We were the first to arrive for breakfast at 6.30 which we enjoyed sitting outside in early morning warmth before our 7.25 transfer to Ljubljana. After breakfast we collected our bags from the room and went to check out of the hotel. As we did so Damjan arrived early and we were whisked away immediately to another hotel to pick up a couple who were being transferred to the airport at the end of their holiday.
The journey ran smoothly and we arrived at the hotel Park at 8.30 which was too early for check in. We left our suitcases in the left luggage room and set off to explore Ljubljana. Our first stop was the tourist information office where we purchased tickets for a guided walk as recommend by Damjan when he dropped us off at the hotel. Near to the tourist information office is the town hall where the guided walk started, we rounded the corner and noticed a couple of girls posing, selfie stick in hand with their back to the town hall and the fountain that stands in front of it. The selfie stick was the same type as we had seen being touted for sale in Trieste.
The handbag I had intended to use in Ljubljana had started to disintegrate whilst we were in Piran. The plastic started peeling and leaving a fine dust over everything so I left it in the waste bin at the Hotel Tartini. As luck would have it, there was just the right handbag to replace it in one of the shops we passed as we were exploring Ljubljana. After the brief exploration of the city we returned to the hotel and were able to check in and retrieve our cases. The room was on the 11th floor so we had quite a view of the city, looking towards the castle.
We did not unpack our cases but returned to town for lunch for which I had a Tuna Ciabatta pocket. After lunch we sat for a while before making our way to the starting point of the guided walk. The tour was interesting if a little quirky, it included food samples and a short ride down the river Ljubljanica along with descriptions of the bridges and buildings of interest. One of the interesting points mentioned is that two major earthquakes that happened in the city both occurred on an Easter Sunday…
After the tour we went back to the hotel, unpacked and got ready for dinner which meant another walk into the city. We chose a place at the side of the river that served traditional Slovenian cuisine. As we were eating it started to rain and the table had to be moved several times in order for us both to keep dry. The rain looked like it had set in for the evening so after we had finished eating we made our way straight back to the hotel. Luckily I had my umbrella with me and my new bag came in handy. I was able to keep me, my bag and camera dry. Mr C however, got drenched as he had opted not to bring a coat! Back at the hotel we were unexpectedly provided with a complimentary drink in the bar by a friendly waiter.
Tags: Hotel Park, Piran, River Ljubljanica, Slovenia, There's Always One, Vacation
See the dwelling place of God among men !
And he will dwell with them,
they will be his people,
and God himself will be with them.
Revelation 21.3
When I was in St Nicholas Cathedral, Ljubljana I looked at the literature (a habit of mine) that is always available near to the entrance of a church. Whilst I was doing this one of the church members/officials came to tidy up the table. As I put the card you see in the picture above back down on the table, he said ‘You can take it’. I said thank you and picked it up again even though I hadn’t intended on taking it away with me.
When I got home I was able to translate the Slovenian words on the back of the card into English. The photo on the front of the card speaks for itself.
When translated into English the reverse side of the card reads:
See the dwelling place of God among men!
And he will dwell with them,
they will be his people,
and God himself will be with them
Revelation 21.3
300 years of the cathedral
St. Nicholas
in Ljubljana
In remembrance and thanksgiving
the pilgrimage to the cathedral ! Ljubljana !
Ljubljana, 2007
Tags: Cherie's Place, Cherie's Place Thought, Ljubljiana, Photoshop, Slovenia, St Nicholas Cathedral, Vacation
Today was our second trip on a guided tour with Damjan our resort rep. When the minibus arrived to pick us up we found that in addition to resort rep and tour guide Damjan was also our driver for the day. On our journey to Postojna Cave Damjan took us on a scenic detour through the Slovenian countryside taking in the wine, olive and fig growing areas. The Scenery was stunning and beautiful!
On arrival at Postojna Cave there was a strong (unexpected) military presence which transpired to be soldiers that had been taking part in a military exercise in the local area during the previous few days. Whilst we waited for our guided tour around the caves Damjan explained a bit of the history of the caves. At the time we were sheltering from the heat in a cave entrance where he pointed out the blackening of the rock where the partisans had set fire to aircraft fuel that had been stored in the cave by the occupying German forces in WWII.
