Koper and Ljubljana, Slovenia (Oct. 20)

To head off any confusion, let’s all agree that Slovenia (part of the former Yugoslavia), is not Slovakia (part of the former Czechoslovakia). Countries, like couples, split up disturbingly often; I hope my own country is not headed in that direction.  Check back on November 6.

We docked this morning in Koper, a town celebrating the 1500^th anniversary of its founding.  I spent the day, however, in Slovenia’s beautiful but well-nigh unpronounceable capital, Ljubljana.  (As best I can tell, you pretend you’re trying to scrape a grape skin off the roof of your mouth with your tongue.)

Slovenia is a small country – our guide said it’s the size of New Jersey, but thankfully (with apologies to my friends and family living in the Garden State) that’s pretty much the only thing the two places have in common.  Slovenia’s population of 2.1 million people is less than a quarter of New Jersey’s, and I didn’t see anyone wearing a Phillies cap, not that there’s anything wrong with that (there kind of is, but I’ll pretend there isn’t).

For almost the entire 100 km ride from Koper to Ljubljana, there was nothing but forested, rolling hills and an occasional village with a white-steepled church. 

Today happened to be the annual Ljubljana Marathon, and we arrived in the city just after the first runners had finished, which made for a festive atmosphere – bands playing, people cheering, disgustingly fit men and women engaged in post-race stretching, and so forth. 

Ljubjana is like a giant Whitman’s Sampler of eye candy.  The center city is filled with carefully restored buildings from the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

There’s the requisite imposing castle looming over the city, cobblestoned streets lined with cafes, galleries, and gelaterias, lots of greenery, broad pedestrian malls (the malls, not the pedestrians, especially the marathoners), and a series of lovely bridges spanning the Ljubjanica River, which bisects the city. 

Many of the buildings have intricately carved doors.

Several have frescos or murals ranging from the sublime to the surreal.

One unexpected pleasure of walking around the city is inhaling the evocative aroma of roasted chestnuts from street vendors’ carts. 

Another pleasure, for me, is the prevalence of bookstores.  The only other city I’ve visited which seems to have such a high rate of bookstores per capita is Prague.

After dinner this evening, I took a quick stroll around Koper.  A block from where we docked, there’s an Venice-like square anchored by the Prateorian Palace (15^th century) and the Koper Cathedral (13th century). 

Further kindling my newfound fondness for Slovenia, I passed what I think is a combination stamp collecting and beekeeping club as well as a barbershop whose logo is a dapper bear sporting a handlebar mustache.  I love a high quirk quotient!

I’ll leave things here for now.  Our next three days will be spent in Croatia; stay tuned.