年轻的斯洛文尼亚（于1991年宣布脱离原南斯拉夫，成为独立主权国家，并于1992年5月加入联合国）位于中欧南部，毗邻阿尔卑斯山，约有一半的面积为森林所覆盖，绿化率在欧洲各国仅次于芬兰和瑞典，被誉为“中欧的绿宝石”。也许在许多人的印象中，斯洛文尼亚是一个经济水平不高的中欧小国——但事实上，斯洛文尼亚拥有良好的工业和科技基础。2005年在全球国家竞争力排行榜上名列第32位，属于发达国家行列。

本期“异域风情”带大家游览的布莱德湖是斯洛文尼亚最有名的旅游胜地。阿尔卑斯山山顶的积雪融水和山间清泉不断注入湖中，让布莱德湖获得“冰湖”的美称。这里夏季水温在22℃左右，是划船、游泳和钓鱼的理想场所；冬季多雪，湖面结冰达40厘米，又是冰上运动的绝纱去处。因此，这里曾多次举办欧洲和世界性的水上与冰上运动比赛。湖中央的布莱德岛是斯洛文尼亚境内唯一一座小岛。位于翠绿色湖面中央的小岛在蓝天白云的衬托之下，真让人彷如置身童话故事之中。

“Bled？ That sounds a bit gruesome，” said Jodie when I first suggested the idea of visiting the small town in Slovenia. We were sat by the pool in Pore， Croatia， and Id just found out that a coach could pick us up outside the hotel and take us on a guided day trip to the town of Bled.

“I know， but the place looks stunning. And its really close to Croatia，” I answered. “Theres a lake and a castle near it. They look really nice.”

But nice wasnt an adequate adjective for how breathtakingly stunning Lake Bled turned out to be. No words could. Even photographs could only come half way. But all of that came later. First， we had to get up at the crack of dawn to board our coach for the three hour journey to Slovenia.

Slovenia， lying between the Alps and the Mediterranean， is a small country dominated by mountains and rivers.

Getting to Slovenia would involve our first overland border crossing. For this I was quite excited. All I could imagine were Cold War films with spies attempting to get past the border police.

It turned out that getting past the Slovenian border was no hassle at all. The coach stopped， a uniformed woman got on， and she looked at everyones passport. No one was thrown off the coach.

As we sped into Slovenia， the view outside soon began to change. Mediterranean scrub made way for conifers and hills. Before too long， we were in a scene straight from The Sound of Music.

“Welcome to Slovenia，” said our guide for the day， a 25-year-old Croatian woman named Ivanah， “and let me tell you some things about this country.”

We all listened as Ivanah told us about why Slovenia was the richest of all the former Yugoslav countries. It was to do with the war， apparently， or rather the lack of it. “The war only lasted ten days in Slovenia， so most of the infrastructure stayed intact. No buildings were destroyed. People could carry on with their lives. And this is good. The country you are visiting is especially beautiful.” From what we could see outside， she was indeed correct.

About two hours into our journey， we passed through Ljubljana， the capital of Slovenia. Always somewhere Id wanted to visit， I was quite sad to see it passing by so quickly， but less than an hour later， we arrived at our destination， the town of Bled.

Bled lies in the Julian Alps， just 30 kilometres south of the Austrian border. It is one of Slovenias prime tourist destinations， primarily because of its large lake formed by a glacier thousands of years ago. The natural beauty of the town and its surrounds has meant the rich and famous have often stayed in Bled. In the 19th century， it was the Austrian empires finest health resort. When Yugoslavia was ruled by Josip Tito， he made Lake Bled his personal place of retreat. Even Prince Charles has stayed at one of Bleds world class hotels.

“First I take you to the castle，” announced the guide. The castle seemed to be perched high upon a rocky outcrop， flanked with lush conifers. “We will drive most of the way up， but then we will walk about a hundred metres. It will not be too difficult. And the view from the top will take your breath away.”

Ten minutes later， my breath was being amply taken away by the walk up towards Bled Castle. Others were finding it much harder. But we all made it to the top without incident. Ivanah was right， the view across the lake， with a panorama of the Alps just behind， was simply breathtaking.

The water was a beautiful turquoise hue， and it was easy to spot Slovenias one solitary island at the centre of the lake. Later we would be visiting the island， but for now， Jodie and I wandered around the castle， taking in the views below.

