Slovenia, in brief

So I have returned from formerly war-torn nations and shall begin with the few tidbits garnered from a limited visit to Slovenia. I flew London-Ljubljana on Easyjet, and we then drove to the villa we rented in Croatia, so I did get a brief glimpse of what is a surprisingly charming country.

So, first, Ljubljana. I spent just about a day there, and fellow travellers spent a bit more. The consensus is that it is a charming town, perfect for a weekend trip. We stayed at the Antiq Hotel, which was a total find. Antique-filled lobby, generous continental spread in a garden atrium for breakfast, unusually large rooms. And a great location in the old city, about two blocks from the lovely canal-like Ljubljanica River, lined with cafes for a whole day of sitting and sipping.

Our activities were mainly a good wander, but a few sites of note:

• Open Air Market. There is a lovely open air market, in a colonnade along the river. It sells the usual tourist items, plus has a produce market in the mornings. Good strolling material. Less on the shopping, as the crafts are still solidly in the territory of every item having "Slovenia" written in rainbow lettering on them.

• Salt store. Because we are slaves to the New York Times, we stopped by the reputed Piranske Soline establishment. Basically, it sells salt. But salt that Alain Ducasse likes. Enough said. I bought some for my mom and to keep in my cabinet next to the special paprika I recently received as a gift from Budapest. Clearly both will get much use.

• Julija Restaurant (9 Stari Trg. Tel. 01 425 6463). Between the hotel and the river, where we had a lovely dinner of tasty gnocchi and other creamy goodness.

• Cafes along the canal. Sit, have some espresso. Walk. Sit, have some more espresso. You get the idea.

• Ljubljana castle. We did a drive by of the castle on our way out of town and had a little picnic in the courtyard. It wasn't much in terms of actual sightseeing, but has some nice grounds and a good view of the mountains on a clear day.

One other observation about Ljubljana. Due to its small size and minimal tourist traffic, it is very easy to navigate. The airport is of the small, Easyjet-destination variety. Example: on our way home, we sat at the outdoor cafe in front of the airport and had a drink until our flight boarded. Can't do that at JFK. Driving was also very easy - we picked up from Europcar's downtown office and dropped off a the airport. The city driving was very low key for a European capital (minimal traffic, no honking, very few rotaries) and access to the highway was very straightforward. Also, the Slovenian highway was wide, newly paved, well sign-posted, fast moving, and the toll booths took credit cards. I'm sold.

Okay, one more item. This plaque on the front of a restaurant in Ljubljana. Just makes you wonder.

Second, our pass-through western Slovenia. So we drove to and from Ljubljana by way of the Adriatic coast. As mentioned above, the trip was smooth sailing. I was struck, however, by how picturesque the passing countryside was. I hadn't really focused on it before, but that part of Slovenia was chock full of picturesque villages with a steeple set against the mountain backdrop. Straight up Sound of Music style. So that is a temptation to return. I suspect there is a good road/hiking trip to be had.

On our way back, we made record time, so we took a rest stop at Predjama Castle, by way of Postojna. (where we stopped for pizza at the local sports bar. Which seemed to be owned by some kind of renowned basketball coach. Obviously.) The castle was about 10km from the highway by way of flower-bedecked villages and was quite picturesque. So another discovery is that apparently Slovenia has picturesque castles.

All in all, the moral of the brief taste of Slovenia is that, now that I'm back, I'm tempted to buy a guidebook and plan a trip there.

Dumb things and smart things

Dramatic injury notwithstanding, I am leaving tomorrow for Slovenia and Croatia. I will freely admit that it is somewhat dumb to be flying by myself across the pond to wander around cobblestoned villages and drive down twisty roads, despite the fact that my walking is somewhere just shy of tortoise pace. But that's how I roll. So off I shall go. On the theme of dumb things to do before a trip, I though I would create some karmic balance and reflect on smart things to do before a trip. Here are some highlights of my particular brand of compulsive travel preparation.



Packing. One of my deeply held principles is to never check luggage. Unfortunately, said principle is utterly thwarted by the new rules for flights headed through the UK (namely, you can carry on your purse/briefcase and that's about it). So intensely irritating. Nonetheless, packing light is a way of life and so I shall persevere. Some key tips:

1. Put all your clothes on the bed and make sure each top/bottom goes with every other top/bottom. Then, once you have everything laid out, remove one third of the items. A little hyper-structured, I know, but it works.


