Ljubljana

You really know you are in a foreign country when there are signs in four languages and English isn't one of them. While waiting for the train in Zagreb we got talking to some Russian ladies decked out in fur coats and hats. They seemed to really be patriotic, and it seems the more I travel the people are the same no matter what form of government they live under.

We took the train to Ljubljana in Slovenia, the capital, and near the Austrian boarder. We had three hours there before our train left for Austria, so we didn't bother leaving our luggage at the station as it was too expensive. Instead we walked around with our full backpacks on.Each city has a different atmosphere. This one in definitely more European, there are more delicatessens, and a ski centre, with brightly clad people walking about with skis. The snow on the streets was mid-calf! As usual we made for the old part of town, with it's narrow cobbled streets, a square and a river. It is one of the nicest city rivers we have seen, as it is narrow with a lot of bridges crossing over made of heavy stone, and some with arches. It reminds me of Venice. We found a self service lunch. These places are amazing people from all walks of life come here. There are ladies in fur and winos. We sat near to some tramp looking people - a young girl, young man and an elderly couple. There were some really sad looking characters there - this was far from the Belgrade opera. These people were what I will remember of Ljubljana.