2013 Central Europe Trip - Day 1, Friday, July 26, 2013- Hello Slovenia!

It's been a long time coming, as it is often said. After months of deliberating and deciding whether to be or not to be...on a plane to Europe, I finally took up on the invitation that was generously bestowed upon me by a dear and special friend in Slovenia. Boarded the FinnAir flight to Helsinki connecting to Ljubljana at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, at 10:30 AM. Thankfully, my baggage did not invite any excess like it so often does on my domestic travels! The flight was pleasant and I felt more energetic than expected. I didn’t get much sleep the previous night because the man I was going to travel halfway around the world for, my "host" for the trip, insisted that we stay up all night talking and I make up for the lost sleep on the airplane instead. Perhaps, the frozen, icicled Finnish salad on the plane revitalized my nerves and supplemented the 2 cups of coffee I did not get to consume in the morning like I usually do. We landed at Brnik Airport, Slovenia, at about 6:30 PM, local time. The spectacular aerial view of the airport and its surrounding areas were so captivating that for a few moments I forgot why I was feeling a bit jittery in the first place. The Slovenian topography with the Alps in the horizon looked so welcoming even from a distance. It got me thinking of journeys through enchanting places; watch beautiful nature and sunsets, walk or drive through the glorious countryside with its rivers and lakes, beautiful country homes, take hundreds of pictures and enjoy the warm hospitality of the first Slovenian family I am to meet and acquaint myself with.

Us, the authors of this blog last saw each other back in the Summer of 2007 at the University of Northern Iowa, USA, where we both pursued our university education; him, an undergraduate in Math and Computer Science and I, a graduate in English and Women's Studies. Six years have passed since. Through these years, we kept in touch, extended invitations for a meet-up to each other but somehow, things never materialized...perhaps, because they were always done in a lighthearted vein. Other than that, we both had our own interests: personally as well as professionally and most often than not, could never come to a compromise on whether, when and where to meet. Thus, to be able to create this opportunity for ourselves finally after all these years and many experiences after seemed curious and almost surreal. Having somewhat reassured myself that we would never meet again in this lifetime but to be proven wrong, to be given another chance by life, or by the mysterious ways in which the universe works was something strange but wonderful. We knew we were going on a vacation but we also knew it was potentially going to be more than just a vacation for the both of us.

From a distance, I saw a familiar face as I wheeled my luggage towards the exit door of the Brnik Airport. He looked like a little boy at unease from something but gathered his composure soon after. When I saw his face, I giggled, just like I imagined I would. He seemed oblivious to what was going through my mind as he helped me with my bags. Or perhaps, he was as nervous as I was, who knows? There was barely any time for me to soak in the atmosphere. I wanted to pause, stand still and hug him but he tried to scurry out of the crowded airport lobby. So I played along and decided to leave my theatrics, perhaps for another time and place...

As we arrived at Andrej’s home, his parents greeted me at the door with so much warmth and smiles on their faces. There was absolutely no sense of awkwardness even though I felt a bit sheepish. I guess that’s what great people and hosts are made of; they make you feel right at home. I hugged them both and thanked them for having me over at their quiet and beautiful home. I deliberated whether to hand over the presents I bought for the Poljanecs on the day of my arrival or at a later date. I did anyway. Andrej’s Mom was thrilled to see me come bearing gifts that I should say are specifically Indian in taste and look, such as the authentic/organic Darjeeling and Assam tea that I had handpicked for her from a famous tea boutique in New Delhi. But I think she was most impressed by the Pashmina shawls that I got her. Andrej had warned me that she did not like loud, jarring colors so I went for the natural Pasmina color which is a darker shade of grey and the other one in a fawn-like subtle shade of cream. All of the men of the house got books that were about India, more specifically for a person interested in hiking in the Himalayas or courting the spiritual nuances of the country with its sacred geography and monuments. Andrej got Bibles in my language, Thadou-Kuki and Manipuri and a copy of my favorite book by Márquez. Later, I gave him a cursive writing practice book for children...he knows the purpose well. Everybody seemed happy and grateful for the little gifts I got for them. But I was most gladdened by the fact that Mrs. Poljanec seemed awe-struck by the presents, from the wrapping papers to the contents. My intention was to impress her more than anyone and I think I succeeded in doing just that, at least with the gifts! I was totally surprised when she decided to put them on display at the kitchen counter for the next two days or so! And how can I forget the amount of pictures she ended up taking! Such a great lady, so full of life and vigor!

