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Published: August 14th 2006
The Dragon Bridge
Symbol of Ljubljana.I am going to jump ahead one stop to tell you about my time in Slovenia. (Budapest update to come later.) I'll start by saying this, "You should go!" In fact, go right now if possible. I found Slovenia to be brilliant. In the northwest it has the Julian Alps, in the east it has wine country, the southwest has a bit of coast (and you can always go to Croatia for more of that), and Ljubljana is a truly beautiful capital city. Ljubljana (lube-lee-on-a) has only around 300,000 people but boasts quite an amazing history and culture. There is more picturesque architecture than there is memory in my camera. Whether it's the hilltop castle, brightly painted churches, greening copper statues, pastels of fading paint, art nouveau residences, etc...LJ has plenty of pleasing visuals. In fact, it weren't for the few old flaking paint jobs and some of the blackening red cedar tile roof tops, I would almost think this town was created just for tourism when Slovenia joined the EU. The people are very friendly and on more than one occasion I was asked why I came to Ljubljana. (almost everyone can speak english, among other languages.) That sort of
The Dragon Bridge 2
A beautiful blue night sky, focused on the domes and spires in the background. innocence won't last much longer as people are spreading the word rather quickly. There are plenty of good food options whether you want traditional Slovene or something more contemporary. The prices aren't super cheap but for the EU it is very reasonable. (as I write this they are still using the Tolla but they should be going Euro soon.) I happened to find out about Ljubljana in a few art publications and general travel publications back home in New York and thought I'd swing by. Thank god I did.
I started my Slovenian trip at Lake Bovec. Bovec is just past Bled which is the more popular spot for tourists since they have a cute little island with a cute little church. That's well and fine by me but when I go to nature I want fewer the better. Bovec was still quite busy but mostly with families and the lake was not at all busy. I found myself a small private room at the hostel in Ridcev (which is on the lake.) People would swim in the surprisingly warm water from the shores, or take a canoe out for a quiet paddle. (surprisingly warm to me who mostly
Lake Bohinj
Like bathwater but with an abundance of perch. just knows cold Lake Washington in Seattle.) I thought since this was mountain water it would much chillier but that was only true in the river water above the lake. It was there that I went canyoning with the local guide and two young Brits. I must say, I will never pass up a chance to go canyoning ever again. It is absolutely beautiful to float meanderingly in clear green water, through tight canyons, and jump from slippery rocks while leafy trees scatter rays of morning sunlight from above. Awesome!
After 3 days at the lake I was feeling recharged and ready for the city. I took a train into Ljubljana and checked in for 4 more days. I found myself taking many more photos than I usually do. Ljubljana definitely lends itself to that. Forgive me for my lack of editing skills as I have included waaaay too many. I spent most of my time just wandering around the center of town. I would take a stroll down the river, cross the many little bridges, visit the foodie paradise market, sip an espresso, and repeat. The castle on the hill seems as if it would be quite a
Lake Bohinj 2
The Julian Alps.
Impressive. handful to get to but I found a great little cobble stone street that led you there in 10 minutes walking time. Note: if you go, don't take the vehicular they're building. Take the small cobblestone road that starts just left of the 'castle tunnel.' Anyways, the culture is also growing up quite a bit. In the summertime there are plenty of festivals, orchestras, dance performances, plays, etc. I even caught an outdoor movie playing in the castle courtyard. It may not be high class culture, but 'Walk the Line' (in english no less) was a great movie! The nightlife left something to be desired but then again I was there in July when all the locals were away on vacation so everything was pretty slow. There are a few things I wish I had seen such the large caves just a day trip outside Ljubljana, or the wine country. My favorite story is of a castle in one town built against a cliff, on top of a hill that was essentially swiss cheese. Invaders would repeatedly try to conquer it by laying seige for weeks trying to starve them out. The local occupiers eventually started playing psychological warfare by
Lake Bohinj 3
The church in Ridcev on Lake Bovec throwing fresh peaches at the invaders several weeks in. The invaders were devastated, not knowing that the whole time fresh supplies were simply brought in through the network of caves. Ha! Love it.
