The Latest News from Ljubljana

So, for the past eight days, I’ve been through three different countries and am on my way to a fourth. Carrie and I met up with Sarah in Germany, then we continued on towards Vienna, Austria. Our latest destination has been Slovenia, Bled first, then Ljubljana.

            Austria was rather wet and chilly, but we saw an amazing museum dedicated to the Empress Elizabeth, or Sissi as she was commonly called. This most interesting woman captivated the Emperor with her beauty and independence, but both of these traits were rather troublesome in later years. Sissi wanted her freedom, and in the later years of her marriage travelled excessively. Her appearance became such a central focus that this extraordinary woman spent hours each day in beauty rituals. However, her looks gave her a political power unusual for a female of her time. Sissi was assassinated, which basically made her a saint in her empire; there is nothing quite like dying to improve one’s reputation.

            Also in Austria, I caught a glimpse of the Lipizzaners used in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. These horses perform acrobatic “airs above the ground,” which used to be practiced as strategic attacks in battle. Now, they are merely preserved as an art which has passed into disuse.

            We arrived in Bled late in the evening on the 19^th and promptly became completely paranoid. The train platform, with the lurking figures and thuggish-looking men standing around just set us on edge. Also, there were two youngish men (at least one was American) who offered to share a taxi with us. Taken, anybody? But, we declined and got to our hostel safely, with much whispering in the backseat about making exact change for the driver. When we arrived, our host showed us to our room, which was built for six, but we got it for the same price as a three-person room. Our host was one of those cases, as Sarah later put, when judging a book by its cover gave you a misleading impression. His features resembled those of a professional boxer and he was tall and intimidating, combine that with a Slovene accent and you had the makings of a Hollywood thug. But he was really nice and helpful! He even let us play with his guard dog, who was really sweet too!

            I woke up the next day, to Carrie and Sarah serenading me with “Happy Birthday.” Darnit, I’m old. Twenty, ewwww. I’m in my twenties. Okay, sorry about the rant. I’ll get over it. The daylight washed away our fears from the night before; everything seemed crisp and cheerful under the spring sky, which was a brilliant azure. We hiked around Lake Bled and climbed up to a castle. Later, we rowed out to a tiny island in the centre of the lake. By “we,” I mean Sarah. While singing musical numbers. Dang, girlfriend got guns. When we got to the island, we explored a little and took ultra-cheesy jumping photos. See facebook for the evidence. Once ashore again, we ate a local cake and tried samples of Slovenian honey. After we meandered back to our hostel, Sarah put on music and we had a dance party. I think the couple in the room next to ours was probably thinking evil thoughts about “those crazy Americans.”

            The following day, we caught the train to Ljubljana. (Hey, spell-check recognized that name!) Here, we’ve spent the past two days touring the local castle, crossing bridges and enjoying the very hip atmosphere in Celica Hostel. Apparently, this particular hostel used to be a prison, until artists refurbished it and changed it into a very youthful and artistic building. At the moment, I am sitting in the Eastern Lounge, where one must remove one’s shoes and sit on the round, wicker cushions (?). Tomorrow, a very, very early morning, but onwards to… VENICE!!!