has never gotten to pilot the ship before...

 She relaxed as only Stinkerbell could so that we could get to the island in the middle of the lake.



A little blurb about Bled Island.  The island is tear shaped and houses the Church of the Assumption of Mary (now a museum).  To get to the church, you must climb 99 steps up the Južno Stopnišče (southern staircase), and legend has it that if you marry at the church, the bridegroom must carry his bride up the staircase to ensure a long and happy marriage.  We did not try such a thing...but we did dock our boards and walk to the top, counting all 99 steps...


 We saw the church from the outside, but since a wedding had just taken place and we were not dressed appropriately, we declined touring the church.  We had ice cream instead...


We headed back down the stair and to our boards where we took some family pics (thanks, Marina!)


 This is a Pletna boat.  They are only found in Bled and since 1590 the boats have been passed down from generation to generation.  Take one if you get the chance!

 And then it was time to swim in those beautiful waters.  Well, they did.  I do not get in if it isn't spalike temperatures...and this glacial lake was nowhere near spa like.  The kids enjoyed it though.




They would have played all day except for the fact that we still had to make it back to the mainland.  So we put our boards back in the water the same way they came out (this helped keep us on the right board with the right sized paddle).  Me first, then B, next MadHatter and finally Stinkerbell and Marina.   All was going well until Stinkerbell decided that she didn't need Marina's help anymore and took off...All the way out to the rest of us...


Poor Marina had to catch a boat out to catch up to her runaway...

There were no hard feeling (only a lot of laughter) and soon Stinkerbell was navigating the waters like a pro once again...


Well, when she wasn't swimming in them, that is...


 Me, I was relaxing, taking some video/pictures and just enjoying the afternoon sun...


Finally, we had to call it a day.  Marina does have a business to run after all.  For the last part we put Stinkerbell on MadHatter's board and left them to their own devices for getting back to the docks (spoiler - they did it beautifully).




 This was the perfect way to spend a few hours.  Not only did we get to tour the island (with a local) but we learned the basics of SUP, and we did it as a family with a fun, funny and entertaining local to boot.  If you find yourself in the area - please do yourself a favor and spend some time with WhatSUPbled...you will not regret it!










No comments:

Post a Comment