A train took us into the tunnel and to the start of our guided walking tour of the caves. The growing formations of stalactites and stalagmites are quite breathtaking and I found them to be even more spectacular than I remembered from my previous visit in the late 1980s. After the walk in the caves it was time to embark on the train to take us back to the cave entrance just in time for lunch. I chose an unusual looking layer cake which I found to be savoury rather than sweet. When I looked it up in the guide book later on I was pleased to find out that it is one of the local dishes, Prekmurska gibanica. I was however, surprised that I had been able to identified all the ingredients; filo pastry, cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts and spiced apple.
After lunch we returned to the minibus for Damjan to take us on the short journey to Predjama Castle which is perched high up in a cliff. The castle and its history are interesting and we were left wondering how the castle remained attached to the cliffs that it nestles within… When we had finished our visit to Predjama, we made the return journey to the hotel where we stopped for one last drink outside the hotel until it was time to return to our room to get ready for dinner and to pack our bags ready for our stay in Ljubljana.
Our last meal in the hotel was a little chaotic… The waiter that had been serving all week had returned home for the weekend and the waitress that had taken his place was not quite as organised as he had been. Our glass of wine arrived half way through the meal. We didn’t order another glass so that we could sit an linger a while after dinner because the heat in the dining room was unbearable (it was 86o outside). Instead we enjoyed a leisurely drink looking over the coast with a fellow traveler, for one last time before transferring to Ljubljana.
When we returned to our room for the night I opened the shutters to enjoy Tartini Square one last time before we left Piran. In addition to the lovely view and the atmosphere of the square I was treated to the delightful sight of bats flying around above the square 
Tags: Postojna Cave, Prekmurska gibanica, Vacation
We had an early breakfast sitting outside, which on this occasion wasn’t interrupted by rain. We had booked on an organised tour for the day, so after breakfast we strolled through the back streets to the bus station to pick up the minibus. Our first port of call was Trieste across the border in Italy. On arrival our guide Damjan took us on a short guided tour of the city, where he showed us among other things; the seafront statue, the seafront square Piazza Unità d’Italia, the remains of the Roman theatre and the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Spyridon. As a Slovenian Damjan is passionate about Trieste and believes as other Slovenians do that Trieste belongs to Slovenia.
After the guided tour there was just enough time to for a quick drink. We didn’t chance ordering lunch because the service although friendly was rather slow. The drinks. however arrived with bowls of crisps and other nibbles. Whilst we were walking round Trieste we couldn’t help but notice street traders trying to tout their wares to the tourists. Their object of choice seemed to be brightly coloured selfie sticks and I wondered if they managed to sell many.
Our second port of call on the tour was Miramare Castle which is situated on the Gulf of Trieste. Miramare was commission to be built by Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian as a residence for himself and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium. The castle is situated on a cliff high above the sea and is surrounded by a botanical garden. The inside of the castle is interesting and ornate and the gardens are stunning. Whilst we were there the temperature soared to 92o so to cool off we bought a tub of ice cream and sorbet from a stand near to the castle entrance. We also grabbed a bottle of water to drink on the minibus journey back to Piran.
On arrival in Piran we made our way to the seafront and enjoyed a more leisurely drink watching the world go by before returning to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. After the heat of the day a cool shower was welcome and I began to feel human again. Even in the evening it was too hot to stay inside for long so once again we found ourselves sitting on the seafront with a cooling drink watching the world go by…
Tags: Garden, Gardens, Miramare Castle, Piran, Slovenia, Trieste
The warmth of the early morning sunshine made it possible for us to eat breakfast outside on the hotel terrace. We lingered a while enjoying the atmosphere even after it had started to rain. After a while the wind changed direction and drove the rain underneath the covered area, in our direction. We beat a hasty retreat inside and as we did so the light rain turned into a torrential downpour. There was no point in going out in such weather so we returned to our room where we could enjoy watching the rain and the comings and goings in Tartini Square whilst keeping dry.
When the rain had subsided we made our way down to the square for a drink before visiting the Giuseppe Tartini Memorial Room. Tartini who was born in Piran and christened in St George’s cathedral in 1692 became a violin virtuoso and composer. The Town Square and the hotel we were staying in were named after him. The custodian of the museum gave an interesting talk on the man and the collection.
Next we intended to visit the Museum of Underwater Activities but unfortunately it was closed so I took a leisurely stroll along the harbour whilst Mr C risked his ears again by climbing the bell tower next to St George’s Cathedral. After this it was time for lunch which we enjoyed sitting on the seafront with a glass of wine, watching boats coming in and out of the harbour.
