Re bled, I don't know about in France, but here in Quebec you'll hear the term, un petit bled, about a really small village, but who knows if the French word had anything to do with this towns name or not.
I wasn't aware of the French expression. I've been to France three times, I really should have paid more attention. As for the town of Bled, not many people know that Slovenian is a language in it's own right. I suspect it may be derived locally, but who knows.