Ljubljana is an unusual city in that it represents the vision of a single architect, Joze Plecnik (1872-1957) who designed the layout, many of the important buildings, and even the cemetery (!) which we will visit later in the week.  He also designed the unique Triple Bridge, seen above and below, which connects the Old Town and the New Town.

The Bridge, and the central square, are the heart of the city. The square is ringed by cafes, there’s music, a water feature, and in the summer months there are (great) bands playing every night. The area brings the city inhabitants together – which is just what the architect intended.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we visited the library (see previous post) and Plecnik’s home.

Below, Plecnik’s work  desk. Everything in the house has been left exactly as it was when he died  His home is quite modest. And although he designed a city that would bring people together, he lived alone and seldom had visitors.

Plecnik regarded his home as a sacred space. Rather than admitting people other than family and a few close friends, he preferried to receive guests in an unheated ante room with uncomfortable seating.

From around town: a lovely bookstore with a name I love.

Gorgeous doors, just because

Below, Congrress Square. Built in 1821, it was here that in 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia.

That’s the castle in the background.

After a ten day war of independence and the withdrawal of the Yugoslav army, the former barracks  were occupied by an art collective. It’s been christened Metelkova Mesto and is now a tourist attraction during the day, albeit a bit sketchy after dark.

Tomorrow we head out of the city for a day and a night in Lake Bled and the Slovenian Alps.

Here in the capital of Slovenia, things are hopping like you wouldn’t believe. Here’s the central square. Our apartment is on the square, across from the pink church.

Cafes and restaurants are everywhere, and throughout the day and evening they are all fully occupied by what one imagines is the entire population of the city.

There’s something for everyone.

With all of its modern influences the city has a fairy tale quality, complete with dragons, which are its emblem. Here’s one of them on the aptly named Dragon Bridge.

There’s also a castle in town, though most of it has been reconstructed multiple times due to war, natural disasters, and other events that are hard on castles. There’s a funicular up to the castle, and great views from the tower.

The castle has many other attractions, notably the Puppet Museum, a history and display of puppets of all kinds. Hard to do justice to the magic of this exhibition.

Below, from the story of the fisherman and the magic fish.

Below, “Partisan Puppets”

Above and below, en route by train.

After a day of travel and a bit of rest we ventured out for dinner and a walk through our beautiful and quiet part of the city.

We spent four days in Venice, with a day trip to the island of Murano. It is the height of tourist season in Venice and once again we were faced with hoards of people. Tourists!! 😩 Below, St. Mark’s square at 10:00 a.m.

Ever determined, we see the sights.

St. Mark’s Basilica

Below, views from the St. Mark’s bell tower, the Campanile

The Doge’s Palace was the most intriguing sight of the day. Every element has layers of meaning – the glory of Venice, the wealth and power of the Doge, the machinations of the other official and quasi official ruling bodies.

Above and below, the Golden Staircase

Here, Venice (the lion) confronts bullying European powers

Walls and ceilings covered with gilding and artwork

Below, a small but significant element of decor in the ante room of the Council of Ten, a select group of senators with largely unrestricted power. Through a slot on the other side, people could anonymously submit accusations against their fellow citizens, which would be considered by the Council.

We spent the next day in Murano. ❤️

Below, how it’s done in Murano!

And back to Venice for more strolling and more gelato.

 

 

 

The stairs just outside the door of our apartment, which we are very sorry to leave.

The tunnel through town to the train station is lined with mosaics. Each section isdone in different styles and textures.

Some closeups of the mosaic mural:

The images evoke the sea, the hills, and all the variability and color of this fantastic place. Goodbye for now, Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre!

As beautiful as the pictures, this is a place you never want to leave.

We arrived a week ago and have taken several day trips, but have spent most of our time enjoying our little neighborhood, the rocky beach and the bluest water, the tuna and anchovies, our small deck with views of pastel houses and hills that reach down to meet the sea.

The view from the deck of our apartment, clothesline included.

