Ljubljana: Land of the Liliputian Pants

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS

Ljubljana (pronounced lyoob-lyonna, but shortened to lube-ya-na most of the time) was a remarkable capital city. Inhabited by around 250,000 people, it is much smaller than the other cities we have visited--Belfast, Barcelona, Rome, Split, etc.--but with this smaller size it is able to ooze so much more charm than many other more famous destinations. It sits right in the heart of Slovenia, a country that is far more western european than eastern. It is a well-developed country, which can always be determined by how prolific the drinking water is. In Croatia, water was undrinkable in Split and Dubrovnik, except in specified locations, but Ljubljana's water could be taken straight from the tap or from any public drinking fountains which were dispersed throughout the lovely city. This not only was a comfort in warm weather, but saved us a lot of money on bottled water--another reason to enjoy the city.

Slovenia, like Croatia, was once a part of the country of Yugoslavia, but seems to have blossomed much more than its southern neighbor since its vote for independence 15 years ago. Rick Steves describes Ljubljana in one of his books by stating that Krakow is the next Prague, and Ljubljana is the next Krakow. Indeed, although situated in Eastern Europe the feel and ambiance of the place is much more Western European. There are few sights to see, and although there are several museums sprinkled through the city and a castle perched upon the only hilltop of the town, sightseeing is not something that will take up too much of your time. Lisa and I did little, except eat and walk and enjoy the simple relaxed pace of life here. It seems it is a place to get away from things, and after going to so many new places so quickly (driving through Italy, a new destination everyday in Croatia), it was a welcome change to be able to stay in one town and enjoy the mostly tourist-free atmosphere.

Most people who we met in Ljubljana (these being restaurant wait-staff and hostel workers) were very amicable. Add to that the fact that the country seems to be almost fully bilingually English and the experience was very relaxing. Indeed the English spoken in Ljubljana was probably better gramatically than most people in Mississippi. It made vacationing here easy and at times even made me feel a bit guilty to think that they were so easily speaking my native language in a country that was not english speaking. Oh, what little effort I've spent in learning someone else's language!!! Time for more Spanish classes!

The architecture of the town was a welcome sight too. Lovely pastel buildings in what appeared to be (to an uneducated eye) Baroque styled architecture proliferate througout the city, bringing life, color and warmth that match the same qualities possessed by so many of its citizens. The castle on the top of the hill was not particularly remarkable, although its interior chapel was quite nice. But this was not a negative thing but rather went quite well with the character of the town. Nothing is particularly noteworthy, but everything is just nice. Nice people, nice buildings, clean, warm and welcoming. A place to relax and experience a quieter side of Europe, one which seems light years apart from the bustling busy capitals of other European countries.

Something else quite enjoyable about Ljubljana were the coffee shops which seemed to equal the population of this town. I woke up every morning excited of the fact that I could sample a new coffee shop next door to the one I tried the day before. The street we stayed on at the first hostel had five or six coffee shops right next to each other and it would take years to try all the shops in town. It was a delicious side of Ljubljana. Delicious as well were the local foods. Lisa and I and a few friends went to a suggested restaurant called Sokol where we tasted typical Slovenian cuising served to us by a waiter in traditional Slovenian clothing. I had the wild game goulache, Lisa had chicken stead with game sauce. I had a beer brewed by the restaurant with a special pop top like a champagne bottle, with which I managed to shower the table with beer. My goulache came in a pot, which was attached to a holder that hung the pot above an open candle flame. From here my food would stay hot, as I loaded my plate with more goulache as I felt it necessary. I strongly though about not getting the goulache but its price was right and other options such as Horse Flank and Stallion Steak seemed a little less appetizing and were twice as expensive. Must have been a winning horse.

All this being said, there is still one (unfortunate) thing that sticks out in my mind more than anything else: Capri Pants. From the American perspective, capri pants are nice things to have--a couple of years ago, and for women. In Ljubljana, its not what you wear, it's what you don't wear. And if you're a man and you don't have at least several pairs of capri pants that you wear daily then you surely will not have many people who would consider you their friend. It sure has to be the official pant style of Slovenia. It wasn't just fasionable young people either. It was common to walk down the street and see a gruff looking group of four or five men, faces covered in stubble, open beer cans in hand, glancing at the beautiful ladies that pass by their premium position near one of Ljubljana's many bridges, wearing a tank top and cut off jean capri pants. A sight I was ill-prepared to deal with and one that I considered taking many picutres of, except these men looked tough and I was afraid of what would happen to me if I started making fun of their style. Anyway, it gave me a good laugh for the week and I can only imagine what they were thinking of my wardrobe anyway.

Well, so much from me for Ljubljana. It was a great town with a great pace of life and friendly people. From here we took a train to Zagreb, Croatia's capital, where we had just enough time to take pictures of the main square and train station, before catching a bus to the airport and heading off to Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, which is where the story will continue soon. So long for now...

LJUBLJANA PHOTOS