Slovenia, the land of dragons!

Early in the morning, we set off for Slovenia, enjoying the peaceful backdrop of the Adriatic Sea filtering through the trees that whiz by our train window. The cheerful sky, a pastel blue with hints of pink creates an illusion of warmer weather. Alas, the peace is short lived. No sooner than we make ourselves comfortable, does a perplexed train attendant stop by our booth, “You know this train terminates here?” she intonates questioningly? Our horrified faces provide the response before words are available! 

At the speed of whiplash, backpacks are zipped, clipped and holstered on our backs as we panickedly exit the train to a desolate station platform. “Where are we?” “What now?”, we ask ourselves as we struggle to locate a sign board or any other useful clues. Finally, we conclude that our best hope is to ask the only other souls we can see tethered to this ghost station, and hope they speak English! 

We needn’t have worried, not only was their English perfect but they are also most helpful, and quickly direct us back on our way like the hiccup had never happened! Or perhaps the disruption does take its toll, mentally at least, because we are exhausted. Luckily, once we make it to the capital, our hotelier lets us check in early, thus facilitating the luxury of a strategic Power Nap… Fast forward a couple of hours – it’s the middle of the day and we’re faced with the struggle of leaving our warm cocoon, but Ljubljana is worth the effort. 

Once outside we explore the town square, peculiar buildings and quirky statues, not least of all the iconic Ljubljana Dragon! In the shopping district, I discover the most unique and high quality goods I’ve seen in the whole of Europe. “Stuff Milan… Come to Ljubljana to shop!” I say, lovingly peering through a boutique window. It is here, a month into my European holiday that I finally give in, making my first ridiculous tourist purchase. A pineapple bag. My backpack is already full… and yet I must have it! 

The next morning, we venture further to Postojna an hour out of the capital. From the station we face the cold on foot for 30 minutes, to our next destination. The caves! Now you might be thinking, oh I’ve seen caves before… but let me tell you… these are the best caves on the planet! Never mind the actual caves themselves which are stunning but also, we get the opportunity to ride the cave train! Imagine being on a theme park ride, but instead of tacky displays you’re seeing the most beautiful stalactites and stalagmites whoosh past. “I never wanted it to end” Jesse grins as we reluctantly disembark. 

But that’s not all that’s in store today! Next up is the castle. From here we take a cab since we’re in the off season. There is absolutely no other way to the castle but I am especially determined to see it, even if we’re slightly worried about being scammed by a cab driver! Again, we needn’t have worried. Our cab driver was an absolute pleasure. Despite the now desolate road, he explains that this is exclusively his route and that he drives the peak season bus too. During peak season he’ll drive to and from the castle every hour, carting hundreds and hundreds of tourists. “It is a good time to see the castle” he says proudly, chatting with us about his country. Upon arrival, I have to agree. Though it is cold, we have the glorious place almost entirely to ourselves. 

Round the bend and nestled in the belly of a cliff, exists a truly unique structure. Half castle, half cave, the Predjama Castle delights as we relive its history through medieval stories and displays. The story goes that the people believed the lord of the castle to be a vampire, and as my hand trails along the stone wall and wooden railings, I find myself wondering the same. Even scenes from the hit fantasy TV series, “The Witcher” have been shot here. It seems almost as if this castle has been cooked up from a fairy tale and yet as we learn more, it is indeed a real place where real people lived and fought. 

We find a bell, and gingerly tap it. Much to our horror, with no crowds to tamper a growing echo, a piercing chime reverberates through the castle. “Oh my god Jesse” I stifle a giggle. As it turns out, the ringing of the bell is a perfectly sanctioned activity. Some years ago its bold chime was used to sound the alarm, bringing its inhabitants to arms, but now all it brings is good luck! And we’ll take all the luck we can get for our ongoing journey. 

But before we’re on our way, we have one more day to explore the town as our train doesn’t leave until 2pm! We’ve long been curious about the “funicular”, an apparent staple of European transport and decide it’s time to give one a go! Up to the tippy top of Libijuana where again, as will surprise no one, I am most amused by pigeons.