October 13 – November 13
So, as I was last saying, we were being escorted to Pompeii by the graciousness of the local Police. We got there quickly and safely.
We have seen Vesuvius, the culprit that put this city to sleep forever in 79 A.D. Now, it is beautiful and quiet, as is Pompeii, which is 50 hectares of uncovered city. Still to be excavated is the remaining 16. So, it is big! An almost whole city from Roman times. Of course much of it is not in its whole state but there is a wealth of architecture to be seen... in all states. It is easy to visualize the busy city. The main streets are wider than those leading into the residences. Room for chariots and parades and people scurrying to and from the main market square every day. Water almost constantly cleans the streets, running downhill. To cross the street at the corners, the people stepped from the narrow sidewalks to blocks of stepping stones to keep their shoes and clothing from getting wet. David, Deb and I are there 3 ½ hours exploring all the nooks and crannies that held reminders of some of its 20,000 inhabitants. Many lived in elegance. Examples of painted walls...murals and symbols of the families... and of mosaic walls, floors, tables were in abundance...the original art! And sculptures/statues with missing noses, arms etc. but still lovely in their classic styles. Vesuvius stands watch over all from one end of the lovely classic forum. We saw the amphitheater where the town gathered for every occasion...and it seemed the crowd roared from their seats. And a smaller steeper amphitheater where plays were offered. In the Roman baths we could see how the floors were heated by hot water pipes beneath them. Along the streets, in front of homes, there were bits and pieces of pottery, silverware, urns, jewelry, even toys. Each home (casa)had a large garden space behind. Room for animals. We walked through parts of 8 districts (Regios). Through reconstructed parks and fields. Tall trees line some areas, looking like they have always been there. It was truly a wonderful experience. Tragic, but a gift to all of us who follow such a rich civilization.
The hotel for Deb tonight is the jewel in the crown...and we found it simply by following signs through scruffy streets, finally landing on the hillside at the Rosenthal. David and I sleep underground in their garage! Deb sends a bottle of wine to us by way of a pleasant young employee...from the castle to the dungeon!
Sunday, our last day to play together. Let's make it a good one. We head very slowly in the direction of the Rome airport. Mid morning we stop in a small river town. Coffee and pastry at a cafe bar on the little main square. We share our space with the local men...their daily meeting spot. They are animated Italian men. Good company. Church bells ring across the road and the sanctuary fills. Outside on our square, children play on bikes round and round the obligatory statue. Two on a bike. Ice cream in their hands. Squeals of laughter as they almost take a tumble. A plaque on the wall is somewhat curious to us. It has a swastika on it. We ask a passer-by. He tells us that this plaque is here to remind the town people that Hitler bombed this town one November day.
One more stop. Spurlunga. A white hill town two hours southwest of Rome. A few scribbles on our map, a suggestion from some helpful person, has sent us here. Below the town there are lovely sand beaches. The Mediterranean is still fairly warm. So we walk for a while. A few swimmers are bobbing in the waves, children dart in and out like sandpipers...not wanting to get too wet! Most folks seem happy sleeping on their beach chairs, books and magazines slipped to the sand, or hugged to the chest. We drive up to the hill town. First things first. A gelato to carry with us as we start into the narrow stone pedestrian streets of residences and shops. It is quiet and enfolds us in its worn history. Down and in and out and around. We are finally lost. A family is coming up the stairs toward us. “Where are we? How do we get out of here?” They tell us to just keep going. “All pathways lead back to the starting point!” This is a family from Long Island. A couple with two boys and parents who own a home in a town not far away. They are right. It was a circuitous route but we found our van.
We learn that there are many caves in the cliffs reaching under this city. Spelunking is popular. I will leave that to others who are not concerned about closed-in spaces!
Our ride to Rome is gorgeous. The route leads us through a tunnel of trees for miles and miles. Flat straight roads with tall pine trees planted on each side. For beauty and shade. Blue mountains march to the east of us. White billowing clouds lazily roll across their tops. “Ice Cream Castles in the Air”. Then, from its outside edges, the city begins to build. More houses, apartment buildings, businesses....and what? A real elephant and a real giraffe? Great visual advertising for the circus along the road a bit with white tent, colored pennants flying. Do you think the elephant and friend giraffe are happy? I suppose they could be.