Anyway, most of you know that I am not terribly great at hitting all the sites, taking tour buses, etc. My favorite things in past cities have been old unused bath houses (converted into bar) in Berlin, occupied courtyards (also converted into bars) in Budapest, etc. It's not the bars that I love, it's the creative reuse and the creativity it spawns that I enjoy. There is something very captivating about the old and decrepit parts of our society being given new life by people who generally have very little to offer financially. New York's downtown in the 70s and 80s was a prime example. Or even Williamsburg, Brooklyn in present day. So I was very happy to learn about two different such places in Ljubljana. One has been around for some time and is in all of the guide books. The other is not, but I'm sure will be soon. The first is named Metalakova. It was an old military bunker squatted many years
rainy day
In Ljubljana I had two encounters with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. Both happened while I was at the Paninateko. Here, someone abandoned their espresso for safety of cover. back by artists, musicians, and other extravagant folks. Today its walls are covered in grafitti, artwork adorns rooftops and facades, and yes, bars have been created in various nooks and crannies. DJs spin, rock plays, etc, etc. I think there are 6 different venues. I only saw about 3 very small places, but then again, I was several Lasko's into the night when I went. (and it shows in the progression of my photos. don't worry I spared you the whole collection.)
The second 'squat' is called Rog. Rog was an old bicycle manufacturer based on the river in a 70,000 square meter factory. As it layed dormant for 15-20 years falling apart, a group of artists decided they would move in. The city doesn't want them there but they aren't doing much about it other than providing a security guard at the front gate. He doesn't seem to do anything though since anyone and everyone comes and goes as they please. At the entrance I met a guy named Alex, a long dreaded musician returning from a nearby festival. He took me to the room he was taking over at the far end of the factory. "Even here,
Can you say history?
A side door to the church of the Templars if I remember correctly. Coooool. everyone has something to complain about, and since we play music we try to stay as far away as possible." He opened an old shuttered window (now window), and we climbed into the doorless room. Two grungy mattresses layed on the floor and he said I was welcome to come crash here anytime if I wanted. "Thanks man" I told him. "I'll bring an aerobed," I imagined. He gave me a quick tour of the place and let me wander. I ran into another fellow who was trying to cut into the electrical piping to get the copper wire. "An electrician is coming tomorrow!" he yelled over the humming generator. "We're hoping to recycle the copper wire so we can pay him something!" Then he shared how just the night before someone came in and destroyed the mostly intact fuse board of the building. I felt bad for the guy knowing how much that would set them back. They also did it for the copper wire but not for the greater good I imagine. The ground floor was still very raw. Broken bricks, old steel vats on conveyers, mysterious tin cans, and broken glass were everywhere. The second floor had
church top
there are many opportunities for beautiful architectural shots. This was looking from the steps outside the modern museum. caged in studio space filled with collections of materials and junk waiting for glory. It also, to my surprise, had a media center. "Impressive" I thought to myself, looking around the corner for a team of crack hackers. The third floor was a large open floor with a dance floor on one end and a random assortment of sofas, a tub, and hanging drapery on the other side. The fourth floors was for residences. I spent a quiet 2 hours there snapping photos, feeling a bit intrusive. One girl walking up the stairs said hello and asked if I was a tourist. I felt a little defensive and told her that I supposed I was officially but I was also an artist. A partial lie. She recommended that I was a traveller then, which I realized was an important distinction in my own head. "I am a traveller," I thought to myself. "Not a tourist, a traveller." We had a chat and she recommended I go to a dance performance/concert tonight in her neighborhood. "Because it's the only thing going on tonight," she added. And I did go to. It was a Monday, my last night. I didn't see her,
underpass
passing from the modern museum, under the highway to Tivoli Park. but I did run into a girl named Dina, who had told me about Rog in the first place. "What a nice full circle" I thought to myself. A complete round ending to my time in Ljubljana.
Travel Tips from Father Neu:
Tip 1: If you are into artwork, you have to swing by Rog on the Ljlbljanica River a bit north of the Dragon Bridge. (the entrance is on the opposite side of the block at the metal gate.) Don't worry, the security guard isn't there to say no to you. Take a picture next to the "I (dragon) L J" in the main staircase and send it to me!!
Tip 2: Eat at Sokol on the east side of the 3 Bridges if you want some authentic Slovenian food. It was fantastic. And they make their own beer there which is exponentially better than Union or Zlatalasko. (phone: 01/439-68-55) As the saying goes "You drink Lasko, you piss Union." mmmmm, appetizing.
Tip 3: You have to take time to see some nature outside of Ljubljana. It is still very beautiful and relatively untouched. A great re-energizer!
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Mom
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Lasko's
Pete, how many Lasko's into the night were you to climb into a doorless room with two grungy mattresses! It's great to read your blogs knowing you are on to your next adventure and are still alive!