Gingerbread cookies and Beekeeping

12/11
Another great breakfast at our pension. We had hoped to ride bicycles to the nearby (5 miles) town of Radoviča, but there is light mist and the pension owners advised against it.

We altered our day's plan by walking around Lake Bled (Blayd), about 3.5 miles...it seemed longer than going around Keyser Lake in NH even though it's a similar distance. At the far end of the lake, the "church island" is fairly near the shore, making a good photo opportunity. Seeing swans on the lake is a plus.

A short side trip brought us to Vila Bled, a hotel now, formerly Jośip Broz Tito's summer villa (one of 40 residences he maintained for different purposes). The exterior lacks any architectural interest, and the interior is pretty staid. There is some interesting wall art, in particular a mural covering the upper part of two walls, depicting Slovenia's involvement in World War II...a definite political statement to pacify the Russian communist government.

This hotel has a huge chunk of real estate and know how to charge. A standard room starts at 220 Euros. A very nice man that showed us around said a couple from "the states" (he didn't know exactly where) was having a wedding reception there next week after being married in the church on the island. Great setting and I'm sure huge price tag.

We then took a short bus ride to Radoviča, a couple towns away. Timing was good and had an interesting tour of the small old town. Actually had another couple with us who are from Ljubljana. This town is known for a famous playwright, Anton Tomaz Lindhart. It also has a well preserved moat, several medieval homes and a number of late gothic and renaissance buildings. It is a working, lived in town with interesting fresco paintings and our guide did a good job explaining it's existence since 1333.

We ate at the 500 year old Lectar family restaurant where we sampled several traditional, local dishes. The Lectar (the name means "gingerbread baker") museum is a clever small ginger bread workshop that's been around since 1766. They make cookies (some heart-shaped) covered with deep red, hard frosting and decorated, sometimes with a love note, a poem, or a company logo. If not eaten, they can be used as ornaments. Gingerbread is an important part of Slovene culture.

Then we took the tip from Rick Steves and visited the museum on Slovene beekeeping. It was fascinating. Elaborate beehive houses built in the 19th century are on display. Also, naive artwork painted on the front panel of beehives.

Wow, bees are smart little things! They have great social structure. (Dave Brazier should see this museum!) Do you know that male drones die after fertilizing the queen's eggs? The queen lays from 1,500 to 2,000 eggs, daily? And, some worker bees only clean the comb cells? While others only use their wings to remove heat from the hive? Or, after a few years the queen is "asked" to leave; she takes some drones and workers with her in a swarm to start a new hive. This is complicated stuff.

Another Day Another Castle

Several people praised Lake Bled to us but we had doubts when we first arrived. It was a shock to see street signage, advertisements, and modern hotels etc. but our doubts were quickly gone.

Our Penzion is very nice and we have a very spacious room. The best part is the view of the castle from our terrace. The first write up of the castle was in 1011 so the town is celebrating it's 1000th anniversary.

We climbed the winding path and over 100 stairs to the castle. A sign at the bottom assures people that is will take only 15 minutes. It took us 15 minutes exactly! The views were spectacular. The sun was trying to stream down through the clouds and just glistened on the lake. We sat in the castle terrace, had a beer and soaked up the serenity. The lake is just slightly larger than Lake Kezar and has a great 3.5 mile path all around. There is a 14th century church on an island. They only allow a couple small boats with electric motors on the lake and small rowboats called pletnas to take people to the island. Very picturesque.

Slovenia sure has great museums and the one in the castle was no exception. It explained the geological formation of this entire area. There is evidence of the existence of man here many thousands of years ago. An interesting little print shop was also in the castle and it had a picture of Laura Bush when she visited several years ago. Also a picture of two girls that was a younger version of Paige and Maddie.

Yesterday we saw there was going to be a hockey game today so of course we went. Wow, did we think of Zach ! The Bled team, The Ducks, were playing a team from Ljubljana, the Olympias, a youth league, 11 to 13 year olds. The score was tied when we arrived 2 to 2 and then we saw the Ducks score four goals in the final period. Very exciting. They seemed like good, fast skaters and checking was not allowed.

Then there was a torch tour of the town. Everyone carried very long candles. Our 23 year old guide was named Matthew - at least in English. He was very personable and tried to relay everything to us in English. He also recommended a little local pizza place, which was very good. We saw it received a 4+ from TripAdvisor.
Finished the night at a little cafe where they had a jazz band playing.

