Ljubjana

 

 

This morning, we embarked on our sole walking tour in Slovenia to get a true feel of the country. Having experienced several tours on our trip, we’ve become quite adept at understanding the history of the regions we visit.

Slovenia was largely spared during the war in 1991 and saw minimal damage in earlier conflicts, leaving its capital well-preserved.

We began our tour at the town hall, weaving in and out of the old town via its many bridges. Notably, the entire city center is car-free, with a few free electric buggies available for residents.

One of the highlights was the Dragon Bridge, steeped in local folklore. I had to pull the kids aside to explain the legend that dragons wag their tails if a virgin crosses the bridge (so far, no tails have moved). Later, we encountered a bachelor party and had another round of explanations regarding their slogans, which mentioned genitalia—quite an educational day for the children!

The next bridge we visited, a modern one, caught my interest. It features glass panels (carpeted in winter due to slipperiness) and two large statues, one of which is quite grotesque. Our guide mentioned that Slovenians prefer statues of artists over soldiers, and their national anthem promotes global peace.

After crossing the Triple Bridge, we ventured down a narrow alley featuring a bloated glove sculpture with water spouting from a finger and 700 unique small face sculptures on the ground, representing the many faces a person can have.

We also learned about Slovenia's overcrowded emergency departments and the shortage of family doctors. Many medical graduates, being bilingual, move to neighboring countries for better pay after receiving free education in Slovenia.

Following our guide's recommendation, we stopped at a local sausage place where only 18 farmers are allowed to use the specific name "Carniolan sausage." We ended up sharing a table with others from our tour, enjoying a good chat.

Next, we headed to the Open Kitchen event in the city center, which takes place on Fridays. The kids had been eager to try the masala dosa, which wasn’t ready before our tour. The Open Kitchen features small stalls from local restaurants, with music and a festive atmosphere.

We continued our stroll to Tivoli Park, where a group was having a water fight, much to the kids' delight. They enjoyed playing in a park with climbing walls and hanging bars.

We slowly made our way back to the city center for more food, a bit of shopping, and paused to admire a captivating violinist.

Overall, it was a wonderfully relaxed and enriching day.