Where?!? That's the response I got whenever I mentioned where I was heading on my next vacation. Apparently Ljubljana isn't yet the first place Americans think of when they contemplate a European vacation. No one seems to know where it - or even the country that houses it - Slovenia - is. No one can spell it, much less remember it, and pronouncing it twists tongues. So people just shook their heads at me (odd, how often I get that reaction, no matter the topic).
Was I right? Was I right to choose a location that most Americans have never heard of? Was I right to announce to my three traveling companions that they were about to spend their hard-earned money to follow me to a city about which they knew nothing? (Yes, they could have refused, but the way this every-other-year trip works is that I choose the location, do all the planning, and they come along, so it's not like the destination is up for discussion. They're free to make their owns plans, but then they would actually have to "plan" ... and ... they trust me.) Do they still trust me?
Let's just say that after this trip, if I told them we were headed to Outer Siberia next trip, they'd agree. Was I right? Was I right!
The first thing we noticed after disembarking the plane, bleary-eyed and exhausted though we might have been, was a drop-dead gorgeous man holding up a sign with my name on it. No, he wasn't my fairy prince, come to swoop me away to a life of luxury - he was the guy who was to take us from the airport to the hotel - but this just had to be a good sign, right?
The hotel was lovely and the entire staff was helpful, friendly, and eager to please. My sister and I shared a lower-level room with a balcony; the balcony attached to our friends' upper-level room opened to an amazing view. The perfect place to regroup each evening over a glass of wine, which, of course, we did.
We threw down our bags, set out to see a bit of the city, and immediately fell in love. Charming streets, musicians everywhere, playing instruments we'd never imagined, stunning architecture. It's easily walk-able, and even I, Ms.-Beyond-Directionally-Challenged, found it relatively easy to navigate. Everywhere we went, we found new, beautiful surprises. The triple bridges are in the middle of the city and each of them is distinctive and interesting in its own way. My favorite was the Dragon Bridge - who wouldn't love a Bridge filled with Dragon sculptures?
We ate extremely well and the wine .... The Slovenians make excellent wine which one can buy for a few dollars a glass at any of the numerous outdoor cafes overlooking the water. It turns out the hotel staff is indicative of the city at large - friendly and thoughtful. And that man at the airport? He's not alone, either. Slovenian men are beautiful! It got to the point where we almost became blase about them. Ruth would sigh, "This one isn't quite as gorgeous as the one five minutes ago." And her eyes would widen as another man came into view.
Slovenian history is as fascinating as the Slovenians themselves. They are fiercely independent, athletic and outdoorsy, yet their national hero is a poet. Yes, the statue in the middle of the city is of a poet and there is another statue, this one carved into the wall of a building directly across from his statue, of the woman he unrequitedly loved. The romantic in me melted.
So what did we say when we returned and people queried "where?!?" when told of our trip? Did we tell them that it is idyllic, a tiny land of mountains and oceans, of excellent wine and food, exquisite and considerate people? Am I crazy?? Nope. We told them it was boring, expensive, unfriendly and ugly. After all, I now plan to live there someday and I don't want it overrun with tourists!
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