Europe 2019 - Day 48 (Part 3)

23 June 2019, Sunday

Then we went to the Votive Church (also under renovation 🙄) which is built in neo-Gothic design. Following the attempted assassination of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1853, the Emperor's brother Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian inaugurated a campaign to create a church to thank God for saving the Emperor's life. Funds for construction were solicited from throughout the Empire. The church was dedicated in 1879 on the silver anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth.

Then we walked to the Sigmund Freud museum - because he’s Austrian and I read his book the Interpretation of Dreams which I didn’t like but still. His name is synonymous with psychology and psychology is one of my pet peeves so I had to go see the museum.

Then to the State Opera which was first constructed in 1869. The original Vienna State Opera House was almost totally destroyed – save for its Tea Salon, the Schwind Foyer, its main façade, and the grand staircase – by Allied bombing during WW II. It was then rebuilt in a Neo-Renaissance style and reopened in 1955 with a performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio. It looked like a palace, and is said to be one of the finest Opera Houses in the world. Opera is really a thing here in Vienna. (Un)fortunately it’s not my thing.

Then to St Charles’  Church, a baroque Roman Catholic church. It is widely considered as the most outstanding baroque church in Vienna, as well as one of the city's greatest buildings. The church is dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo, one of the great counter-reformers of the 16th century. Constrction began in 1713 and the church was completed in 1737. The church originally possessed a direct line of sight to the Hofburg and was also, until 1918, the Imperial patron parish church.

Lastly, we saw the Mozart monument. As my piano teachers used to say, I play the piano like a bull or an elephant which makes me more of a Beethoven or Bach person but still! I played Mozart so I can relate and of course it’s exciting to be in the country he was born in.  

Then we decided to call it a day as it was quite late. We still had some interesting things to see so we decided to wake up early tomorrow and tackle the remaining places. 

On the train back to the hostel, there was a ticket collector asking to see tickets. I showed him my ticket and no problem. There was a boy who tried to exit the train at the next stop (I guess he didn’t have a ticket) but he was seen in time by the ticket collector who accosted him and took his photo with his handphone. They got down at the next stop and the boy casually tried to walk away but the ticket collector held on to his clothes. I don’t know what happened next but yikes! Luckily we always had tickets. 

Europe 2019 - Day 48 (Part 2)

23 June 2019, Sunday

In my zombie-like state we first went to Tiergarten Schonbrunn, to see the Schlöss (palace), probably the most iconic building that represents Vienna today. It has been around since the 1600’s and has 1,441 rooms. The Habsburgs have held residence here for many years and emperors of Austria have been born in the palace too.

The palace itself is an immense building and designed in a Baroque style with a symmetrical main building that has hundreds of windows and statues on the rooftop.

Inside the palace are an assortment of rooms all fully furnished and decorated in the original style.

We also walked around the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace Complex, which had lush greenery, a maze and labyrinth, fountains, landscaped lawns, etc. I took a picture of the entrance to the Imperial Zoo also known as the Tiergarten Schonbrunn. This is  the oldest zoo in the world located within the grounds of the Sconbrunn Palace. Originally it was built as a menagerie.

Then it started to rain! Actually it poured! And I under-estimated Vienna. Most of the other cities in Europe had all of the tourists attractions within walking distance and easily accessible by public transport. But in Vienna, everything was quite far apart so it took us some time to get from one place to another. What with the weather and my sloth-like movements, I was not optimistic of finishing all the touristy stuff by today.

Nevertheless, we soldiered on and went to St Stephen Basilica, which was built in the 12th century. It is the most prominent religious building in Vienna, and just beautiful inside and out. It has the tallest church tower in Austria. 

As it was still raining, we decided to go eat instead. I tried what was written in the menu as “typical Austrian noodles with bacon baked with cheese”. It was nice (it was not actually noodles but some kind of pasta and of course, bland for my Indian tongue but overall not bad) and as hungry as I was, I couldn’t finish it and had to pack the rest for tomorrow.

After eating we went to see the Parliament building, but unfortunately it was

under construction. Then the Town Hall or Rathauswhich was constructed in the 1800’s in a Neo-Gothic style to accommodate the offices of the mayor for an ever increasing city population. It has five towers, the middle of which is the largest and is topped by the iconic Rathausman statue. We also managed to see the National Theatre, the Vienna University and the Court House.

Europe 2019 - Day 48 (Part 1)

23 June 2019, Sunday

Only 3 hours of sleep. Woke up at 5 a.m. as we had to take the bus at 7 a.m. to Vienna. Had breakfast somewhere near the bus station but I couldn’t eat much as I was having a hangover, still half asleep, head in the clouds and feeling pain all over, but all in a good way. It’s a 5 hour ride to Vienna and I slept the entire journey 😁.

