sLOVEnia

When Haley and I told people we were traveling to Slovenia, most have never heard of it, let alone knew where it was located. The country shares a border with Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. Fun fact: Slovenia’s claim to fame was the invention of democracy. In the 7th century ruling dukes were elected here, and this sort of system inspired a guy named Thomas Jefferson to write this fancy piece of paper called the Declaration of Independence. Slovenia broke from Yugoslavia in 1991, and they now celebrate a bicameral parliamentary system of government and are part of the E.U. It’s a small, beautiful country, where they pronounce their j like i, and is apparently a major hub for the Florida Gators. #ItsGreatUF

Gators exploring Slovenia

Ljubljana– Haley and I flew into Zagreb, Croatia and then took the 2 hour bus to Slovenia’s capital and largest city, Ljubljana (it’s ok, I can’t pronounce it either). We spent our first day here with a fellow Florida Gator we met on the drive there. Together we explored the castle and the winding streets of this quaint and friendly city. After living in Italy for 5 months, I was able to see the strong correlation between northern Italy and Slovenia. Between the architecture, the food, and the constant cold rain I felt right at home again. However, the one delicacy that was nowhere to be found in Italy is a fried bread and cheese (or meat) pastry called Burek. The best (and the cheapest) Burek we had was at Nobel Burek, which is not far from another gem found in Ljubljana: Metelkovo Mesto (think Copenhagen’s Christiana Freetown). Metelkovo Mesto is about a block or two long and filled with graffiti art, sculptural art, and the kind of art that doesn’t even fall into a category. The several bars and clubs here come alive at night, as well as all the hooded figures who lurk around during the day.

Art at Metelkovo Mesto

Bled– Well, just like Italy and Ljubljana, Bled is no stranger to the rain. But, we made the best of it, and explored this little town’s main attraction: Lake Bled. Lake Bled is surrounded by mountains, and in the middle is a little island with a church. We did the walk around the entire lake and dried off in our hostel (Traveller’s Haven) for the rest of the day, where we had the rare opportunity to do laundry and where we also met two other Florida Gators. The following day we ventured to Vintgar Gorge, which in my opinion, is the real main attraction of Bled. In this hike we got a taste of everything: a village that made us feel like we were in Switzerland, a forest, a gorge, and a downpour of rain. The boardwalk of the Gorge places you right above the crystal clear water and on the edge of the the cliffs. It was truly one of my favorite hikes, despite the fact that I was battling strep throat.

Ljubljana Hospital: On the third day in Slovenia I woke up with intense throat pain and a fever. I ignored it for as long as possible by chugging tea and downing Advil, but after not being able to eat and sleep for about four days I decided enough was enough. Walking into a hospital of a country where I didn’t know the language, health care system, and had very limited amount of money in my pocket was slightly terrifying. Upon walking into the hospital I was sent to room K26. Room K26 was located at the end of a long, poorly lit hallway, and in this hallway were people with all sorts of issues. Although speaking in a foreign language, I could tell they were complaining and waiting to be seen by anyone who would take them in. And suddenly, I felt like I was back in The States. I held my breath, and continued on my mission, finally making my way to room K26. I then realized that I too had to fall victim to this dreadful wait in the hallway. Thankfully the people around me were a lot less bloody and itchy then what I previously saw, but the guy next to me with the head bandage concerned me slightly. I handed the nurse my American passport and I waited. About 30 minutes later my name was called, and I was greeted by a young doctor who spoke English and she was immediately able to diagnosis me with strep throat. So, 30 dollars later and I was able to indulge in Burek and nap again. I immediately felt better and the following day Haley and I jumped on the bus back to Zagreb to embark on the next adventure…