The sun sets as we turn into the Golden Tulip Hotel. David and I are treated to a fine dinner in the restaurant and we say “goodbye...and thank you...and we had a great time together...take good care of yourself...we will miss you”. Hefty warm hugs. Deb has been a great partner in our adventure.
October 15
Deb must be in the air on her way to Paris. We are having a hard time getting going. She has been part of our daily plans, offering fun suggestions. Our first thought is to catch up on our emails so we drive to a sea town not far away...Ostia. When that is done we still feel lost. Maybe we should go with the flow and be slow and lazy today. Sunshine and blue skies. “Let's go to the beach and take a snooze!” So with blanket and books in hand we do this. There is quite a breeze...we don't sleep...we get sand in our pockets, in our hair and in our ears, so we give up and decide on a different plan. There are two hill towns that we still have time to see before we head to Slovenia to pick up our friend Diana. I put Cirvita in the GPS. After driving for almost two hours we find ourselves in the wrong Cirvita. A seedy little spot by the side of a small dark road. There is more than one town with the name Cirvita. Too late to search out the right Cirvita, we “turn in” for the night.
We wake to cold air as we are high in the mountains. I have to roll down my jeans and put socks on. And where is my warm jacket? David pulls on a wool sweater. Actually, I love this change. We can't figure out which is the “right” Cirvita so instead we head to the other hill town, Orvieto. While we drive, we play a game. WHAT WORD OR PHRASE WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE ITALY?
CYPRESS/ PINE/ HILLS/ MOUNTAINS/ BEACH/ PROSCUITO/ FRESH PRODUCE/ GELATO/ PROMENADES/ WILD DRIVERS/ OLIVE TREES/ VINEYARDS/ SIDEWALK CAFES/ WHITE VILLAGES/ BEAUTIFUL SUITS AND SHOES/ BEAUTIFUL SEXY WOMEN/ GRIZZLED MEN/ PASTA/ 3WHEELED VEHICLES/ VESPAS/ ROMAN RUINS/ HILL TOWNS/ OCEAN/ FABULOUS CLOUDS/ BRIDGES/ TUNNELS/ BARS/ SUN GLASSES/ FUN-LOVING FAMILIES/ ITALIAN DESIGN/ PAINTED POTTERY/ OLD TOWNS/ SUNSHINE/ STONE HUTS/ ART~OLD AND NEW/ GREAT WINES/ LEATHER BAGS/ MARKET DAYS/ PASSIONATE PEOPLE
So we have made our way to Orvieto, up the funicular to the hill town. First stop is an uphill walk to the church. The Piazza Duomo has a front facade that is full of a variety of busy stuff to look at. Bible illustrations start from the left...Creation...Tree of Jesse...New Testament...The Last Judgment...so many things to look at in each story that it is actually fun. Each supporting pillar is topped by unique symbols of the evangelists...Matthew as an Angel...Mark as a Lion...Luke as a Bull...John as an Eagle. The interior is interesting with its black and white stripes but the outside is the best, even showing off some Gothic pinnacle prickles.
A walk through town and a beer seems like a good idea. I think we are still on slow mode today. The town is just as satisfying as all the other narrow stone streets and buildings we have wandered through. We never tire. The old is unique and handsome to us. We stop in a produce shop. Tiny. Everything in it is perfect...and a bit more expensive because it is on the top of this hill. And here we meet new friends, Kathy and David. Both of us are holding on to our Rick Steve's ITALY travel books. We begin to talk in the middle of that small space and can't seem to stop. Finally, the other David says, “Can I buy you a drink so we can continue this conversation in a better place?” So we enjoy each others company immensely at an outside table until there is no sun left and we are cold. Kathy and David are from San Leandro, California. David and David have much in common and the stories kept coming. We certainly found a great match to spend our afternoon with.
Before we leave town we buy four bottles of Orvieto white wine, total cost 11 euros.
October 17
We have found our way to the right Cirvita! This is the hill town that you will remember in Rick's videos. It is unique because you have to walk a long causeway from one hill to another to get to it...uphill. The further you go the steeper it gets. There are hills all around us but they have sloughed off their sandy make-up until the whole area looks like a huge sand pile with some points or ridges still standing with plant growth on top. It has happened in Cirvita too. A good part of the castle has slid into the abyss below. It is lunch time. A few places are still open out of season. We choose the one with the blazing wood fire in the fireplace and order wine with tomato and basil brochettes with a small amount of olive oil drizzled on top. (Pecorino cheese on the side.) Oh my gosh what a taste...all this on some good toast ...thick fried bakery bread. Try it! And we split an apple dessert! Now we are fortified to move forward.