So, a little bit about Austria. Today's Austria is what was once the German speaking core and centre of power for the large multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire with its imperial capital in Vienna. This empire stretched eastwards from present-day Austria through much of east-central and south-central Europe, including the entire territories of modern day Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and portions of Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Poland and Italy.

The modern republic of Austria came into being in 1918 as a result of its defeat in WW I. In its wake, the empire was split into many components. Following an unresisted invasion and annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, Austria more or less functioned as a part of Nazi Germany during WW II. Thus, a large proportion of the population supported Hitler and Austria's incorporation into Germany. It was not until the end of the war that the mood changed and Austria tried to distance itself from Germany. 

In 1945, Austria was divided into zones of occupation like Germany. However, unlike Germany, Austria was not subject to any further territorial losses. A treaty signed in 1955 ended the Allied and Soviet occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade future unification with Germany. A constitutional law of that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality", a condition for Soviet military withdrawal, and thus saved Austria from Germany's fate of a divided nation with a divided capital.

We arrived in Vienna and went to our hotel which was unfortunately quite far away. It is not cheap to stay in Vienna, and this time I managed to convince my friend to stay in a hotel which was reasonably cheap as it was some distance away from the city centre. For me, I’d rather pay a bit extra and get fresh towels and a hair dryer in a comfortable room, rather than a bed in a dorm.

Anyway, after checking in I was still feeling like a zombie and I think my friend realised that I was off and asked me what happened and I told her the edited version 😁. 

Europe 2019 - Day 47 (Part 3)

22 June 2019, Saturday

As I said, all this we saw only at a distance, from a bridge in town, and we walked the entire town of Škofja Loka in a hurry, in less than an hour as Ms. Impatience did not want to walk in the rain any more. As we were waiting for the bus back, it stopped raining and the sun snuck a shy peek. I would’ve continued my explorations of Škofja Loka and the nearby Puštal, but Ms. Impatience was impatient to go home so therein ended our foray into the nearby town of Škofja Loka.

We were back Ljubljana for lunch. I had Štruklji, one of the most important traditional Slovenian dishes. The first recorded preparation of štruklji is said to be in 1589, when a chef at a manor in Graz wrote down the recipe for cooked štruklji with tarragon filling. They became a festive dish for the urban middle class in the 17th century, and spread to rural households two centuries later. They were incorporated into everyday cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century. 

The one I tried here was different from the one in Croatia. It is basically filo pastry with filling (either sweet or savoury) spread onto a sheet of dough, and the dough then formed into a roll and baked, steamed, fried or boiled. The shop that I tried this in offered 3 traditional flavours - cottage cheese, tarragon and walnut. I think it was steamed. The tarragon one tasted a bit funny (I think it’s because i’m not used to the herb) but all edible and for me, nicer than the one in Croatia. This dish can be served as a side dish to meat dishes, different soups or as an independent main dish.

Then, because we had nothing better to do, we took the funicular up to Ljubljana Castle. The first Ljubljana Castle is believed to have been a wooden and stone fortification built in the 11th century. It acquired its present outline with an almost complete overhaul in the 15th century, whereas the majority of the buildings date to the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle is depicted on the city's coat of arms, along with a dragon on top (Ljuby! ❤️). The hill summit probably became a Roman army stronghold after fortifications were built in Illyrian and Celtic times. Since the first half of the 14th century, it became the seat of the lords of Carniola. 

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle became an arsenal. In 1797 the town of Ljubljana and the castle were occupied for the first time by the French army, and again in 1809. In the period of the Illyrian Provinces, the castle was used as barracks and a military hospital. In 1815, back in the Austrian Empire, it became a prison, which it remained until 1895, with a hiatus between 1848 and 1868, resuming that function during WW II. I saw an Austro-Hungarian field cannon M75 here.

Around the castle were Archer’s Tower, the Chapel of St George, and a monument known as the Monument to Peasant Uprisings made in 1974 and dedicated to the largest peasant uprising in Slovenia in 1515, in which the peasants demanded the reintroduction of the original feudal obligations and trade rights i.e. to have a say in how much taxes they pay.

Here at the Castle we had a panoramic view of the city of Ljubljana where we could see the ‘Skyscraper’ (Nebotičnik). When this 13-storey tower was topped off in 1933 it became the tallest building in the Balkans and was in the top ten for Europe.

At the time it was equipped with all the latest conveniences, like air-conditioning, speedy elevators and a central heating system.