I got a lot of sleep on the plane so I didn’t mind when Andrej suggested that we would go downtown to check out his university and the city. I must say Ljubljana exceeded my expectations. It looked and felt so much better than the popular pictures I see on Google image. We walked through the crowded streets that were bursting with energy from weekenders and street performers. We then sat down for some Slovenian beer, Laško. Andrej said they were bad beers. I disagreed, even before trying it. He suspected I knew nothing about good beers. I begged to differ, as usual. I tried and said they were “not as bad” as he claimed. He just replied with “wait for Czech.”

To wrap up my first night in Slovenia, we went to the theatre to watch a scary flick, “The Purge.” It must be the worst movie in the history of Hollywood horror films but I enjoyed the experience of sitting in the theater next to the homeboy. He said I passed out on his bed that night and he had to lift my heavy butt back to the guest room. It probably happened, or, it did not. No pictures for proof so I say his claims are null and void.

2013 Central Europe Trip - Day 2, Saturday, July 27, 2013 - Andrej competes at the Slovenian Nationals

I was afraid I’d be jet lagged from my flight from India but felt pretty alright as I got out of bed at 8 AM. I was really looking forward to enjoying my second day in Slovenia as the first day went by so smoothly. But mostly, I was excited as Andrej was to compete at the Slovenian National Championship and I would finally get to see him jump (for the first time, that’s right!). Mrs. Poljanec was at the kitchen, being her caring and considerate self and offered me some scrumptious breakfast. I requested for some black coffee and she made a wonderfully rich and dark cup. She informed me that the beans are homegrown. I was pleasantly surprised because I wasn’t aware Slovenes produced coffee and might I add a very fine one at that! I engaged in some conversations at the dining table with Mrs. Poljanec as I waited for the sleepy brat of the house to wake up and come join me/us for breakfast.

The Poljanec’s home is located in a quiet, peaceful residential area. Unlike in New Delhi where it is so common to hear the sound of traffic and the yelling of vendors in the trademark extremely narrow lanes between apartment buildings or even private homes, here, the most common sound that one can hear would be the faint barking of a dog or the crying of the next door neighbor’s young child aside the engine sound of a car passing by at irregular intervals. To complement the peacefulness of the area, there are some hillocks that are easily viewable from the front porch. I remember Andrej comparing them to a woman’s breast when we drove pass them from the airport on the day of my arrival (that’s typical of his boyish idiosyncrasy); whereas, Mr. Poljanec explained to me in a proper manner, and like a gentleman, how far they ranged and their names (which I can’t recall like most Slovenian words).

Apparently, for Andrej, life in a day starts only after 9 AM. Therefore, he refuses to budge out of bed before that ‘start line,’ unless absolutely necessary. After breakfast, I asked him to go for a walk with me and check out the neighborhood. There was hardly any traffic in the main roads and people walked their dogs or went on their walks in a leisurely fashion. I remember thinking how nice it would be to live in a place like this, so free of pestering crowd, noise and pollution. There was obviously nothing I missed about a city like New Delhi. We came across a river that passed through the neighborhood; it looked so clean and free of industrial effluents. Again, something that is rare in my city, or in my country for that matter, save some rivers in the north eastern states. We saw a man practicing his rowing skills in the river. He seemed international with a Slovenian coach as they communicated in English with each other. At least, that’s what Andrej and I presumed.

I sat down with the family for lunch that Mrs. Poljanec had prepared. This was my very first Slovenian meal in a Slovenian household and I was excited for it to say the least. She prepared baked chicken with classic Slovenian ingredients and some salad. They all tasted really good. I fail to remember what exactly the stuffing was and my friend here is of no help as he’s equally clueless about the Slovenian food he eats. But his Mom’s specialty I reckon is with desserts and I was fortunate to sample a couple of her delish cakes! I was also pleased to meet Andrej’s brother for the first time and handed him a book I had got him about India authored by a renowned Harvard scholar of Eastern religions. He seemed pleased and asked me a few many questions about India and spirituality that seems synonymous with Indians. Mrs. Poljanec urged me to eat more but as a person that eats small portions per meal but with an out of control metabolism, I couldn’t stuff myself further.

