Ljubljana and Nastja's Walking Tour Blues: Saturday, September 7th!

What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (1828-1910)

Hello Marylin and Gene! What a simply delightful experience to meet you both, especially at the Festival! Thanks for sharing your friends and expertise. Certainly much appreciated. Trust you are both well. We found Budapest to be a wonderful city, even if we barely scratched its surface. Very impressed with both the Austrian wines we enjoyed in Vienna, and the Hungarian wines we tasted at the Festival. Very, very quaff-able, elegant and exciting. In fact, as I scribed last night I was sipping on a decidedly pleasant 2018 Juhász Sauvignon Blanc, 12%, for $3.08 CDN! [Purchased yesterday when Flamin' and Lady Dar went out to spend the last of our Hungarian money before we left to drive to Slovenia, while Sarge and I loaded the car.]

No trouble at all finding our way out of Budapest but we ran into an expensive problem when we crossed into Slovenia. Caught in a random road check and fined €150 for not having a toll sticker which we didn't know we required! Our fault, of course, for not checking, beforehand, as sticker was only €15 and we would certainly have paid for it. Anyway, fine could have been double but officer took pity on us when The Sisterhood started weeping and wailing and said their grandchildren would never eat again, so we were grateful for that.

Will explore the old part of Ljubljana this morning as we didn't move into our comfortable apartment until 5:00 pm and once we'd muled all our baggage to the third floor, [no elevator!], we settled down to dinner, [roast chicken and salad], with plenty of hootch. Also had to figure out some of our coming itinerary in Croatia. Planning was in session, in living room, as I messaged in kitchen! I just go along with decisions and complain later: "I told you so!"

Must away now as the others are shouting at me to come for breakfast. Sarge figured out stove-top and is whipping up eggs and sausages, latter from Naschmarkt in Vienna. Fondestos from Lady Dar, Flamin' and Sarge to you both. Stay well. Keep in touch. Enjoy the rest of the Festival for us! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Wine Festival and Vicky Barcelona's, night before.

Hi, We, too, enjoyed our time with you all at the vcd festival. You have a standing invitation to come back and stay with us to see more of Hungary! We had the same problem with the toll in Austria. We accidentally found ourselves on the toll road and got caught in a "set up" where the cops were only stopping cars with foreign license plates! They wouldn't let us go without paying a $130 euro fine. We also got a parking ticket at the Nachtmarket in Vienna for parking on a Sunday! We figured there wouldn't be a fee for parking on Sunday! Wrong!! Gene also got a speeding ticket in Austria so we don't like to drive in Austria if we can help it. I think the only country around us that doesn't have toll roads is Slovakia! Enjoy the rest of your trip! Thanks for the pictures! Marylin & Gene You can find us on Facebook! Gene Brown & Marylin Ball Brown 

 

Hi All, Thanks for the pictures! Now I can keep you all sorted. 😉 Glad to hear that you're doing well, and contributing in various ways to the well-being of our local governments. ALL countries of Europe (that I'm familiar with) except Germany have toll roads (freeways), including Slovakia. Croatia has toll gates, so no sticker. Here is a handy website: https://www.tolls.eu/croatia It has a clickable list of countries, and a route planner for cars. Enjoy Gene Links make it easier: https://www.facebook.com/gene.brown.334 https://www.facebook.com/divambb

 

Hello Penticton, Tinsel Town and LA!

Trust everyone is well. [Before I forget, Dame Judith, please use anything in the garden that is usable. Have been meaning to tell you this for some time. Chloë, please find out from Bill when apples will be available, if at all. If before we return could you try to orchestrate, with Corey, to pick as many as possible as I'd like to dehydrate them again this year. If it works, fine, if not, so be it.]

Had a bit of a lazy sleep-in, until just 7:00 am, when I did my shouldares before joining others. Sarge did a wonderful job of frying up sausages and making scrambled eggs. He had gone for half an hour run around 7:15 am and during his jog found a grocery store where he picked up a 500 gram bag of ground coffee as none was provided by flat's owner. Flamin' and I were eternally grateful! After breakfast I had a shower, [only one bathroom so shifts required!], and once everyone was ready we set off, around 10:20 am, for the walking tour which was scheduled to begin at 11:00 am. Tour started in Prešeren Square, named for Slovenia's national poet, near the Triple Bridge. It was raining lightly when we left our apartment but stopped as we were walking along the delightful promenades bordering both banks of the Ljubljanica, making our way to the Centrum. Large number of people so organizers broke us into five groups of approximately 35 people. Our guide was Nastja, a native of Ljubljana and perhaps the best tour guide we have had so far. Both Stefan, in Vienna, and Dharma, in Budapest, were remarkable but Nastja never missed a beat in the over two hour long tour. 

 

Suffice it to say we came away with a much, much better idea of the history of the country and Ljubljana, in particular, facts and backstories to the buildings, architectural styles, statues, bridges, and the like, details we would never have known had we not been there with her. Not a drop of rain so entire tour was magical indeed. Once the tour concluded, in Congress Square, we thanked and tipped a well-deserving Nastja, we wandered back along the Ljubljanica to find a restaurant and enjoyed a delicious lunch. I had Steak tatare, divine, and a plate of local cheeses, served with a small dish of honey. Lady Dar ordered a designer burger and I used the brioche it came with to make tiny sandwiches, ever The Freeloader!

Ljubljana was European Green Capital in 2016 and one of the initiatives involved making the Centrum car free, for pedestrians and cyclists only. Deliveries are allowed at certain hours otherwise nary a car or truck or bus to be seen. Furthermore there is a shuttle service of green golf carts which will take you anywhere you want within the Centrum. The waitress at the restaurant called the service and the ride came to collect us a few minutes later. We asked the driver to take us to the Funicular to the Castle so a few minutes later we were buying return tickets. Enjoyed the short trip and then we strolled around the grounds, taking in various exhibits and parts of the castle itself. Had started to rain again, but lightly, around 4:00 pm, by then, so we decided we'd head home to put up our feet and take naps! 

Everyone snoozed until about 6:00 pm and Flamin' and Sarge decided to head back into town for a bite. Lady Dar and I were just as happy to stay in. I wanted to catch up on some messaging and she felt that although her calf had been fine, she'd didn't want to push things in that regard. As well, we need to pack a small bag for the things we will need for the next two coming nights. When we leave Ljubljana tomorrow morning we will head to Trieste, [about 70 minutes away], for a few hours of strolling, as it is on the way to Rovinj, a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula, [where no cars are allowed, at least to where we have booked accommodation], about 90 minutes south of Trieste.

Must away to put together a salad. Want to use up as much of the bits and pieces we have left in the fridge so that we have as little as possible to "mule" to Rovij. As well, I need to pack what I feel I'll need for the next few days. Want to do all this before I break out the rum, Dear Reader! Fondestos from Nana/Lady Dar to her favourite daughters, darling mother and favourite cat/house sitter! Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio!

Pics: Lady Dar finally takes a picture! Ljubljanica River; My new shoes outside shop where Lady Dar and Flamin' spent all the € we needed for rest of holiday! Promenade; National Poet; From steps of church, waiting for tour groups to be assigned; Sarge at Dragon Bridge; Cheese platter and Steak tartare; going up to Castle on funicular; View of Castle from below.