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Thank you Debbielynn for sharing this touching story. Those were people cut from a different cloth, sincere, dedicated and hardworking, they’d come through hardship and horrors during the war and its aftermath and were undaunted by challenges in their new lives. You are a devoted daughter carrying your dad’s ashes back to his roots, he’s certainly smiling down at you.
Lucky church records survived the war and your uncle was able to trace back the family history several generations. I am from India and have many friends whose families were caught in the Partition of India and Pakistan post Independence in 1947. Again countless stories of horror and carnage, many friends’ families had to abandon prosperous businesses and lifestyles to make the trek to India, where they were lodged in refugee camps. Unfortunately the same thing happens and is repeated through the ages. On a different note, my husband and I spent a few days in Graz in 1981, though I hardly remember anything of that visit. We then drove down to Venice through Zagreb and some smaller towns, one of which was a thermal station. Rogaska Statina? We also spent a month in Ljubljana in 1990 when we were on a UN assignment, did some sightseeing a couple of weekends. Of course this was still the old Yugoslavia. |
Debbielynn, thanks for the restaurant information.
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Sunday, June 26th
today we took the funicular up to castle hill and the clock tower. Hot and sunny up there. So beautiful. I took so many pictures. I’m sure my family saw the clock on a regular basis. The castle is no longer there but there is an old well ,2 bastions from original structure and a park. The clock tower dates to the 1300 th century. There are tunnels under the hill that were used for protection during WW2. Now you can take a slide down to ground level through them! We opted for the stairs on the way down!! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...64a06866b.jpeg The funicular ride https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...addf458ae.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f05465ae8.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f1b41316b.jpeg The old fortress https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e6f3bdd4.jpeg |
We are now headed to Slovenia. We stopped for lunch in Sittersdorf, Austria at a little Gasthaus and had coffee and grilled cheeses. George’s was open faced with fried onions and peppers under the cheese, very delicious. Sometimes the simplest meals taste the best.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2a02efeb1.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5bd3b618e.jpeg Stammtisch means “regulars’ table”. We have a German restaurant in Queens, NY called “Zum Stammtisch”, which means “to the regulars table.” They have wonderful German food and is our go-to restaurant if we are heading to NYC. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5ff5ed3b5.jpeg View from the car https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...878a78b4c.jpeg Heading into the mountains https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17c0fafeb.jpeg Heading into Slovenia https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...17ea2b86a.jpeg Looks like the old border crossing buildings Someone on this forum helped me find the scenic route from Graz to Ljublijana. We got off the autobahn at Völkermarkt and headed on smaller roads and we were well rewarded with wonderful sites! We passes near the Logar valley, which is a popular place for hikers. Sunday was a perfect travel day because in the cities nothing was open. And we had the most beautiful day! Sunny and hot, of course! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba148eb98b.png Graz to Völkermarkt, then we changed to 82 https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...63d6e360f9.png |
Spectacular views. I just love the mountains. They must be in my blood!!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c6c7bcd3d.jpeg Municipality of Jezersko https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f5fa9cdd.jpeg Means mountain villages https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5c152519c.jpeg Looking into a valley https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6f2898465.jpeg Looks unreal! https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e8a70800d.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...afc7a4ac4.jpeg Diagram of the mountains with names https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ef170dd6.jpeg I am so disappointed this picture didn’t come out. Later on my husband figured out that since we had come out of the air conditioned car, the cell phone lens had fogged over! |
Following along and loving your travels!
I leave in 2 months for another Swiss trip. Last travel traveling 2019 to Germany. I am a different person also (20# gain since Covid and a bum knee). You've inspired me to get serious now! |
I'm enjoying your trip report Debbielyn, thank you.