2. Only ever pack for 3-4 days. If you're travelling high end/on someone else's dime, just pay the cleaning costs at your hotel. If you're travelling low end, bring a little detergent and wash in the bathtub. Woolite makes genius single use packets. Travel size Johnson's baby shampoo is also an excellent clothes detergent.


3. Key, of course, is to pack items that won't wrinkle. It's easier for women, but silk knits and cashmere are great. And, although this runs contrary to every "don't look like an American" travel column written from 1950 to 2005, jeans are also great. Don't wrinkle, need minimal washing, and as long as you have a stylish pair, you blend in the European capital of your choice. (And, seriously, I'm never blending in Nairobi or Manila).


4. Eschew the rolling bag. I will admit I am breaking this rule this time around, due to the limited walking ability and therefore limited carrying ability. But, a soft-sided bag is way better. It is lighter. It can be carried easily on rough terrain. It can be squished into irregular spaces. (See donkey, above). Only potential exception is my beloved Eagle Creek rolling bag that converts to a backpack.


5. Other fun packing items. In the eternal question for lightness, several other useful items I have found. Little strips of dehydrated hair gel that take up about a centimeter - add water and you have hair goo. Lightweight wool sweaters - work in all temperatures and pack to nothing. Inexpensive bracelets and rings - perk up an outfit, take no space, and you don't care if you lose them. A nylon bag that folds up to nothing in a pouch, but can be used as an extra suitcase on the way home for your impulse purchases.


6. Key items to keeping it classy, even three weeks into travelling: trench coat, sizable but cute leather purse, cute brightly colored flats, monochromatic clothes (all items either black/grey/white or brown/cream/navy - with the bright flats and cute jewelry, it's perfect), super packable pullover raincoat - for when it's just a downpour, little notebook for jotting down names for your subsequent blog posting, chic tiny digital camera, scarf/pashmina for when there's unanticipated chill. Oh, and an ankle brace so you're not limping down the village road.

Stealing from the internet. Basically, I troll the various free sites and message boards, cut and paste everything about a place into one word document, print it out, and then go through it on the plane and pick out good restaurants, hidden sights, tips, etc. Sounds time intensive, but it's pretty easy to do and then you have this great, eclectic guide for much less than a $30 guidebook.



Maps. So crucial for the independent traveller. For big cities, I buy those laminated city maps - handy for the purse and discrete looking as well as for their street indexes. For driving, you need the seriously detailed (50,000:1 if you can get it) road maps; Michelin if possible. You can buy them online before you guy, thereby reducing the fear of driving factor a notch.



Airplane stuff. So I consider the international flight a personal challenge. At least until I think of my great invention idea and can pay for first class. In the meantime, the following items come with me on the plane:

1. Eye mask. A nice cotton one so you it doesn't feel yucky.


2. Ear plugs. Multiple pairs in case you lose one.


3. Pashmina/shawl. It's definitely always cold.


4. Tylenol simply sleep. To help things along.


5. A HUGE bottle of water. Which now you have to pay $7 for inside security. Still crucial. Entire thing must be consumed on a 6ish hour flight (two of them if you're flying to Asia).


6. Thick socks to put on when you take your shoes off.


7. Bag to put your shoes in, while off, if they're stinky. Nothing is worse than a seatmate with stinky shoes.


8. Ipod. With language refresher if you're heading somewhere sans anglais.


9. Snacks. If it's an overnight flight, oranges or grapes, cheese, some bread, and a little bit of dark chocolate. If it's a daytime flight, more of the above plus some cured meat items.


10. Book or two. Preferably of the quick read variety.


11. Toiletry kit. With: hand cream, face cream, toothbrush, lip balm and mascara. So you don't look like complete crap when you land, and your skin doesn't shrivel.

Preventing Disaster. I keep a pdf of my passport, vaccination card, credit card info, and various addresses in my gmail; and leave a paper copy where someone can access it at home. That way when the inevitable moment comes that my purse is snatched, I'm spending less quality vacation time at the nearest American Embassy.



On that note, I'm off to experiment with how people at Heathrow Airport treat a thirty-something with a cane. Tales of travel adventures (finally) to follow upon my return.