The next day dawned, bright sunshine again for a change 
. No email from MotörCity to confirm if we could camp on Saturday night or not – bugger! Well, we’d still go to Ljubljana and then onto the festival and just risk it. After all, the food market in the city was calling.
So we set off again, still using national roads and not using motorways and the trip passed quickly on the fabulous surfaces and incredible views.
So, here’s some interesting information. Did you know that over 50% of Slovenia is forest? Did you also know that each household uses approximately 20m3 of cut wood each year to heat their homes? And did you know that for each load of wood that is cut for each household, 3 more trees are planted? How’s that for sustainability. We could all learn something from that, I think!
These are wood stores and you see these dotted about everywhere in Slovenia. Sometimes 1 for every few houses, sometimes 1 for the whole village.
As we drove through eastern Slovenia into Ljubljana we noticed that the villages are really alpine looking and, in fact, passed several ski centres. Something worth definitely putting on the “to do” list on our next visit!
Our first stop in Ljubljana was the laudromat to get rid of our now bulging washing bag and at the same time give the bedding and towels a really deep clean and tumble dry. Just over 1 hour and 2 coffees later, with a pile of clean laundry that we could barely see over, we set off for our stop for the night.
Now I don’t know whether you can recall earlier posts in Belgium and Holland, but we were quite fascinated with the vending machines there – fast food, to home cooked meals to perfectly fresh bread and croissants.
Well, in Slovenia they have vending machines for unpasteurised fresh farm milk!! How’s that for forward thinking – we are constantly taken by surprise (pleasantly so) by what we are seeing in Slovenia.
As we made our way into the city, traffic was starting to build up (“Friday traffic” is a worldwide phenomenon) but we found our stop for the night, a fairly basic parking lot but with electricity, showers and toilets. That’ll do for us. And here begins our fare–dodging life again. The bus arrives, yes it goes into the city, no, they don’t accept large notes and the bus driver just waves us on. 5 stops later, on jumps the inspector and with a fierce frown at the fare-dodging tourists firmly askes us to leave at the next stop. Oh well, it was only 2 stop from where we were going, so we apologise profusely and hop off. Win some, lose some!
But it was absolutely roasting at this stage and 33degC so it was an absolute must to stop and rehydrate! Even poor old #Moose was thirsty!
The centre of Ljubljana is dominated by a beautiful triple bridge…….and to the side, getting much more attention, an overhead mister (of the cold water variety) keeping those below cool!
Each Friday in the centre of Ljubljana, in the market square, these is a food market where you can experience the delights of freshly cooked food prepared by different Slovenian chefs right there in front of you, on the market stalls. Along with tasting wines and craft beers all to the background sounds of live jazz buskers. We think we want to live here!!! Forever!!
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In addition in each of the archways in the market building alongside the river hosts a different shop each holding it’s own delight and specialising in cure meats, delis, sausage sellers, street food, cakes, biscuits & wines (well, the list goes on and on but I wouldn’t want to bore you!)
After our street food, we were starting to get a little thirsty, anyone fancy a little kangaroo drool to quench your thirst???
Then it was off to the funicular to get to the top of the castle. That’s me starting to sweat even more, immediately and no amount of cooling kangaroo drool was going to help!
The view from the top is spectacular but had to be gained by a walk up an open spiral staircase of 75 steps – I did it….. but only just!
Back down on mother earth (!!!! thank god!!!) and it was time for a wander around the city centre to see the sights: the river, some gloriously strange sculptures, an amazing rose-water mister over a restaurant tables (we stopped for a cooling drink here too!)
and instant ice cream for dessert
before heading off to a jazz club via a dog biscuit shop (an entire shop devoted to biscuits for dogs, I know!!!!), the Opera House
and a bit of window shopping before heading off back to our digs for the night. Still no answer from MotörCity. Ah well, guess we are going to have to risk it!
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