—————————————————————————————————-
This is the tiny railway station at Selo near Bled in Slovenia. Imagine me sitting on my suitcase, having been dropped off by the sweet sweaty singlet-clad hostel owner, waiting for my train to Ljubljana, on a blue sunny morning with the picture-perfect mountains of Slovenia shining in the near distance, thinking life is just peachy…and SUDDENLY -
I realise I’ve left my wallet at my hostel. How come? Because I very cunningly stuck it under my pillow so the Dutch fraud lawyer I was bunking with wouldn’t take off with it in the dead of night. Kinda unlikely..but she HAD claimed to have spent a hairy night in Rio struggling with demons for her immortal soul – so who knows what impulses could have come over her.
I missed the train, of course. So I had to catch a taxi to the bus station in Bled, 20 minutes away, at 9am on a Sunday.
“Just when I was about to sit down to coffee with my wife!” says the taxi driver, “for ONCE! Nobody knows what a horrible life it is to be a taxi driver, no peace, people calling me morning to night! Like just yesterday,I had to work ALL day taking four tourists to the beach, but do I ever get to go to the beach..”
Meanwhile this taxi driver is rattling like a crazy person through the tiny cobbled main streets of picturesque villages, probably trying to get back to his coffee before it gets cool. Dropping me off after this tirade the driver finally decides to draw breath and ask ‘So..do you like our country?’. Hmm.
But never mind, from Bled there’s a bus, so two hours later I am on this bus, and an hour after that, in Ljubljana, j-infested capital of Slovenia. Women of mature charms, this is the place to be if you want to feel really HOT once again. Everywhere I go in LJ, guys stop and stare like I’m a naked supermodel, and utter choked cries of awed stupefaction. Arse, take a bow.
That’s one good reason to visit LJ. Another is the cute little bottles of farmyard alcohol done up with silver filagree, and the markets along the river, which sell shiny purple and green glass jewellery with more filagree. One reason not to is the castle cum mall: LJ’s most famous architect got at it and put in a few choice touches. At least that’s how I remember it. The tourist guide says:
Finding yourself madly in love you may consider getting married in the beautiful environment of the castle. Weddings take place every Wed and Sat.
And here it is. Just in case you do. Find yourself madly in love.
REally? Lucky you – it’s a gorgeous-looking country, and the people really are quite nice. Take a few days to drive/train around – most of it is beyond belief.
________________________________
That last photo is breathtaking. I think the taxi driver needs to take his coffee and sip it there. Might calm him down a bit.
If you live in a place often you don’t really see how amazing it is. He should go to Canberra, Australia’s capital – while very nice in its way, it would really make you look again at Slovenia.
________________________________
Well, in that case, he should try Ohio…
Are you suggesting that Ohio is, how shall we put it, a little run of the mill?
The pictures are stunning but the last one takes my breath away.
Yes, it is lovely. That one’s not mine (that’s why it’s so good) – it’s a tourist photo.
________________________________
I’m so glad that you stopped by my place so that I could find yours; what a beautiful, fascinating, and funny post! I really enjoyed traveling with you (vicariously). Did they happen to say what the chances are of finding oneself madly in love there? Maybe I will visit… ~ Lily
Strangely, they didn’t. You’ll have to go there and see. And thanks.
________________________________
last shot with mountains is spectacular…I so want to visit! and I don’t care how many J’s are in the name…Just Amazing!
Yeah, it is very picturesque. A little boring – when I was there it rained most of the time, and that didn’t help. Slovenia is spectacular.
________________________________
That last photograph is spectacular, Rose. But more to the point, anywhere that men will stare at me as though I’m a naked super model makes my list of places I must visit.
Yeah it’s really weird. They stare absolutely without shame, sort of standing stock still and doing an exorcist as you go by..and then they make comments and noises, like ‘wow’, and ‘phew!’. Nowhere else has this happened to me.
________________________________
So, without getting too nosey (hopefully), do you vacation in Eastern Europe every year?
Nope, this is last year. I’m just writing it up as a sort of personal memoir, before the next trip. BUT later this year I’m off to Budapest with Ms M, god willing. Eastern Europe is amazingly beautiful. We plan to go from Hungary through Slovakia and Croatia to northern Greece and then home.
________________________________
Man you get about, Rose, & I do mean that in a nice way. Lucky you!
You make me laugh so much. You’re a natural at telling life. I envy your travels, envy.
jjjjjjjjjjjjj !
I envy everybody’s travels. I wish I could go places six months out of every year, and I wish i could take my dogs. And kids.
________________________________
Cool title and pics!
The post rocked too…
thanks, you’re a very kind man!
________________________________