Fairytale Ljubljana

 

Sometimes venturing to a place with next to no preconceived expectations or plans may result in panic, disorientation and disappointment. In the case of Ljubljana however, this couldn’t be further away from the truth. Something about the quaint, yet satisfyingly edgy, eastern European city instantly welcomes you in to it’s heart, to be greeted by cosy cafes hidden down cobbled side streets and Italian tastes at eastern European prices. From being dropped off by our ‘Blablacar’ driver in the middle of Dragon bridge at midnight the city already held a promise of fairytale-esk magic, guarded by the city’s mascot, the dragon statues towering up against the backdrop of Ljubljana castle, silhouetted and elevated above the city. Reminiscent Brothers Grimm style illustration. The fairytale continued to unfold as we visited the small and warmly welcoming Christmas market. Homemade jewellery and intricately decorated Christmas decorations, including gingerbread tree decorations stole my heart instantly, as did the sellers, eager to engage travellers in conversation and impart local wisdom about the city.

 

The Alternative graffiti tour proved to be the perfect way to explore Ljubljana lesser known and easily missed areas. This gave me the chance to meet some local artists and musicians who had a passionate knowledge of street art, which the city is rich in. It was also a refreshing way to learn a bit about the city’s vibrant history and culture. Of course it was also the perfect way to meet the type of people who could advise you on the best way to spend a Friday night out in Ljubljana. This is how I discovered the surreal complex of abandoned army barracks which is now known as Metelkova City. A night out there guarantees you a disorientating Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole experience. You find yourself moving between different alternative clubs and bars, never quite sure how you ended up dancing to a gay-punk anthem when you don’t remember leaving the tiny standalone Bollywood cabin, draped in multi-coloured fairy lights and packed with chatty locals. When you need a moment to catch your bearings the only option is the startlingly brightly painted climbing frame, slide and swings oddly placed in the mist of the whole thing. Sit back and watch the mad, vivid nightlife of Ljubljana swim around you.

 

After the chaos and magical confusion of Metelkova City Slovenia also has the serene answer to your escape from city life. Lake Bled is situated less than an hour away by bus and provided the refreshing natural beauty that I’d come to crave after travelling through cities. Catapulting you straight back to the Slovenian fairytale which started with Dragon bridge, lake bled is everything the postcards promise. Gently rippling clear blue water, lazy boat trips to the church on the island, and a breathtaking mountainous backdrop. Ljubljana is one of those rare cities that will engulf you welcomingly but then allow you to instantly escape. Perhaps to the tranquillity of a day wandering around the lake after the bustle of the friendly coffee shop culture and the unique night life of the unassuming city.

White Chickens take Sofia

It’s been quite a while since I last told any tales of adventures so I thought I’d mix it up a bit and ignore the restraints of chronological order. Call me crazy, a true rule breaker but I’m jumping a year forward, away from snowy Sarajevo, to Bulgaria. This time it’s myself, Daisy and Rachel, aptly referred to as the ‘white chickens’ by a (rather rude) Turkish man who told us that we were too pale for sun bathing. We made sure he never caught a glimpse of our embarrassingly British sun burn lines after we ignored his warning..

So this time we flew into Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. With very little plan but a lot of enthusiasm and the valuable ability too laugh through any problem that might face us. Although we didn’t spend long in Sofia we had time to take in the historical sights, such as the immense Cathedral Saint Alexandar Nevski, which seemed to be jumbled at random throughout the more modern elements of the city. The random spots of Roman archaeology which could be seen cordoned off in metro stations gave a true feel of the clash of old and new which, for me, characterised the city.

During our stay we also found time to participate in a bar crawl put on by the hostel, which of course started with plans to only stay for one drink (we were travelling on early the next morning) but lead to (very) amateur salsa dancing to Bulgarian pop in an underground club. Learning new dances, which have nothing to do with the country I am in, in some random underground venue seems to be becoming a theme. I’m not going to fight it.

So we were off to a good start. With a very vague plan of looping round through Turkey and Greece we knew/ hoped we’d be back for another helping of Sofia. Just so long as we avoided ferry strikes and the complete collapse of the Greek economy on the way right? Nah, (spoilers) we somehow managed anyway.

Snaps of Sarejevo

A glance at one of the many interesting sight of Sarajevo by day, one of the many bridges dappled along the river next to the eye catching City Hall. Standing here, I was only a Stones throw away from Latin bridge, the sight at which the assassination of the Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand took place in 1914. As well as the aesthetics and entertainments of this pleasing city, the historical importance of Sarajevo made the trip extremely worth while.

Bosnia at first glance

                                                                

The adventure continues…

I have to admit, we left Zagreb with a feeling of confidence. After one lovely, sunny day in the Balkans our spirits were high, not even the prospect of a ridiculously early start or the looming nine hour bus ride to Sarajevo, our next mysterious destination, could dampen our mood. Well, that was the feeling at the start of the journey, by the time the drew near the centre of Sarajevo, after only one other stop at a pretty desolate service station (the toilet facilities left a lot to be desired), the rain was lashing down and the grey city towered around us. This seemed a million miles away from the summer holiday we seemed to have left behind in Zagreb, but we braced ourselves. First stop, find a map. 

