Ljubljana and Environs

Grilled octopus with figs and potatoes - this is probably the largest octopus I've ever seen on a plate!



John and Cal outside restaurant Gostilna Sestica in Ljubljana, Slovenia.



Wild boar with dumplings.

Our first night in Slovenia we had dinner at Gostilna Sestica, just down the street from B&B Slamic where we stayed. We enjoyed our dinner in the courtyard, although John's fish was rather salty. The octopus was tasty and the boar definitely something different! A great way to start off our time with John and to say hello to Ljubljana.

Slovenia is a neat country. Overall it was one of our favorite spots on the whole trip. Most people know English well here because they learn it from television (they don't dub, even most kids shows) so communication wasn't difficult. The lifestyle is so laid back here, with lots of cafes lining both sides of the river that runs through the center of town. Our last night there we even caught a free concert featuring Joss Stone and the Slovenian artist Siddhartha. We also had a fabulous time in the mountains of NE Slovenia (more to follow in next post).

Fish with greens.



Yes, they eat horse. This is a reminder of how difficult times were for people during the Yugoslav Wars. No, we did not try any.



Dragon bridge in Ljubljana.



Fruits for sale at Ljubljana outdoor market.



Basket anyone?



Flowers for sale in the marketplace.



We saw (and ate) lots of ice cream in Prague, Slovenia and Croatia!



River running through Ljubljana.



Art in the anarchist district of Ljubljana.



Predjama Castle, about an hour outside of Ljubljana. Our friend John was very excited to see this castle, which is an amazing architectural delight. Built right into a cave mouth, this is certainly a unique sight.



Postojna Cave - near the castle. We had a blast riding the train into the mountain for a look at these spectacular caves. They really didn't want us taking photos but this is one long cave system!