Then we walked down to the city of Ljubljana and since we had nothing to do, we went back to the hostel. It was only about 5 p.m. I took a short nap and then I went down to the garden patio and drank beer and made new friends. It was raining pretty heavily at night and drinks were bought for me and suddenly everything was happy and good and life was a bed of roses with butterflies and rainbows and one thing led to another and by the time I went to bed it was already 2 a.m. I’ll so no more except that it feels damn good to still be desirable at my age. 

Europe 2019 - Day 47 (Part 2)

22 June 2019, Saturday

Next, to the Church of St Jacob or the Parish Church. It is a late Gothic hall building, expanded in 1471 on the foundations of a smaller, about 200-year-old church. 

Then to the Mark or Sign of St Mary which is a baroque mark with 3 statues sculpted in 1751 from the local Conglomerate rock as a token of gratitude from the protection of plague and fire. The plinth in the form of an altar holds the statues of St Roch and St Anthony, while the main column carries the statue of Mary. Further up the square there is an old stone fountain that is still in use. It was built in 1883 and it is shaped like a square prism with 2 shells. A pitcher and the coat of arms are added for decoration. 

 Next, to the Old Town Hall. This used to be the most eminent building of the Town Square, from the 16th century, situated just behind the Mark or Sign of St Mary. It was the meeting point of the town representatives, with the town judges as the main figure. There are several paintings and architectural elements on the exterior, underlining the historic importance of this building. After a large fire in 2014, the facade was renovated and a small copper bell was installed on top, exactly where it used to stand many years ago. 

Then to the Nun’s Church or the Church of Mary Immaculate which is situated beneath the Castle of Škofja Loka. It is said that they are connected by a hidden passage. The Church was built in 1358 but it was rebuilt to its current Baroque style after the fire in 1669. There is a nunnery adjacent to the church, hence its name. Before 1782, the nunnery used to be operated by the Clarissa nuns, but was taken over by the Ursulines, who opened a girls’ school in the Castle and were said to be the first to introduce basketball in Slovenia.

Then to the Castle of Škofja Loka, but we only viewed it from a distance as we didn’t go up the hill. There were people here dressed in medieval costumes - I think they would offer various services to tourists but today they didn’t have anything to do on account of the rain. The first castle was constructed by the bishops of Freising shortly after they received the territory. The document from 1202 describes the castle as a very firm castle of Loka. It was managed by an administrator or chieftain (who was in charge of the town in the absence of the bishop) and it was the bishop’s residence when he came to visit. The Castle was almost completely destroyed in the 1511 earthquake but it was renovated by bishop Filip. Today it is the Museum of Škofja Loka.

Then, as it was still raining, Ms Impatience was eager to head back to Ljubljana although I wanted to see more things. As we were making our way back to the bus station, all I could manage was to see some points of interest from a distance. One of these is the Capuchin Bridge. 

This bridge was built by bishop Leopold in the middle of the 14th century. Legend has it that this same bishop wanted to ride across the then fenceless stone bridge, but he was asked to pay the toll for crossing his own bridge, so he got upset. This startled his horse and they both fell off the bridge and drowned. The bridge was restored in 1888, when it was equipped with an iron fence and a statue of St John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of bridges. The bridge is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe, being about 600 years old. In the Middle Ages, one of the 5 entrances to the city called the Selca’s gate was situated next to the bridge.

In the immediate vicinity of the Capuchin bridge is the Capuchin Church, with its monastery and library. The Church was built in Baroque style in 1709. The oldest preserved theatre script written in the Slovene language, called The Škofja Loka Passion Play by Friar Romuald is kept in this library. It depicts the story of mankind, from Adam and Eve in Paradise to Christ’s suffering and some scenes from the local history. It is now performed as a passion procession through the streets of Škofja Loka once every 6 years.

Europe 2019 - Day 47 (Part 1)

22 June 2019, Saturday

I woke up late as I didn’t sleep well last night. The bed was not very comfortable and of all things, I miss my long pillow. I have the lower bunk bed which had a curtain that you could pull across the bed for privacy, but it was kinda flimsy so it kept dropping down throughout the night until in the end I just left it on the floor. And then when I came into the room at about 12 a.m. the wusses as usual had switched off all the lights and I thought everyone was already in bed so I locked the room door but at about 2.45 a.m. I heard someone fiddling with the door so I had to wake up and open the door, and then since I was already awake I had to go to the loo as I had a bit too much beer so it was altogether quite a restless night which is why I woke up late.

So my friend Ms. Impatience was already not very pleased with the delay. It was quite a gloomy morning with the rain threatening to come down on us with relish, but I was in such a rush to organise myself in the morning that I didn’t pack any rain related clothing.