Although Bled Castle has enjoyed its thousand-year birthday， much of it was actually built in the middle ages. It was also extensively renovated between 1951 and 1961. Today， the castle is home to a museum and exhibition centre.

“We got married here 14 years ago，” said a man to my left. We were standing at the castles edge， a fine vantage point. His wife was by his side， and a small boy stood between them. “Its just as beautiful as it was then. And did you know that

Slovenia is the only country in the world with ‘love in its name？ From here， its not hard to see why.”

Half an hour later， we were back in the town of Bled to wander around by ourselves. After a spot of lunch， Jodie and I rejoined the tour group for the trip to the small island in the middle of Lake Bled.

Getting to it involved a very pleasant trip in a gondola-type boat called a pletna. As we set off from the shore， the boatman climbed around and begun rowing us softly towards our destination. It was all very peaceful.

“The island has 99 steps leading up to the church，” Ivanah said， “and it is a custom here in Bled that during a wedding， the husband must carry his bride up the steps， while she remains silent.”

After reaching the island， we began the climb up the steps. They were not as bad as first feared， though I wasnt carrying anyone up them. At the top we could see the Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church； visitors frequently ring its bell for good luck. It dates back to the 10th century， and Jodie and I strolled about its exterior before going inside. It was small but beautiful. We gazed at the altar， with its golden statue of Mary above a bed of roses. Sat in pews were a few people deep in prayer. They didnt seem to mind that a bunch of tourists had just invaded their peaceful sanctuary.

Once back across at the mainland， we took a short coach trip to the centre of town. Ivanah then led us to a large outdoor café. It was time for the cream cakes. Bled is famous for its vanilla-and-cream cakes， and we all had one each. Mine was delicious.

“Dont worry，” said Ivanah， noting the looks on some of the womens faces， “these are not like your cakes back home. They are lighter. Try it. They taste amazing！”

Mine was already gone. Jodie at last tried hers， lingering over it for far longer than I had. “Mmmm， these are nice！”

Our trip to Slovenia was over. It was time to go back to Croatia. But from what we had seen， it was a place wed try our best to return back to one day. Lake Bled in winter must look truly magical. And only an hour away from Ljubljana， it could be done.

“布莱德？听起来真有点吓人。”我第一次向乔蒂提起想去斯洛文尼亚的这座小镇时，她这样说道。当时我们正坐在克罗地亚波雷奇的水池边，我刚刚发现有一趟从酒店出发的观光车，可以带我们参加布莱德镇一日游。

“我知道那个名字是有点吓人，但是那个地方漂亮极了，而且真的离克罗地亚很近，”我答道。“那附近有一个湖和一座城堡，看起来很不错呢。”

但是“不错”这个词远不足以描绘布莱德湖惊艳的程度。没有一个词能够做到这一点，甚至连照片也只能展现它一半的美。不过那都是后话了。首先我们得在黎明时分就上车，坐三小时车到斯洛文尼亚。

斯洛文尼亚坐落在阿尔卑斯山和地中海之间，是一个遍布山川河流的小国。

到斯洛文尼亚是我们第一次从陆路跨越边境，因此我相当激动。我脑海中满是冷战电影里那些间谍试图避开边防警察的场景。

但事实证明，穿越斯洛文尼亚的边境其实一点儿也不麻烦。观光车停下来，一名穿制服的女士上了车，检查每个人的护照。反正没有人被赶下车。

进入斯洛文尼亚后汽车加速前进，外面的景色也随之发生改变——地中海的矮树丛逐渐变成针叶林和一座座小山。没多久，我们犹如置身《音乐之声》的实景之中。

“欢迎来到斯洛文尼亚，”我们当天的导游说道。她名叫伊万娜，是一个25岁的克罗地亚女人。“让我向你们介绍一下这个国家的基本情况吧。”

我们听着伊万娜向我们介绍为什么斯洛文尼亚是所有前南斯拉夫国家中最富裕的一个。显然，这与战争有关——或者应该说，与远离战争有关。“战争在斯洛文尼亚只持续了十天，因此大部分基础设施仍然完好无损，没有建筑物受到毁坏，人们也能够安然无恙地继续生活，这实在很幸运。你们正在游览的这个国家特别美丽。”就我们从外面看到的景色来说，她所言极是。

