Zagreb and Ljubljana (look them up on a map)

We arrived in Zagreb at 11pm and managed to jump on the last tram of the night - fortunate, because our hostel was several kilometers away from the city and there's no way we would've possibly found it without the help of some friendly Croatians. We neglected to eat dinner before the 6 hour train ride from Budapest so our stomachs were growling by the time we arrived... to find that everything was completely closed. To make matters worse, our hostel was next door to a delicious-smelling Kras chocolate factory that tortured us with pleasant odors all night long.


The Tomislavov Square directly in front of the train station.


The Croatian National Bank.


Unfortunately, we traveled during the peak of many cities' reconstruction/renovation phase - Zagreb City Cathedral is enjoying a bit of a makeover here.


I really wanted to walk along the old city fortifications but we couldn't figure out how to get up on them.


The bustling city market. We accidentally bought 1.5 kilos of grapes and spent the rest of the day in vain trying to finish them.


The lovely Church of St. Mark had a bleak interior, but I liked the roof's mosaics. The Croatian crest is to the left; note the Islamic crescent and Star of David in the city crest to the right.


Zagreb!


Tuesday evening, we dined at a rather posh restaurant and feasted on huge plates of sausages... they made running to our train to Ljubljana rather difficult, but we made it with the usual 3 minutes to spare. The rush to the train station (and the frantic postcard writing along the way) made me forget the tragic lack of BUTTER in the restaurant. There was otherwise delicious bread, but despite three or four requests, the staff insisted that they had no butter available. Argh.


We arrived in Ljubljana on the last night of Carnaval and I'll only say that, wow, the Slovenians know how to celebrate. Our hostel was a former military prison, located in a former army barracks complex now transformed into a burgeoning alternative arts district. The Rough Guide description: "Ljubljana's alternative cultural Mecca, consisting of a cosmopolitan cluster of clubs and bars (collectively entitled Metelkova)." We toured a few different bars and settled on one that seemed to really attract the best in costume design...


...like Fridge Man! This guy was American and had been living (and loving, he said) Ljubljana for the past five years. He distributed various goodies from the fridge all night and they were remarkably cold; he said he'd put them in his freezer for a few hours before the party!


The third person from the left is a fun Australian we met in the hostel; the young guy next to me is French, I think. They were absolutely everywhere in Eastern Europe and we kept running into them! The older gentleman in the center is a good-humored German who was also apparently touring Eastern Europe. Stephanie speaks a little German and once he learned that, he wouldn't stop talking. In German. The only thing the rest of us understood was 'schissen.'


A glance across the canal-like River Ljubljana in the city center.



We were quite bemused by this interesting facade on the Parliament building. Let me know if you can find the NAKED MAN WIELDING A CHAINSAW. Those crazy Slovenians.


Somehow, I was convinced to try a horseburger. Yes. A horseburger. Yes, it contains what you think it contains. I was only able to choke down two bites before I had to stop because the rest of the group kept talking about eating horses and I couldn't shake the mental image of Mr. Ed asking, "Awww, Wilbur, why are you letting him eat me?"


We marched up a treacherously slippery and icy path to the city castle, "originally a twelfth-century construction but whose prsent appearance dates from the sixteenth-century following the earthquake of 1511."


Further climbing granted us this remarkable view over the castle courtyard, the city and a glimpse of the Austrian Alps to the north.


The winding staircase we took to the top of the tower!


We were granted a 3D presentation of the castle and city history with our admission tickets... and all of us fell asleep during the 20-minute show. I didn't know narcolepsy was contagious.


There's something growing on my face.


Back down in the city, we explored St Nicholas' Cathedral... the door handle has been so worn away, it gleams!


A glance down Mestni Street reveals some very nice boutiques and some even better cafes, including one with...


...one of the best muffin and cake combinations I've ever tasted. However, it paled in comparison to...


...the sizzling bowl of liquid chocolate Rachel ordered. After it arrived, we all stared enviously, refusing to wipe the drool from our faces until she generously offered us a few tastes. I had to physically restrain myself from plunging my face in the bowl.


The Dragon Bridge, guarded by... dragons.


A portion of the Metelkova Mesto (the former army barracks, now alternative cultural mecca, I mentioned).


There was some fairly impressive - if unconventional - art.


This was perhaps one of my favorite pieces in the complex.


Posing in front of the compound entrance. Note the snow. It followed us everywhere!



...even to Bled, a picturesque little town 50 kilometers north of Ljubljana. We took a bus there Thursday afternoon and walked around Lake Bled until we worked up the resolve required to mount the ascent to Bled Castle.


First, we constructed Fred, an anatomically correct snowman.


Then, we climbed. And climbed. And climbed. And stopped for pictures. And climbed.


At the top, we discovered a friendly monk - Rachel and I paid $6 each for an amazing press print of our names, the date and a superb illustration of the castle.


A last glance back at the island and its "Baroque-decorated Church of Sv Marika Bozja."