And of course, it rained. Poured and poured right when we reached Škofja Loka, a town about 40 minutes away by bus. Ms. Impatience was of course well prepared with a light coat and umbrella, and eager to brace the rain. I, on the other hand, wanted to wait until the rain stopped for a bit. In the end I had to give in to Ms. Impatience and brace the rain and cold winds.

Škofja Loka is really a very interesting town. The first mention of the town dates back to the year 973, when German emperor Oton the Second gave the territory of Loka as a present to Abraham the bishop of Freising in Bavaria. However, the territory of Loka mentioned in that deed of donation was not Škofja Loka but a part of the town, now known as Stara Loka. In the Middle Ages the locality of Loka was starting to spread around the confluence of 2 rivers, which gave the town its name - the word “Loka” stands for grassland by the river. Later on, the bishops of Freising named the administrative and economic centre of the town Škofja Loka.

Škofja Loka was first mentioned as a market town in 1248 and as a town in 1274. The town was enclosed by town walls with 5 towers and gates. It included the Upper Square (Plac) and Lower Square (Lontrg). There was a bad earthquake that happened in 1511 which badly damaged the town, and it had to be rebuilt by bishop Filip. Traditionally, the inhabitants of the town and its surroundings were mainly tradesmen, which united into trade unions or guilds at the end of the Middle Ages. Only townspeople were allowed to trade inside the town walls. From about 1511 after the town was rebuilt, the image of Škofja Loka has not changed, so the town is known as the best preserved medieval town in Slovenia ❤️.

One legend that is prevalent in this town is as follows: one day Bishop Abraham of Freising, Bavaria was riding to Poljanska dolina valley when he was suddenly attacked by a bear. His black servant shot the bear with his bow and arrow and saved the bishop’s life. In gratitude the bishop promised the black man that he would become famous and that many future generations will remember him. Today the image of a black man with a crown and earrings is portrayed in the Škofja Loka coat or arms. 

In the rain, first we went to the tourist information centre to get a map and some insights as to the points of interest. Then, to the Homan House, which is a civil manor house, comprised of 3 buildings. After the 1511 earthquake, the house was restored in the Gothic architectural style with some renaissance elements. There were some frescoes on the wall outside, probably from the 16th century.

Europe 2019 - Day 46 (Part 3)

21 June 2019, Friday

We also passed the Ljubljana University before cutting across Congress Square. This cultured central square has played host to some momentous occasions in Slovenian history. Independence from Austria-Hungary was announced here in 1918, while Josip Broz Tito addressed the crowds from the balcony of the university building in 1945. Later, the first free protest took place here in 1988, in a movement that would end with Slovene independence in 1991. Finally in 1999 Bill Clinton read the first line of the Slovenian National Anthem to a crowd on this square.

From here we could see the Ljubljana Castle on the hill in the distance. Then we passed the Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity or also known as the Nun Church, which was built between 1718 and 1726 in the Baroque style, as well as the Slovenian School Museum before reaching Republic Square.

Republic Square is a Communist-era plaza. The Monument to Revolution from 1975 (what looked to me like people marching in protest - quite nice), the Slovenian Parliament and the monolithic TR3 and Ljubljanska Banak office buildings give the square an almost oppressive feel. Slovenian Independence was declared on this square in 1991. There was a protest of some sort going on there at the time we passed, against carbon dioxide emissions.

Then we saw the Slovenia National Museum, Parliament, Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Ministry of Finance and the National Gallery - the original Francesco Robba’s Fountain of Three Carniolan Rivers is housed here. The one near the Town Hall is merely a replica.

Next, to the Franciscan Church. This is located in Prešeren Square, which takes its name from the 19th-century poet France Prešeren whose work “Zdravljica”, “A Toast”, became Slovenia’s national anthem. The Church was unfortunately under renovation so we could only see it at a distance, but it stands out with its pastel red facade (apparently this colour holds meaning for the Franciscan Order) in an early Baroque style from the middle of the 17th century.

Finally to the Roman city wall in what was once the ancient city of Emona. Unfortunately this section was also closed (under restoration or something) so we could only see it from a distance. It is part of the city walls of the ancient city which originally had 4 gates into the city. 

Then we were done and walked back to the hostel. Near the bus station is a statue of a man on a horse - Rudolf Maister (1874-1934), a General in Pesnik. On the way I bought some souvenirs, and since Slovenia is famous for dragons, I kept seeing dragon soft toys everywhere. I couldn’t resist. The girl in me had to get a dragon soft toy, and the shop where I was only had it in pink. So I bought myself a pink dragon which I named Ljuby. Don’t judge.