We left the house at about 3 PM for the stadium in Celje where Andrej was to compete. The weather was about 35 degrees Celsius; the sultriness of which reminded me of India. It took about an hour to reach the venue. I sat down in the stadium seats with Andrej’s parents while he went to warm up for the big event. I told Mr. Poljanec, rather timidly, that I was completely clueless about the rules of pole vaulting. He was kind enough to explain the pros and cons of the game and also told me many a thing about how unfair the Slovenian sports federation was being to Andrej all these times. Andrej had already mentioned some really unnerving information about how unreasonable and discriminatory the federation was to him, so I wasn’t surprised to get a confirmation from Mr. Poljanec. What surprised me though was the fact that a small and well developed country like Slovenia in the European Union could be so immersed in corruption and foul play, arbitrary means that I would associate with a chaotic and populous country like India with lax laws and poor regard for most of its athletes! There were not many spectators at the stadium but I got to feel that Slovenes do take sports very seriously. I was impressed to see the many events taking place at the same time in the stadium.

The pole vault competition commenced at about 6 PM, it was still very sunny! As Andrej began to jump, his parents and I watched on the sides and cheered him on, quietly. I managed to take quite a few pictures of him jumping as I felt that was the best I could so since I had no idea about the rules of pole vault. Andrej competed with five other pole vaulters. He appeared so relaxed and nonchalant that at some point his parents worried he wasn’t taking the competition seriously. In the end, the closest competitor could not tide over Andrej’s “scores” and therefore Andrej was declared the Slovenian champion for the third time! I was overjoyed for him even though he seemed to have acclimatized himself to winning medals! We waited a bit longer till the medal ceremony and moved on to our next destination.

We then went to Trojane for some doughnuts and beer. Americans should really learn to make doughnuts from the Slovenians because their doughnuts have nothing on the ones at Trojane.  I’m not even particularly fond of doughnuts but these were the best I’ve tried in my life thus far! And though I couldn’t finish eating even one doughnut, I enjoyed whatever I had thoroughly and brought home the leftover piece to munch on later.

In the evening, Andrej’s Mom arranged for some refreshments and drinks in their cozy garden yard. We all gathered around the table for some wine and whiskey. The Slovene was fascinated by the Thadou-Kuki Bible that I got for him and became engrossed in the passages. I engaged myself with interesting conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Poljanec. I couldn’t help but notice what warm and wonderful people they were. They made me feel right at home and treated me with no disdain whatsoever because I’m neither European nor speak Slovenian. I thought it was cute that they tried to apologize every other time they spoke in Slovenian among themselves. It was day well spent and I was so happy I got to have this moment with Andrej and his family and looked forward for more adventure that had been planned for me in the Slovenian countryside the following day.

2013 Central Europe Trip- Day 3, Sunday, July 28, 2013 - Triglav National Park, Bohinj, Trenta Valley, Bled

We started our day quite early to attend Catholic mass and to explore the sights and scenery in the Slovenian countryside. Andrej’s parents had planned an elaborate itinerary for the day in and around Slovenia’s Triglav National Park nestled in the Julian Alps. We first drove to the Basilica in Brezje for the Sunday mass. While Mr. and Mrs. Poljanec took their seats in the front row, Andrej and I settled for the back. It was a poignant moment for me; firstly, this was my maiden experience of what a Catholic “mass” constituted, let alone the Slovenian way of worshipping God. Secondly, I went to Church with Andrej for the first time, something I had imagined in my mind many times before and getting to finally experience it felt beautiful. It made me happy to learn that he respected the sanctity of faith and enjoyed going to church even though he may not be a “believer” in the strictest sense. This knowledge made me change the way I understood his character for the better and threw a much more positive light on the way I perceive him. As we sat down, I said a prayer and thanked the Lord for a moment such as this and the numerous blessings in my life, some so small and yet so meaningful but often forgotten to be acknowledged and to be grateful for. I felt so at peace with myself and with my surroundings. The mass was in Slovenian so I could not understand any of the sermons that the Priest preached. Andrej tried to explain a few things. I thought the order of the mass reminded me of the Anglican Church I used to attend during high school. There was time for offering and we put in the money that Andrej’s Mom had given us. When the time for receiving Holy Communion came, we decided to remain in our seats as I was informed by Andrej and his father previously that Mrs. Poljanec took to these things seriously and felt only those that attended mass throughout the week or those that belonged to the Catholic faith could partake in the Communion. I didn’t mind that and felt it was appropriate to not offend her in any way. Here, I realized that the Catholics have Communion regularly through the week, whereas, Baptist churches such as mine observe it once in a month. After the mass, I picked up a few souvenirs from the souvenir shop, including a Slovenian Bible, which I intend to start reading very soon.

