Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Tag: Ljubljana (Page 1 of 2)

The Riverside Market of Ljubljana

Whether in the States or overseas, one of my favorite thing in the world is going to markets!  It doesn’t matter what kind of market, Christmas, food, flower, or arts and crafts markets, count me in.  I love viewing beautiful art made by local craftsmen, tasting food from chefs and buying fresh produce from local farmers.  I just love it!  This is one of the best ways to experience a local culture, which is why we loved the Riverside Market!

Riverside Market - Fresh Produce at the Riverside Market

Fresh Produce at the Riverside Market

David and I knew there was an extensive produce/flower market in Ljubljana from a Rick Steves show.  However, when our taxi driver took us from the bus station to our beautiful hotel, he told us about a food festival on Fridays called Open Kitchen.  Restaurants from all over town set up booths in the market area.  Thankfully, our stay included a Friday, so I could not imagine a better scenario!

Riverside Market - Crowds Enjoying the Friday Food Festival in Ljubljana's Riverside Market

Crowds Enjoying Open Kitchen in Ljubljana

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New Addition to From Texas to Beyond

From Texas to Beyond is growing! Rebekah and I are proud to introduce our little bundle of joy, Ephraim! After 50 hours of labor, he arrived on December 6th weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces, and measured 20 inches long. Rebekah and I are so excited for our family’s new addition. We hope he will be a great travel blogger some day!

New Addition - Introducing Ephraim - Ephraim Shortly After Birth

Ephraim Shortly After Birth

Mom and son are now resting and recovering at home. This is a very exciting and exhausting time in our lives.

New Addition - Introducing Ephraim - Ephraim and Rebekah Going Home

Ephraim and Rebekah Going Home

During the next few weeks, our posting will be limited, as we take care of little Ephraim and adjust to being a family of 3. We have a few guest posts lined up, including the conclusion of John’s miniseries recounting his journeys to Vienna, Kosovo, and Albania.

Once life settles down a bit (if that is possible), Rebekah and I look forward to concluding our series on Ljubljana and sharing more of our trip through Slovenia and Croatia.

We would like to THANK YOU for all of your continued support!

New Addition - Introducing Ephraim - Ephraim's Second Day Home

Ephraim’s Second Day Home

Talk to you soon…

David

View of the City from Ljubljana Castle

In the center of Ljubljana, on a hill which serves as its pedestal, stands Ljubljana Castle. This symbol of the city can be seen from almost everywhere in the Old and New Towns.

Ljubljana Castle - Unobstructed View of Ljubljana Castle from the Skyscraper

Unobstructed View of Ljubljana Castle from the Skyscraper

In many ways across the city, Ljubljana’s touristic appeal is growing. The funicular to Ljubljana Castle is a perfect example of this progress. Built in 2006, the funicular climbs Castle Hill within 60 seconds, saving you a steep climb on one of two paths to the top. While I normally opt for the adventure-filled route, Rebekah and I chose the funicular to save some energy for seeing the sights in the castle complex (Rebekah was 6 months pregnant after all). This is a perfect example of how modern improvements are opening up the complex to more visitors, from elderly tourists to locals dressed for fine dining at the castle’s restaurants.

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Allegro Hotel – Ljubljana, Slovenia

When David and I travel, we normally stay in a place in walking distance to the attractions we want to see, or at least close to public transportation.  In our strategy, we want a clean and nice accommodation, but we do not want to spend our money on a fancy hotel.  We want to be out experiencing the destination.  But on this trip, we were spending a night in 7 destinations and wanted to splurge on a nicer hotel in one of the locations.  David did lots of research and we chose to stay at Allegro Hotel in Ljubljana, Slovenia for an upscale treat.  We made a great choice!

Inside Allegro Hotel

Inside Allegro Hotel

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Plečnik’s Bridges of Ljubljana

When visiting Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, it is likely you will encounter two national heroes: Plečnik and Prešeren. Jože Plečnik the architect, and France Prešeren the poet.

Today, we take a closer look at the architect, Jože Plečnik. While Plečnik is a household name in Slovenia, I feel like little is known of him in the United States, even among fellow architects.

Travel often unlocks new experiences that we did not even realize existed before traveling. In Prague, Rebekah and I fell in love with delightful Art Nouveau painter, Alfons Mucha when we experienced his Slav Epic masterpieces first-hand. We had a very similar experience in Ljubljana. The architectural influence of Jože Plečnik is a treat waiting to be unwrapped.

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