Seaside Views and Spring in Full Swing: Mar 23-29

We kicked off the week with a trip to the seaside and a chance to experience a completely different part of the country. Piran, Slovenia and Trieste, Italy felt slower than the energy of Ljubljana, with beautiful coastal views.

The balance between work and adventure continued throughout the week. After mornings at the Institute, there were hikes up Šmarna Gora, long castle walks, bakery stops that somehow became daily traditions, and plenty of time wandering through neighborhoods as everything slowly turned greener with the arrival of spring. Tony and I especially loved the walks to the castle, where each trip felt a little different as the city views changed quickly.

Food once again became part of the experience of learning Slovenia. Restaurant Week brought incredible meals at Altroke and Julijana, along with a traditional Slovenian lunch at Plečnikova. We also discovered more local favorites including meat bureks, Norma 23, and far too many desserts from Lolita. Open Kitchen was canceled because of cold weather and wind, but the city was still busy.

By the weekend, Ljubljana was preparing for Easter and the streets were packed with families, market vendors, and festival performances. Couch Festival brought music and dancing into unexpected corners of the city, including a flash mob in Prešeren Square. One of the biggest surprises was finally stepping inside St. Nicholas Cathedral after hearing the bells every day from across the street. From the outside it blends into the city, but inside it was breathtaking.

Palm Sunday closed out the week with church processions moving through the streets and one final castle walk with Loen. We ended the evening with a special dinner at Most and the realization that the two weeks with Tony and Loen in Ljubljana had gone by far too quickly.