This is the smallest of towns...I think 10 inhabitants still live here and most of them are very old. One of these old people was a woman, dressed in colorful old clothing. Shoes and thick stockings, a skirt of a flower pattern and a bright red sweater over it all. One foot was gnarled and misshapen. One arm hung at her side with the inert hand lying in her lap. She wore a scarf over her grey hair. When she smiled most of her teeth were missing. She was sitting at a gateway asking for money to have her picture taken or to enter her garden. (I am not sure it was even her garden.) She was worth a photograph...and we paid. Cats and more cats everywhere. Kittens so cute we wanted to pick one up and take her “home”.
October 18
Today we prepare for the coming of our friend Diana. We find ourselves in the outskirts of Padova where we wash and dry our clothes and bedding at a laundromat. David gets a haircut. The van gets vacuumed. We buy fresh fruit and vegetables at a produce market store. We begin to pick up some apples when the proprietor comes over and says, “Don't touch the goods. The Italians put their hands all over the fresh produce. Let me work for you. You just tell me what you want.” He was friendly and jovial and it was easy for us to let him “work for us”. We learn that he was a champion horse jumper and see photos of him on horseback in competition. He seems just a happy farmer to us. Who knows what accomplishments have been made in the lives of those we meet from day to day. Isn't it wonderful! He dearly loved his horses. “They have emotion. They are wonderful animals”. His last words to us were...”Italian politicians are stupid!”
Tonight we sleep off the freeway in a rest stop. Gas station, restaurant, truckers and cars. Lots going on. Lots of lights. We have already been warned not to sleep in these places...but we take it lightly. At four- thirty in the morning David awakes to find a thief in our car, leaning into the front seats. We could have jumped him if we could have found our wits, but instead we only scared him and he left behind our packs, car documents, David's passport...on the ground near the van. He got our computer. I confronted a couple parked close by. She was stuffing something into the back seat, under piles of bags and boxes. On top of their car wrapped and taped boxes were roped securely. The license plate...Romania. And yes, I have to say they were gypsies. When David wrote down their license number the woman went nuts and lunged at him...broke the pen in half! Then they got into their car and drove away. We called the police, who were very nice and took down all the information. Of course they alerted other patrols to watch for the car but they told us that there was not much hope to get it back. Our money and cards(hidden), phone and cameras remained untouched. I guess you could say we were lucky.
Okay, this was my fault. I was writing into the night, in the front passenger seat. I was noticeable. Head lamp and glow of the computer screen. It was 1:30 when I crawled into the back bed. AND I FORGOT TO LOCK THE DOORS! It was a frightening experience to be sound asleep...with someone already in your car. I no longer sit up front to write. We both check the locks at night. And I lost a months worth of blog writing which is why I am so far behind. I had to reconstruct it all up to this point. A difficult task.
October19
On to better things. Today is the day we meet Diana in Ljubljana, Slovenia. We first drive to Trieste, which is on the sea, still in Italy. Getting to this city is a bit like the Amalfi coast towns...down steep grades. We pass by a very tall tower with an angel on top of it. Very impressive. Perhaps it is there to protect the folks who fish or have other occupations that require being on a sea whether still or stormy. It seems a working city, not a tourist place. We walk a bit. I get my hair cut because I see a barber sitting in his chair reading a paper. He needs something to do! He is good and fast. I much prefer the atmosphere compared to a womens salon. We learn that there are many caves here where the citizens of Trieste hid the Polish and Czech Jewish people during WWII. Jews came here knowing that it was a safe place. Imagine, having to flea to the warmth of a cave?
We cross into Slovenia. No closed border. It is part of the EU. Autumn is here! Green, yellow and orange leaves still on the trees. It is our first glimpse of this season. There are mountains. Big ones. With snow caps. We did not know what Slovenia would be like. It is beautiful. We set the GPS for Diana's hotel, Hotel Slon. It is on the main street in the very center of Ljubljana. The reception desk calls her room for us and while we wait I notice that Bill Clinton has been here. A proud and prominent photograph announces the fact. Diana comes toward us with a big smile. We are actually here together in Ljubljana! After all the plans and emails. Let's check out the old part of town and have dinner together!