I've really enjoyed the photos of Graz as I spent over a month there on my first trip to Europe at age 18. Was travelling with a friend whose parents were from Austria; her Dad from Graz and mom from Bad St. Leonhard. They emigrated to Canada after the war but lots of relatives were still there so we went between the 2 places and had a fabulous time. I really should go back to Austria, I loved it. |
Our hotel was located in the pedestrian center of the city, about one block from Preseren square, the main square in the city. We had to park in an underground garage nearby and walk with our suitcases. My husband was really grouchy about the walk. He had complained that his feet were hurting and his feet were red and swollen. I thought it could be due to traveling, the heat and the salty food we had in Greece. Little did I know the perfect storm was brewing. I also think he wasn’t gung ho about the visit to Slovenia. He was pleasantly surprised to find everyone there spoke English and he could communicate and go out by himself without feeling uncomfortable. The people we encountered everywhere were friendly, helpful and so nice. The country itself was beautiful and in the end, my husband really enjoyed our stay here.
We stayed at this hotel. The room was clean, the employees very friendly and breakfast was an additional $5 a person, which was so reasonable. The location was excellent. https://www.hotel-emonec.com/ |
Enjoying your trip report. In 2018, we actually flew into Graz, our starting point for a roadtrip (one of our most memorable holidays in Europe) through Southern Austria and Slovenia, eventually leading up to the Dolomites. We also enjoyed Graz, a highly underrated city (frankly Austria itself doesn't get the attention it deserves, in my opinion). Our route was slightly different - we drove the Southern Styrian wine route (beautiful landscape, great wines) from Graz to Maribor (spent a night), then headed to our next 2 bases - Ljubljana and Bled. Slovenia is spectacular, your photos look great!
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A morning walk around Ljublijana and the market. We bought George a pair of sandals so he could air out his feet. Despite my advice, he didn’t bring any kind of summer footwear, only leather shoes and socks. I told him it would be hot!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f9cf3d980.jpeg A relief of the city https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7da325c0f.jpeg Franciscan church in Preseren square. The square is named after Slovenian’s most famous poet, France Preseren. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c7d0c35d.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c84abd2a2.jpeg The market https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b1b1cc1ab.jpeg Along the river https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b453688c3.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8cbbec167.jpeg you can take a boat ride on the river https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60e04a99d.jpeg The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana. They are everywhere . https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...94a3aabcc.jpeg More dragons https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...440cf611e.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...15acbf8df.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6bb1138f4.jpeg Can I buy a vowel? Thank goodness everyone speaks English. The only word I learned was thank you— hvala. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd0c92731.jpeg And of course wurst!! |
After WW2, when the country was Yugoslavia, the Gottschee people were never spoken about and were forgotten, even though they had lived and farmed the land for 600 years and were a part of the fabric of the country. Only in the 1990s, when Slovenia became a country again, was the story again told. The museum in the city of Kocevje has a whole room devoted to their history. It includes interactive screens, boards full of information about all aspects of daily life and how they were forced to leave their homeland, and some artifacts.
The woman who worked at the desk did not speak English very well but she told me I wasn’t allowed to take picture. When I put on my sad face, she told me she wouldn’t look! Then she sent the museum director out to meet me. She knew all about the exhibit, the history and such and I told her stories about my family and promised her that I would send her whatever pictures we had. I wish I had allowed myself more time. It was so interesting. There was a book available to buy which basically showed the exhibit in printed form. Souvenir! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...82914c78f.jpeg The interactive screen. In 3 languages. You can look up your specific village. Ours is Hohenegg, now known as Onek. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99a681e81.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c8195c576.jpeg View of the village 1930s https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eeda6bf49.jpeg There was a fire in the village in 1932. My grandfather was the fire chief. He is the man with the shiny helmet in the left foreground. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...947417ac6.jpeg Some information boards https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a54effe2.jpeg |
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This is the book I bought. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...252f2e7f5.jpeg Relief map of area https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...821b1f793.jpeg Information boards https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62e154b7f.jpeg |
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This is the book I bought. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...252f2e7f5.jpeg Relief map of area https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...821b1f793.jpeg Information boards https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...62e154b7f.jpeg |