旅程开始两个小时之后，我们经过斯洛文尼亚的首都——卢布尔雅那。这里是我一直想游览的地方，看到它如此迅速地与我擦肩而过，我不禁有点伤心。但不到一小时，我们便抵达了目的地——布莱德镇。

布莱德镇位于奥地利边境30公里以南的朱利安阿尔卑斯山脉，是斯洛文尼亚的主要旅游景点之一，主要是因为这里有一个几千年前由冰川形成的大湖。布莱德及其周围的自然美景足以让名流富豪常常到此地流连。在19世纪，它曾是奥地利帝国最好的疗养胜地。在约瑟普·铁托统治前南斯拉夫期间，布莱德更被指定为其个人疗养地。连（英国的）查尔斯王子也曾在布莱德其中一间世界级酒店里留宿。

“首先，我会带你们参观城堡，”导游高声说道。城堡像鸟儿一样高高地栖息在一块凸起的石头上，掩映在繁茂的针叶林中。“我们会开车经过大部分上坡路，但之后要再步行大约100米。路不会太难走，上面的景色美得让人窒息。”

十分钟之后，走上布莱德城堡的那段路确实让我上气不接下气。其他人比我更难受。但我们最终还是全部顺利抵达。伊万娜说得没错，远眺湖面的风光，加上湖后的阿尔卑斯山全景，真的美不胜收。

湖水呈现出一片美丽的蓝绿色，很容易便可以认出湖中心的小岛——斯洛文尼亚唯一的岛屿。稍后我们会去游览那座小岛，但现在，乔蒂和我就在城堡随处逛逛，饱览一番山下的美景。

虽然布莱德城堡度过了一千岁生日，但其中大部分修建于中世纪，并在1951到1961年间经历过大规模翻新。现在，这座城堡里面有一座博物馆和一个展览中心。

“14年前，我们在这里结婚，”在我左边的一个男人说道。我们站在城堡的边上，那是一个有利的观景位置。他太太站在他身边，两人中间站着一个小男孩。“它一如当年那么美丽。

你知道吗？斯洛文尼亚是世界上唯一一个名称里包含‘爱（love）这个字的国家。从这儿看，你就不难明白个中缘由了。”

半个小时后，我们回到布莱德镇自由活动。吃过一点午餐后，我和乔蒂回到旅游团，准备到布莱德湖中央的那座小岛观光。

上岛需要乘坐一种名叫“pletna”的小船，样子类似于（意大利的）贡多拉。旅途很是愉快。我们离开岸边之际，船夫爬上船，开始慢慢地向目的地划去。一切都显得那么安详。

“岛上有99级台阶通往教堂，”伊万娜说。“在布莱德有这样一个传统——在婚礼上，丈夫必须抱着妻子走完这些台阶，其间妻子必须保持沉默。”

上了岛，我们开始爬这些台阶。它们没有我们一开始担心的那么难爬，虽然我没有抱着谁走。来到台阶顶端，我们可以看到圣母升天朝圣教堂；游客们争相敲响教堂里的大钟，以求好运。我和乔蒂先在这座建于10世纪的教堂外面散步，再入内参观。教堂很小，却很漂亮。我们凝视圣坛，玫瑰花簇上方有一尊圣母玛利亚的金像。长凳上坐着一些聚精会神的祷告者，似乎并不介意这群游客入侵他们宁静的圣地。

离开小岛后，我们坐了一小段短途车来到镇中心。伊万娜随后带我们到一家很大的露天咖啡馆，吃奶油蛋糕的时间到啦。布莱德以其香草奶油蛋糕闻名，每人有一块。我的那一块好吃极了。

“别担心，”留意到一些女士脸上的神情，伊万娜说，“这些蛋糕和你们家的不一样，热量比较低。尝一尝吧，可好吃了！”

我的那份蛋糕早已被我消灭了。乔蒂最后也品尝了她的那一份，结果她比我回味的时间还长。“嗯——这些蛋糕实在太美味了！”

我们的斯洛文尼亚之旅到此便告一段落，该回克罗地亚了。但从我们的所见所闻来看，我们一定会争取某一天重游故地。冬天的布莱德湖一定会像被施了魔法一样美丽。而且，它距离卢布尔雅那仅一个小时车程，完全没有问题。