Yes, I know I always say that this is the best town... or that is the most beautiful city... or this one has the most ambiance. Or the square is so amazing. Or the river is so beautiful and the bridges that go over the river are fabulous and the neighborhoods are cozy and the architecture of the buildings is incredible. Well, yes... that is true BUT this is the city that has it ALL!
We walk out of the hotel, turn left and left again at the first street...a few blocks on a slight incline through shops and eateries to the big pink church on the square. The pink church will always serve as a familiar place to head for, as do the three bridges that cross the river there...three in one spot. Take your pick! It is a remarkably fun idea. All three of us are stunned at what we see and experience in this city of cities. Music is always present... music from good musicians playing on the streets... a trumpeter playing jazz... a drummer, and on a bit further a crowd has gathered around a crooning voice in song. We walk over the Dragon bridge. Two large wonderful dragons at each end...green with patina. The Dragon is this towns mascot/emblem. After dinner at an outside table we head back and come upon a beautiful woman dancing with fire sticks in the very center spot in the square. It is marked...the center. If you want to be in the middle of everything... you know where to go...but you better be ready with a song or a dance. There is a monumental statue of a famous Slovenian poet, Presheren, standing off to the side. A muse flies above him, giving him some ideas I think! It is the meeting place of friends. “Meet you at the statue.” More folks stroll into the square and across the bridges. The later it gets the energy rises. Diana has had a long long day on airplanes so it is early to bed for her, and we are most always game for that.
October 20
In the morning we meet Diana to walk and get to know this city more. She has already been to the daily open market and is eager to show it to us. We explore different streets than the night before, and we go to the market and shop for meat and cheese. Diana has already bought some food to share with us. We follow a plan to see all the Art Nouveau buildings...all in a walkable distance. Such fun...like playing a game. The architecture is wildly wonderful...if you love the style. And we do. And then there is an outrageous building painted like a traditional cloth pattern. (Just for your information...along the way I catch a phrase written on a stone wall in black...”Capitalism makes me ill”). We go to the castle which is above us perched on the hill. I think it is the getting there that is the draw. And maybe the view. Nothing too much happening, but then, it is off season. We have been told about a really nice neighborhood a few minutes in another direction. A group of tightly packed, nicely kept small ancient homes on pedestrian streets. They keep a pea patch garden going amongst them. And flanking the houses, over a canal, is the greatest little funky business district. One restaurant is painted outside in a gold and colored Klimt style motif. And just up the street, a hostel/cafe is completely covered in bright colored murals. Outside tables are full, even in the cold. This feels like our kind of place. What would it be like to live here? We also visit a Roman wall not far from this neighborhood. And we choose to have a little lunch in a sweet warm corner cafe. Diana takes a few hours to rest while David and I visit the National Museum and again it is refreshing to see works of East European artists, this time, impressionists. Dinner at our “house”, parked not far from the hotel. Diana squeezes into the van and we dine around our table. She is a trooper! I think she even likes our cooking!
October 21
The three of us are loaded in the van. We have given Diana instructions that she is to be our tour guide so she has studied and suggests our course, which we all agree to... SE to see Iron Age sites, Monasteries and art, then generally North to the mountains followed by SW to the Adriatic.
The Sumacs are bright red with large cone shaped seed “packages”. Little birds dart about, all in a jumble of flapping and gliding from sky to bush to ground. It is misty. Hawks are on fences, waiting for a bit of ground movement to snatch away a meal. Firewood is neatly stacked. Bottles hang on pear trees! Are the farmers getting a head start on brandy making? There seems a sense of well being. But is that my projection? I know the economy is very bad and folks live on the edge. I guess it is my wish that they still have food, family, friends, shelter and a sense of contentment. David and Diana are chatting in the front seats as we drive. I am happy back on the “couch”...quietly observing. There are covered drying racks near the barns. Alfalfa and corn hang to dry. Funny shaped gourds decorate a fence row. Above the wide barn doors, shapes have been cut out to decorate...horses, stars, hearts. Castles are beginning to be Ho Hum. Too many.