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The director of the museum is a firefighter and she wrote about the history of firefighting in this area. My grandfather made the cover! I was able to provide information about him, as he was just an unknown face to them. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b93d4d879.jpeg Village map n their Slovenian names. I have a list that I can look up the name and it will give me the old German name. Now we are going to drive the 8 km up to the village. I recognize the road from my trip there in 1978 and also from google map. It’s amazing that you can see everything with the “little yellow man” on google map and also the aerial views!! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b2cc713c5.jpeg Driving towards the village. My father bought a property in upstate NY in the early 1970s. It couldn’t look more similar than this. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e90ce4aef.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...15bf9e152.jpeg Approaching the sign https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1ce3fe406.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...48c504ea1.jpeg The curve in the road that tells me I am almost there. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a9fcc247.jpeg At the top left, past the trees by the road, was the house and well. The well is still there and part of the house’s foundation was still there in the 1070s but the grass was too high to explore very much. I was so fearful of falling. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...23adefb89.jpeg Probably the offspring of my grandfather’s apple trees. Trees were there the last time I visited. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...430726cd7.jpeg This little pull off was there then too. We parked the car there. My husband grabbed a stick that I could use to get through the grass. He went ahead of me and actually found the well. The last time I was here, it looked like someone still owned the land and there were cows grazing nearby. The barn is now dilapidated and the land is neglected. |
This is the area in the 1930s.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f5344a3bb.png https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e14b339c62.png The school https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b975daad3.jpeg A little about the village . They spelled Hohenegg wrong. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d7022af9f.jpeg The few houses that weren’t destroyed . They look well kept. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cccf46e61.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af5306374.jpeg |
The family house in the 1930s
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bcbff94f2.jpeg People lived upstairs, animals and storage underneath them. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...43c39a9f7.jpeg My father scratching out the carving of the date and his grandfather’s initials. 1970 https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9fcbb68aa.jpeg Me in 1978. Now I had to clear weeds, locate the initials, which were on the opposite side than we walked in, scratch them out again. My father died in 2020, at the age of a hearty 91, and I wanted to bring some of his ashes back. I was able to get an internet connection on my cell phone, so I face timed by 2 living brothers ( the other had died in 2020 also), and laid him to rest while my husband filmed a video with my camera. I hope he is happy there amongst the mountains. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a96582b59c.png The well now https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc1c39c54c.png T1915F https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c900dc914.png |
I had wanted to visit some of the neighboring villages that had a connection to the family but Mr. Grumpy kept complaining. He had said they he would drive me anywhere that day because he knew how important it was to me but his complaining became too much. I had wanted to have a bite to eat in the city, visit the local visitors center and the store that sold local honey but it wasn’t to be. We drove back to the city of Gottschee and I took a quick peek at the main church and snapped a few pictures. The city was deserted that day, HOT,HOT, HOT so the tour for the day was over and we headed back to Ljubljana .
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...29ff1d154.jpeg Approaching the city. I do believe the family went into the city once a year. You can see the steeple of the church if you look carefully in the middle of the picture. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ce62d67c4.jpeg St Fabian and Sebastian Church https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2cee07f40.jpeg Interior https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...90f4ead4f.jpeg A river runs through it. Every city seems to have a river, and usually a castle. I think originally there was also a castle in Gottschee. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5497f37a.jpeg Interesting sculpture |
Mokka4, yes, it took dedication and work from this lazy bum to get moving but it was for the best. I feel better now and because of pall the walking, a could splurge a little and enjoy all the food on vacation, especially the desserts!
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Rain city girl, yes, Austria is just beautiful. There are still things I want to see and I have been there several times.
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ANJJ, yes, both countries are amazing. I was comparing the mountains in both. In Slovenia, I noticed the mountains we drove past were all filled with trees and the mountains in Austria looked different. They had trees and open, grassy areas. I could tell I was in two different places.
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Debbielynn, it's so wonderful that you know so much about your family's history! And that you have visited the village. Love your family photos! My mom's parents are from Poland and Ukraine, but no one knows where exactly. I think that when they came to the US to escape WWI, they were so happy to be here that they didn't talk about home. What I find amazing is that my grandparents came to the US separately as teen-agers, and met in the US. They left their parents behind and most of their siblings, and never saw them again. So sad.
