Third month since my last day at the office. Even though we spent it quite differently as originally planned, it turned out to be just fine. In the mean time, our medical condition has much improved (jumping from joy) and we were able to do lots of trips around Slovenia. I have to admit it felt good to be back home for such a long time, especially in Ljubljana. Must be about 9 years since I´ve spent so much time here. And the more I´m here, the less I want to go back to Germany.
Some might not understand that. For many people in Slovenia, Germany still represents some sort of promise land. But once you actually live there, it is really not all milk and honey. Comapring life back home to the life I have/had in Germany leads me to the conclusion where I can honestly say – it is much better here. After this month I cross my fingers even more, hoping that the 3 of us, including Lu, will move back to Slovenia eventually.
First half of September was more of a culinary journey for us though. I think we ate half of Ljubljana. As a consequence, none of my trousers really fit anymore. From breakfasts and brunches to burgers, pizzas, sushi, burek, cevapcici and more fancy things. If we couldn´t really move far away, we at least really enjoyed what our capital city has to offer. Accompanied by my food-loving French it was a great thing to do. Eventually we were able to drive for a longer amount of time, so we spent the other half of September surrounded by mountains in Kranjska Gora. I know the place very good, but we´ve only been here together twice and always in winter time until now.
Best thing about not having a regular job right now?
Besides the fact I don´t have to get up every morning at 6am? That I can afford a week of holidays in these kind of places where working people normally only go to during the weekends. Which is totally understandable. Once you have 20+ days of yearly holidays and you are at least a bit of a traveller, you will want to use that time going somewhere far away. It has been many many years, probably since my University times, that I spend over a week in Kranjska Gora and in Piran. And it is totally different when you stay longer than just a weekend. You get to know some people, you know where to buy the freshest loaf of bread, where they have the best coffee, from which farmer to buy the yoghurt & butter and where and when the sun goes down. You also have your favourite restaurant and a mechanic. Fixed our car in that week as well, it´s as good as new.
We´ve visited all of the most known places around here, Jasna lake, Zelenci spring, Planica ski jumps, Vrsic mountain pass and some more. Still couldn´t do the longer walks, but there will be some other time for that. We´ve also done a day trip to the Italian side and visited Laghi di Fusine & Lago del Predil lakes and stopped in my grandfathers village of Valbruna. On the way back to Ljubljana we drove (accompanied with a herd of cows) over Radovna to Bled, where we stopped at Vintgar Gorge. Absolutely beautiful, but I´m never going there on a Sunday ever again. Visited Bled and Bohinj in the last weeks as well. Slovenian mountains are simply beautiful. Even if you just look at them and don´t actually go hiking.
Also, a big hooray to everybody we met this month, some of you more often, some of you after a very long time and some of you even for the very first time. We´re soon flying back to Germany where we pick up Lu and fly to France. For about 10 days yay. Happy about that. After that a quick jump to Slovenia, back to Germany and then Brasil. Not so easy to juggle between 3 countries and travel in between, but there is always a way.