We stop in Dolenjske Toplice for lunch of some good warm soup. I choose beat root. Hit the spot! The restaurant is dear, and the waiter, adorable! The healing waters of this very old spa resort are still used. We hike on an archaeological path to Cvinger, an Iron Age fortified settlement (First Millennium BC) up on top of a hill. It feels good to be walking, first through the town, then on the trail through the woods in the crisp air. There is not much evidence of the village...bits of the surrounding fortified wall. Explanatory signs tell us where the hill fort was, the smelting zone and the barrows. The iron made in Cvinger was used in trade between peoples of Italy, the Alps and the Balkans. It is amazing to me what can be found out about their lives through the gathering of artifacts and bones. We know that their staple food was meat...sheep, goats, pigs and cattle...and also grains...wheat, millet and barley...and mustard. The excavated bones show that hunting was only used for supplementary food. Also found: pottery, jewelry, bronze vessels and tools. It must be thrilling to be working on a “dig”, to actually find something, dust it off, analyze it.
October 22
Diana has really done her homework. We must go to Sticna (Stitchna) monastery. Founded in 1136 for the Cistercian order...it became very important for education and manuscript production. This monastery was well fortified and so, today, it remains a sturdy structure. For about 115 years it was not used but in 1889 Cistercuian monks reclaimed it. The church is still used for worship. A guide took us though parts of the monastery and the church. There are still monks living here. That is probably the reason for todays beauty. Recovery of the painted walls, statues and columns and a highly decorated sanctuary made this tour exciting for me and my camera. I seem to be attracted to the art aspect of these religious spaces. The craft of its creators. I am not pulled to know the history very deeply, as it is the sort of thing I forget pretty quickly, especially with the amount of sites we are visiting. I am constantly aware of the hold religion had on the older world peoples. Their beliefs (and some of their fears) outwardly show.
Diana is so good at finding good inexpensive lodgings. 15 to 35 euros per night. And they are all clean, comfortable and friendly. Most of the time breakfast comes with the room. It is fun to research and then find them, putting the address into the GPS. The one we are at tonight, was suggested by our Sticna Monastery tour leader. We are parked outside Diana's room at an Agro/Tourism farm. We have dinner in the car tonight. It seems to be our usual routine now. One night I fixed a cabbage and chicken salad which Diana has added to her list of favorite meals. This is the basic:
Fresh cooked chicken, meat torn in pieces
Thin sliced cabbage
Cut up orange
Peanuts
Candied ginger bits
A small amount of mayonnaise
Olive oil and apple cider vinegar
A big dash of curry
Lots of pepper and a little salt
October 23
Today we are heading to Nova Mesto but first make a stop at the unique Trifare Pilgrimage Center at Rosalnice. Three churches are behind one wall, all different denominations... for the Slovenians, the Croatians and Greek Orthodox...built to cope with the surge of pilgrims. The contemporary cemetery surrounding them is very unique. Marble flat tops of different designs of decoration but always an area open to accommodate garden plantings. Candles inside protective vases are placed on the marble. Headstones are behind and they tell of the lineage of the families, all remembered in one plot.
Nova Mesto. A town to live in, a great square that is really used by locals. We use the library for email catch-up. We also visit the Dolenjske Bronze Age Museum. A little beauty of a museum. It supports our hike to Cvinger, giving us much more information about iron-age villages. Our imaginations and understanding are widened. A classroom of 15 year olds is on a tour. Some listen but most don't.
Today the drive is sensational. As usual, David and Diana are chatting and I am quietly observing from my seat in the back of the “bus”. Everyone has flowers still growing from window boxes or pots on the doorsteps. It seems too cold to have such a nice showing. The most popular are the red geraniums cascading in such profusion below the windows. You cannot see the sills, nor the planters, just the red of flowers and green of leaves. Other favorites are salvia, roses and petunias...all red, red, red. It is the time for clean-up for winter. Many folks are out in their yards with rakes and wheel barrows. We ride through wine country. Grape leaves are yellow now. Fields are stripped and clean. It is definitely wool scarf weather. Small roads to destinations are the most enjoyable. Baby lambs in Autumn. Now through deciduous woods. Leaves wafting slowly to the ground, spotting the grass with color. The trunks are slim and tall, the foliage grows high on the top. There is mist between the trunks...a mysterious see-through forest. Leaf scattered trails disappear around bends, inviting an autumn walk. We overnight in Semic.
October 24
Diana has been up awhile. She has been to the bakery to buy her breakfast, some fresh sugary wonder, and has taken it across the street for a good cup of coffee to go with it! She adores this part of travel. It includes people watching.
