Slovenia is a charming mix of Austria, Italy and the Balkans but has a personally of its own. In just two days we went from Lake Bled with its iconic lake island church rising elegantly against the backdrop of the Julian Alps to skiing above the outdoor capital of Bovec before ending up for seafood and sundowners at the medieval Venetian port of Piran. Small Slovenia has everything, mountains, turquoise rivers, beaches, and, to my great culinary pleasure, two different kinds of dumplings: Pirohy dumplings, filled with salty bryndza cheese mixed with mashed potatoes, served with sour cream, and Drija Žlikrofi, Slovenian ravioli. Back in the good old days of 2004, it took just 19.99 Euro to buy an airline ticket form Berlin to Ljubljana, to experience a beautiful world in a small country.