Leonardo da Vinci

After breakfast we visited St Nicholas’ Cathedral and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Both were decorated in a similar style inside. After these visits we went to look inside the Galerija Emporium department store to look at the Art Deco features of the building. There was not much to be seen on the inside so we left slightly disappointed  and went on to visited some bookshops before going for a walk past the opera house and modern art gallery. We noticed a distinctive Austrian style chalet which we went to investigate. When we got closer we found it was the American embassy. As there were police and security guards outside I decided not to chance taking a photograph.

We walked on and this took us past other embassies although we did not see the British one. By now it was lunch time and I suggested that we might be walking the wrong way to get back into town. Mr C wasn’t convinced so he got the map out to establish where we were. One of the locals stopped and asked if we needed help then pointed us in the right direction (thank you). The walk back to town took us past the Roman Wall which I had wanted to see anyway.

As part of the Ljubljana package, we had been given a voucher for a free boat ride so after lunch we made our way down to the mooring point for the panoramic boat ride. As we got on board we were offered drinks and everyone remained quiet until I said that I would like a glass of bubbly. It would have been rude not to During the cruise we were informed that the boat had been fully hand built in Lake Bled and that it had taken eighteen months to build. We were provided with an interesting commentary as we sailed along

After alighting the boat, we stopped off at a highly recommended ice cream outlet and chose our preferred flavour, mine being blueberry sorbet and fig and walnut ice cream. We were expecting one scoop of each flavour but we were given two of each. Very decadent!! Once back in the hotel we put our feet up for a well earned rest before returning to town for our evening meal.

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.