Our room is a mixed dorm with 4 bunk beds. My friend had a lot of complaints about this hostel. Whereas for me, I think you get what you pay for so if you want something better then be prepared to pay for it which my friend is not. So then there shouldn’t be any complaints. Actually I don’t mind listening to complaints but it’s the holier than thou attitude which gets to me every time - when I say something, I am always complaining, when she says something it’s ok 🙄. People should always look in the mirror first before criticising others. 

Anyway after a short rest I went to a sort of garden patio downstairs and had a beer by myself, and got to chatting with the host and his friend. It was quite fun to talk to people other than my friend for a change, it happens more often when I travel alone because when you travel with someone people tend not to talk to you or talk to you less. According to the host, ‘ljub’ means ‘love’ and ‘ljana’ means ‘city’ in Slovene; so Ljubljana literally means “the city of love”. I’m not sure how far this is true. But if it’s true, then Ljuby the Pink Dragon’s name in English is love! ❤️

The host wanted to take me drinking somewhere and I was tempted but my sense of responsibility won this internal battle and I politely declined and went to bed instead.

Europe 2019 - Day 46 (Part 2)

21 June 2019, Friday

After the Dragon Bridge we arrived at the tourist information centre whereupon I opened the map I took from the hostel and asked the guy at the counter to kindly mark the points of interest. He said, “Well, for starters you have to have the right map” - apparently I took the map of a wrong city in Slovenia, not Ljubljana. I burst out laughing in my embarrassment. But then, I do do stupid things like this all the time. 

Anyway. After getting the correct information, we went to the Central Market which is located on the site of an old diocesan college for girls that collapsed during the earthquake in 1895. This earthquake pretty much destroyed most buildings in Ljubljana, and so the town had to be rebuilt. Most of its buildings were designed by an architect named Jože Plečnik. This includes the Central Market area and its surroundings, as well as the Triple Bridge. The Central Market is now an open market selling herbs, spices, handicrafts, bakery stuff, cured meat, dried fruit and nuts, dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish etc

Then we saw the Vodnik Monument which is a monument dedicated to one Valentin Vodnik (1758-1819), a Carniolan priest, poet and journalist. Then to the Town Hall, which has been at this location on Town Square since the 15th century which was built in Gothic style. In the early 18th century that first Gothic building was reworked in the Venetian Baroque style. A remnant of the Gothic predecessor is a sculpture of Hercules and the Nemean lion from a lost fountain dating to the 1600s. 

There was also another fountain here depicting Narcissus at the main courtyard, as well as an obelisk with a fountain at the bottom depicting 3 male figures pouring water from jugs. These represent the three rivers of the Carniola region: The Ljubljanica, the Sava and the Krka. The design is borrowed from Rome’s Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) at Piazza Navona. This is known as the Robba Fountain as it is the work of one Francesco Robba.

Then to the Church of St Nicholas or Ljubljana Cathedral. This monument has had a few different forms since the 13th century because of fires and war. The current Baroque design has survived since the beginning of the 18th century, while the splendid dome came later, in the 1840s. It’s an awe-inspiring building replete with art by a number of Italian Baroque masters. I was especially intrigued by the main and back portal doors which had a sort of 3D art on it. So cool! 

Then to lunch which for me was seafood risotto and Union draft beer. Union is the brand of a local and very popular beer here in Slovenia. 

After that we wanted to walk to Congress Square but before that we arrived at an area called Ajdovscina. It was named after the many pagan, Roman graves found in that area. Long ago there was an ancient Roman city called Emona thriving around the 1st to early 6th century. At that time there was a meeting point of 2 important roads in that area: Emona-Celeia and a connection to Gorenjska. When laying the foundations for the Discalced Augustinians Monastery in 1657, and also in later constructions, they discovered many Roman sarcophagi, tombstones and lamps. Hence the name - pagan graves. The square which was once there is no longer there but the name stuck and remained. 

Here we saw an ancient well, part of the remains of a Roman suburb discovered during previous archaeological research on the site of Congress Square. The well is not entirely preserved; the upper part was destroyed during construction works in the 19th century. There are no longer any traces of the layout of its surroundings, but based on the position of other water wells in the area it could be assumed that it belonged to a residential property with workshop facilities. The well is 5.8 metres deep and built using dry-stone technique - at the bottom it is cased with a square wooden construction. 3 more wells built in the same way have been found in Congress Square. 

