Ljubljana

Not entirely sure how I feel about this city, it is certainly the smallest capital I have ever been to. Today is flea market day along the side of the river Ljubljanka. There are plenty of statues of Christ on the cross, just in case you are down to your last one, and a great collection of up to date vinyl LP records, mostly British bands and artists but everything from Metallica to Samantha Fox. It is a real cafe society here and all the streets along the river are full of people having breakfast, coffee and cigarettes. The city itself has its moments in a kind of shabby chic sort of way, there are certainly plenty of photographers here who think so. I stop at a roadside cafe, as it is the only place not full of smokers, and order a local style meal of beef sausages and pancakes, a couple of beers help it go along. A tour guide with her pack of tourists pull up along side and the guide starts explaining the menu to them and gesturing to me by way of example, she is talking in Slovenian and I think roughly what she is saying is "look at stupid British tourist eating sausages made from dog food" or thereabouts.Everone laughs and moves on(they don't order any food).
I don't want to put in too many gripes in the blog, but this is the most I have had to pay for a Vignette, a local road toll, 30 euro for seven days, and because of its location I may have to cross Slovenia more than twice, oh and 2.50 euro per person per night tourist tax, do they not realise that tourists are visiting of their own free will to spend money in their shabby chic city.Read more