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Published: September 4th 2005
For seventeen days I wandered between three of the ex-Yugoslav republics, with Slovenia as both the first and the last stop on my trip. Like part of a family, they all share certain common elements of history, language, cuisine, and culture…but just like any one of three sisters who is constantly admired for her similarities to the other two; each would be quick to highlight what differentiates her so drastically as well.
Admittedly, I set out from Rome in a frame of mind completely inconducive to appreciating these differences…and perhaps even to travel in general. Due to a badly timed arrival of 30+ books from the States, I left with a whopping 62 kilos in tow and was drenched in sweat and fully exhausted from the nearly impossible task of lugging all my newly purchased luggage up and down 3 flights of stairs in Termini. After waking to a hazy sunrise over Venice, I arrived near the Slovenian border at Monfalcone in the pouring rain, with 3 hours to kill until my onward train arrived. The cool air and white noise of the rainstorm helped me get in a nice nap, but it was hardly enough to energize me sufficiently
to get my luggage on board again - thank heavens for the kindness of strangers. (Note: all those pieces of advice you read about taking as little as possible with you when travelling? Follow them! I do not recommend what I did to any sane non-masochistic person, but was strapped for ideas on how to move my belongings up to Germany in both an economical and timely manner.)
When the clouds finally lifted, my eyes were treated to countryside very reminiscent of rural Austria: no surprise given its geographic proximity and its historical ties to the Hapsburgs. With over 600 years of Austro-Hungarian influence, the casual observer certainly doesn’t need a guidebook to explain cultural ties: the architecture, the Kaffee and Kuchen culture, the Germanic punctuality, precision, and hard work ethic are all easily noticed in your everyday affairs. It was only in the 1920s that they joined with their fellow ethnic Slav neighbors to the south and east to form Yugoslavia, though they had already developed a national identity back then, with the Slovene language re-introduced in the schools. Nowadays, the well-educated public of this economically sensible country must be learning many more languages as well, as everyone
Misty view on the mountains
With Bled Castle in overlooking the lakeI ran into seemed to be quite the polyglot.
Being the height of peak season, I was given the choice of two budget options by the Ljubljana tourist information office and was lucky to find both space and luggage storage available by the HI hostel Tabor, which it seems was just a college dormitory that they rent out for the summer. It catapulted me completely back into my days at Drake University, right down to the cafeteria angst of finding a breakfast table to sit at. Well, until a 50 year old man walked in to use the urinal right next to the sink where I was brushing my teeth…that never happened in my dorm before.
By this time the skies had turned gloomy, but I got freshened up and passed over the Dragon Bridge through the market area and the old Cathedral of St. Nicholas and allowed myself to get lost in the little alleyways that winded up the mountainside to the Ljubljana Castle. As a medley of church bells followed me up the snaking path, I sneaked a peek at the great views over the city from the walkway around the castle, but by now it
had started to rain and I decided it wasn’t worth it to pay to climb the tower simply for a view onto the low-hanging clouds below. In fact, I had to rush under the umbrella of one of the many amazingly adorable outdoor cafes on my way back to escape the pouring rain and the damp cold air that was working its way all the way down to my core. It was quite a climate change for my body to handle and the hot chocolate I ordered didn’t do much to help, as it was literally hot chocolate that I had to eat with a spoon - more like warm pudding. My small talk with the English gentleman at the next table over turned into a 3 hour conversation as we waited for the rain to pass and finally had to say, ‘To hell with it,’ and walk back in the rain anyhow.
However, at this point, the rain was still refreshing….a word that I would use to characterize my entire impression of Slovenia. Though an ever-faithful fan of warm weather and sunshine, I found the drizzle and 22 C temperatures a welcome respite from the stuffiness of 40
C days in the city. Serene bicyclists took the place of racing motorbikes, and overwhelming bus exhaust was replaced by the smell of mountain air and raindrops in a city filled with pedestrian traffic. Though this was the height of peak season in Slovenia, the streets seemed relatively empty…a literal breath of fresh air from the claustrophobia I suffered squeezing my way past sweaty strangers in the suffocating tourist throngs of Rome. And as I walked through the streets in silence and without awkward stares from male passers-by, I slowly peaked out from behind my invisible shield I put up to deal with the constant catcalls and hisses, and I realized how absolutely liberating, exciting, and -yep - refreshing it was to be in a country where the locals let you keep to yourself.
Of course, sightseeing is severely limited when it is pouring, so I had decided to call it a night so I could make an early morning departure for Croatia the next day and hope for better weather upon my return to Slovenia. But I hadn’t counted on Toni, my American roommate in the hostel, to be such an interesting gal. In the first place, it
seems like I don’t run into all that many single American females travelling, and when I have the option of buddying up with someone from my own country or someone from another country, I always choose the latter because I feel it is more of a learning opportunity. So I had rather regretfully told the lady at the front desk that I would take the room with the American girl since it meant fewer stairs to drudge all my luggage up, but I ended up chatting until nearly 3 am with the most intelligent, eloquent, fun, open, and enlightened woman I’ve met yet on the road.