The high number of wells found here in the area of Emona is indicative of the excellent water-bearing capacity of the Ljubljana Basin. The well dates from the second half of the 1st century, and used until the first half of the 3rd century, when it was filled up with various waste material. Excavations have yielded several fragments of limestone Roman columns. Excavations show that they had a water supply network such as wells and sewers. Wastewater from the town was carried through large swears (rectangular in layout and below the main streets) to the nearby river. We saw one of these sewers when we ventured a bit further out of Ljubljana city centre. 

Europe 2019 - Day 46 (Part 1)

21 June 2019, Friday

Today we leave the beautiful City of Zagreb for Ljubljana, Slovenia. I like Zagreb. It was a pleasant surprise. Most people could speak English, they are nice, open and friendly, public transport is well organised, city is pretty clean and still not too much tourists as yet. 

We checked out at 11 a.m. and made our way to the bus station, for our bus at 12.15 p.m. A short ride - about 2 hours and we were in Ljubljana, Slovenia. We walked to our hostel which luckily was nearby. Actually, everything is pretty nearby as Ljubljana is really a small town. We didn’t even need to get any tickets for public transportation. Everything worth seeing was within a 15 minute radius. 

A bit of history first before I go on. The Slovenes settled in the region of what is now Slovenia in the 6th century, together with the Bavarians and the Franks. At that time, Christianisation took place. Afterwards, the Slovene lands were part of the Holy Roman Empire, and later they were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the dissolution at the end of WW I in 1918 - when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed, and turned into the multinational state of Yugoslavia in 1929. 

After WW II, Slovenia became a republic in the renewed Yugoslavia, which although communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war. Slovenia is part of the European Union and luckily they are using the Euro here which makes things a lot more simpler.

We didn’t really have a smooth check-in, there was no one at the reception and then we got a cranky receptionist who was quite curt with us although he did his job. So we didn’t ask him for city maps or anything, but we found some maps in the outside area of the hostel so we took one with the intention of getting more information from the tourist information centre.

To get there we had to cross a bridge known as the Dragon Bridge, because there are statues of dragons on the 4 corners of the bridge; sort of guardians of the bridge I guess. Dragons are kind of an emblem here in Ljubljana; they show up all over the city. It was opened in 1901 and at the time it was sort of a technical achievement 

as it was one of the first reinforced concrete bridges in Europe.

There are altogether 4 bridges here in Ljubljana. Apart from the Dragon Bridge there is the Cobblers’ Bridge. Before 1867 it was a wooden bridge which connected 3 town squares. In 1867 it was replaced by a narrower, cast iron bridge. To bring back the appearance of earlier bridges, the new bridge was designed in the shape of a square above water, while the old cast iron bridge was moved to a new location. In the old days vending booths used to line the bridge. 

There is also the Triple Bridge which is the central bridge and dates back to 1842. This bridge was originally intended for road traffic, while the Cobblers’ Bridge and the Butchers’ Bridge which are alongside the Triple Bridge were added for pedestrians. Now they are all pedestrian bridges, except the Dragon Bridge. The Butchers’ Bridge had a lot of love locks on them, with weird skulls of dead animals (cows I think - not sure whether they are real or fake) situated here and there on the hand rails.

All these bridges were to cross over the Ljubljana River, which once had several islands. On one of these islands there used to be a church called the Volbenk Church. Near the islet there was an ‘S’ shaped barrier called “the rake” which caught driftwood and debris. It also used to serve as a toll house, where guards collected tax on goods transported on the river. The bank of the river is called Breg. In the 14th century it was the main port for transporting all goods to Ljubljana. In Roman times there was a bridge with a road from Emona to Dolenjska (south of the country). Later the boatmen from Trnovo transported people across the river in that spot. The traffic on Breg died away in 1857 with the advent of railroads. 

Europe 2019 - Day 45 (Part 5)

20 June 2019, Thursday 

Then we walked along Ilica street, the longest street in Zagreb. Along this street there is a building known as the “Ilica skyscraper” or “skyscraper on the square”, built in 1959. It is the first building in Croatia to have a glass facade, and the first commercial high-rise building. Along this street was the Museum of Illusions which I passed but didn’t go in.

And that was almost all of Zagreb. As it was only about 3.30 p.m., we went back to the hostel to get some rest, then we were out again at 5.00 p.m. for the free walking tour. I should mention that there are many pigeons here especially in the Main Square, and they are really not afraid of humans, in fact they fly towards you and dodge you at the last minute when you think they are going to crash into you. I’m pretty sure they’re doing this on purpose, for sport. 

