What a difference a day makes. I’m sure glad I saw what I saw of Pula on the Croatian Istria Peninsula yesterday when bathed in sunshine because it was a miserable day today in this little corner of Europe.

______________________________________________________

Date || March 22, 2014

______________________________________________________

It was a short walk earlier today between connecting buses in the Croatian town of Rijeka but it was raining cats & dogs of the wolfhound & tiger variety, meaning I was still damp getting off the second bus of the day some 6 hours later in Ljubljana, Slovenia. And that after a 3-hour wait in a smoky café in Rijeka followed by 3 more hours on bus number two (to go all of 115 kilometers ffs), one that was oddly full of elderly women – I felt like I was going to bingo.

But at least I got to my desired destination of Ljubljana and what a pretty little city this is. It’s a quiet place, or at least it was this afternoon when I arrived – didn’t anyone tell the Ljubljians (I think that’s what you call them) that I was coming? I’ll get a proper look around tomorrow (& here’s hoping I get a good day for it) but what I’ve seen thus far means that Ljubljana, an ancient little city of squares, stunning buildings, & cafes (of course), is gonna be a treat to behold. My camera batteries are charging as I type. God I love Europe.

Looking towards Presernov trg (square) & the Triple Bridge from the edge of the Ljubljanica River in Ljubljana, Slovenia. March 22nd, 2014.

Looking towards Presernov trg (square) & the Triple Bridge from the edge of the Ljubljanica River in Ljubljana (map-pointer-icon), Slovenia. March 22nd, 2014

______________________________________________________

Date || March 23, 2014

______________________________________________________

I’m glad I started early today because a day of trudging around Ljubljana was curtailed by incessant rain (gosh, the sun of the Istria Peninsula in Croatia that I basked seems a lot more than 48 hours ago). It was OK this morning. It was damp & overcast but OK, manageable, & thus I managed to stay one step ahead of the showers. But not so in the afternoon. I waited (for the rains to stop). And waited. And waited, at one stage finding myself trapped in McDonald’s in Ljubljana train station having just purchased a ticket out of here for early, stupid o’clock, in the morning. Eventually it got dark, it kept raining & I stop waiting. And that was that for Ljubljana.

Mestni trg in the medieval Old Town part of Ljubljana, Slovenia. March 23rd, 2014.

Ljubljana, said to have been founded by the Greek mythological hero Jason, he of Golden Fleece fame, is an ancient place – the Romans (yes, them again) had the first important settlement here way back in 50 BC. The city has gone through a few rebuilding phases, having been flattened not once but twice by earthquakes, first in 1511 & again in 1895. And while I doubt the residents of the day would agree, the quakes were the best thing to happen to present-day Ljubljana as most of the gorgeous historic buildings on show are a result of past rebuilding efforts. And what efforts. The city really is quite the smorgasbords of wonderful architecture – stunning Baroque stands beside Art Nouveau with a bit of Gothic here & there. This is a picture taken in Mestni trg (square) in the medieval Old Town, the oldest part of the city. The square (more like a wide road) is dominated by the Town Hall & the Fountain of Three Carniolan Rivers (seen here). In the distance is the Baroque twin-towered Cathedral of St Nicholas, the city’s largest church. Mestni trg in the medieval Old Town part of Ljubljana, Slovenia. March 23rd, 2014

The Ljubljanica river in Ljubljana, Slovenia. March 23rd, 2014.

Ljubljana, a city of culture, cafes & squares, is an awfully pretty place, even when damp & shrouded in mist – it’s very fairy tale-esque. I can only imagine how it looks in summer (but I’ll find out eventually). By the Ljubljanica river in Ljubljana, Slovenia. March 23rd, 2014 (iPod)

Unfinished Business
I normally, & purposely, leave at least one item on the to-do list for each location I visit as, you know, an incentive for getting back. But the rains of today made sure that I’d have a to-do list for a return to Ljubljana. That said, even had I have seen all I wanted to see today I know I’d still be edging to get back. Ljubljana, a city I’d barely heard of a few days ago and a city I couldn’t even pronounce correctly 24 hours ago (but still can’t spell correctly without assistance), is a little European gem. Of that make no mistake.

______________________________________________________

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This