We then drove to Slap Peričnik to check out the waterfall and the rivers. When we arrived there, I was immediately struck by its natural beauty and picture perfectness. The streams were shallow but were of clear blue, green and topaz shades. The trees were coniferous, typical of the alpine region. The air was crisp and the weather just pleasant for a little trekking up the hill to get to the waterfall. We sat down at the restaurant for some food, drinks and a group photo before making our way up. Mr. Poljanec was the head of the group and led us up the rather steep terrain. He made the climb look so effortless I became highly impressed by his stamina and vigor, something not many men in their youth would be able to boost even. And so were Mrs. Poljanec and her briskness. Andrej told me that she usually walked ahead of the group despite pausing to take pictures at regular intervals. The couple seemed so adept at trekking and scaling lofty places I became awfully embarrassed by my very apparent lack of stamina and frailty. I could see that the Slovenian pet dogs and kids had more energy than I did. I had to stop every 5 minutes or so to catch my breath and Mrs. Poljanec was so kind to give me company and advised me to sit down whenever I needed. I told her I would do serious training before I come back to Slovenia for another trekking adventure such as this! We got to the hilltop and the view as expected was nothing less than spectacular with the waterfall gushing out of the rocks with all its might. We tried to get behind the falls and view it from a different angle. The two of us ladies were busy taking pictures of the scenery as the gentlemen evidently had no interest in such an exercise. I was thrilled to see a rainbow formation over the waters and captured it with my camera.

Next stop was Bohinj to see the Savica Waterfall. We were greeted at the entrance by a souvenir shop that looked like a picture of a cottage straight out of the Grimm’s fairytale book I used to read as a child. The path to the waterfall was laid out with stone stairs. Andrej opined that the authorities should have left the track as it was and as nature intended instead of laying concrete. I thought it didn’t look out of place and befitted people with no stamina such as myself; it made the walk up a lot more manageable. We finally reached the waterfall and I was awed by the natural splendor. The waters looked crystal clear and again, resplendent in its shades of blue, green and turquoise. The place gave us a good panoramic view of the surrounding valleys and mountains. Andrej saw on the wooden walls of the tourist lodge a carving that read, “I will marry you one day,” perhaps the art work of a love-struck tourist. I thought to myself, “Yes you will!” (giggles)

Other places that we visited included the Soča River in the Trenta Valley and its numerous springs and streams. I had known from before that the third installment of the Narnia movies were shot in the Soča River and its vicinity. Therefore, I was excited to see it with my own eyes and not via Google images. Every tree, plant and the waters looked so pristine on the Slovenian soil. I was left speechless most of the time. If there was ever a definition for ‘pure beauty,’ I thought to myself, the natural environment of Slovenia was it! To me, the land reeked of Romanticism and I understood how and why the Romantic poets such as Wordsworth or Keats could have been so intoxicated by the beauty of nature and the countryside.

We also passed through Lake Bohinj which was full of people. The lake looked as good as a deep blue sea with its clear waters and stony shore. We also stopped by at various places through the course of our journey. My hosts were so thoughtful that they would stop the car for me every time I wanted to take a picture of some scenery that I fancied. Later on, Mr. Poljanec faced a bit of difficulty finding his way to a place we wanted to go to and we ended up encircling half of the tiny country of Slovenia for nearly 2-3 hours! I thought it was a fun ride although I won’t deny I became a bit queasy and exhausted from the winding roads. But Andrej looked comfortable and very much at home as he napped for the most part in the car while I enjoyed taking pictures of him in his various grandiose sleep positions. There was talk about taking the train to Bled but because of the time restriction, we decided to drive there instead.