Ljubljana is a beautiful city. We loved the architecture, the bridges, the river, the food. We drove over the mountains to visit Lake Bled for a day. Stunning scenery and very green. What was the problem with your husband's feet? Was it from the heat and perspiration because he only had closed-toe shoes? |
KarenWoo, I know about the history, a little from my father and more from my uncle. Yes, in the olden days, people left and perhaps never saw their families again. Such a scary thought. I would never have been brave enough to leave my family. I guess that was the way of life and everyone just accepted it. Nowadays, of course, it so easy to stay in touch with everyone.
we had to change our plans as the days progressed but did get to see Lake Bled also. The “feet” chapter is coming up! |
We ate at a typical Slovenian restaurant tonight, Sokol. I had the wurst platter and George was supposed to have the risotto with shrimp and octopus. Instead, they accidentally brought a barley and vegetable dish, which looked similar. They ended up not charging us for his dinner.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...120b68ff4.jpeg Restaurant called Sokol https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0b6ff06ce.jpeg Here you can see what you can order. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bf53e43ba.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c331918c6.jpeg Tasted just like what I grew up with https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bfd875774.jpeg A barley with vegetable dinner. It was very good and it is what I ordered 2 nights later when we came back. |
We ate at a typical Slovenian restaurant tonight, Sokol. I had the wurst platter and George was supposed to have the risotto with shrimp and octopus. Instead, they accidentally brought a barley and vegetable dish, which looked similar. They ended up not charging us for his dinner. For dessert, we tried the local cakes.
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Tuesday, June 28th
The plans for the next days were to be one day in Lake Bled, including a a boat ride to the island, a visit to Bled castle and a hike at Vintgar gorge. The other day we would head east to see one the large caves and maybe the castle in the rocks. That all went out the window when we woke up this morning. Not only were George’s feet red and swollen but were now weeping. Yuck!! Being a retired nurse, I knew this wasn’t good. I told him we had to see a doctor. He really wanted to wait until we got home, which wouldn’t be until July 3. He blamed it all on his athletes foot and a blister he got. In no uncertain terms, I told him he needed to see a doctor and we weren’t taking another step or leaving the city before he did! The hotel receptionist recommended several nearby clinics. George wanted to check with the pharmacist, so we walked across the nearby square and asked. One look at his feet and they also recommended he see someone. We were staying in a pedestrian zone so the pharmacy tech advised us to go to the bus terminal, where we would find taxis. We had to walk several long blocks and when we arrived, we saw buses but no taxis. The first person I asked didn’t know where the taxis were but the second woman I asked was ever so helpful. Not only did she call the taxi for us, she walked with us to where the taxis parked, stayed with us until it arrived and told the driver where we wanted to go! Turns out she worked in the ER of the hospital and had just gotten off her night shift and was doing a little shopping before going home. Thank you to this kind soul! When we got to the clinic, it seemed almost like an ER, with a check-in desk, info desk and waiting area. The receptionist took his name and complaint, said she would speak to the doctor and within 5 minutes had returned and told us what room to go to on the second floor. There was a small area with seats and several people waiting, and numerous closed and locked doors. Nurses scurried up and down the hallway. Essentially the layout is that behind each door is a small treatment room with stretcher bed, desk and nurse. Adjoining is the doctor’s office, with desk and also examining table. The doctor did speak English, not as good as the people who deal with tourists everyday, but understandable. She asked his medical history and I asked she take his BP and Temp. Temp is taken under the arm, by the way! She took one look ar his feet, diagnosed 2 problems, athletes foot and cellulitis. She prescribed antibiotics, rest and to return if there was no improvement in 24-48 hours. The nurse put some sterile dressing on his weeping cuts. There was no charge for the visit! The pharmacy was around to the back of the building and the medicine cost a whopping 10 euros!! And for the pharmacists out there, there was no counting of the pills or long waits; they pulled the box of medicine off the shelf, printed a label and you were on your way. All together, we couldn’t have been gone more than 1.5- 2 hrs. George happened to find a taxi outside the building so we returned to the hotel. My hope was that he would heal and not get sepsis, gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis. His feet looked horrible. I was very concerned and nervous. I am now on my own. George put his feet up and napped. That was the end of his day! |
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St Nicholas’ cathedral https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...78cafed2f.jpeg Brass door https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c7bcaa90e.jpeg Inscriptions in German. I had a nice little chat with the man who took the money inside the church. I got a little history about Slovenia. He said it had always been under someone else’s rule- the Hapsburgs, the French, Russians, Yugoslavia https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...40ebb7adb.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe290b260.jpeg Very ornate inside https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5af07fdb6.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b8eb91c0f.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f639f12ca.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...193e3dc62.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f5f9752e9.jpeg Funicular up to the castle https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6a6fc7425.jpeg Model of the castle https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8781b5554.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1df70eec3.jpeg You could climb up to see the views but I didn’t have the energy to go up,the stairs https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...da55df6d2.jpeg A dark storm moved over the area, with thunder and lightning. I just made it back to the hotel, scurrying all the way, before it started to pour https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cfa728ed1.jpeg Prison room |
Explanation of previous post.
