Back in Ljubljana today after my side trip to Bled. Arrived yesterday, which was Slovenia’s Independence Day so everything was closed, pretty much, and the city was very sleepy and peaceful. There’s a summer festival going on here now, so there are concerts along the river and open-air events in the park.
Ljubljana is typical among European cities in that a lot of the old buildings were destroyed and rebuilt along the way, but unique among European cities in that most of the destruction was due to various earthquakes as opposed to wars. Not that Ljubljana escaped wartime destruction; the entire city was surrounded by barbed wire during World War II since the resistance movement was strong here and the Italian Fascist occupiers didn’t want to take chances. This and other historical tidbits were explained during a two-hour walking tour of the city that I went on yesterday evening, which took us up to the castle (yes, another castle) and to the main square and old town areas. I saw the famous Triple Bridge and the nearly as famous Dragon Bridge, the Cathedral, the Parliament and the Square of the Republic, among other sites.
Aside from that, beating the heat has been the main activity here, since this heat wave is insistently continuing. I did a bit of last-minute shopping today, but it’s been a quiet couple of days for the most part. Ljubljana is full of outdoor open-air cafes, designer shops, and a combination of the best of what Austria and Italy have to offer without the high prices and insane crowds. Overall, a great little city.
Shortly I’m off to the airport to catch my flight to London, which is also a great city, though there’s nothing little about it. My Central Europe adventures are now sadly over, but this part of the world is fantastic and I’m sure I’ll be back someday.