We drive on. The barns are black in this area. Black with age, black with coal oil as a preservative. Yellow marigolds and white chrysanthemums hang on in the garden plantings. Quick little birds bounce around in the pine trees...green needles flagging rust. Black eyed Susans. Pumpkins on porches. Do they celebrate Halloween? Brown and white goats, sturdy thick horses, cats out in the fields mousing. Corn strung up at front doors, looking a bit like bananas to me.
Oh, oh. We are lost. We stop by a restaurant for some help with directions. Immediately, before we can get out of the car, a waiter is by our side. “You are lost, I presume.” (Beautiful English) There is always help around when needed, angels dressed as humans.
With new information we are off again. We drive through a small town. Little children and their teachers are on there way to somewhere on the main street. Each class member has a bright green baseball cap and matching over-the-head tunic over their coats. So dear! The boys tightly hold hands with the girls, in twos.
We come close to our destination. Konstanjevica na Krki is a small village on an island. We walk along the main street. David and I find a tiny painting that will remind us of the area and fit nicely into our van living room! Diana explores the town on her own and we meet back at the van.
Our destination is off the island, another Cistercian Monastery but this is now an art museum like no other. Our first stop was a show of neon paintings. We were in the dark with infrared lighting which picked up the responsive paint the artist had used. What an experience! The paintings were huge. You had the feel that you were walking around in the dark of night and all the stars had turned color and were telling you stories. I liked it! Most of the rest of the exhibits were works of famous Slovenian artists working in a wide variety of mediums and styles. The paintings were hung and sculptures placed, in rooms as you walk around the cloister...three floors worth! Franz Kralj was most featured. (1895 – 1960) He could work in any medium very well. In general...the spaces are packed with really wonderful work. Lifetimes of serious work. I found this art museum to be such a rich inspiring experience...I could almost taste it it was so delicious!
Outside on the lawns were very big wooden sculptures. Thick and strong European style. These are created on the spot once a year by invited artists. What a great idea!
THOUGHTS and OBSERVATIONS:
>These money belts we wear. They are a pain in the butt, but...they keep us from worry. However, sometimes several check-out grocery girls have nearly fainted as David digs into his pants while they wait to be paid!
>The cabbages are really big...not just a big head...bigger! Too big to put into a grocery bag. Also they are very dense and heavy. We had to ask a market produce person to please cut it into four! (1/4 = size of 1.)
October 25
Brezice. Diana has earmarked “Knight's Hall” as a MUST SEE. It is inside a renaissance complex that is now a fine museum. We take our time going through it but Diana can wait no longer and scurries ahead. She returns to get David and leads him to the Knight's Hall, telling him to close his eyes until she tells him to open them. WOW! This sight stops us all in our tracks. It is still used for local gatherings of government officials...just as it was used for the gathering of Knights who would come far and wide to attend an event. The paintings and frescoes are amazing. They cover every inch of wall and ceiling. Just as it used to be! Our imaginations run wild. Chairs are set and ready for their entrance. This is a find. Thanks Diana!
Churches in the area villages are painted butter yellow with white trim. The bell towers seem taller. We turn north and follow along a small river. We are getting higher into the snow capped mountains as we make our way toward Lake Bled. It is definitely colder but the air is the rosy golden color of autumn. A halcyon day. We stay the night in Kamnik.
October 26
Kamnik is a lovely old Medieval town to walk through. One building is wrapped, curled and looped with orange electrical tubing. The meaning? We used to be able to see electrical wire and now, in this digital time, everything is unseen. We used to be a lot more free, we could spend many hours alone without anyone knowing where we are. (I realize that to some people this is a good thing, but not necessary good for them.)
We buy produce from a fresh market for salad tonight. The owner gives us three oranges (and I must say that they were juicy and tasty). We buy milk and cookies for tea. There are extra flower shops open. One kind of arrangement seems to be the most popular. “Excuse me”, I say, “but can you tell me what everyone is buying flowers for today?” Two ladies are glad to pantomime that November first is a time to remember those who have died. There will be two days of holiday celebrated. It is called Memorial Day I think but is not just for victims of war. I duck into a yarn, ribbon and embroidery shop. I am always looking for interesting yarn but in these small towns there does not seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
We get on our way again. I notice that some of the hay drying racks have been added to, to be a good cover for stacked wood. An older husband and wife are in their small fields hand picking the left overs after harvest. Today it is potatoes. Hills surrounding us hover between a leafy dark rose/gold and conifer black/green.