Oh dear. Finding a map, was not as straight forward as we had naively anticipated. And neither, come to think of it, was finding any sign of buses or a timetable. When we asked a friendly looking local about the prospect of an information centre or any timetables the response was a sympathetic laugh and a weary shake of the head. 

Hang on is that rain turning into snow?

Thankfully we finally manage to source some information out of the near by train station, a recommended hostel and a handy little map to get there! Things were looking up. Shame about the sleet, hail and long walk ahead of us, but after following the make shift, now soggy map as best we could (and getting lost on the complete wrong side of the city; thankfully we came across some friendly locals, eager to help us defeated looking tourists find or way), we arrived on the door step of a homely looking hostel, ‘The Doctor’s House’, welcomed by a sympathetic smile, a comfy place to sit down and, thank God, a strong cup of tea.

The little Hostel could not have been more perfect, a little haven and a lovely setting in which to chat to a couple of other travellers and our brilliantly accommodating host, Kat. Although, this leg of our adventure had got off to a bit of an…interesting start, When we were shown to the room and got a glimpse of our fantastic view of the old town, with it’s higgledy piggledy roofs and mountainous backdrop, it was clear that the ups and downs of Sarajevo had only just begun. Looking out the window wearing soggy clothes and sleepy faces, I wondered what this new city would have to offer. 

Things are looking up

                          

Thought I’d jump back a bit just to share a couple more London snaps. I’ve said enough about my love for this city but it isn’t only the obvious ‘sight-seer’ landmarks that make for a pretty interesting photo. This is me trying to be artsy as hell, shall I talk about all those nifty reflections and angles? Or should I just leave it at the photos… ok. But yes, London always seems to be an added bonus at the beginning or end of an adventure, and I’m always happy to see it again, from every angle.

Once upon a time in Zagreb

                                                           

It all started with “Why don’t people ever…?”. Why don’t people just get to an airport and jump on a plane, book cheap flights and go to a completely random place even just for the weekend? Browsing airline websites, “Look! Only £25 to Copenhagen, £20 to Barcelona and Amsterdam! Why doesn’t everyone…?”.

Wait, why don’t we?

It went from an innocent browse of the Easy Jet website, out of ‘pure curiosity’ of course, to a sudden panic after finding the perfect cheap flights to Croatia. “But hurry! Limited spaces available on selected flights!”…Damn it EasyJet, you had me from hello.

So there I was, in my tiny box of a bedroom in halls, panicked into booking flights to Zagreb, a place which before that moment I’d only vaguely heard of. The flights were booked for a two week trip, all I knew so far was that it would begin and end in Croatia, but the rest could lead to anything and anywhere. In fact it became a bit of a challenge to ourselves: How many countries do you reckon we can get to? So with little knowledge about bus routes (Never attempt to find a comprehensive  bus time table from Croatia to Bosnia, Serbia, or Albania, you will only be laughed at and disheartened), hostels or currency, our first adventure began.

The city itself did not let us down. With it’s beautifully coloured grand looking buildings and vivid bright blue trams, it didn’t quite look real, so perfect and coordinated, like an illustration, with delicate detail going into it’s magnificent fountains and perfectly organised gardens. It was warm, bright and welcoming and kicked our adventure off to an optimistic and enjoyable start. The hardest part of the first day of course, was trudging round the city, with our heavy backpacks looking for somewhere to stay. If it was cheap, pleasant and had space it would be good enough for us. But the quirky little hostel that we found surpassed all our desires. We simply had to check out ‘The Swanky Mint Hostel’, if only for it’s funny and intriguing name. It did not disappoint. We were greeted with a warm welcome, including a welcome shot: To this day, the strongest and most horrific alcoholic substance I’ve tasted. Thankfully the bar man handed it over accompanied by a large glass of water because “Sooner or later, they all ask for it”. And then we settled on the cute and friendly roof terrace sipping Croatian beer, feeling a sense of success about the first day of our adventure, and wondering what the following days had in store for us…

London town

                                               

Thought it’d be rude to start without a shout out to the beautiful London, where adventures begin. Even after the seven hour ‘megabus’ down to the capital from the North East, it’s impressive sights can still be appreciated. I’ve trudged around this city, half out of my mind with tiredness, ready to catch a flight from Heathrow or Stansted at a ridiculous hour, but whatever the circumstances I can always muster a little time and energy for a spot of sight seeing. A new magnificent, or bizarre, skyscraper seems to have been added to the London skyline whenever I visit, so there’s almost always something new and charming to catch my eye. And there never fails to be a vibrant atmosphere whenever I arrive, night or day. I will never tire of England’s most buzzing city, the gateway to other adventures.