Bled was beautiful as I imagined. Perhaps a little touristy for persons like Andrej that do not like crowd but for me it seemed so full of life and activity. We went to a restaurant first to savor Mr. Poljanec’s favorite dessert. It looked like any regular cheese cake to me but oh dear, did it taste so incredibly good? I wanted to devour the entire piece but my tiny tummy would not let me so I gave one half to Mr. Poljanec who ended up eating 4 pieces of those little devils. Mrs. Poljanec worried for her diabetic husband and his obvious love for sweets and I could see she was a bit disturbed by his inability to restrain himself. I am always a bit amused to see older couples argue over little things that seem so banal such as wives attempting to control the diets of husbands that refuse to compromise…but to know they do that out of pure concern and affection even at the cost of causing annoyance to one or both seem to only assert the love they have for each other. We walked around Lake Bled for about 30 minutes. The area had a lot of tourists and I could spot my Asian counterparts in the area that made me feel glad to know that they were visiting Slovenia just as I was. Since it was getting dark, we decided to head home to Ljubljana. It was a long and tiring day but so much covered in one day, it was all worth it!

2013 Central Europe Trip- Day 4, Monday, July 29, 2013- Postojna Caves, Lipica Stud Farm, Portorož, Downtown Ljubljana

Today, Andrej and I decided to do some tour on our own. We woke up fairly early as usual and made our way towards Postojnska Jama (Postojna Caves). The Postojna is a karst (limestone) cave and the second longest cave system in Slovenia. I was very excited to explore this place because other than Lake Bled, these caves were always touted as one of the best things to see in Slovenia on the internet. Of course, Andrej wouldn’t necessarily agree with me on this as he doesn’t appreciate any place that is too touristy or commonplace. I used to read a great deal about karst caves in my Geography classes and how stalagmites and stalactites are formed. I thought it would be really interesting to see such natural art with my own eyes. When we reached the place, I decided to check out the small souvenir shops and kiosks that were lined up in the street corner. We got our entry tickets for the main cave and skipped the Proteus Cave that had exhibition of living cave dwelling animals and the Predjama Castle. Like any other tourist hotspots, the Postojna cave authorities seemed well versed in the art of marketing and enticing tourists to spend their money. As each of us walked towards the cave entry, professional photographers played paparazzi and took photos of each visitor. I remember the same kind of tactic were played by photographers at the Taj Mahal and the photos came out so good I could not hold back from buying them at whatever rate they sold them for!

We walked into the cave and we were informed that the temperatures would drop to 10 degree centigrade. I had brought with me a light sweater and didn’t care much as I knew what to do if I got cold—hug the person sitting next to me! We boarded the tram and soon the engines began to roll and took us into the subterranean cave system. I could barely contain my excitement as I looked around the natural beauty around me. The stalagmites and stalactites looked so amazing under the skillfully lit lamps that it almost appeared to be an artificial creation at a theme park. I was tempted to take pictures of every sight I saw inside the cave but Andrej kept urging me to relax, put down my camera and enjoy the moment. When we arrived at the heart of the cave, we got off the tram and our English speaking tour guide began to explain the history of the cave and its significance. There were plenty of passages inside and we charted through each and every one of them, with each and every rock formation looking better than the previous one that we saw. I began to feel the chilly air in my bones from time to time and Andrej offered me his sweatshirt which I constantly refused to accept. Instead, I decided to use the pocket of his jacket as my hand glove. The surrounding beauty, the mysterious atmosphere, the dim lighting inside the cave was all very enchanting. More than candle lit dinner at some fancy restaurant, I thought this was my ideal of a “romantic date.” This was also the first time that Andrej and I ever held hands in a public place. I felt a bit silly at first but then got used to it soon enough. Besides, it was getting colder and I felt the need to get closer to my date of the day and steal some of his body heat.

