Crossing Borders, Italy to Slovenia Part 2

After spending the morning at Lake Bled, my tour moved about an hour southeast to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.  Because my 1-day visit to Slovenia was a bit of an afterthought to a longer trip, I did very little research beforehand.  A friend had told me “go, you’ll love it” and so I went.  A great recommendation, because Ljubljana was a wonderful surprise!

Relatively small for a European capital city, entering Ljubljana near Congress Square (Kongresni Tag, above) immediately felt friendly and welcoming. A tree lined square with University of Ljubljana buildings and the beautiful Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity, it provided a good cross section of the city’s diverse architecture.

The city is made for walking, with much of the center pedestrian friendly with only small golf-cart like vehicles, free and designed to help locals reach homes in the car-free zones, as the few vehicles around.

My afternoon was agonizingly brief – we had a great walk to see the main parts of the city, a quick lunch, but no time to linger.  A shame because Ljubljana seems tailor made for lingering.  How I wanted to spend hours sitting in one of its many riverside cafes, sipping a coffee, and soaking in the city. 

So many things make Ljubljana an appealing destination.  The city is defined by the Ljubljanica River which flows through the city and under its many bridges. The river is lined with cobblestoned streets, beautiful squares, cafes, restaurants, shops, markets, and centuries of history.  It hums with activity, but in a relaxed, contented way.  

Prešeren Square with the monument to the famous poet

The squares are filled with a mix of architectural styles and often feature historically significant monuments and fountains.  Prešeren Square is the main square, named after Slovenian poet France Prešeren.  A monument to the poet sits in the center of the square; across is a small bust of a women in a window.  She is Julija Primic, his sadly unavailable love interest.  Was his early death perhaps due to a broken heart?  Some would say so. Also in the square is the brightly colored Franciscan Church of the Annuniciation and a bronze scale model of the city.

One of the Dragon Bridge’s fierce dragons

Leading away from the square and into the Medieval part of the city is the Triple Bridge (seen in top photo).  This is one of the city’s famous bridges, a wide central stone bridge flanked by two newer, narrower bridges.  The angles of the smaller bridges and the many balusters make for a beautiful way to cross the river and good spot to watch the small boats that carry tourists along the river.

Another famous bridge is the Dragon Bridge.  Built in 1901, it is guarded by four large dragons, one at each of its corners.  Look closely and see several smaller dragons on the bridge as well.  The dragons have become symbols of the city and a local legend that says that the dragons wag their tails whenever a virgin crosses the bridge.

Not far from the Dragon Bridge is the lively Central Market.  There are both covered and open-air parts of the large market and booths filled with local produce, meats, fish, bread, flowers, honey, and lots of places to eat. The market was a center of activity on the day of my visit.

From the market, look up the hill to see the Medieval Ljubljana Castle with the funicular that ferries visitors up to the castle walls.   

Town Square, located in the Medieval section of the old city, is where the town hall is located.  The square also features the Robba Fountain (a reproduction of the original) and the Ljubljana Cathedral.

Town Square, Ljubljana

There was so much to see during my all-too-brief stop in Ljubljana – way too much for an afternoon visit.  Much was seen as we strolled (ok, marched) through the city with our tour guide.  Not an ideal way to explore this charming city. I am already planning a return visit. Those dragons are calling me back!

Monks and Apricots

The Ortofrutta (green grocery) in Lucca is full of apricots right now.  Colorful and sweet, they’ve been perfect in my morning yoghurt or eaten out of hand. Not only are they delicious, but seeing them has reminded me of an experience I had last fall when visiting Göttweig Abbey near the town of Krems in Austria - monks and apricots!

Göttweig Abbey

The Abbey, built in the 11th century and rebuilt in 1580 and again in 1718, each time following a fire, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Still a working monastery, the grounds and public areas are well worth a visit. 

The large monastery complex includes several areas open to the public, including the park like grounds and a museum with a stunning Baroque staircase and beautiful interiors. 

The church, parts of which date back the earliest construction of the abbey, has a dusty pink exterior, twin bell towers, and an ornate interior filled with beautiful frescoes. 

Below the church is a crypt which contains one of the abbey’s most important artifacts - a shrine containing the relics of the abbey’s founder, Bishop Altmann.

