The Runaround

Yesterday was a travel day for us.  Again, no photos. 

We packed up our things and checked out of our apartment, loaded up Otto and headed due north - to Slovenia!  While in Slovenia we're setting up home base in the capital of Ljubljana.  We gassed up and tried to spend our last Croatian kuna as they use Euros in Slovenia.  About an hour on the road and we approached a small border crossing.  We handed over our passports which got stampeda nd handed back,  We all cheered "hooray!  We're in Slovenia!"  About one minute later we approach another border stop.  A Slovenian border guard asks for our passports, which he scans, stamps and hands back, sending us on our way.  "Hooray!  NOW we're in Slovenia!"

We read about Slovenia on our drive - a little smaller than New Jersey with a quarter of the population. Slovenia was virtually untouched in the Balkan war because as soon as Yugoslav president-for-life Tito died, Slovenia said "peace out" and were on their own.  No one else argued with them or came after them as their population is mostly ethnic Slovene.  Of all the Balkan nations, Slovenia is the most Germanic - efficient, industrious and organized.

We noticed a change in the topography as well - from Adriatic palm trees and red tiled roofs to coniferous trees and Bavarian style chalets.  A drive along a misty mountain and we ended up at a beautiful blue river - and our B&B, Dvor Tancen.  The building is a repurposed country mansion with 7 clean and romantic rooms.  We dropped our bags and chatted with the innkeep.  She offered us great directions to the closest laundrette, so Ron headed up to the room for a snooze and Kelly and Judy went and did some laundry.  

Once laundry was washed, dried and folded, we headed back to the inn and woke up Ron and headed to the inn's quaint restaurant for some dinner.  We lingered on the patio as it was such a beautiful evening, then headed up the stairs and snuggled down into bed.

Today the 3 of us got ready, ate a great breakfast at the inn and then hopped on the bus, heading for downtown/old town Ljubljana.  Ron had to go to the ER to get his cast off and stitches out, so once we found the beautiful old town, Judy and Ron headed towards the hospital and Kelly was on her own.

Kelly hung out in the town square, took a few photos and people watched.  Slovenians are very stylish in their fall duds, the women in their beautiful double-breasted trench coats and men in their sweaters over button-down tops and sumptous leather shoes.  Everyone she spoke to was extraordinarily friendly as she did a short walk about the town, not wanting to see too much without ma and pa.

Kelly sat at the statue of Slovenian poet Preseren, watched the stylish locals and listened to the street musicians.

Kelly then decided she would do something that she knew her folks wouldn't be interested in, and that was explore the local museum of modern art.  She went to the tourist info and picked up a city map and headed over to the museum.

One of the pieces was on the pavement in front of the museum was a comment on directions and pedestrian instructions in public spaces around the world.

No photography was allowed inside, but Kelly lost track of time amonst the Slovene modernist, expressionist and avant-garde works.  She particularely like the Partisan resistant art and lithographs.

One of the workers informed her that there were more works at the contemporary art museum on the other side of town, which houses 21st century works by Slovene masters.

After an hour and a half, Kelly headed back to the city square to relax on one of the Triple Bridges.

Meanwhile, when Kelly was enjoying her day, Ron and Judy were getting the runaround.  They had headed to the ER to get his stitches out.  They told him that it wasn't there he would get it done, he would have to go to a clinic where he was staying in the Tacen area of Ljubljana.  They then came back to the town square and asked at tourist info where they could go.  The clerk called a clinic who said that they could go there to have the stitches out.  So they headed up to the clinic, where they were told to go to the ER to have it done.  Annoyed, they headed back across town to the hospital, and told them the situation.  Finally, the nurses agreed and they sat in emerg until it was time.  43 stitches out and a new cast and Ron was ready to go, and met back up with Kelly at the town square.  

We were all pretty hungry so we found a traditional Slovene restaurant where Kelly and Ron had beers.

We had a great meal (definitely more German, with mustard, cabbage and schnitzel) and found the bus back to our B&B, where we had a dessert and then turned in.