16 October: Ljubljana

16 October: Ljubljana 

I have a list of tourist spots I want to explore. But first a couple of places close to home. Number 1, the hostel basement. I check out two cells formerly used for solitary confinement. A chilling experience, the scene only lit by my phone.

The ceiling of the approach lobby has been decorated by one of the artists who – I belatedly understand – are the inspiration for the prison makeover. It is intended to overlay dark times with a new and more peaceful vibe. (By the way, if you Google “cool places to stay in Ljubljana” I have found that Celica comes up top.) 

Second up, I poke my nose into Metelkova – the (former?) artists’ squat, bang next door to the hostel. On a bleakly cold Monday morning, with no one about, it’s perplexing. Who is living here? On what basis? Does the art “renew”itself? Scrolling through these images won’t to justice to them; I was impressed.

The most recent artwork, on a road hoarding outside Metelkova, is dated 6 October. One day before the most recent Israeli incursion into Gaza. Prescient, or what?

On to the market, which is a true farmers’ trading ground. Everything seasonal is piled high: pumpkins, mushrooms, soft fruit, grapes, plums. Mounds of cabbage sit next to piles of sauerkraut, and what could be cabbage juice. Elderly locals engage in animated conversations. 

The craft side consists of just one young guy, selling aprons, oven, gloves, and bags made by his mother. He reckons the cold weather has put off the rest of the sellers. We chat and he tells me his plan is to make money as fast as he can so that he can retire, and do crazy things like his mother – who is up to cycling all the way to Jezersko, from where I have just travelled.

Then a little visit to a purveyor of spirits and wine. I find myself buying Mum a ginger and lemon liqueur, based on some notion of healing property. I am a soft touch.

I pass by the cake shop I had flagged yesterday for revisiting. But, just looking at the outsized portions, my heart fails me.

I have arrived at an unravelled, tired state, incapable of taking anything in. Time to return to the hostel to regroup. But, even with a break, my energy is flagging. I re-fuel at a fresh pasta joint (very good) and then manage to visit the pink church that has been so visible these last two days – only discovering, later, that it isn’t, in fact, St Nicholas Cathedral, as I thought! The red colour is symbolic of the Franciscan monastic order. Wiki tells me that the original 17th-century frescoes were ruined by the cracks in the ceiling caused by the Ljubjlana earthquake in 1895. The new frescoes were painted in 1936 by a Slovene impressionist painter.

By mid afternoon the cake craving can no  longer be suppressed. I collapse into Lolita’s and indulge myself. Apart from the designer cakes, there is a designer ceiling. 

Although I am loathe to call it a day, plantar fasciitis is winning. And, as I have had some near misses with the hurly-burly cyclists, I am becoming a danger to myself. (It’s all very well removing cars but way to go in making it a comfortable pedestrian experience!) And so I stroll back to the hostel. 

At recently built (2010) Butcher’s Bridge – wide enough to be a square – the locks gleam in the late-afternoon sun. 

Passing by Metelkova one more time, it remains enigmatic. Alone, a guy is sitting on some steps playing guitar, but avoids eye contact. Elsewhere, groups of hoodies are playing a boule-type game with discs, or sitting in groups, smoking. I am not at ease, and feel a sense of security, using my key card to re-enter the hostel.

Impressions of Ljubjlana after two days? A dynamic, forward-thinking, artistically expressive, calorie- and culturally rich destination. Very much recommended.

And Slovenia? A fabulously beautiful country full of contrasts and complexity.