Beloved Bats Bled
It’s been a while since I’ve added an entry, but here’s what’s been going on. FYI, I embellished the last entry. Material I’d meant to include was omitted due to technical difficulties.
Sarah and I took a train southward to Slovenia on October 19. We passed through Austria, which was blanketed in snow. After an eight-and-a-half hour ride, we came to Slovenia’s capitol, Ljubljana [LOO BLAH’ NA], which roughly translates into ˝beloved.˝ Slovenia is one of five countries that used to comprise former Yugoslavia. It’s the northernmost geographically and most like the West in mindset. Austria ruled what is now Slovenia from about the 14th century until 1918, except for a brief period when Napoleon claimed the land from 1809 to 1813. After World War I, Austria, Italy and a newly formed kingdom later called Yugoslavia divvied up the country. After WWII, Slovenia regained some land from Italy. In 1991, it broke away from Yugoslavia in a 10-day war that left 66 dead. Slovenia joined the UN in 1992 and the EU in 2004. In January of this year, the country adopted the euro.
The people are exceptionally friendly. They greet you with a smile. Most importantly, they actually laughed at my quips. This was in marked contrast to the blank stares I’d been drawing with my attempts at humor in the rest of Eastern Europe. Sure, one might argue that the rest of Eastern Europe is more discerning. But one would be wrong! I don’t want to overgeneralize based on a mere handful of encounters, but I will. Elsewhere in the region people can be quite doleful. For example, one young Polish woman had explained to me that in her country the weather is to blame. In the fall, the people say it’s too windy. In the winter, the people say it’s too cold. In the summer, the people say it’s too hot. Always finding fault. I remarked that I suspect some women I used to date were of Polish extraction. She just stared at me blankly.
Anyway, the engaging people of Slovenia made a welcome contrast. In Ljubljana, the castle on Castle Hill (Ljubljana Grad) features a 15th century chapel, 16th century fortifications, a 19th century tower and a 20th century cafe. The castle is not just a visual spectacle but is put to practical use for community events, weddings and art exhibits. The river below is crested by one bridge guarded by dragons (Zmaski Most) and also by lovely Triple Bridge splaying out from a pretty square (Central Prešernov). A 17th century salmon-colored church (Franciscan Church of the Anunciation) forms the backdrop to that square and a monument to the poet France Prešernov sits in the center. I could wax on about the Old Town, the restaurants, the theatres, etc., but I’ll just call Ljubljana my favorite city in Eastern Europe so far and leave it at that.
One night Sarah and I saw a top-notch comedy improv show and wished it lasted much longer. We took two day excursions, each only a 90 minute bus ride from Ljubljana. The first was to the Škocjan Caves, a network of staggering depth and breadth. So other-worldly–or under-worldly–is the huge chasm that from the designated underground trail and the narrow footbridge you half-expect to see thousands of hideous subterranean drones marching in the distance up and down the crude wall-carved steps and through the gushing river below. Bats inhabit the cave but we didn’t see any–only a large pile of bat excrement.
The second day trip was to Lake Bled, a place so beautiful a chimpanzee with a camera could shoot award-winning photographs. (Mine, however, may not be quite up to chimp standards.) In the middle of the green lake sits a baroque church on a dinky island, the Church of the Assumption. On a rock cliff at the edge of the lake towers Slovenia’s oldest castle (dating back to at least the 11th century). The snowcapped Julian Alps form the backdrop. We walked all the way around the lake and then hopped the bus back for a late dinner.
We stayed in Ljubljana for four days and four nights. By the way, while we were there we heard about the fires in Southern California. Very saddened to hear about the devastation. None of my friends or family suffered loss, thankfully. I sure hope restoration is swift and the rainy season is mild enough to avoid mudslides.
On October 26, I headed south to Croatia, but Sarah headed north to Austria and from there possibly Italy. She’d made an almost ideal traveling companion–game for any adventure, never complained, got ready quickly, laughed liberally and kept me on my toes. (Had she carried my pack, I’d omit ˝almost.˝) Definitely had heaps of fun. Shalom, Sarah, shalom.
Tags: Ljubljana, Slovenia, Travel
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We are upset that you and Sarah have parted ways. We were planning for a Euro-reunion/wedding this summer. 🙁