Hello from Slovenia!
Our first full day was spent in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. Ljubljana has a vibrant atmosphere and is the largest city in the country with a population of 290,000. Hotel Slon is perfectly situated in the midst of all we wanted to see and we are happy to call it home for our two-night stay.
Ljubljana has much to offer. A key landmark of the town is Ljubljana Castle, originally a medieval fortress dating back to the 10th century, it is now a majestic, refurbished castle complex.
The symbol of Ljubljana is the dragon which represents power, courage and greatness. The Dragon Bridge, adorned with famous dragon statues, appears in the most recognizable images of Ljubljana. If you haven’t been photographed next to a Dragon Bridge dragon you can hardly claim that you visited Ljubljana. There’s also a little folklore that the dragon wags it’s tale if a virgin crosses the bridge. The shopping is great, it’s culturally diverse, and has a nice blend of ancient history and modern lifestyle.
We are now heading north toward Slovenia’s alpine playground. They are experiencing an unusual amount of rain and late snow, so we found ourselves enjoying the beautiful resort city of Kranjska Gora with the entire town to ourselves. The city is also an elite athletes training ground and we rubbed elbows with the ladies Turkish Basketball team, as well as a training camp of semi-professional basketball players. It was amusing to us how they seemed impressed by our cycling endeavors.
First-day cycling…hallelujah, the sun has come out! The hillsides are glistening with every shade of green and the flowers are loving every moment. Springtime here in the Julian Alps is magnificent. The dramatic snowcapped peaks amidst the sparkling blue skies are breathtaking.
Our 35-mile bike ride today took us through three countries beginning in Slovenia, traveling Italy and into Austria. The scenery was truly incredible. It would have been a shorter day, had I not stopped to take 100 photos.
The cuisine in each region is a little different. We found a local family owned restaurant that we loved. In fact, we went there twice. Everything from the sausage to the dumplings was homemade and fresh.
It’s hard to believe this country has been ruled by others for thousands of years and only recently received its independence in June/1992.
Diana
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