On the way down to the marina

View of Riomaggiorre from the ferry,  on our way to  Vernazza

Below, Vernazza. In 2011 torrential rains caused floods and mudslides that buried the town in 13 feet of mud and debris. Residents were evacuated and Vernazza remained in a state of emergency  for months.

Baby birds!

Day trip to Manarola, another of the Cinque Terre (five fishing villages), this one a train stop from Riomaggiorre.

The old water wheel, from which the town of Manarola takes its name

Manarola Harbor

In the hills of Manarola

Taking the hill path through the vineyards

We returned to Riomaggiore in the late afternoon. I was done for the day, and Jay very kindly went into town and brought back dinner and a chilled bottle of the grape.

We spent the past week in Turin, with a two day side trip to Milan. After the excitement – and crowds – of Barcelona, Turin was a lovely change. Upon arrival we checked into the hotel we had booked  for the one night our other accommodation was not available. We  had dinner and drinks on the roof overlooking the city.

The next day we moved into the Tres Chic Bed and Breakfast, where each room is dedicated to a different actress. We stayed in the Bridget Bardot room.

Bathroom window

Below, the breakfast room.

Turin is a pretty quiet town, and a welcome change after the bustle of Barcelona. We had our favorite spots for breakfast and dinner,  all situated on large open squares perfect for people watching. Germana, our host at the Tres Chic,  was one in an unending lineup of gracious, helpful people who’ve welcomed us and made us feel at home wherever we are.

We spent two days in Milan, where we visited the Duomo.

 

And also:

Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, one of the world’s oldest shopping malls. Because, history 😊

Strolling

 

Before leaving Spain we made a quick trip to Bilbao. Our room was not ready, so we strolled around the city, coming first to the main draw, which was directly across from our hotel.

We found so much more to love in Bilbao than we had anticipated. With no particular destination in mind we happened upon the Azkuna Zentroa, an enormous multi purpose space described as the “culture and leisure center” of Bilbao.

The lobby/atrium, a vast open space with dozens of decorative pillars

A video installation in the lobby

The ceiling of the atrium featureds a view of the swimming pool of the hotel, above.

Sights on our way back to the hotel. Residents of the building below include the Department of Public Health.

In the old city

The Hotel Miro

After checking in we headed directly to the Guggenheim

Flower doggie, Jeff Koons

Richard Serra installation

Another day enjoying this lovely and very livable city, with a late afternoon return to Barcelona, where we rested up in preparation for our departure to Turin the following day.

Below, the Cathedral of the Barcelona Airport Hotel

 

On our last day in Barcelona we took a day trip to Montserrat, site of the Benedictine abbey.

The views are half of the attraction here. One of the rocks below is called Elephant Rock 😊

The Abbey

We have enjoyed every day here, but especially these last five days with good friends  from home Lisa and Dave Marmon.

Here we are at Palau de la Musica Catalano to see La Traviata.

The next day it was Gaudi’s Casa Batillo in the morning

A window in Casa Batillo

Ceiling fixture at Casa Batillo

Looking up, Casa Batillo

. . . and the incredible La Sagrada Familia in the afternoon.

Looking down the spiral staircase from the tower:

And finally, a few exterior details of Casa Batillo.  This one evoking the dragon killed by St. George:

And for fun, some giant vegetables.

Next on the Gaudi circuit, La Padrera, an apartment building originally commissioned by a wealthy Barcelona family. The most amazing part of the structure is the roof, a kind of other worldly playground dominated by strange but appealing figures, all of which were designed to serve some functional purpose.

The big fellow here is part of the heating system.

These four guys are chimneys:

The next level down, the attic of La Padrona, has its own kind of structural beauty.

This level also houses models of Gaudi’s major works. Here is La Padrona:

Our visit to the excavation of Roman ruins under Barcelona. They had it all -churches, laundry, fish packing factories, spas, plumbing, you name it.

Fish factory, above

Building column, below

Display of funerary portraits of Roman citizens. The caption reads:

“Two thousand years on and we can say that they have achieved their desire to immortalize themselves; they catch the eye of visitors to the museum, thereby ensuring that they do not fall into oblivion. Here they remain, in the city of their birth.”