Ljubljana. Slovenia
SLOVENIA | Monday, 17 September 2012 | Views [255]
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
An early start from Vienna as we catch the train from Vienna to Ljubljana which is about 7 hours. Got to the station with plenty of time to spare as we ( me ) was working on Australian trains and not the super efficient OBB train system. Past cattle class and onto 1st Class ( sounds posh but it only cost a couple Euros extra ) Wide comfortable seats, big panoramic windows and dining car. Settled back and the train started its journey. Through mountain tunnels, past villages and towering mountain sides, chewing up the kilometres as we watched the Alps with its misty shroud go by. The Austrian Alps were spectacular. The countryside rolled by with green pastures as we followed the river then it became mountainous. Other than a couple of other people we had the carraige to ourselves for most of the journey. Stepping onto the platform at Ljubljana was interesting. Quite grey would be how I would describe the surrounding area. The buildings are very uninteresting and it did take us aback initially. The area we are staying in is a 10 minute walk from the centre of town and it is in the student precinct. There is a lot of tagging on the walls and facilities all around here and Celeste said it looks "rebellious". It is overcast and showery but it is supposed to clear up tomorrow. On a good note the beer is very cheap and tastes pretty good. We walked into the city centre and our concerns were forgotten as there is a lot of history to be seen and this area looks like it will be good to explore. Having a drink and down came the rain. Bugger!! both umbrellas back at the hotel. Cafe shop owner sent one of his staff in the rain to buy an umbrella. He came back with two. €20 lighter but we now have an umbrella for all occasions! Dinner at the hotel and sightseeing in the morning.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Woweee. We have just had our first bummer accomodation, and we didn't pick it as it was the first part of our Croatia leg we let a travel agent do! Its more like cheap student accomodation. The bathroom is so small that when you are on the toilet you can touch every wall and it does have the shower in here as well! Up side is the City is well worth a visit and we had a great day out. The Ljubljana Castle is a ripper with a funicular ride to the top.The battlements gave us a fantastic view over the city and a breathtaking view of the Alps covered in snow. We sat for at least 10 minutes just admiring the scene. The castle is a great structure with gun turrets, battlements, a chapel, dungeons and a square. It is situated on a rocky outcrop and it was evident that in its day you would be able to defend it easily. The city is vibrant around its square with restaurants,shops and cafes thick around the narrow side streets and lanes. Street players were everywhere and as busy as it was everyone seemed happy. Biycle riders are everywhere as it seems to be the way to go in Cities throughout Europe. Cobblestone roads and pathways are also a familiar sight. The day was warm and sunny and we enjoyed a walk through the local market buying fruit, bread and meat for our lunch. Back to the hotel, we rang to make sure we had Sat Nav in our hire car for tomorrow, as we decided maps were not going to be adequate for where we needed to go. Off to dinner then back to our student accom before heading off to Radovljica in the morning.
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