So obviously we both missed our early morning transport and headed to a café shortly before noon to wait for afternoon connections (once again, it was raining). And here, like most people who seem to be well-heeled in all walks of life, Miss Slovenia also has her secret mischievous side, which plays out in the fondness for a good midday schnapps break. Or, in some cases, by a good 18-hour schnapps break. We were snagged in by this boisterous Slovenian gal Shelly, who insisted on dragging us into the tail end of the
4 survivors’ bender from the previous night. By 4 pm, Toni and I, in a light haze of red wine, gave up any hopes of leaving town that day and went for food and back to bed, before getting back up like real troopers for another glass or two at one of the beautiful open terraces along the river….since it had FINALLY stopped raining.
The weather finally cooperated for us the following day as we set out to Kranjska Gora, a small town near the borders with Austria and Italy, for some hiking in the Julian Alps. The bus ride itself was a treat, with the white rocky mountaintops dramatically interrupting the ubiquitous greenery and looming large on the horizon, dwarfing the onion-domed churches in the hamlets below. And when we arrived at the seemingly abandoned bus stop in town, an elderly but jovial white-haired man happily pulled out a bottle of that famous Slovenian schnapps that smells and tastes like a mix between kerosene and rubbing alcohol. Although he was talking to me quite rapidly in Slovene, I understand the twinkle in his eye perfectly and did an 11 a.m. shot with him. Gotta experience local tradition!
The town itself is not exactly on the high circuit of tourism, which meant that we mostly had the hiking trails to ourselves. Okay, in all honesty, to say we hiked the Alps would be a large exaggeration of our physical exertion for the day, as we didn’t have enough time in a daytrip to complete one of the hikes up Triglav, and the rest of the shorter paths were more like walking trails. But the serenity, the traditional hay racks, and the crystal blue lakes that accompanied the mountain views made up for it. The villages themselves were also picture perfect: dark chocolate brown roofs and railings sporting carved hearts and fleur-de-lis created a perfect frame for the brilliant colors spilling from the window flower boxes…in short, your typical Alpine houses.
My last day in Slovenia was spent in Bled…highly touristed, but understandably so. Bled, Bovec, and the surrounding areas are an outdoor lover’s paradise, offering everything from hiking and biking to more adrenaline-rushing sports like canyoning, rafting, paragliding, rock climbing…they even offer zorbing! However, on this day, the softer and quieter side of Bled was all that was to be seen. Of course my luck with Slovenian
weather hadn’t turned for the better, so I did not see the marvellous hues of green and blue in the water and sky that contrast so splendidly with the mountain peaks, the castle overlooking the lake, and the church on the island in its center. However, the 1000 year-old towns were remarkable nonetheless, and the drifting and ever-changing mist that surrounded the island and the lake’s surrounding villas exuded a hopelessly romantic aura.
I have to admit, my patience was running kind of thin with the climate when I had to walk 4 km back to the train station in a downpour, but as I arrived - dripping from every inch of my body, I reminded myself that perhaps the rain is a blessing in disguise. Obviously, the overwhelming greenness has to be nurtured by some hefty precipitation, but perhaps it will also serve to prevent this area from becoming overrun as the next Interlaken, Switzerland, which seems to be on every trans-European backpacker’s agenda. I was pleasantly surprised at how empty the hostel was just two weeks after the peak of the high season….only four people in the whole cafeteria with me at breakfast, as opposed to 60
on my previous stay.
And aside from the weather, Slovenia seemed to have it all going for her: friendly people who also gave you your space, amazing nature that you often had all to yourself, a lively street scene among the cafes and bars by night, tasty wines, Venetian-style port cities… Just one other thing was missing, but I found it by accident that night as I returned from a traditional Slovene restaurant, finally warmed up again after my rain drenching by a hearty veal stew. I saw rows of candles flickering down by the colonnaded walkways that grace the riverfront and detoured to check out what was going on. Within seconds the music that greeted my ears quickened my pace and planted a fat grin on my face: they were salsa dancing. I got whisked into dancing with some of the regulars there, but had just as much fun watching because they were truly outstanding…the men were impressive too, but my hat’s off to the Ljubljana ladies…simply amazing!
Slovenia to me is a little like that cute, charming girl you went to high school with, who was good at everything without being the star of anything -
Traditional hay-drying rack
Along the hike from Kranjska Gora the one who all the boys started chasing a few years after graduation when they came to their senses about what a great catch she was. I would love to come back and explore more of this adorable little country someday, particularly the east, though I am already preparing myself for what that trip will hold: EasyJet flights to Ljubljana probably mean that next time I will be sharing her with even more of her admirers!
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Toni
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enchiladas
Jenni is one of the most open-minded and independent souls I have met in a long time...it's a rare enough combination to find in someone, and a gift to spend time with her. I'm jealous of her future traveling partners. She's also unduly modest; she failed to mention in this blog how...smitten...certain locals were with her. Let's just say Slovenia would not have been the same without Jen's beauty procuring us special favors.