The cave evoked much imagery from literature ranging from Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”… “In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure-dome decree/Where Alph, the sacred river, ran/Through caverns measureless to man/Down to a sunless sea…a sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice” to Freudian exposition on the phallic stage and phallic symbols. I kept telling Andrej how much these subterranean cavern and the stalagmites and stalactites represented phallic symbols and how disturbing they could be construed as by feminists such as I. I heartily accused him of bringing me to this place on purpose so he could torture me mentally and perhaps psychologically too! (wink) We also got to see a salamander in the cave’s aquarium. They seemed to thrive there healthily as they would in their natural environment. It made me realize how much effort the government must put into conserving and preserving this natural site. After touring the length and breadth of Postojnska Jama, we picked up a couple of souvenirs and made our way back to the tram to hark back to “civilization.” On the way out, I picked up a two pictures, one single of mine and another of me and Andrej that the cameras installed inside the cave captured. We then had some food and drinks at the restaurant outside the cave before heading towards our next destination- Lipica Stud Farm.

The Lipica Stud Farm is situated in a sprawling more than 200 acres farm. Pedigreed horses are bred and reared in the farm, naturally as well as artificially. They are used for performing as well as for other special occasions. Because of my love for animals, I was elated to be looking at these horses. We were greeted by our warm tour guide who spoke English fluently but with the most adorable accent. She took us through the stables and explained to us the ways in which the horses on the farm were looked after and what purposes they served. I was expecting to see some grand looking horses but the animals appeared to me as pony-like. Perhaps, the ones for public viewing were only those that no longer worked for shows. It got me thinking that Arabian horses were grander looking than the ones I saw in Lipica. The tour ended soon after. I picked up a few more souvenirs from the souvenir shop and we sat down for some water and soda at the restaurant. Andrej decided to show me the Adriatic Sea and the beach where most Slovenian “cool” wannabes hung out. So off we went to Portorož.

During our journey, he lost track of the way and we entered into the Italian soil. I found this incident highly amusing as European countries with its porous borders appeared so at ease with their neighbors. If only India and her neighbors could enjoy the same level of trust and maturity I thought. We made our way back to Slovenia and soon came to realize that the weather was turning against us with rainclouds enveloping the skies. It began to drizzle but we continued to drive towards the beach hoping that the rain would eventually stop by the time we arrived at Portorož. However, it began to pour more and we became convinced it would be impossible to check out the beach properly this time around. We went ahead anyway, parked the car and walked towards the beach. We picked up a slice of pizza and took shelter. We tried to walk towards the sea but the high wind and torrential rain made it nearly impossible. So we decided to drive back to Ljubljana. As much as our plans to enjoy the beach failed, I thought braving through the pouring rain and eating pizza with Andrej while looking to the sea with its raging waves was rather romantic and quite the memorable moment.

We then went to check out an Indian restaurant downtown. Andrej wanted to eat some Indian food. I was obviously very welcoming of the idea. This was going to be my last day in Slovenia and I insisted that I take a few more pictures of downtown Ljubljana before we left as I didn’t get to do that the first time around. The walls of the “Namaste” Indian restaurant had warm orange tones and boasted Indian décor. Andrej asked me to order Indian food of my choice for us so I picked Mutton Rogan Josh, Mattar Paneer, butter Nan bread and some Basmati fragrant white rice. We were served Papad as appetizers which awkwardly had some veggies strewn on top of that. This innovative idea made the Papad appear more like a Mexican delicacy than an Indian one. The food tasted very good except for the Rogan Josh which was a far cry from the mutton curry we prepare back home in India. Overall, it was a good meal and we were also able to pack some leftovers for Andrej’s Mom. We walked around a bit more in the vicinity and beyond. I got to see the Slovenian Opera house as well as Tivoli Park. We sat at a park bench under a gigantic tree, talked and kissed and drove back home. As we were to leave the next day for Vienna, I wanted to say goodbye to Andrej’s Dad who usually left home for work at 6 AM. I thanked him for the amazing hospitality and gave him my word that I would remind Andrej to keep him posted about our whereabouts during the course of our trip to other parts of Central Europe. As much as I wanted to have more of Slovenia and hang out with Mr. and Mrs. Poljanec, I was secretly overjoyed that I would finally be alone with Andrej and would no longer have to engage in clandestine meetings in their home.