The abbey is surrounded by forest, vines, and orchards. It is especially gorgeous in fall.

 Göttweig Abbey sits on a hill above vineyards, orchards, and forest.  Run by a small group of Benedictine monks, today it is known for its vines, which provide the grapes used to produce the abbey’s wines, and for its apricots which are used to make apricot liqueurs, jams, and nectars – all available for purchase in the gift shop. 

I visited Göttweig Abbey on an excursion offered as part of a Viking Danube River cruise which included the opportunity to learn to make (and of course, to taste) the famous Marillenknödel or Apricot Dumpling that is one of the abbey’s specialties. 

After a tour of the grounds, museum, and church we were offered a taste of apricot nectar and apricot wine – and then if was off to the restaurant for a dumpling lesson from the pastry chef.

 The apricots used in the dumplings are grown in the abbey’s orchard. Harvested when ripe, the pit is removed and replaced with a sugar cube. Next, they are frozen to be used for future dumpling making year round.  In season they can also be used fresh.

The pastry chef had all of the ingredients ready and demonstrated the process of making the dough, wrapping the apricots, boiling them, and preparing the sweetened bread crumb topping. After the demo we each had a cup of coffee and a dumpling. Delicious, and not too sweet, they were wonderful.

A copy of the recipe was given to each of us and I think the monks won’t mind me sharing!

To make the dumplings, a dough is made from 1 cup farmer’s cheese (a substitute would be ½ ricotta and ½ Greek yoghurt – both full fat),  1 cup flour, 2 Tablespoons semolina flour, 1 egg, 3 ½ tablespoons butter, and a pinch of salt.  Mixed and chilled in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

The dumplings were served in a puddle of apricot jam - delicious !

Pieces of the dough are used to wrap around each apricot, forming a round dumpling.  The dumplings are then dropped gently in boiling lightly salted water.  When they float, they are ready (15-20 minutes).  

While the dumplings cook, a topping is made from 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, and 3 tablespoons butter.  Mix and toast in a pan until golden and then add 1 teaspoon cinnamon.   Roll the boiled dumplings in the crumbs and serve while warm.  Toppings can vary – ours were served in pool of thin apricot jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  They can also be drizzled with honey, topped with vanilla sauce, whipped cream, or even ice cream. 

Learning to make them was fun – tasting them was even better.   I’ve yet to try making them at home, but will all the ripe apricots in the Italian markets right now I just might give it a try!

Fountains

These last few days of winter are the perfect time to think about plans for summer and fall travel.  Deciding where to go is half the fun, but sometimes we need some inspiration.  With that in mind, this week I hope to inspire some European travel plans through …. fountains.   Below: Hinton Ampner, England; Saint-Martin Gardens, Monaco; Piazza de Spagna, Rome

Fountains show up throughout European cities, along streets, in squares, or tucked away in courtyards and gardens.  Some are grand and others small, even utilitarian such as those that provide a water source for a market.  Below: Lyon France, Campo dei Fiori Rome, Basel Switzerland

La Fontana dell Pupporona

Some fountains are meant for daily function – such as here in Lucca where locals use the fountains in the city center to fill water bottles.  Don’t try to tell them that the water is the same in each fountain lest you start a debate about which fountain has the best, freshest, tastiest water!

My favorite fountain in Lucca is the one in Piazza del Salvatore, locally known as La Fontana della Pupporona (loose translation - The Fountain of the Busty Lady).  She is actually a Naiade (water nymph). You may recognize the statue that is integral to this fountain because I’ve written about it in the past and use it as a symbol of this blog.  The fountain has dual roles – it provides a beautiful centerpiece for the piazza which is a local gathering place but is also a favorite place for residents and tourists alike to fill up their water jugs. 

 More elaborate fountains provide spectacular centerpieces around cafes, parks, or piazzas.  The 3 below, in Rome, Padova, and Florence are pretty famous!

 When I travel, I often find myself taking photos of fountains.  And while I have the most photos of fountains in Italy, I also have quite a few from other countries.  Below: Uses, France; Linz, Austria; Vienna, Austria; Aix-en-Provence, France

I hope these fountains will provide some inspiration for all of us as we plan upcoming travels. Or perhaps they will bring memories of past travels.

Ravenna, Giardini Pensili