CANT FIND THE APOSTOPHE!

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Hello All!

So, the train from Paris carried me through Germany (great people, man! super friendly!) and Austria (dont know - I was sleeping) and then down out of the Julian Alps (where Santa Claus vacations with the munchkins of Oz. Im sure of it) and into Slovenia. I wobbled, very well rested but still a touch discombobulated, out of the train and into the legoland world of Ljubljana. I guess "legoland" isnt quite the right word. Its more like the town was made out of Fabuland. Any of you all remember that stuff? Its cuter, less spaceshipppy, more provincial.

Anyway.

The funny thing about Ljubljana is that it felt really out of scale. Its tucked between the not-mighty-at-all Ljubljana river and steep hills on all sides. It takes up an improbably small plot of earth, and thus all structures, all of life, really, exist in a very vertical world. Things are built up; theyre all very tall, very thin, and absurdly quaint. Buildings are all different colors, either capped with terra cotta rooves or greening bronze. Because they are all bathed in each others shadow, the town is a riot of faded color and the deep violets of the shadows.

I amused myself for a while by taking thousands of photos, and then promptly dropped my lovely little camera right on its lovely little zoom lens and the thing is dead. Piece of crap.

At 6 am in Ljubljana, about all there is for a girl to do is get her hairs did by some thick-legged matron smoking York cigarettes or drink beers in any number of stale old caffes, none of which house more than 2 or 3 taciturn young men at any given time.

I chose to walk instead, finding myself many marvels along the way. All of the aforementioned cutesy buildings are covered in a patchwork of angry graffiti - it sounds like a shame, perhaps - but the graffiti itself is really very colorful and really well done. The end result doesnt look like too much of a shame at all, given the right perspective. I found it fascinating.

So much so, in fact, that I followed it up this impossibly steep cobbled alley way, farther yet up an impossibly steep twisting set of stone stairs, pass this elfin little playground tucked off to the side (which may have the best view of any playground on the entire planet) and emerged on a beautiful, verdant street - smack at the foot of an ancient castle. All of Ljubljana was splayed hazily below.

And there I remained for many hours, snoozing and reading my book.

When I decided to descend, I found the previously slumbering town positively CRAMMED with crazed European tourists and their strange eyewear. Good thing it was almost time to go.

Much to my delight, I also found a large outdoor market had opened up. Fruits, veggies, beautiful dried beans of all colors, steaming vats of sauerkraut, sheeps hides, fluffy breads, fresh yogurt, and endless varieties of cured meat were all right there at my little hungry fingertips. Ooh! And there was this little shack where a gal could get a plate full of fried smelt for a buck! Or 600,000 SIT.

Same thing.

Anyway, Im now on a little island in the Adriatic and looking for a way out, so I have to go plan my escape. Plus, I gotta save my Kuna...

Ciao!

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