Busy Finale for our Tour of Eastern Europe - Land Version!

 We have two more days, after today, before we fly to Hungary to meet our Viking Embla river cruise.  And it seems like a lot of action is being packed in at the end of this OAT tour!  Yesterday the Lakes hike and today we go the other direction.  Instead of hiking up a mountain we will be trekking into the depths of the earth at Postojna Caves.

But first my little pigeon friend coos happily outside my open hotel window.  So I take one more look at the lovely view of the sea and see a heavy mist.  Our visit in Croatia has been unspoiled by rain but the time has come, as it must to all things, an end! 

 Our first challenge was skillfully handled by Mickey who has performed some extraordinary feats of maneuvering through the old and narrow city streets  I would have thought the cyclists could have waited but this guy was determined to pass us as we waited for a delivery truck to back out of the way.  The horizontal black bar at the edge on the lower left is the edge of my bus window frame!

This couple waited as the bus was on an angle and the front where they were was the widest gap!

Good bye charming old hotel!  These balconies had a clear sea view from this side of the building.

 After about a half hour driving we passed the Croatian border with no problem but entering Slovenia we, for the first time in the several crossings we have done, had to exit the bus and present ourselves in person.  Mostly if they know there are only Americans on the bus the agencies just let Tina process all the books.  Slovenia wants a better check.  Also, it was the first place that only one officer was on duty.

It took only another hour to reach our destination.  You might be able to guess that the Slovenia word for 'cave' is 'jama!'

Love these massive planters that resemble kitchen pans.  In view behind is the building with the ticket office, several restaurants and souvenir shops.  The place is not a National Park but is owned by the state.

The entrance is at the top of another staircase. 

Our flag is not backwards but suddenly the wind shifted.  I am wearing my sweatshirt and windbreaker as the Postojna Cave has a constant temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  The link above takes you to a few pages from my favorite brand of guide book so you can see some of the details as wwell as some professional photos.

Toot toot. All aboard for a 15 minute, open car, pretty fast train ride to a deeper part of the cave.  About 150 people enter at a time.  They are led by a 'guide' who sets the pace.  Karen found out that there is also one following each group who nicely told her she was lagging behind and soon the next trainload would catch up to her.  It is very nicely done so that you are not overwhelmed by a crowd and can safely enjoy the walk.

That is Connie's hat in front of me.  Parts of the roof of the cave at this point are concrete but many jagged formations reach out to grab you at many places.  I am short and I was ducking.  Of course that wasn't necessary but psychologically it seems that way.

I am now going to post several cave pictures, most of which will look like nothing in particular.  This is the largest cave in Europe.  One of the guides mentioned that our own Mammoth Cave is larger.  Postojna is, however, only one of the caves in this karst area.  Basically it is limestone rock,which by its nature is very pourous, and a river, and rain that creates the caves and all of its features. 

We had audio guides to which I attached my own earbuds.  This left my hands free to allow for holding the handrail when on steep, very steep, areas as we walked up the concrete path to the top of the 'Great Mountain.'  The numbers told us when to push the button to activate the appropriate speech.  It was very well done and there were 13 talks given during the one and a half hour walk.  Fifteen either way on the train was extra time!

You remember, Ii am sure, that stalactites hang tight to the ceiling while stalagmites cling mightily to the floor. 

Here we are crossing the Russian Bridge which was built in 1916 by Russian prisoners of war.  Here is information about it and more general cave info.

From the center of the Russian Bridge this looks a little like the Leaning tower of Piza.  What do you think?

Again the Leaning Tower of Postojna.

 

This stalagmite, that reminds me of bad dental work, is polished smooth.  Maybe more by visitors rubbing against it where it reaches over the path than by the constant humidity.

This is called the 'Spaghetti Room' because of the fine hollow strands that decorate the ceiling.

Color is determined by the soil some 60 or more meters above.  Iron will give a reddish tinge while magnesium tints the water and hence the formations a greenish tinge.

This happy camper held the railing often.  Slippery concrete is not my thing.  But what beauty!  Not me - the cave!

These reminded me of the dried fish we saw at Knosum last night!