After lunch we visited the Sergej Masera Maritime Museum which is dedicated to Slovenia’s naval history and heritage. After the museum made our way to the art gallery which was exhibiting paintings that were all painted in the same week. The artist was required to present a blank canvas to the gallery and complete his/her work within one week. It was an interesting exhibition with many painting styles. There were some excellent works of art on the walls along with some that didn’t quite work for me.
On our way back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner we noticed that the temperature was 82o after the rain had cooled the temperature down earlier in the day. After dinner we spent the evening chatting with one of our fellow travelers who was holidaying on his own.
Tags: Art, Brain, Hotel Tartini, Moonrise, Piran, Rain, Slovenia, Tartini Square
After breakfast we walked to the bus station and caught a bus to Koper for the day. The journey along the coast was very beautiful. As we arrived at a bus station near Koper the bus driver stood up and announced that the stop was the nearest one to Koper centre. More than half of the people on the bus stood up and got off.
There was a large map next to the bus station so we were able to find our way into the town quite easily. Our route took us along a narrow shopping street and into Tito Square which is surrounded by spectacular architecture. The most spectacular building is the Praetorian palace; it houses the tourist information office and it is possible to take a guided tour of the building. Unfortunately on the day we visited there was a meeting which meant the rooms were occupied and it was not possible to take the tour.
The nearby Cathedral Church of St Mary’s Ascension was also closed, however Mr C was able to visit the bell tower. In his haste to climb the tower he forgot to check the time and arrived at the top just as the bell struck 12.00. He encountered two Americans looking rather shell shocked due to their being in the bell tower when the carillon bells started to chime.
When he descended from the tower we followed a walking route that took in Koper’s points of interest concluding our tour with a visit to The Monastery Church of St. Anna. Along the way, we noticed the bathing area next to the shipping port and thought the concept and reality were quite unpleasant. We retraced our steps to Tito square and the small shopping street where we had a refreshing drink to cool us down before returning to the bus stop to catch a bus back to Piran.
We walked through the narrow alleyways to the seafront and sat looking out over the bay until it was time to return to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. Over dinner our waiter engaged us in interesting conversation regarding the former communism and politics of the region and after this we sat outside in Tartini square enjoying a night cap.
Tags: Bell Tower, Cathedral Church of St Mary's Ascension, Koper, Piran, Praetorian palace, Slovenia, Vacation
We had a leisurely breakfast before walking up the steep hill to the remains of the town walls. Unfortunately we didn’t have the correct change to be able to access the walls so we viewed them from outside the fence before making our way back down the hill for a refreshing mid-morning drink. On our way we stopped to look at the sea view. I had also planned to take a picture of the front view of Archangel Michael who is situated on top of the bell tower by St George’s Cathedral. When I arrived in Piran, I noticed he had his back to the square and was facing towards the sea. Today however he had his back to the sea and I began to doubt myself…
Whilst pondering the possibility that I might have made a mistake he appeared to move slightly. As I stared at him he moved 40o to face more towards my direction! We began to suspect that Archangel Michael was more than he seemed. After our morning drink we visited St George’s Cathedral and had our suspicions about the Archangel confirmed. He is in fact a weather vane and we were informed by the cathedral administrator that if he faced towards Tartini Square it would rain in the town and if he faced towards the sea it would rain across the bay towards Italy. By this time the wind was howling around the cathedral so we were inclined to agree with the prognosis. We visited the cathedral treasury and the crypt before entering the church. The artwork within is spectacular with paintings, carvings and an intricate crucifix entitled The Man of Piran. The latter is kept in a glass case to help preserve it.
We then made our way to the sea front and indulged in an ice cream for lunch although the option I chose had too much cream for my liking. Whilst eating the ice cream we watched the sea breaking over the sea defence barrier, occasionally splashing customers who were on the tables nearest the seafront. After lunch we walking through the winding alleyways of Piran and found ourselves sitting in front of the hotel in the square, watching the world go by for a couple of hours before it was time to get ready for dinner. For dinner we were able to sample one of the local dishes, ćevapčići, which is grilled minced meat formed into rough sausage shapes.
When we stepped into the square after dinner it was still windy and Archangel Michael was ominously looking over the square. We wandered down to the harbour and were treated to a display of sheet lightning in the distance. We didn’t want to chance getting rained on so we returned for a drink in the square before retiring for the night.
Tags: Archangel Michael, Piran, Slovenia, St George's Cathedral, Tartini Square, Town Walls, Vacation
