There are plenty of lakes and rivers in both parks. In Snowdonia the waters are dark, in part because of the peat that's washed down and the colour of the rocks and vegetation. Water that makes great landscape reflections with hiding places for fish. In Triglav the colour is transparent turquoise due to the base of white limestone and with water too fast and cold for significant vegetation. After hiking a few Alps a dive into a gorge pool is very tempting and refreshing. As you plunge into the depths the trout scatter to the rocks.
A spectacle to enjoy in Snowdonia is the shepherd using dogs to gather his sheep. In Slovenia they don't use dogs for fear the sheep will be driven off the cliffs, instead the shepherd calls them and they come willingly down the mountain with their bells tinkling and clanking. During the summer the sheep are milked twice a day for cheese making - this intimate contact creates more of a bond between man and beast but they can be a bit over friendly. Struggling up a steep pasture I stumbled into a flock which mobbed me. My sweaty arms were licked pink and when I put down my rucksack I had to shoo them away.
The wild mountain goats in Snowdonia reflect the rugged landscape and spirit. Their counterparts in Triglav are the Ibex and both have cause to fear man. The Welsh goats are breeding so successfully that regular culls are the norm whilst the Ibex had to be reintroduced in the 1960s having been hunted to extinction in the 17th century. In terms of agility the Welsh goats are more like sturdy walkers whilst the Ibex are true alpinists.
Walking through Snowdonia there are plentiful reminders of our industrial past - piles of slate, funicular inclines lowering slates to connect with the Ffestiniog gravity (later steam) train - all incredible engineering feats. Triglav's industrial past was based on iron ore and smelting. The iron was found in nuggets lying on the surface so quarrying was not necessary but plenty of charcoal was needed. To get the iron ore to market they built a train which goes under the Alps in a series of long tunnels to the main industrial town of Jesenice.
Driving in Snowdonia requires concentration; you need to be poised ready for evasive action as the oncoming vehicle juggles buzzard watching with steering or to avoid sheep playing chicken with your bumper. Getting from one side of Triglav to the other involves dramatic mountain passes with a dizzying series of hairpins. The Vrsič Pass rises sharply to 1,600m and needless to say is closed and impassable during the winter months. Part way up is the Russian Chapel, a monument to the 400 Russian prisoners of war who perished in an avalanche whilst building the road. Many of the tracks and roads were developed during the first world war to defend and reinforce the front line of the Austro Hungarian empire. Some 300,000 soldiers perished on this, the Soča Front.
Coming home our mountains looked a bit flat and the vegetation less exotic but this was still my paradise. Alps are great for a break but claustrophobic in your face. What you get in Wales are the long views. An alpine cliff face makes a nice change but long term inspiration comes from distant horizons.
Listen to Huw's adventures in the Slovenian Alps, broadcast on Radio Wales' Country Focus...
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