From Rain to Sun in Piran, Slovenia

The cozy restaurant.

Remember, clicking the + sign on the map to the left will zoom in so you can see where I am!

Whew! I just heard the words I wanted to hear. “No Problem. I have a car, have food, I have a place, we can go wherever you want, just call me from the train station”. This was what Senad just told me on the phone when I called him and told him I was coming to Postojna (Post-oh-knee-ah) tomorrow. But I digress.

Friday, I spent another day in Ljubljana. I took a walking tour, sometimes in the pouring cold rain. I and a Swedish businessman (in a three-piece suit) were the only clients. I think our guide wished that no one had showed up so she wouldn't have to do it. She was quite interesting though. Born in Slovenia, part of Yugoslavia at the time, she was of the opinion that the dictator Tito, was the only man who could unite the Baltic states and make everyone feel like brothers.

Giant mushroom growing in a jar on the bar. Must have been a two pounder!

We then had a coffee and waited for the rain to let up.

It didn't. At least for very long. I then spent the next 2 hours trying to find the bus stop, where the number 13 bus could take me back to Andrej's house. On this day, I also learned how to text message on my phone. God, I feel old.

Again that night, I hoofed it the half mile or so to the neighborhood restaurant, but this time bad luck. Private party. Full. Go away.

The guy at hotel across the street, told me there was another restaurant two miles back the other way.

Cheesy pastry things drizzled with sugar sauce.

The next morning, Andrej took me to the bus station. I wanted to take the local bus, but he insisted that another one of his guests (Number 85 I presume) was arriving at the same time on the train from Croatia.

I had purchased my ticket the day before, and Andrej took me right to the correct bus, with only 5 minutes to spare.

The bus to Piran (like Iran, but with a “P”) took only about 2 ½ hours.

The view of Piran from the 15th century town wall on the hill.

I found a nice hotel about ¾ mile walk, along a stone sea wall from the center of town, although I took a taxi with my luggage. There is a heated sea-water swimming pool, and even though the room is tiny, it's very modern and tidy. After finding the hotel, I had a look around the very picturesque town.

The narrow streets are just like Venice, except for the very steep hills, and lack of canals of course. (And it smells a lot better than Venice!) I had a garlic fish fillet for dinner, and some more of the delicious Lasco beer too! Sunday, I decided to stay another day/night and try to get a plan together for the rest of the coming week.

Heated sea water swimming pool

I don't know what in the hell I'm going to do, once I get to Slovakia. I really can't get a handle on that country. One thing I figured out, is I better go to Bratislava (Slovakia's capital, just across the border from Vienna, Austria) first. Supposedly, there are about 300 couch surfers there, but I e-mailed ten or so last night, and haven't gotten a single response. I was hoping to find a friend there who could shed some insider light on where to go and what to see.

I just now got two responses from Couch Surfers in Maribor, Slovenia, that are willing to host me on Tuesday night, and as I mentioned, I have a place to stay tomorrow.

By the way. I don't put every photo on TravBuddy. If you want to see them all, even the shitty ones, here is my Picasa photo page link:

Scotts 2007Europhotos

Thanks for the few responses to me.

Modern tidy hotel room in Piran

(more photos if you scroll down)

Ciao Amigos.

SA