Our last night in Trieste was not pleasant.  The wind got up.  As usual we had all the windows open, trying to catch the cooler night air.  The doors all started slamming, sounding like gunshots.  Ian had to prop them open with whatever came to hand – saucepans, trail shoes, etc.  In the end we had to close the windows and live with the heat. 

It was a relief to leave and catch our bus to Ljubljana.  The journey took 90 minutes, crossing the border from Italy into Slovenia.  The little towns looked tidier and we could see Austrian influence in the building styles.  We duly arrived at the Ljublana bus station, and killed time before check in.  We were met by the affable Nick, who let us in to our blissfully airconditioned apartment on the 4^th floor. 

The first thing you notice – apart from the ambient air temperature being a lot more pleasant – is the view from the floor to ceiling windows.  We can see a whole range of architecture from Soviet Socialist apartment blocks, to cute red tiled houses and neat gardens.  Behind all that are the mountains, which come and go depending on how the cloud is sitting – I’m still waiting for a clear sky to get a good photo of the tallest peaks.  The second thing you notice is the fridge – it’s bright red.

After dancing around enjoying the unusual sensation of feeling pleasantly cool, Ian set off for his usual reconnaissance of the local supermarkets.  He found a Lidl but it had almost no GF food, as we’ve discovered with Lidl in other countries.  Later we went to Eurospin, a small express-style supermarket about 100 metres away.  Surprisingly, we found almost everything we needed including GF bread, pasta and other things. Meals sorted.

Today’s plan was to visit Lake Bled.  However clouds had come in overnight, and as we ate breakfast, it began to rain.  The thunderstorm that followed made up our minds for us – we waited until mid morning for the weather to clear, then headed into Ljubljana’s old town, via the Dragon Bridge. Dragons are the symbol of the city, and the four on the Dragon Bridge are the most impressive, but you see them in all sorts of places (mostly in souvenir shops). 

Once you cross the river (moat?) the city is generally pedestrianised, and there are bikes, e-scooters, and other small electric vehicles zipping around everywhere.  It’s busy but not overcrowded, and has a nice relaxed feel. There are lots of parks, plazas and open spaces, all making it easily walkable. 

We wandered vaguely anticlockwise, passing through the market, then crossing the Butchers Bridge and the Triple Bridge.  Preseren Square has some lovely buildings, and its very own shower of rain in the centre!  It also has one of those bronze models of the city. The “You Are Here” marker is a tiny yellow rubber duck.  Gotta love a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

The Castle dominates the city, and there was nothing for it but to head upwards – there is a funicular, but that would be cheating.  We climbed steeply along a narrow cobbled street and onto a gravel path, which rose ever upwards through the forested lower slopes.  Puffing, panting and dripping sweat, we emerged below the huge walls.  We found a place to sit, eat our picnic lunch, and admire the views.  We could see the huge green expanse of Tivoli Park cloaking one of the nearby hills.

Circumnavigating the walls, we could see our apartment building (Ian said I left the bathroom light on).  We explored some of the trails at the top of the hill, before making our way down through a posh looking residential area.  We passed the Nepalese Consulate (who knew?) before emerging back at the fresh produce market, where we couldn’t resist buying some strawberries for our dessert tonight.

Our bridge crossings had omitted Cobblers Bridge, so we headed there, and watched the boats chugging up and down the waterway (we are still not sure of its status; it isn’t big enough to be a river, and it’s not really a canal.  It does surround the castle, so maybe moat is the right description). 

We crossed Congress Square where they were setting things up for a concert this evening; then headed for home, and more of those mountain views.  The red fridge is stocked with strawberries and gelati.

Bon voyage and safe travels to Ilze and Pete. Can’t wait to read all about it.