13 APRIL - Sunday

Sunday April 13 = = City Ljubljana - Maps

7 am alarm, I am facing the window of the room and know that unfortunately it's raining, but today the weather is not pleasant, I will totally visit the city. I'll make a big breakfast, a sightseeing tour around the city and then departure.

The town is crossed by the river Ljubljanica. characteristic is criss-crossed by canals resembling those Venetian castle overlooking the city, many speak Italian is characterized by Baroque and Art Nouveau, to visit a Roman settlement of 15 century AD.
E 'a living city, with very important cultural events, theaters, museums and art galleries (graphic arts-jazz-film-etc.)
The city has a set architectural culture is very similar to that of Austria.
There are also un'orto botanist, a zoo and wkarst springs wonderful ith waterfalls.
It 'good to remember the wonderful caves of Postojna, which were formed from these impetuous torrent in mellinni past...


The cuisine is excellent, both local and international.
The significance of the city name can be translated into "city of love" there would be many more to go but I am not nor have the time. But there is one thing that I was intrigued by visiting an area along the river and asking for information to a passer-by, I hear that is the market, the vibrant city.
There are a variety of stalls offer everything from scented bread, to meat, sausages, cheese, fish, nuts and many other delicacies. I stop at a vegetable cart and talk to the Ortolana tells me that there are other women like her who sell vegetables.
Come from a rural district of Ternova which is located just outside Ljubljana, they are called Ternovcanka and attractiveness of a market, they arrive in the morning with a barrow load of vegetables and these ladies will not be made to pay no tax because they are considered a monument, a strange right? But it is already time to start again, go back to the recovery car and I start to:

142 km arrival in Maribor Maps.

Maribor = 120,000 inhabitants

The sky was cloudy but fortunately it does not rain and the temperature of the air is heated. The town is crossed by the river Drava. Near there is a ski resort on Mount Pohorje where this was a test of World Cup alpine skiing with the victory of Austrian Elisabeth Goergl in the giant slalom that preceded the Italian Manuela Moeigg and Denise Karbon.

In Maribor in June, we held many events, music and theater and even the possibility of flying in hang-gliding
Found a good hotel, I go to dinner at a small local, I offer just a small glass of brandy, followed by appetizers, ham and bacon, then I asked a soup of barley, their specialties and to finish, a fresh ricotta.

I make friends with the waiter and knowledge with local residents in celebrating the birthday of one of them.
I invite you to their table, I accept with pleasure and kindness with a diner, I would take under its protection.
Most of the chat and not focus our attention and others present on entry to their ,
and free movement in consequence of the Treaty of Schengen.
The vast majority of those present are convinced is a good thing for the local economy and especially for greater social stability and democratic Slovenia.
However, we are all interested and concerned about the situation in the Third World due to the news of the constant growth of the cost of bread and rice, basic food for the poorest countries and for the instability of international financial markets.
The friction and hatred between Italians and Slovenes have caused events of the past, is decreasing rapidly, one of the men tells me his life from the time in which his father fought with the army of Titus, against the Italians and Germans in ' last World War and repression, killings and harassment of his people had to suffer, and the time in which he organized the fight to the Republic split from Yugoslavia.
Story time will clear up many shadows left by the tragedy of the Second World War and a post-war as tragic, see for example the tragedy of Foibe. Do later is already one of the night and we all, who more or less drunk, fortunately I have limited and can arrive at the hotel without problems, I take a shower and I put in the hot hot letto.

> (DIARY DAY FOLLOWING APRIL 14)