We reach the town of Bled and can now see that famous scene of small island in the midst of lake. It is beautiful, even to us who are used to such things. The forest surrounding this lake is deciduous, so the fluffy fall leaf colors add another dimension. We walk around the lake, which is a bit larger than Seattles Green Lake. However it has a fairy tale feel with a cliff-top castle and a church on a tiny island. The island was first important as a Pagans' shrine. I like the thought of that! It is misty with vapors. Ah, but those vapors turn into rain toward the end of our walk. It is all so very picturesque! We can take the rain...we are from the Pacific NW.! We opted out on the gondola ride to the island and the 99 steps to the church. Just a bit too touristy for us.
October 27
It rained! Cats! Dogs! No let-up! All night long.... and continued. Okay. That is enough. We Pacific Northwesters are heading to the Coast, the Adriatic Sea. (Did anyone say we liked rain?) We stop in Koper to walk its old streets. The weather is still rainy. We duck into shops and exchange some words with vacationers. “Oh, you are the Evergreen People!” They must have seen our van in the parking lot and picked us out as belonging to it...not too hard! Diana buys a National Fast Food favorite. A burek. A flaky crust filled with cheese and chopped spinach. We were looking for a bagette sandwich. Wecan only find cheese and meatballs on limp bread! Then Diana insists on buying us gelatos to cheer us up on this grey day.
Next Slovenian coast town, Izola. There are black flags flying from some of the boats in the harbor. Maybe one of their skipper friends has passed on? Boats in other harbors have flown the same small black flags.
We all love to walk in the old town streets, this time toward a church we could see at the top of the hill, then down a different street to the harbor. Oh no! This is not the harbor we know! We have landed at the opposite side of the hill to where we started. Lost. We asked 7 young men who were out walking together. They all spoke English but still, were unable to get the directions across. So we just wandered in the direction they pointed to and finally saw something familiar to anchor ourselves to. Ahh. This is our harbor. There is the pleasure boat, California Queen.
Today I am a bit out of sorts. Tired, quiet, no energy. And I keep making mistakes while knitting.
October 28
Sunday. We are in Piran. Today it is rainy and windy but this could be a really wonderful place, so we walk anyway. We park in an uphill parking garage and take an elevator down, almost to the sea level. We didn't get wet yet! We walk along the waterfront for 10 minutes and reach the town square. It is always a must to check out the town square. It is the center of community activity. People walk across it at many angles with shopping bags in hand...or just a newspaper and a little bulging bakery bag. Always there are two or three men together and at least one of them is animated about something and another has his hands clasped behind his back. They all have jaunty hats on. Little tiny kids can't help chase the pigeons. Everyone carries umbrellas. And the patterns on them are fabulous! Many have the traditional hook handle and when it is not raining they turn into canes. There is a statue, monument or fountain holding forth in the center, usually with some form of seating. Always there are friends or families sitting here. Such a welcoming place to be. And if you are the kind that does not want to miss anything, you will be here at least once a day. (Usually before the bakery closes!)
From the square we head past the old town along the harbor jammed with boats, past the pastel painted buildings out to the point of a peninsula. This is a picture perfect working fishing port, and sailing community...and just the spot for lovers of any kind of boat and the sea.
Before heading back to our van we visit two museums, modern art and sculpture. At the latter the saleslady is delighted to be talking to folks from America. During one marriage she was in Berkeley for nine years. That episode concluded and she is back where she grew up. What a character! Her California stories went on a bit too long but she did finally send us along to lunch next door in a cozy spot out of the rain. Pizza.
We are so near the Croatian border. We must go and see the salt flats. We go through a Slovenian border, show our passports, get stamped and waved through. Then we are supposed to turn to the right before the Croatian border but we did not understand this and went right through the Croatian border...our passports stamped a second time. Oh my, now we have to be silly vacationers and turn right around and go back! But people are always willing to talk to us, even officials. We asked him if he had been to the USA? “No but I will. I want to go to the Florida Keys, to go to Ernest Hemingway's Bar!” It is now too late to walk to the flats, visit the museum there, and walk back....so here we go, back through the Slovenian border and get our passports stamped again!
