London already feels so long ago…

I am sitting at our little apartment table, looking out from our second story window, over red tile roofs, ivy spilling over alley walls and, just across the street, the Ljubljanica River. It is an overcast day but a lovely reprieve after last night’s torrential rain, lightning and thunderstorms that started just after midnight. Thunder boomed and bounced down the mountains, lightning blasted into our little room and every time we thought it couldn’t rain any more…it came down even harder.

We’ve wandered around our temporary home in Ljubljana, a city with a population of less than 300,000 inhabitants but with a cafe culture that would do Paris proud. After the frenetic pace of Londoners, the people on the streets of Ljubljana look much calmer. There is an ease here that has none of that center-of-the-universe speed of the London streets. The Slovenes are still very fashionable, eat well (I’m lovin’ that gibanica) but appear to be moving at a much more relaxed pace…then again, they might just need all that extra time to have another cigarette (?!)

Looking for a coffee upon our arrival yesterday afternoon, we discovered the Cat Caffe directly across from our front door. True to its name, it was indeed, a cafe filled with cats. Cats on overhead walkways, cats in the windows, cats on the chairs. The place was spotless, the cats looked pretty pleased and the cappuccino was first-rate.

Today, while the rain held off we took in the Museum of Modern Art, the market, the National Gallery, the City Art Gallery and sat by the river to watch the Slovenes strut their stuff. Riding up the funicular to the Ljubljana Castle gave a good view over the city and surrounding mountains. Expecting a restored castle, we found instead a large plaza, cultural centre, two restaurants and a couple of tasteful shops.  Although there are many parts of the castle foundation and walls, and the requisite tower to climb for the best vantage, the whole area has been transformed into a fine place to hang out; somewhere to look down upon your temporary kingdom where shops and houses spill like tiny toybox models beneath your feet.

We were told too, that if we looked very carefully we might see the mythical Ljubljana dragon that still hides in the hills.

Alas, we saw no dragons and now, while I write this, the rain has started again.  It looks like it will be a night for tucking into a nearby cafe, warmed by candles and a little wine.

Lovin’ Ljubljana…