Looking forward to breakfast since today's was quite a treat. Quite a few people are staying here, which is certainly a change from our experience in other towns. Lots of hikers since the Julian Alps surround the town. It will be a winter wonderland soon.

A : See Details(Google Map)

Dancing in Ljubljana

12/07
This is a delightful city and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. The people are very, very friendly, helpful and love their city. As an example, the tourist center only had one bike to rent since most have been stored away for the winter. A young woman at a cafe said we could use hers, no charge, trusting us to return it later.

Nice sunny day. We rode in Tivoli Park, which is a large park starting near the city center. It's called the lung of the city...lots of trees and open land. Stopped at the Tivoli Mansion, which contains the Graphic Arts Museum. They were featuring a print exhibit by a well known artist, Tinac Stegovec. Ironically, they had prints from another artist, Petra Varl. We are staying at her B&B! She happens to be in New York right now, so we didn't meet her.

Biked to the top of a hill and had some hardy Slovenian soup while overlooking the mountain range. Lots of people out hiking and soaking up the sun. Just a fun atmosphere. Sure a wonderful change from when they were literally wrapped in barbed wire after WW II...another sad story.

Got back in time to get a tour of Plečnik's home and studio. He was the master architect of bridges and buildings here as well as Vienna and Prague. Milan, an art history student at the University here gave us the tour. We were his only guests at the 17:00 tour. We got a lot of information about Pletničk and his inside political connections in Ljubljana

By the way, Ljubljana University has 60,000 students. The whole country has just over 2 million people and Ljubjana about 280,000. They sure are doing things right here...sophisticated, educated, fun-loving, artistic, and stable. I guess they became so successful due to the fact they are midway between Vienna and Venice, two very influential cities in two important countries.

Had tickets for the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. A marvelous young pianist was featured performing an incredible Mozart piece. We were in the 2nd row and were able to watch his fingers move up and down the keyboard in a blur. The orchestra is another example of the sophistication and support this city has for the arts.

Then it was back out on the plazas for all the festivities that last all month. Really great bands, lots of dancing, hot mulled wine and beautiful, unusual decorations. It just amazes us on how adept all these people are at several languages.

Lots of American songs, one country western rock about getting back to Chicago. When we said that is our city they all clapped! This is a mid sized city, but with a homey, very comfortable feel. It has been said that it is the safest and most honest in the world. We definitely feel that could be true.

12/08
Graffiti is on many building walls around town. It seems odd in a city that is very neat and tidy. We guessed that it rather than try to clean it up/off, city officials have decided to leave it as "art". As confirmation of this, as we walked to the bus station leaving Ljubljana, we passed through an area referred to an alternative art. All the buildings here are painted in a type of graffiti.

We're off to Bled (pronounced Blayd), the town and the lake, at 13:30. It's only an hour and half away.

Ljubljana is a Wonderful Old City

12/07
After converting most of our kuna (Croatian money) to Euro for the remainder of our travels, we walk up hill to the Ljubljana castle. It's set behind the old town several hundred feet above, providing a great view of the town below.

We have a good lunch in the small restaurant at the castle ordering just before a large group arrives. It's quite foggy, so we nix climbing to the top of the tower (another 100 steps). But, we decide to tour the Slovenian History Museum. What a good choice!

It's a high "tech production" intermixing lots of computerized documentation with displays of objects appropriate for the period being discussed. We are captivated for at least two hours which, for me, could have been several more, but I was tired of trying to absorb the information and of walking/standing.

I wish I could reduce what we tried to understand to a few sentences. Mostly, we began to understand that Slovenia (and the Balkans in general) are the focus of an important culture. In recent centuries they have suffered and overcome many conflicts in their country.

Most recently, a 10 day war in 1991 with Serbia and Croatia after Slovenia voted to secede from Yugoslavia. They "won the war" of independence. Their proximity to Austria and Italy probably gave the war more attention from the west than the other wars in the Balkans at that time. That abbreviated the war.

We spoke with a knowledgeable docent regarding more of the country's progress in the past 21 years since independence, which they celebrate on December 21. They have made great progress. They are full EU members since 2004, and are positive contributors in support of the Euro.

Ljubljanica River runs through the old town. There are at least seven bridges with names like Butchers and Cobblers. The most famous is the Triple Bridge designed by a local architect/hero, Jošef Plečnik. He had great influence in the layout and building designs in Ljubljana and other European cities.