October 29
Enough of this. Let's get back to Ljubljana. It is Monday. Diana leaves us later today. On the highway we see snow topped cars! Then snow on the ground. Snow on top of trees still filled with colored leaves. We manage to miss the active storm, the snow no longer falls. Back in Ljubljana we want to play some more! Just a few more hours in this city. We walk to a down town neighborhood. Old kept-up small houses closely packed on small streets. A pea patch in their midst. The business district is wild. A restaurant exterior painted in Klimt style. A hostel/bar covered in bright swirling murals. A sidewalk cafe is full. even in the cold. Across a little canal bridge, we stop for tea and creme cafes in a small quiet residential coffee bar, then walk to the Roman wall. David and I could live here! Now we must take Diana to the airport and see that she gets safely to her plane. What will we do without our guide and dear friend, Diana?
So here is what we do. It is very hard to get back on the track of two travelers. We take care of business first. Check our emails. Donna has sent us our new computer...3 to 5 days...”but don't be surprised if it takes two weeks!”...says the postal clerk.
P.S. Diana is the author of the book SHARED WALLS Seattle Apartment Buildings 1900 – 1939 Diana E. James
THOUGHTS and OBSERVATIONS:
>As we walked around the edge of Lake Bled we noticed lone or groups of fishermen. They were all dressed the same in camouflage suits. Many of them had tents. Their fishing poles/lines were set out on holders, always more than one. They had chairs to make themselves comfortable in. Some read books. Others talked. I think this is a way to relax and the gear seems to be a MUST HAVE.
>We asked one person where he would like to go when he makes his planned trip to the USA. “I have a dream. You might think this is really silly but I want to take Route 66 from Chicago to L.A...in a motor home!
>I am feeling more and more at home in this world.
October 30 – November 13
Well, it took two weeks for the computer to get into our hands. It sat at the post office for awhile waiting for us to pay a tax on it. We were not notified as should be. But, we lived here in this wonderful Ljubljana for an extended time and it really did feel like this was getting to be home away from home. Not only did we spend a lot of time in our favorite part of town, going to exhibits and shopping at the market or time in the book store or a movie (Hope Rising)...but we beat a path to Fusine, a district out of the main part of town. Here we found a community of many 12 story apartments with parks and all the amenities needed. It afforded us free quiet parking and our special spot, the local library. A library where both of us could use a computer every day (as I was trying to reconstruct a month of blog!). Lijana (Leanna) was behind the desk the first afternoon we arrived. Then came a two day holiday. When we returned we found that she was so worried about us! Sleeping in our car! We forget that we look old to some, old enough to know better! Dear Lijana took us into her care. “All travelers need help”, she said. While we worked in the library Lijana brought us tea and cookies! She brought Slovenian Childrens' books to show me. She and her friend Zdenka invited us to dinner at Zdenka's apartment. They fed and fed us with traditional Slovenian foods. They took us on an excursion to the center of Slovenia, a ride up into the mountains. And to a memorial complex that had been designed by Plecnikove Zale, an accomplished architect and favorite of the Slovenian people. Lijana had us to dinner at her apartment one evening. I think we were together for about 5 hours looking at her art and photos and talking about our lives. For those of you who were part of the Sunbow Community...Lijana would fit right in. My heart nearly broke to say goodbye. We are hoping that maybe she can join us in our travels. We have a little stone in the shape of a heart that she gave to us. It rides along on a window sill and keeps us safe.
We also visited a good many exhibits and attended concerts during those days.
- DESIGN RELATIONS a biannual design exhibition. It happens in venues all over the city. We went to one site and saw some good innovative designs built around being green... so RECYCLING is the main element in these projects along with design and function
Also, we visited the American Embassy twice. Hard to get into...ID, guards, screening etc. but once in, it was a pleasant experience. We also visited the Turkish Embassy to check on safety and ask advice about traveling there. We rang the bell at the outside sidewalk gate and a man in a suit came out to get us. A bit different experience, no fear! They couldn't have been nicer to us. A good long talk and a bag of goodies...maps and magazines and brochures... and advice. “You have nothing to worry about in Turkey. It is a very safe country and the people are very nice.” We are set for Turkey.
If you are looking for a wonderful place to spend a week or two... Slovenia is it. It is a small country, easy to see everything and you will fall in love with Ljubljana, I promise!