 

In a thousand years of so these perfectly aligned treasures will connect.  Then they will continue to grow as a 'pillar' and gain width and some many futured generation will never realize that the column they are seeing was once just too drips in perfect harmony!

When the soil above is of mixed minerals you get, I think, the most beautiful creations.  The grooves and creases have differently shaded tones and tints. You can really see and enjoy the shapes.

This is titled 'Snow white.'

The tour ended not perfectly as one of our group was having trouble with the barometric pressure change or a simple lack of energy was causing them to feel dizzy.  I began to walk with them and it was a good thing I did and that Karen, who had been a nurse, came along just then.  We did not have far to go but they were leaning more and more heavily to one side and shuffling their feet.  Also not speaking clearly.  I was sure I could not support them if they began to fall so warned that if you are falling just sit down here, on the ground, lean against the rail post and I will find help.  Luckily the well planned system of having an employee follow the group paid off.  He saw us and could see they were in trouble.  Offering strong support my friend was guided the last few hundred feet and the guide cleared space on a bench so they could sit.

I spotted Tina and was waving frantically to her but she didn't realize that my motion was calling her to us.  When she did, she came over.  By then I had seen Judy whose husband Tom was just coming from the souvenir shop.  He and David are both retired doctors and took up the bench on either side of my friend.  I had asked twice, as we had been walking, for them to smile knowing that is how you check for possible stroke.  They could not even respond.  Tom and David sat, and as Tom later said, they were checking their mental roll-a-dexes thinking of every possibility.  Our friend was checked for strength and asked the usual 'what is you name, what year is it' type of questions. 

After what seemed like forever it was determined that they were felling more aware, more strong, and able to walk to the train pick up.  Tom and David walked with them and kept a close watch for the rest of our visit.  After some time we all eventually were able to board a train, exit the cave, and gather outside...No Rick!

Everyone was able to eat lunch in the park restaurant, well everyone, once we found Rick.  Somehow him missed the instructions to wait at the gift shop before boarding the train. He missed all the excitement but then he became the excitement.  Funny thing is that most every day his wife, Rita would say, "He's coming."  I told her she needed a tee shirt with that printed on it!

Tina led us to go in to show us our tables and connect with the restaurant people as we were by now quite late for our reserved time.  Then she went back out to check the crowd.  As we all kind of figured, Rick had gone to our original meeting place where the cave tour began, near the ticket office.  I teased Tina that none of us would say anything if she had a glass of wine with lunch after the harrowing hour she had just spent!  She laughed and drank her water.  Tina is an excellent tour leader who kept her head under pressure and maintained perfect, well almost perfect, crowd control!

I noticed that Dr. David sat near the possible patient during lunch but they were clearly coming around.   By the end of lunch everything and everyone seemed to return to normal.  It is a good thing our tour group is only 15 people.  I couldn't handle any more!

It was only another hour to our City Hotel which could not be in a better location if it tried.  The relatively new place is clean, modern, convenient and I really liked the room.  Since there are five of us traveling solo we had been assigned single rooms.  Small, neat, but complete.  Vickie did not like it one bit and complained to Tina, remember it was a tough day for Tina already.  Vicki felt the single room didn't live up to the OAT standard.  Tina swapped rooms with her rather than ask the fully booked hotel to find her another room.  Tina, as tour leader and with all the stuff she has to drag around had been assigned a double room.  I would not have asked for that but actually Tina, we found out later, kind of liked it.  The solo rooms are over the glass courtyard and much quieter than by the street.

 

 

We did have to wait about 15 minutes for the rooms to be ready so we did some paperwork we were going to need to do anyway while we waited in the comfortable lobby.

An hour after we got our rooms we met in the lobby for our city tour.  Tina checked that no one else was unhappy with their accommodations and no one was.  Actually, I may look for something like this in London, wither double or two singles for a planned trip in the fall.  enough space, good wi-fi, and good public space including a seating area at the end of our hall way and a library space in the lobby.  Function and comfort!

