Day 99 Ljubljana the Hard Hitter, and Off to Italy

Well I had no expectations about Slovenia at all. I really hadn't planned to go there in the first place, and only made the trip as a connecting city to Italy, as I really wanted to get to Venice. A friend from Montreal, native Italian Davide, lived near there and had offered me a spot to crash and a tour guide for the famous city, so I was itching to get somewhere chill. Turns out I needn't have worried, because the capital of Ljubljana is awesome, as was the hostel I stayed at and the people I met.

Hostel Celica

I arrived at the Hostel Celica, voted the Trendiest by Lonely Planet in 2012. It is fairly new, and used to be a military prison before it was converted. It houses a cafe and bar, and has these cool rooms everywhere, such as the chill Oriental Tea Room where we spent most of our time.

I managed to make the 11:00 walking tour, on which I was the only tourist. The guide and I walked around the city together and I got my own private tour for the low price of 5€! It was a tad awkward though by myself, and I for sure prefer to be in a group if possible. The city is quite condensed, or at least the old part of town, and really nice. I was lucky with the weather (which would not be the case when I reached Italy), and the blue skies made sightseeing so much more pleasant. Ljubljana has some really wonderful bridges, all designed by a famous architect who built most of the city's main buildings and monuments. The Triple Bridge, the Dragon Bridge and the Lock Bridge (probably not their real names, but meh) were all gorgeous, especially the crazy sculptures on them! The Dragon Bridge is flanked by the reptiles, and has griffins all over it as well. People have nicknamed it the Mother In Law Bridge, shame! The Lock Bridge's name is derived from all the (you guessed it) locks that people have left their over the years, throwing the keys into the river. They signify relationships, and couples' hope for lasting happiness, the way the lock will remain with the bridge forever. It was really cute, if cheesy, and I spent a lot of time at a cafe nearby chilling and watching various people contribute to the collection.

Turnip!

A Raw Milk machine!! We need one!

I was lucky, there was a market going on nearby that day, and I was able to score a taste of pickled turnip, which is a lot like saurkraute, and delicious to boot! We saw a neat church with a crazy door depicting the history of the city, which the guide claimed to be about 7000 years old! Crazy! The river that passes through disappears into the ground at intervals, and in years prior was though to be different each time it re-emerged, lending it the nickname of the 'River of Seven Names'. There are fountains all over as well, and it is generally just a cool city to relax in. One of the neatest areas is right next to my hostel acutally, called Metelkova. It's been overtaken by the alternative crew, and covered in street art and cool structures. There are a bunch of bars there that cater to all kinds of music tastes, and it's a lively area at night! I wandered around taking pictures, feeling like a total tourist as the locals glared at me with my camera. Hey though, now I can show all of you, so it was worth it!

I returned to the hostel and met my roommate Nathan. He's only in for the weekend, and then goes back to being a suit in the finance sector of Staffield (is that an oxymoron? Brits, anyone?) He bombs around Europe on the weekend, taking advantage of the cheap flights that us Non-Citizens are so jealous of. My God what I would do if it cost me €40 round trip to go somewhere awesome... dangerous. We headed downstairs and played some Jenga, before hitting a little supermarket and buying booze and dinner stuff. Lately it's been a trend that I end up in hostels where outside alcohol is not allowed, but I usually cheap out and make it work anyways, refilling a wine glass over and over until the bottle I stashed in my room is gone.. heehee! Ah well, when you're on a budget you have to make it work somehow right?

What are they doing to that weird dog thing???

We were joined by David, another traveler who is 42 and wanders around on his time off, seeing the world. I am pretty awed by him, he came out and partied with us at the electronic show we went to later as well, and had some pretty insightful things to say. He's also a diver, and reminded me that I really need to use my license when I get back, because that is a FUN thing to do! The three of us hung out and smoked shisha, listening to the weird hipster accordion show going on in the next room. We eventually headed out, as I'd been tipped off in the loo about a cool Progressive Trance concert with free entry. We had a ball, dancing and chilling until 4:30 in the morning. I got two hours of sleep, and then luckily woke up to my alarm, signaling the end of  my surprisingly awesome stay in Slovenia.

The Oriental Tea Room

Green Apple Shisha!

I caught a sketchy looking minibus to Venice, and on the bus met another friend, this time a Northern Irish guy who gave me so many awesome tips on South East Asia and India when I eventually get my act together and head over there. Did you know you can go tubing down this lazy river type thing in Cambodia, and paddle over to bars along the way? How awesome does an orangutan and gibbon safari sound, where you zip-line around and stay in the tree-tops? I'm going to love that part of the world I think!

I met Davide at the station. The guy was nice enough to travel into the city for 2 hours to hang out while we waited for a return train and then traveled 2 hours back! We caught up and talked about what is new with us and our friends in Montreal. He was pretty devastated to hear that a certain Brutopia waitress is now married and pregnant... seems he had a crush while he was in town! We visited this little town in the Pre-Alps called Belluno, the biggest in his area. The North of Italy is very different from the South - quiet, sleepy, and covered in mountains. While I'm sure there is bustle from time to time, it's not like the busy streets of Rome, or the Mediterranean weather and vibe that comes from sea. We had a local delicacy, roasted chestnuts with mulled wine, and visited a free art gallery showcasing a bunch of wood carvings competing for prizes. I snapped a shot of an amazing one, depicting a tree stump with mushrooms and fauna growing about it.

We headed into his little town, Cornie, where his adorable Mom had prepared a fantastic meal of Radicchio Risotto and Saffron Chicken. MMMM! She speaks no English, and my Italian is derived only from my knowledge of French and limited abilities in Latin and Spanish, so whenever we would get a point across the result was always mutual excitement. I showered, a strange experience as they had no curtain and you basically use the shower head as you crouch in the bathtub... very strange, but since it worked I guess I can't complain! I was even gifted a pair of slippers, which I have been wearing non-stop since. It's funny the little things you miss when you're away from home, and slippers has been one!

We had planned to walk into the bar in town, it being Saturday and all, but an onset of rain and tiredness changed these plans into the far more tame ones of watching a show and hitting the sheets. Davide has two twin beds in his room, so I was not relegated to the couch as I had assumed, and I had a great sleep until the morning, when we had to rise early to take a taxi to the station and head into town. The buses don't run on Sundays in Cornie, so this was a necessity, but it does bring my total taxi count to 6 on the trip so far, and I'm going to try and keep it that way! I like public transport, honestly!

 The rain from the night before had worsened, and owing to this, and the reports of intense Aqua Alta (High Tide) in Venice, I decided to take Davide up on his offer, and head to Udine with him. Udine is near Slovenia, and he was asked to consult on a new bar there for a friend. It's not so far, and seems like a good place to while away a few days, this trip's about spontaneity right? So I was off to Udine, one of the most expensive cities in the area. The wealth per capita is huge I'm told, so I'm pretty glad I've got a free place to stay and a free place to drink! Though we didn't know where we were crashing exactly, Davide told me it would all get figured out, and I wasn't phased.

I had hoped to sleep on the bus, but talking and looking at scenery proved too much of a distraction, and we ended up in Udine no more rested than at 6:45 when we had woken up. These early mornings are getting to me I swear!

Ciao Amicis!