The north side of the river has most of the shops and restaurants, very chic places. The south has the city market as well as the castle. This is a more real town, less touristic. They celebrate their culture, but enjoy life today, too. For instance, the street bands at night are a mix of Country Western Rock and traditional music. The streets are active with shoppers, strollers, and bicyclers (bike-friendly town).

The December outdoor celebrations continue tonight around the main square. Lots of warmed wine, crepes, hot dogs, and music. All ages and families. And, us, too. We like this town lot!

Morning in Zagreb before Leaving for Ljubljana.

12/6, Tuesday

Three sharp raps on our compartment door at 6:10 wake us in time to brush teeth and dress for arrival at 6:30. Sleeping on a train is not easy (even for Dick). We're both pretty groggy and have developed the gait to stay upright on a train. Quite a sight. Instead of turning lights on when reaching the station, we were immersed in total darkness groping for our belongings. Again so thankful we are traveling light.

We're on the streets of Zagreb by 7:00, pretty much alone. Per Rick Steves, we catch the #6 tram into the commercial district, only three stops, and within the free zone. These really move people around quickly.

We had about 4 plus hours to eat a little breakfast and see Zagreb. We did a good job. Since it is the capital of Croatia and a quarter of the entire population of Croatia live here there is lots to cover.

The main square is called Jelacić Trg where we start our walking tour. It's the heart of the commercial part of the city. Great tourist office there! Good people watching spot. They're all set up for Christmas.

The Cathedral of Mary has two towers that dominate the skyline and a beautiful domed arched entrance. Mary is the patron saint of Zagreb. The churches are really busy today, not with tourists but locals. It must be St. Nicholas Day, although Croatians are strong Catholics and regular church-goers.

We take a brisk walking tour of the two Medieval villages that form the old town portion of Zagreb. Gradec, the upper village, contains many marvelous museums. Kaptol, the lower village, has several churches. We reached Gradec by going up a cute little funicular. It's free for senior citizens like us.

We read about the Croatian Museum of Naive Art, a marvelous small venue in the upper city. We were there when it opened at ten. There are six small rooms of paintings and sculpture by untrained (naive) artists from the early 30's up to the 80's. Grandma Moses in the USA is considered a naive artist.

Our train to Ljubljana takes us into another country, Slovenia. While on Croatian tracks, officers on the train inspect our passports. The train stops at the border, Slovenian officers and agents board and they repeat the procedure. Seems like duplication, but both countries want to protect themselves from illegal old people.

Ljubljana is seems more Austrian than Balkan in architecture and economy. The old town is more than quaint. It is beautiful, much like I imagine Prague to be (having only seen pictures). Interesting architecture, stretching along a river with many bridges (including a triple bridge), many people on bicycles, lots of activity in the various squares, and all decorated for Christmas. It truly sparkles.

Rainy Days Sometimes Bring Happy Endings & A Night Train to Zagreb

12/05, Monday

Our bus from Mostar to Split departs at 11:10 with overcast skies. It will take about four hours. Surprise! A movie with subtitles! It helps pass the time. It was funny. John Malcovich was in it and it was like a Peter Sellers comedy.

Our first task in Split is to verify the train schedule from there to Ljubljana. Our plan is to stay overnight in Split and catch the morning 8:50 train to Rijeka. There we have to stay overnight due to a scheduling problem, and catch the next morning's train to Ljubljana.

As we explain all this to the train ticket agent, she offers an alternative plan. Take an overnight train from Split leaving at 21:37 tonight that arrives in Zagreb, Croatia, at 6:05 on Tuesday. Then, take train from Zagreb to Ljubljana, arriving at 14:49, same day. What a great idea! It saves two nights lodging cost, and a wasted day in Rijeka, a place we didn't want to see anyway. And, we can rent a sleeper compartment on the train. That's a done deal! She was a very nice woman and explained everything well.

Now we have several hours to relax in Split which we know well from having been there a week ago. After a good dinner, we have two hours to kill. By good luck, there is a string quartet concert at the Croatian National Theater at 7:30pm. We had been talking of needing a music-fix earlier in the day. This fits the bill perfectly.

Fun walking around a bit and seeing the plazas decorated for Christmas. They had just started when we were here before. Dubrovick had bayberry and oranges hanging in all the arches, which looked really nice.

The quartet consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello performing Bežicević (no idea who he is, but contemporary) and Dvorak. We are treated to a piano quintet of Schubert, too, but have to leave after one movement to make the train. They were very good and the room was beautiful. It was in a small concert room upstairs from the main hall that we were in a week or so ago.

