Hotel Mons Ljubljana

... it was like. It looked just like that in the main part of the cave, bridge and all. It was over 90 meters tall (if I remember correctly) and had water flowing down below. (That’s how the caves were discovered- people were following the river). The river flows underground, through the caves and on until Italy. Other parts of the caves weren’t as tall but still amazing. They had really cool formations inside. And we were told the caves have existed for at least ...

... first introduction to what I’d been forewarned was the Balkans fast food of choice. Burek (or byrek or borek or other variations, depending on the country). Meat (or cheese or potato or whatever really) stuffed pastry, wound into a funny shape. It was good & cheap & easy for a while, but when 9 out of the last 10 countries I’ve been have the stuff, it does get a little old. In Slovenia though it was still a novelty &amp ...

... more time. (Chris says he wasn't impressed, but I was). We ate a very late dinner last night on the Ljubljanica River at a pizza place. It was some of the best pizza Chris and I have ever had--New York included. We just finished a massive breakfast buffet at our hotel and now we're off to explore. Looks like thunderstorms today, so we may be laying low. Maybe we'll upload some photos today if we're back in the hotel.<br><br>Love,<br>Chris and Liana

... restaurants. Our first drink was in a really cute wine bar called Movia after the local winery. The atmosphere was great except for the Grease movie soundtrack on repeat. You can only take Greased Lightening so many times. We drank a few glasses of wine paired with some cheese and meat and then left. If the music was anything else we probably would have stayed there all night long. There was only two tables and some ...

... but still... what's the point? Carlos Nakai doesn't need to wear war paint to get his music across; it speaks for itself. The word 'nakai' means 'Mexican' for God's sake. Who cares? I don't mean to be judgmental, but... somebody needs to be. Then the rains came. As if things are not dead enough on Sunday already, the rain puts a damper on the little bit that's left. And it rains for forty hours ...

... part of the day, a sauna awith lavender oil whisked off a icy wet towel through the air for inhaling. Talked Chuck into a Hostel for our second night in Ljubljana. Turned out this wasn't for Chuck, after a couple dorm mates come in an turned on the lights, Chuck was up and back to his Hotel. For my part, simply asked the young man who started reading if he would take his book back out to the dayroom so I could sleep. Problem solved. Anyway off to Chucks in Northern Italy.

... to the prison hostel (Celica Hostel, a former military prison turned into a hippie hostel), left my luggage there and took my already traditional (in my private universe, of course!) aimless walk through the city. Even though Ljubljana has a population of about 250,000 people its central area is very compact and small and if you walk 30 minutes in any direction from the train station you will start seeing cows, pigs and horses around! :-) Its city center ...

... comparison. Bled is the most gorgeous town, nestled into the Alps, and built on Lake Bled, which is just breathtaking. The water of this lake is swimming pool quality, 6 km. in diameter, and as clear blue as you could get. It takes about 3 hours to do a leisurely stroll around the diameter, but it really takes all day, because you stop and people watch, find a big shady tree to snooze under for an hour or 2, hop in for a quick dip to cool off, rent a ...

The final country we would see on our winter break was the tiny nation of Slovenia, squeezed in between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It had also been part of the former Yugoslavia, however had gained it's independence before most of the hostilities in the region broke out. It was granted EU status in 2004, and after a lengthy talk about the country with a girl I met in Wroclaw a few months earlier I was looking forward to seeing the spectacular mountain ...

... side lane leads to the next or through a park or up some stairs or to a church. We find what we find. A tiny bronze replica of the city with finger width streets is my favorite. A Mexican restaurant?? Homesick for beans we try it, but find tacos made with cabbage and mushrooms covered with spaghetti type tomato salsa. Good in its own way. Caught an industrial design exhibit, the type of thing that will hold our interest for hours and had some very ...