I am now on my own for the rest of the day. I did some shopping to get ideas for gifts for the grandsons, visited the city’s cathedral, the church of St. Nicholas and took the funicular up the very steep hill to the castle. To be honest, I didn’t think their castle was anything special. Very few exhibits. Didn’t climb up by the tower as I was too tired for stairs. |
Sorry about George’s feet. How fortunate to have access to healthcare.
No wonder he was grouchy by then though, the heat, the driving, his feet. Wonderful you were able to find so much historical information on your family background. |
You can take the nurse out of the duty shoes, but you can't take the nurse out of the nurse! Good work, Debbielynn.
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Adelaidean, he is doing better now. The healthcare in Slovenia was wonderful.
Seamus, once a nurse, always a nurse though cellulitis is not usually in my repertoire. I worked labor and delivery for almost 40 years. |
Slovenia is also known for its honey. In one of the gift shops, they had folk art miniature pictures for the hives for sale. So cute.
George felt a little better this evening so we had a nice dinner at this restaurant, called Pop’s Place. Probably one of the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had and the French fries were wonderful too. Serenaded by a traveling band. Dessert at a cafe on the river called Lolita. I had the traditional Slovenian dessert call gibanica, made with poppy seeds, walnuts and cream, and George had an Italian hazelnut and chocolate cake. So rich and decadent! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3eee91459.jpeg Mini beehive front boards https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...337cc4d22.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1e91fe613.jpeg Pop’s place. Very good ratings https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79e0c0b3b.jpeg Inside https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e2213b22.jpeg A hamburger sounds good tonight https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e332b09c8.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4128e3408.jpeg Matching band https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8bd7a7f2c.jpeg Nice little cafe and bakery along the river https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f2a426980.jpeg Gibarnica https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7da68baa0.jpeg this dessert was even better https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9649685bd.jpeg square at night |
Very glad the feet are OK. (Another win for universal health care... )
So nice to see Ljubljana, one of my favorite cities (Art Nouveau AND dragons, of course it is!). |
Sorry about George’s feet, but it looks like you had good medical care in Ljubljana. I hope he’s fully recovered now.
Thanks for the stunning pictures which I am enjoying greatly. We hope to make it to the area next year, probably May end/early June… |
Yes, Thursdaysd, this is not the first time he has seen a doctor in a European country. Many years ago he saw at MD in Rouen. Needed antibiotics for either a tooth or an ear infection, can’t remember which. Similar experience. I think it cost $20 for the visit and we followed him by car to the pharmacy that was open at that hour of the evening. We always had good experiences.
we didn’t really get out out of the center of the city so I can’t say anything about art nouveau. Everything we saw was lovely and I liked all the little restaurants along the river. |
Thank you, Geetika. He is better though the skin on the bottom of his feet is still peeling. Podiatrist said it’s might take a month before they are back to normal. I hope this was the one and only time he ever has cellulitis. I find it odd that he seems to get sick when we are away. He had the flu on our honeymoon. Got sick in Venice and was sick when we got to Munich. He seems to catch something every time he gets wet! We got caught in drenching rain at Lake Garda one year and he got sick right after that. At home he is usually fine!!