Surprisingly beautiful architecture everywhere in the old city.  The little green, electric vehicle is a complementary shuttle in the old town.  Wave down the Kavalier and go where you wish withing the three circles of the Pedestrian Zone.!

We are supposed to be noticing the tall building with the coffee shop on the twelfth floor for a good viewpoint and cheap eats.  But I am noticing this burger shop.  Wish we would have time for all of the things we are seeing.

St Nicholas church is caught in the refurbishing of the center city.

The home of the 'poet's muse.'

The Ursaline convent and what is left of the school building, curving around it, that was not torn down during the Communist period.  It has now become active again with the few remaining nuns continuing to teach girls.  What was unusual about the education of these girls was that they learned reading, writing, arithmetic, history etc. and not just music, embroidery, and household skills.

A boat such s we will enjoy on Sunday for a cruise down the Ljubljanica River.

Now we must be greeted by our local guide, Robert, with a couple of kinds of wine.  One is fig and the other is blueberry!

So many shops and unique businesses in the first circle of the old town.  There are three designations.  First is within five minutes of the church in every direction, then ten, then fifteen minutes of walking.  We spent an hour and half just checking the most convenient places.  So everything is right by our hotel.

Purchase by the 'pound.'

Now we try the best sea salt bittersweet chocolates.

 

This little boy was fascinated by the reindeer masked musician who turned his head when he thought I was taking his picture without dropping money in the case.  But really it was the little boy who was gleefully dancing, jumping, climbing, and singing along.  I have no clue what Robert was telling us I was just enjoying the street scene.

 

Notice the menu at Sokol.  We have Sokol clubs in Chicago.  I think it must be Polish or German influence.  There is, indeed, a heavy German feel to this city.

Bronze doors installed when Pope John Paul II visited this cathedral.

The  ceiling.  No space in this church is left un-decorated!

And another set of bronze doors on the side that show the religious history of the Slovenes.  Including fighting against the Ottoman who kidnapped their young boys, took them to Turkey and trained them to be fighters against their own people.  Does that ring a bell from the beginning of our trip way back in Tiranna with the hero - Skanderbeg?

On Friday nights during the summer the open market turns into an ethnic food festival.  Hundreds of people go from booth to booth sampling all kinds of things offered by local restaurants for low prices.  Tables and chairs are set up for the full length of the market and a band was playing lively music.  I can see my daughter Karen and her friend Michelle enjoyng this at every opportunity!

This is a milk  machine.  For half a Euro you can fill your own bottle or for a little extra get a fresh plastic bottle from the machine.  The milk is fresh, unpasteurized and the machine is filled daily.  Robert joked that some people, when it was first installed, thought that somehow there was a cow inside!

This seems to be a city that is enjoying a young and booming population.  This ws near the famed 'triple bridge.'

 

And here is our poet looking toward the house where is lady love lived.  She of the pink stone carving.  A verse of one of his love poems was taken for the Slovenian national Anthem.  It speaks of love and peace.  The poem and the anthem are called:

  

A Toast

Official translation (from 1954)

God's blessing on all nations
Who long and work for that bright day
When o'er earth's habitations
No war, no strife shall hold its sway
Who long to see
That all men free
No more shall foes, but neighbours be!

 

Time to go back to the hotel Elva.  We are getting silly!

This was fascinating.  The city was voted the best Green City in Europe.  One thing is their recycling system.  Since we are in the Pedestrian Zone the vehicles which are absolutely necessary like those for deliveries for trash collection are allowed to enter between eight in the morning and ten. Other vehicles have remotes that operate the raised posts to lower them if needed, but access is extremely limited.  The recycling or trash trucks come through and raise the bin and the surrounding stone block that you can see outlined by metal.  Beneath that is a very large container that can hold all the waste of all the businesses, restaurants, and general population in this area.  It must be amazing to watch it happen.  And a different truck comes for each type of material.

I guess there was a Laurel and Hardy festival last week!

Back in my room I opened my very large window to let in some fresh air.

Looking down I can watch the people in the lobby three floor below.  Looking up I can see the sky through the matching window.  So neat.  But yes, a slight breeze and fresh air filters in.

This has been one action packed but very delightful day!  Good Night!