UK Monster Owners Club Forum - View Single Post - Europe by cake

MrsC_772 · 07-07-2016, 08:02 PM

Day 12 - Wednesday 6 July

At breakfast in the Alp Penzion, more evidence of pettiness. An orange juicing machine with a label saying that no more than 2 oranges may be inserted. As I was looking at where to put my oranges, one of the hotel staff came past and interrogated me about whether I knew what to do with the machine. She reiterated that the number of oranges to be inserted shall be 2, not 1, not 3 but 2. My 2 oranges made a feeble trickle of juice, in stark contrast to the good 6 oranges' worth that must have gone into my Maniago breakfast spremuta. I don't know if the reason for her command was that more than 2 would block the machine, but after the air con incident the night before, I suspected a mere stinginess about the fruit budget. (Were oranges rationed in Tito's day?) Even if I might naturally have chosen 2 oranges, I resent being ordered not to use more.

I'd put together a circular route round Slovenia, taking in the Triglavski national park and Bohinjsko lake and several mountain passes, including the Predel back over the border to Italy. I had a lovely morning's ride. Slovenia is the most breathtakingly beautiful of all the Alpine countries I've visited: unfeasibly clear lakes, teeming with fish, inviting turquoise streams, woods, majestic mountains, pretty little villages. One Slovenian peculiarity is the hayracks constructed like tall roofed fences through which the hay is stuffed. Not sure if the idea is that cows can graze directly from them in winter, but they're more picturesque than the British hay swiss roll or worse plastic wrapped silage bale.

If you fancied a change from motorcycling, lots of outdoor activities (cycling, canoeing, climbing, rafting, parasailing, hiking) were available. Cafes & hotels with bikers welcome signs outside everywhere I road. (Dear Slovenian tourist board ...gissa job hvala ....) On one of the passes, however (probably the one the Slovenian on the other Ducati forum advised me to avoid due to poor surfaces and too many visitors) there were cobbles on many of the hairpins, so I was glad it was a dry sunny day. Fortunately the RVs were going in the opposite direction so I wasn't subject to Stelvioesque frustrations.

Heading back to Bled, my mission was to try Bled cream cake. I was basically under orders from my mum to do so. The Park Hotel cafe next to the lake, claims to be where it was originated, so I sat there and ordered an original Bled cream cake, while contemplating which Game of Thrones castle the clifftop Bled Grad most resembled (the Eyrie - you could certainly build a moon door given the location).

Bled cream cake is a mille feuille type construction with flaky pastry top and bottom and layers of sort of moussey whipped cream and creme patissiere. It was nicer than I expected, given that I'm not a big creme pat fan, ever so light, although had a bit of a soggy bottom (hark at me, coming over all Mary Berry). The absence of kirsch from it means that the Schwarzwald Kirschtorte pips in in the cake-olympics in my book.

I thought I'd better walk up the hill to the Castle to burn off some cream cake, so did the tourist thing (managing to go round the museum totally backwards). Jolly nice views from the top. Back down the hill for dinner (another trout dish, no almonds or butter this time) with a very small glass of white wine, and then the discovery of the hotel Computer.

07-07-2016, 08:02 PM	#21
MrsC_772 Silver Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Farnborough Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 712	Bled cream cake Day 12 - Wednesday 6 July At breakfast in the Alp Penzion, more evidence of pettiness. An orange juicing machine with a label saying that no more than 2 oranges may be inserted. As I was looking at where to put my oranges, one of the hotel staff came past and interrogated me about whether I knew what to do with the machine. She reiterated that the number of oranges to be inserted shall be 2, not 1, not 3 but 2. My 2 oranges made a feeble trickle of juice, in stark contrast to the good 6 oranges' worth that must have gone into my Maniago breakfast spremuta. I don't know if the reason for her command was that more than 2 would block the machine, but after the air con incident the night before, I suspected a mere stinginess about the fruit budget. (Were oranges rationed in Tito's day?) Even if I might naturally have chosen 2 oranges, I resent being ordered not to use more. I'd put together a circular route round Slovenia, taking in the Triglavski national park and Bohinjsko lake and several mountain passes, including the Predel back over the border to Italy. I had a lovely morning's ride. Slovenia is the most breathtakingly beautiful of all the Alpine countries I've visited: unfeasibly clear lakes, teeming with fish, inviting turquoise streams, woods, majestic mountains, pretty little villages. One Slovenian peculiarity is the hayracks constructed like tall roofed fences through which the hay is stuffed. Not sure if the idea is that cows can graze directly from them in winter, but they're more picturesque than the British hay swiss roll or worse plastic wrapped silage bale. If you fancied a change from motorcycling, lots of outdoor activities (cycling, canoeing, climbing, rafting, parasailing, hiking) were available. Cafes & hotels with bikers welcome signs outside everywhere I road. (Dear Slovenian tourist board ...gissa job hvala ....) On one of the passes, however (probably the one the Slovenian on the other Ducati forum advised me to avoid due to poor surfaces and too many visitors) there were cobbles on many of the hairpins, so I was glad it was a dry sunny day. Fortunately the RVs were going in the opposite direction so I wasn't subject to Stelvioesque frustrations. Heading back to Bled, my mission was to try Bled cream cake. I was basically under orders from my mum to do so. The Park Hotel cafe next to the lake, claims to be where it was originated, so I sat there and ordered an original Bled cream cake, while contemplating which Game of Thrones castle the clifftop Bled Grad most resembled (the Eyrie - you could certainly build a moon door given the location). Bled cream cake is a mille feuille type construction with flaky pastry top and bottom and layers of sort of moussey whipped cream and creme patissiere. It was nicer than I expected, given that I'm not a big creme pat fan, ever so light, although had a bit of a soggy bottom (hark at me, coming over all Mary Berry). The absence of kirsch from it means that the Schwarzwald Kirschtorte pips in in the cake-olympics in my book. I thought I'd better walk up the hill to the Castle to burn off some cream cake, so did the tourist thing (managing to go round the museum totally backwards). Jolly nice views from the top. Back down the hill for dinner (another trout dish, no almonds or butter this time) with a very small glass of white wine, and then the discovery of the hotel Computer.