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Wednesday we did an abbreviated version of our original plans and George came along for the ride. I went spelunking and George rested outside the caves. I had wanted to see the Skocjan caves, which are bigger and I believe a longer visit and more walking but I really didn’t want to do it alone so we went to the Postojna cave. You take a train ride deep into the ground, then you walk through the stalagmites and stalactites, up and down, and end up eventually where you disembarked the train.
It was a tour conducted in English but that was a waste because the guide hurried along and after I took a bunch of pictures, I lost my group. I know there was another group somewhere behind me but for a few minutes, I was all alone in the cave. I got a little anxious but knew if I kept walking on the path, eventually I would catch up. I kept yelling “hello, where is everyone” and finally found them! George waited for me outside in the cafe. Went to dinner again at Sokol. Tonight George had the risotto with octopus and shrimp and I had the barley and a salad. We had desert again at Lolita but tonight I also had the hazelnut cake- too wonderful to resist. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9ffc6b980.jpeg The entrance https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9b90e00ae.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5f85a4f48.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...65af2cd74.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc07ca51c.jpeg Stalactites and stalagmites https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7842591d.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e97ce6863.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...083041505.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bd1fecb26.jpeg Wonderful ending to dinner |
Today George is doing much better. We are leaving Ljublijana and heading to Lake Bled. Originally the trip to Lake Bled was planned for an entire day. My plans had included a boat ride to the island, a visit to Bled castle and a hike through Vintgar gorge. Because everything was pushed back a day and We didn’t want George to do too much walking, we just stopped at the lake for an hour or so, took pictures and enjoyed a piece of the famous Lake Bled cream cake. It was like a giant cream puff between phyllo dough. Just wonderful! Lake Bled was so picturesque and beautiful. It deserved much more time.
We ended up not going to the gorge because we were told by the tourist office that they were doing construction in that area and the nearest parking lot to the gorge was closed. It would have been too much walking. Later in the day we drove to Salzburg. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...25538e8b3.jpeg so, so pretty https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3583b83d.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9ef4c03ae.jpeg Lake Bled island. Tradition has it that when a couple marries, they take a boat to the island. The groom has to carry the bride up the 99 stairs to the church and ring the bell for good luck. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0da66de8d.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e15b2e76.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de34f0a20.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f9dab68d.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5fe707493.jpeg Should have ordered my own piece!! We ended up talking for a long time to several locals at the same little cafe. One of the men was formerly a taxi driver and he told us all about the area and and then told us about his garden and how he makes and sells slivovitz, which is a spirit made from some sort of fruit. He said he usually mixed various fruits together, like plums, peaches, grapes. My father and his work partner, also from Gottschee, made a big batch every year behind the auto body shop. They would drive upstate and buy whatever fruit was on sale. Most of the time it was plums. They had a homemade still. That stuff was wicked!! |
So happy to hear your husband is doing better. Good thing you didn't wait until you arrived home for him to see a doctor. The situation could have been much worse by then.
The cream cake and the hazelnut cake are to die for! |
Off to Salzburg, Austria. We stayed on the newer side of the city, at the end of a pedestrian zone. It was a pleasant walk to the Salzach River. My only complaint was that the door to the bathroom was solid glass and very heavy to open and the air circulation in the bathroom was non existant because you couldn’t leave the door open. Breakfast was included, parking was not. There was a big terrace/ patio outside where we could breakfast in the open air.
https://hofwirt-salzburg.at/ https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...28f8f158e.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f586e1448.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19b3bc45d.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0206e4a24.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f6486241.jpeg We didn’t do anything this evening except go to dinner at a nearby restaurant recommended by the hotel. Die Weisse They are a wheat beer brewery with restaurant and beer garden. We didn’t have a reservation but they found a small table for us outside. I had a beer tonight, called a Radler, which is beer mixed with something sweet like lemonade or grapefruit juice. Mine could have been mixed with a lemon soda. George had goulash and I had a salad with fried chicken strips and again pumpkin seed oil. We spoke a while to a visiting couple, from Germany, sitting on the next table A rather large storm blew in and we had to make a mad dash back to the hotel. If it had remained nice, I’m sure we would have ad more beer and dessert. https://www.dieweisse.at/en/. The restaurant / beer garden was very nice. Food was good. |
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