Slovenia is Paradise

Greetings from (now) Slovenia! But first, let me tell you how I got here. That sign is in fact for Croatia, so if you got that then you passed the first test. For those of you who dig on a pub quiz, Croatia's country code is HR. Maybe you all knew that. I didn't.

Now, I know it's been longer than usual since my last post. I have lots of photos and places and experiences to get through right now so here goes.

Cycling through Croatia really was stunning but it also really was a hot slog. One might even call it a long teng. However, I knew I had about 100km to go from Letenye (on the border) to Zagreb, and I wanted to keep to my rather whimsically and carelessly constructed schedule, so I put my head between my legs and brummed.

Eventually, after many twists and turns through glorious hills and mountainous dales, weaving between mammoths on either side, I arrived in Zagreb by about 5pm! I was feeling quite chuffed, and was very hungry, so I did what at the time seemed like the most sensible thing to do - I drank a beer and explored the hilliest, most steepest part of the city. And it was beautiful!

There's this expansive cemetery, lined on one side by giant archways and historical corridors. I swerved swiftly, yet sensitively, through its gangways, marvelling at its sheer size. Check out the foliage on that!

From up in the more touristy side of the city, all old, worn and full of character, I could see almost the whole city. There was an old gentleman twiddling away on a guitar up there too, which lent the scene an idyllic serenity that one really wants when one arrives at a place.

Coming down from the old town, delirious with hunger, I stopped off in the first groovy looking eatery I could find, and ordered a Quattro Formaggi pizza. It was literally the biggest pizza I'd ever seen! Probably 50cm in diameter, maybe more. Didn't even nearly fit on the plate. I gulped it down and felt morbidly full, so bit the proverbial bullet and nipped over to the cheapest hostel in town. Hostel54!

On the way I struck architectural gold, with this beauty:

And then slept soundly, though sweatily, on the top floor. Breakfast was brilliant. So, to Slovenia!

Slovenia has been a dream. I didn't know what to expect, as I'd been pleasantly surprised by Zagreb (I thought it would be very industrial and not very green, for some reason - how wrong I was!). I was welcomed by luscious pine hills and fabulous sunshine. True, these both were plentiful in Croatia, but the sun felt slightly less oppressive here, and the hills less knee-buckling. Views were invariably spectacular, the roads largely smooth, and occupied with many a joyful cyclist!

I'd seen lots of these signs throughout the Czech Republic and failed to take any photos of them. So, here's for you, Brod.

My first major stopover in Slovenia was by the Krka River, which I have come to love oh so much. This dear little village, by the humble name of Kostanjerica, is perhaps the most perfectly self-contained and joyous settlement I've spent any time in. The river's tributaries are lined with wooden boats, and crossed by lovely timber-stilt bridges. The whole river is safe swim, refreshingly cool and full of families! So many smiles.

I bathed/swam twice in this village, and decided to chill a bit. I got well stuck into Laurie Lee too, whose adventures are ruddy well stunning, enrapturing, and make me want to write better.

Here, the sun set, and I slept just around the corner.

Then I was back on the gorgeous roads for a gentle morning, and then stumbled across Zuzemberk! which is one of my favourite place names.

It also has a SWEET castle, which you can stroll around to your heart's content. Here's what it looks like from the bottom:

And here, conveniently, from the top! What a cute little town! Nestled neatly in the Slovenian pine hills, without worry nor qualm.

Back on the road that afternoon, I found a bit where it was necessary to walk. This was a bit of a joke really, but I found it quite satisfying, huffing and puffing away.

Once at the top, though, I found a place to rest my head, and really the most picturesque view. Here, I decided it was time to tuck into THIS Slovenian beaut:

After all, it's traditional, and I felt in need of protein. It's oddly textured, somewhere between ham, pátê, mousse and jelly. As far as I know, you're supposed to cut right into it, and slice it into sandwiches. So that's what I did! Thumbs up for cheap sustenance. I also discovered the next morning (this morning) that these pseudo-sausages come in monstrous proportions. In big supermarkets, you can get them about two feet long and a foot in diameter. I know. It's ridiculous. But some people must get through a lot.

This was my 7am alarm today, completely dry of dew and ready to enter Ljubljana.

On the way I passed a walkway which only admits parents of children who have the head of a duck, beak trained on the blistering sun. Hmm.

I also found that there is a town called Ig! (another one for the fam)

Entering Ljubljana was less stressful than eating a banana. And residents here seem to have the right ideas.

There's also a honking great castle here, so I had to go up that. Here's the view out one side.

And again, as if by magic, the view from the other side. What? What's that down there in the main plaza? Is that what I think it is -

a GIANT WATERSLIDE??? Yes it is. It's Ljubljana Festival time - all summer - and this thing's blasting out summer bangers to a crowd of bewildered revellers, each more intoxicated with happiness than the last.

I've found Ljubljana to be a bit of a dream city. Bumbling by in its modest way, its river is lined with luverly outdoor cafés and market stalls selling trinkets, souvenirs and plush fruits. The centre's entirely pedestrianised, and everyone here seems to be at peace. The cool jives with the historical, and ain't it sweet.

There's a zone which produces its own rain, Ljubljana's own micromicroclimate. Here, a man is racked with a totalising desire to let free all those pent up emotions. He bops to his own rhythm.

Even the mannequins are enjoying themselves!

And it's good to see the Slovenians selling their wares more confidently than the citizens of Brno (there's one to see who's been with me from the beginning).

Slovenia is a member of the EU, uses the euro, and recycles like a hero, all over the country. Half the city is taken up by humongous Tivoli Park, which actually has more trees than there are grains of sand in a unicorn.

For this reason, among others, it was awarded Europe's Greenest City, 2016! Congratulations Ljubljana, you evergreen paradise.

See you later, yeah?