So, what started as a rainy day has brought several happy endings.

We're on the train now, and it seems good so far, compact space, but smooth ride and quiet. We'll see how we feel in the morning. Luckily, the window slides down to open so we can get some fresh air. I (Sandy) then proceed to misplace the tickets, but they surfaced after a hectic search, and we're on our way.

I asked the conductor if I could have some hot water for a cup of tea. He said "Sure, in the morning". Two little, packaged sweet rolls are in our compartment, so I guess I can have breakfast in bed!

We need to read Rick Steves on Zagreb. We had not planned on going there until today. Since it is the capital of Croatia, it will be good to see.

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)

12/03 and 12/04
Having looked at the bus schedules, we decided to spend at least two days in Mostar, Bosnia Hercegovina. The bus ride takes three hours, including three border/passport stops. As we climb away from the Adriatic coast into the hinterlands, we follow rivers flowing from the mountains.

The countryside here reflects today's overcast dreary weather...not very inspiring nor well-kept, so far, a contrast to the neat captivating waterfront towns in Croatia.

Our Mostar greeting is less than friendly. No smiles, abrupt answers and pleas for handouts. With some help we arrive at our hotel where we are met by Teo. He is friendly and helpful, improving our impression of BiH. We have a nice room (we're the only guests) and a balcony overlooking the Neretva River. Great sleeping hearing the rushing water.

This "old town" isn't surrounded by walls and has no forts. One just starts walking on river rocks rather than sidewalks and you are in the "old town". Immediately you feel very mixed emotions that are hard to explain. Encouraged by authentic small stands and shops and then saddened by bombed out buildings. This was a town where people used to live in great harmony regardless of ethnicity or religion. It all changed in the 90's and certainly shows the horrific effects of war.

Stari Most (old bridge) is Mostar's pride and symbol. In fact, the town name means Bridge Keeper (Mostari). It was built in the 16th century and crossed the Neretva River for over 400 years. It was destroyed during the 1993 war with Croatia, rebuilt in 2004 at great expense, along with much of the surrounding Old Town. Ironically the Croats and Bosnians fought together against the Serbs before fighting each other literally on each side of their beloved bridge.

Remnants of the Bosnian wars are everywhere, bombed buildings/roofs, walls with bullet pock marks and cemeteries with 1992 or 1993 deaths (the war years). One stone is etched with "Remember 1993". These are constant reminders to locals and tourists.

Unlike towns in Croatia where there is ongoing (re)construction, here there is none, or what has been started some time ago has been disbanded. The lack of restoration has another impact...quite a bit of litter and trash in the streets, in the river, and in bombed buildings. Evidently people have lost some pride of their place even in the upper middle class neighborhoods.

Enough bad news! Sunday brings better weather and improved attitude. A young woman welcomes us to Karadjoz-bey Mosque, showing us the mosque interior and explaining about the Bosnian Muslim religion. One difference in practice here is that women are not required to wear a veil. Really enjoyed talking with this woman and she again said the people were living peacefully, but it was power hungry politicians and corrupt leaders that caused the war. She is a Muslim Bosinian and lived fine in Croatia during the war.

Ninety- five steps within a narrow, dark column brings us near the top of the mosque's minaret, giving a great view of the area. We have to climb down and out before 12:00, the second call to prayers for the day. They have five calls a day and you hear the chanting over speakers from the top of the minarets.

There is a very intense Turkish influence in Mostar. Lots of copper jewely and beautiful carpets. Also strong thick Turkish coffee.

Wandering the old town streets is harder than the streets in Croatia where they are mostly flat stone. Mostar's are made from rounded river rocks, some set on edge making them slippery and bumpy.

Most of the churches and synagogues were destroyed during the wars, too. St Peter and St Paul Franciscan catholic church was rebuilt with the highest tower/steeple. The Jewish Synagogue has not been restored. What remains is a stone shell. Why? The neighborhood is upper middle class, but that does not eliminate bombed-out homes.

We have seen another face of the former Yugoslavia. Interestingly, several people we have chatted with, including the Muslim mosque host, feel that the Balkans would be better off had Josip Brož Tito lived and held Yugoslavia together.

After walking over a bridge and climbing a minaret, both built in the 16th century, we now have our feet up in our room watching Meet the Press, which we have not been able to see since leaving mid October. Hard to grasp it all.

Tomorrow we return to Split to catch a train back to Rijeka, and on to Ljubljana, Slovenia, for a few days.