Our initial experiences in Ljubljana....

European clothes dryer

As Pat has said, we fled the damp and cold of Vienna with its delightful urban feel - especially the neighborhood where our hotel was located - and its plethora of Rococo buildings, art, and furniture -for the warmth and sunshine of Slovenia. We had planned on stopping in Graz for a night but the need to just plop (and do laundry) overcame us. Jean Reitan had suggested we contact her friend from Summit Country Ann Clement, who lives part time in Ljubljana, for advice. It turns out Ann was not scheduled to come to Slovenia until April but she did give us advice on where to stay. We followed her advice and booked the Apartment Ljubljana, a charming 1-bedroom place about a mile or so from the center(72 euro/night)  – on a bus line, (although we are walking it because the walk is easy and pretty along the river). We’re here for four days, leaving on Sunday for points south. We are next to two supermarkets and the wonderful Mango café where the staff was so helpful when we first arrived. The place comes with parking, internet and a washing machine (alas, air drying). It fit our needs to regroup just perfectly.

The dragon Bridge

The dragon

Willows are blossoming

We love the city and the country. People are so friendly and generous with our English only language abilities.... We went to the Slovenian Philharmonic in Marjan Kozina Hall last night where they premiered two Slovenian composers’ pieces and both composers were present. The second part of the program featured the full orchestra and the Slovenian Chamber Choir doing a Fran Gerbic symphony, The Hunter’s Symphony. When we went to reserve tickets we were told the concert was free. When we actually arrived, an usher sought us out (we must stand out so much that they remembered us, or more likely, they are just such courteous and thoughtful people) and told us about their mistake – tickets would be 12 Euro each. The woman we had talked to earlier actually had reserved two tickets on the main floor, row 8, and she gave us two CDs of the orchestra’s work as a gift. It was a magical night of unfamiliar music, a magnificent orchestra, and a beautiful setting including the walk home through peaceful and very safe Ljubljana.

So where else should we go in Slovenia? We are generally heading south to the Dalmatian coast but we are not in any hurry and we do have a car. We thought we would drive to Bled tomorrow but we are open to suggestions. It will be hard to beat sipping coffee and wine at a café in the 60+ degree sunny weather along the river, but we plan to see the castle and some of the other must-sees on the tourist map.