After the walking tour we walked along what is known as the Lenuci Horseshoe, a patchwork of central squares and parks named after the 19th century urban planner Milan Lenuci. Locals call it the Green Horseshoe because it connects 7 parks, including the Botanical Garden. It features many landmark buildings, housings, scientific and cultural institutions, ministries, museums, courts, galleries, hotels, as well as the central railway station. 

We started at the Croatian National Theatre, which is a pretty yellow building with a green roof built in 1895, which hosts operas, dramas and ballet, and ended at Kralj Tomislav Square (statue of a man on a horse) which is just outside the hostel, with the central railway station opposite. Along the way we saw the Mirama Museum, the Zagreb University, the Esplanade Hotel which was built in 1925 and provided luxury lodging to Orient Express passengers on their route from Paris to Istanbul (😍), and the Botanical Garden.

Most people here can speak English which is very helpful for us, they are also friendly and helpful, but I do get quite a lot of stares. I find this odd because I do see a lot of exotic looking tourists here in Zagreb so I would’ve thought the locals would be used to it by now. 

The hostel room only had 1 light for the whole room, there are no individual lights for each bed. And the wusses switched off the lights at 10 p.m. I still had stuff to do - blog, shower etc so I had to do all this surreptitiously and quietly in the dark. On one of these episodes I misjudged the location of the bed above me and knocked my left temple pretty hard on the wood with the result that I now have a nasty bump on my head 🙄. 

Europe 2019 - Day 45 (Part 4)

20 June 2019, Thursday 

The lanterns or gas lights in Upper Town are worth mentioning here. About 200 of them are more than 150 years old (first introduced in Zagreb in 1863) and are still hand-lit by lamp lighters, who lights them in the evening and dims them in the morning. They are one of the few gas lights still functioning in Europe today.

Next, to Lotrscak Tower. This is a fortified tower built in the 13th century. Its name means “thieves’ bell tower”. Initially it was built to guard the southern gate of the Gradec town wall - so a bell would ring to signal that the gates were either closing (in the evening) or opening (in the morning). In other words, the tower showed the time with a bell. In the 19th century, a cannon (Gric cannon) was placed on the top. Since 1 January 1877, the cannon is fired everyday at noon to mark the mid-day. 

I was video-ing the shooting of the cannon and luckily I didn’t drop my phone - it was loud! It did give me a shock but luckily I was gripping my phone pretty tightly. And, in those days (before the nuisance of technology), the cannon was also a sign for bell ringers to ring the church bell. And now, so cute! They continued with the tradition; so after the canon shot we could hear church bells ringing from all over Zagreb. 

Then we took the funicular down again to Lower Town or Kaptol as it used to be. We went to Dolac Market, an open air market where locals have been buying their food and flowers for the past 80 years. We were greeted by a statue of “kumika” at the entrance. Kumikasare women from nearby villages who have traditionally sold their produce at Dolac. They sell fresh fruit, vegetable, eggs, corn bread and dairy products. The statue is a tribute to their indispensable role. Basically farmers from all around Zagreb come here to sell their wares. Unfortunately it was closed today due to the national public holiday. 

There is a St Mary’s Church beside the Dolac Market. Nearby was where the stream used to flow, and where the ‘bloody bridge’ used to be which separated the 2 medieval towns of Gradec and Kaptol. To remember this bridge, the name of the street now is Krvavi Mostwhich means ‘bloody bridge’. In 1850 when the 2 towns were unified to form Zagreb, they found that the stream was a problem, namely flooding and pollution from the nearby leather factories. So they divided and diverted the stream - now it has become small canals flowing underground. They removed the bridge as well as it no longer served a purpose; the 2 towns were combined. Now this whole area is known as the ‘Bar Street’, where we had our dinner yesterday.

Then we went to the Mirogoj Cemetery which is Zagreb’s largest cemetery. It is a burial ground for people of various faiths as segregation of graves is strictly forbidden here. I find this concept kinda cool. Everyone is equal when they die; they should also be equal whilst alive. The cemetery was a thing of beauty, with landscaped greenery, galleries and pavilions in between - I felt that if I am laid to rest here my soul would be at peace. 

Then we had lunch which was strukli(zapeceni sir salaniin full). This is a traditional dish here made of filo pastry either boiled or steamed or baked, and with fillings either sweet or savoury (typically cottage cheese). It can be a starter, main course, dessert or dunked in soup. I tried the baked one with cottage cheese and cream, the most traditional one. For me it was so bland! Unfortunately when the waiter asked me whether I liked it, I think my face kinda showed my dislike and he looked pretty dismayed and explained that it was food for the poor or the peasants; they only had cows hence all dairy related products (cheese, cream) mixed in bread or pastry which was cheap. I thanked him for his explanation and quickly made my way out of there.

