by Krista | Oct 29, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Sometimes the most delightful adventures are the ones you don’t plan on. The ones you dream up at the last minute.
Late one spring night in a Slovenian hostel, four girlfriends and I were crammed into a teensy room under the eaves, wondering how on earth we were going to sleep in such sweltering heat.
It was midway through our ten-day road trip through the Balkans with our friend Ben and my brother Ryan, and although we were loving every minute of it, we were exhausted, longing for soft beds, cool sheets, and a good, long sleep-in. Alas, the next day we had to drive through Bosnia on our way down to Croatia, so an early start was inevitable.
In spite of our fatigue we really, really wanted to see Ljubljana, a medieval city and the capital of Slovenia, before we left. Our late arrival had given us only a fleeting glimpse of the night-shrouded city, and we knew we’d kick ourselves if we drove all that way only to see the doors of our hostel and nothing else.
So with moans and groans of protest, we grudgingly agreed to rise at 4 in the morning to explore Ljubljana before hitting the road.
We were so glad we did.
The moon was still visible, glowing brightly above the turrets and towers of Old Town Ljubljana, making us feel as though we’d stumbled into a medieval fairy tale as we ambled through the empty streets.
We crossed the beautiful and imposing Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most) which spans the Ljubljanica River and features 20 different dragons.
Originally named The Jubilee Bridge of the Emperor Franz Josef I, the bridge received its current name in 1919.
The Ljubljana Dragon is the symbol of the city and signifies power, courage, and greatness.
There is a fascinating juxtaposition of medieval and modern in Ljubljana, an often startling mingling of jaunty street art and sobering war memorials, classical buildings and contemporary shops.
I like it.
I found myself catching my breath in amazement wherever I looked. Aged statues stark against the lightening sky, lacy architectural details, staid European row houses, the emerging of locals doing what people everywhere do in the early morning hours: buy coffee, pick up the newspaper, take the dog out for a piddle.
The sun had nearly risen when we forced ourselves to leave beautiful Old Town Ljubljana and clamber aboard our van for the next leg of our Balkan adventure.
Our experience of Ljubljana was the merest taste of what it has to offer, and I hope one day I will get to return for a more leisurely exploration of the history, food and culture of this Slovenian city.
It is definitely worth getting up early for.
What city would you be willing to get up at 4 a.m. to explore?
PS – Thank you to all of you who participated in my Aussie Giveaway last week. The winner is Ruth Sutherland. Please send me your mailing address, Ruth, and I’ll be sure to get your parcel out post haste. 🙂
by Krista | Apr 21, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
Good morning, dear ones! 🙂
I write to you with a grateful heart today because at long last I know what’s been causing me such pain the last three months: an obscure virus from the Ecoli family. I am on the right treatment now and each day I’m getting better and stronger. 🙂 I’ll have to do a lot of resting for the next while, but I’m so happy to have answers and the hope of getting back to my old self in the near future.
Thank you SO much for all your wonderful notes and phone calls and texts and emails through this painful time. You’ve made a dark time so much easier to bear. 🙂
Today I’m celebrating beautiful things, like these lovely views from inside Bled Castle in Slovenia. 🙂
How are YOU doing today? What beautiful things are making your heart happy?
by Krista | Apr 27, 2010 | Spring
It was just past 5 a.m. as we continued our sunrise stroll through Old Town Ljubljana in Slovenia. The streets were empty save for a few brave souls heading to work, clattering across the cobble stones on bicycles or click-clacking through the square in high heels.
The Ljubljanica River was dark and mysterious, flowing silently under the balustrades.
We gazed in mute respect at the stunning monuments to warriors, victims and leaders of the past, wishing we could read or speak Slovenian so we could know their stories.
I was delighted by this unexpected Art Deco flourish, imagining elegantly dressed women swishing through these portals on their way to fine dinners or afternoon tea.
I don’t know what I expected of Slovenia, but it wasn’t this. Stately buildings and curvaceous bridges alongside modern salons and homey pubs. I loved it.
As the sun rose over the towering gables, the clock struck 6 a.m. and it was time to load up the van and head to Croatia and Bosnia. Our early morning wake-up had left us positively ravenous, and just few miles down the road we pulled into a gas station to see what we could rustle up. Bursting in the doors we stopped in amazement at the classiest little cafe we could’ve imagined! Tiled counters with sparkling glass covers held steaming trays of sizzling sausages, fresh fruit, glossy peppers, pastries, and fresh bread studded with seeds. We were in heaven! We loaded up plastic trays, collected napkins and darling little wooden forks and knives and clambered back in the van. Delicious!
It was such a fond memory for me that this weekend, as storm clouds gathered overhead, I had to replicate it. I gathered all the fixings then set to sauteing bell peppers, onions, and farmer’s sausage with glugs of olive oil and lashings of black pepper. Perfect. 🙂
by Krista | Apr 20, 2010 | Spring
It was barely 5 o’clock in the morning when we rose bleary-eyed from our beds, packed our things and set out to explore Old Town Ljubljana in Slovenia. The streets were deserted, dusky, and still as we wended our way past restaurants, shops and graffiti.
I love the fierce dragons guarding the Zmajski Most – the Dragon Bridge. They are the symbol of Ljubljana, standing for power, courage and greatness. They’re all qualities the Slovenians have needed over the centuries as they battled Huns, Magyars, Fascists, Nazis and Communists before finally gaining independence in 1991.
The Ljubljanica River flows serenely through town, lined with apartments, shops and cafes.
The moon was still visible as we walked, craning our necks to look up at towers, turrets and gables.
Next time I’ll take you along the river, across the square, and share the best gas station breakfast I ever had!! 🙂
by Krista | Mar 23, 2010 | Spring
We had spent a happy hour exploring Bled Castle in Slovenia, luxuriating in the cool breezes gusting across the terrace, utterly entranced by the exhilarating views of snow covered mountains, forested hills, and the turquoise waters of Lake Bled.
The mountains surrounding Lake Bled, Slovenia
My friend Ben perched far above Lake Bled.
Although we could’ve stayed up there for hours, we reminded ourselves that we still had much to see before driving to Ljubljana that night. So we took one last look at the amazing vista then headed out through the castle doors and hiked down the winding cobbled path to the lake.
The lake was even more beautiful up close, the water clear and cool, the banks bordered with trees and wonderful old homes.
Research beforehand warned us that the only way to the island in the middle of the lake was by rowboat, so we secured ourselves a sturdy craft and a burly oarsman, and began our peaceful journey across Lake Bled.
Our strapping oarsman.
In an age when everything seems to be motorized and streamlined for optimum speed, there was something surreal about bobbing slowly across the lake, the only sounds the splash of the oars and our occasional bursts of amazed laughter at this grand adventure we were having.
Next time I will take you to explore the island and inside an ancient church.:-)
