Hayley Caldwell

Some spots not miss include Dragon Bridge (especially with kids), Triple Bridge, the beautiful pink-red exterior of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, and the charming streets around the Ljubljana Cathedral. We visited the castle first early in the morning, had a picnic lunch, then took an early afternoon tour of the cave. The girls loved the train ride that took us deep into the cave, where we then took a guided walking tour through about 1.5 kilometers of the limestone cave system with all its gorgeous formations. Definitely plan to have lunch at Koca na Vojah on your hike to Mostnica; the Slovenian barley stew and mushroom soup were delicious there and perfect for a hiking lunch on a fall day

g spätzle (or pasta), prepared according to package instructions • 1 medium Haikkado pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small cubes (about 2 cups chopped) Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and the butter to a heavy skillet and heat over medium low. Add the white wine and whisk until smooth; cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbly. Return the skillet to medium low heat, and add in half the grated cheddar and half the grated gruyere, and stir until cheese is melted.

We did end up renting a car for one day so we could visit Ano Meria (the buses to and from there don’t run as frequently) and explore other areas of the island, but it’s certainly not necessary otherwise unless you are staying in a more remote area of the island. One standout was the delicious fresh fish at Zefiros Anemos, which is located a little outside of Chora’s center with a beautiful view of Panagia church. We had a blast and loved all the swimming and beach stops, including Livadaki, Agios Nikolaos, and Katergo, and lunch on the boat in a gorgeous bay. This boat tour is also probably a better fit for older children that are confident swimming in deep water: the boat doesn’t dock at most of the stops

It’s a perfectly simple way to let the fresh strawberries shine, with just lightly sweetened whipped cream and a genoise sponge cake paired with them. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment [or using a hand mixer], beat the eggs for 1 minute on medium speed. Gradually sift in the sugar a little at a time, mixing on high speed, until sugar is incorporated and the eggs mixtures is very pale yellow and fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment [or using a hand mixer], whip the cream on medium speed until fluffy.