last days....

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With Peter's Happy Time just passed, we come to write our final installment of our adventure.

Ljubljana is wonderful, it is very small, but has more character than the best parts of London. The riverside is packed with people drinking and laughing, but not throwing up and being rowdy as is usual back home. We have had a lovely couple of days here, and it is with heavy hearts that we start to think about returning home.

Today was spent exploring the city on foot, starting with the castle. Every castle we've visited on this trip has been mostly a disappointment, and this was no exception. Although it is very pretty from the foot of the hill, it offers very little when you actually make the journey up to it. We caught the funicular (cable car) to the top, and there was little to see-the 3D exhibition on the history of Ljubljana which we had been looking forwards to seeing was closed, so we climbed up the tower for stunning views across the city. It looks like a little gem in amongst the mountains.

We made the climb downwards, only slipping occasionally, and found ourselves some lunch. We then spent the afternoon visitng churches and listening to the best buskers we've seen. i don't think buskers is the right word..... band is more appropiate, from austraila. i (pete) has gained a quite good austrailian accent (awful says lisa) but harrison said it was good.

There is so much music going on here, this evening after dinner (pete got his steak, but he wouldn't stretch to horse. or bull testicles for that matter) we watched a band from Boznia-Herzgovina (we think-we couldn't actually understand anything they were saying, but the locals enjoyed it) Part of the Mladi Levi festival I think.

and now we will probably get some rest, in preperation for flying 😊
....fully prepared for the Dutch guys were are sharing a dorm with tonight to roll in noisily in a few hours!






A few observations and tips from our trip:

Eastern Europe seems so much safer than a lot of England,

visiting europe in a few years would be wise as everything is being rebuilt, as some countries are still recovering from the communist era, and the european union is pumping a lot of money into the cities, and most of the countries will be in the euro (not some crazy monopoly money)
But saying that, using the crazy money means that everything in a lot of countries is much cheaper. The barman we were talking to in Bratislava was saying that when they adopt the Euro, the price of beer will most likely triple as it standardises everything.

backpacking is alot of fun and not as dangerous as a lot of people will have you believe

It is good not to book everything in advance, because in hostels someone you talk to will have been somewhere you are thinking of going, and can give really good recommendations.

mixed dorms are more fun as you meet all kinds of people and cultures, we definitely missed out at the beginning of our trip by not (not intenionally) being in dorms.

Pack light! It is surprising the distances which you will have to carry your packs around sometimes.

don't be shy 😊 everyone is very nice and has a story to tell!

Always try and speak the language-even if the locals can speak better English than you, they still appreciate it (even if it is just for hilarity value) even if it is only thankyou or goodbye.

When ordering drink, just order "a beer" - it is really good to try the local stuff! Tonight I drank the beer homemade in the restaurant.

Never be afraid to try anything, how would you know you didn't like Sauerkraut if you didn't try it??

honestly though, its the most fun i've had and it's worth doing this sort of thing, (even if it is with your siblings 😊 )

Next stop, Thessaloniki..... (Just kidding, although if funds and jury service allowed....)

so for the last time.....


Arrivederci

Auf wiedersehen

Na shledanou

Do widzenia

Dovidenia

Viszontlatasra

Nasvidenje

Goodbye! 😊

Love Lisa and Peter. xxx

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