Europe 2019 - Day 45 (Part 3)

20 June 2019, Thursday 

At St Mark’s Square there was also the Parliament, the constitutional court, and other government offices including the office of the Prime Minister. The President’s office is somewhere else. In Croatia, the President’s role is more for maintaining diplomatic and international ties; whereas the Prime Minister’s role is for governance within Croatia. 

We then passed by the Croatian History Museum and ended up at St Catherine’s Square, with St Catherine’s church which was built in the 17th century in baroque style architecture. We didn’t get the chance to see the inside of the church as it was closed when we were there, but we were told that the interior of the church is all pink, which made it a popular wedding venue.

And then when things go sour, the  once happily married couple could always donate their things and their stories to the Museum of Broken Relationships which was just around the corner. This is a unique museum started by a couple who were once engaged but broke up, and were deciding what to do with their joint possessions so they started this museum. It is now doing very well. It is a museum with things donated by people from around the world with an accompanying break up story on the significance of that thing; some are funny stories and some, like mine, are just heart breaking.

Anyway, there was another smaller church here known as the St Cyril and St Methodius Greek Catholic Concathedral, and the Croatian Museum of Naive Art. 

Next, to the Stone Gate which is one of 5 of the original gates that led to Gradec or Upper Town. In 1242 King Bela IV of Hungary and Croatia proclaimed Gradec a free royal city allowing its citizens a higher degree of autonomy. In return, they delivered on the promise to fortify Gradec with walls and towers. The 13th century layout included about 5 city gates, but only 1 gate survived which is the Stone Gate. In those days, everything was made out of wood, including the city gates. On 30 May 1731 a fire destroyed everything including the gate, which was subsequently rebuilt. But 1 wooden painting survived - a painting of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. Since then, 31 May is celebrated as Zagreb City Day, and the Virgin Mary of the Stone Gate was adopted as the patron saint of the city. 

As this was considered a miracle, a chapel was built inside of the Stone Gate where it still stands (named "The Virgin and Child"), guarded by an impressive baroque fence, built in 1778. A long time ago, the Virgin Mary of Stone Gate became the most significant oath site, where the pious find comfort and hope, and light candles as a token of gratitude or a prayer. Many citizens of Zagreb got their prayers answered - they pray for mostly health, but also fo happiness, good luck and love - and plates with engravings of gratitude stand as a testimony of this. Indeed, there were many plates here with the word ‘Hvala’ which means thank you in Croatian.

Europe 2019 - Day 45 (Part 2)

20 June 2019, Thursday 

Today is a national public holiday in Croatia, Corpus Christi Day. So many of the shops, restaurants and supermarkets were closed. 22 June is also a public holiday - Anti-Fascist Struggle Day, followed by 25 June which is Statehood Day. Kind of reminds me of Malaysia and its numerous holidays 😁.

Right in front of the Church is a statue of a golden Holy Virgin Mary. Most of the land around this area is church owned, and it is then rented out for residential or commercial purposes. 90% of Croatians are Catholic. 

Then we wanted to try the funicular to go to Upper Town, although it is only a short walk uphill. Before we reached the funicular, we saw an Orthodox Church and a statue of Petar Preradovic (Croatian poet, writer, and military general of Serb origin) from 1895. 

Then the funicular ride. The funicular here was built in 1888 and is one of the oldest, shortest and steepest in the world. It is 66 metres long and 55 seconds, and goes every 10 minutes. And it takes 10 minutes to walk uphill to Upper Town. But still, we had to try it at least once! We exited the funicular into Strossmayer Promenade, Zagreb’s first public walkway. Here we got a panoramic view of the city.

Then we were in Upper Town or Gradec as it used to be known as. The most remarkable thing here is St Mark’s Square with St Mark’s Church. St Mark’s Church was originally built in the 13th century but was reconstructed over the years, including after being destroyed in the earthquake of 1880. Its current form is from the 19th century, after Zagreb was formed with the unification of the 2 towns, Gradec and Kaptol. 

It is most notable now for its colourful roof which has 2 coat of arms - the one on the left represents the 3 regions in Croatia today - red and white square (Croatia), 3 lion heads (Dalmatia) and a black marten (something like a weasel or mink) (Slavonia). The marten’s fur was very valuable for trade purposes. In fact, the local currency kunameans marten in English. The coat of arms on the right with a castle represents the City of Zagreb. 

Here we saw a group of Malay makcikswith tudungwho I suspect are from Malaysia because of the slang. I excitedly told my friend and she reminded me that we are makciksourselves. Right. Moving along, VERY QUICKLY from this painful topic.