Slovenia

Dear friends and family

I left my bike in my little apartment in Trieste and took a tourist van excursion with a guide to Bled and Ljubljana. It was a very international group with one American (me) five Spanish from Barcelona and a couple that was from Switzerland and Italy, who spoke German to each other.

Dan, our guide, could easily go from Italian to Slovenian to English and Spanish in his explanations. I got to speak a lot of Spanish to my new Barcelona friends who spoke to each other in Catalan and to me and Dan in Spanish, I felt pretty illiterate in this group but held my own at least a bit in Spanish. We enjoyed each other and shared learning about each other’s countries. 

Here’s a story about Spain that I didn’t know before: In the Christmas displays in Spain with the Christ child and shepherds, etc there is always a shepherd defecating. This is to symbolize the fertilizing of the growth of the new time coming with the poop as fertilizer and is a Spanish tradition. 

You can imagine how funny it was for then to explain to me in Spanish and English this figure and what it stood for (squatted for?). We laughed till our bellies hurt. Of course now, this figure has political figures photoshopped onto the face for fun and laughter. So, I go to Slovenia to learn about Spain.

The guide mentioned that there are about two million people in Slovenia and two hundred thousand live in the capital city, Ljubljana. He said the second biggest city of Slovenia is Cleveland, Ohio, in the USA. Then followed up with that the best sausage in Slovenia is also in Cleveland. Of course, I grew up in Cleveland and became the first former resident from there that our guide ever met. Actually, I knew about the Polish community as I was part of it, and the Italians and the Czechs, but didn’t know that about Slovenians. Good thing I travel to learn about where I’m from.

The gorgeous little town of Bled is a huge tourist draw. Tourism is managed by only allowing small groups at a time, no big buses filled with them. 

The lake is where they have held the world championship rowing races, which I had seen on YouTube before. I went to the local bar where older wooden rowing shells are on display and the Olympic medals from rowing as well. Starting in January, only wooden boats will be allowed on the Lake except for rowing shells made of fibreglas. Supposedly to protect against plastics in the lake, but most probably to keep tradition alive, so I was told. 

Right before I left Trieste, I wandered over to the rowing club as they were launching boats and met Paulo, the coach, and discussed boats and rowing for about an hour. He decided to make me an honorary member of the club started in 1896 by giving me the club T shirt. I am honored. They, like in Port Townsend, still row several older wooden shells, pictured here.

In Slovenia, rowing is a very popular sport, but the biggest sport is hiking the many natural areas of the country. Seventy percent of the country is forest of beech, oak and fir. One of the most forested countries of Europe, with a low population, so lots of room to roam.

It was snow covered this day in December of my visit and I was glad to be in a van instead of bicycle. I was also glad to be visiting in the off-season as the tourism in the whole country is very high in season.

Our guide was very proud of his Slovenian homeland. He mentioned when we were in the capital that we were safe to venture anywhere as there was such little crime that it was safe. When I asked him why, he said that everyone who can work has a job (very low unemployment) and they have really good social services like free health care, good retirement plans, free college and no homeless problem. So, according to him, no reason to turn to crime. 

Because of the purchase of second and third homes by the wealthy the government decided to solve it by two measures: first, they tax really high any home that is not a primary residence, and two, income above a certain level had huge taxes on it, “just the opposite of the US”he joked. 

There was also a movement to open all stores on Sundays, but the government decided that a rest day is good for the citizens health and happiness and shut that movement down. 

He said that this can be done easily by the government “because they are socialist and want to take care of everyone”, in a proud statement. 

Ljubljana is a university town and people come from all over Europe to attend because of its good reputation. Because of the tourist industry, housing is short and becoming more expensive so the taxes levied on Airbnb type housing is super high, to create tax revenue to provide lower income and student housing. 

The balcony of the main university building (facing the town main square) is famous for speeches by Mussolini and then members of the Third Reich, followed later by Tito. Now it is no longer allowed to by used for political speeches. When Bill Clinton and then later Obama visited some people tried to make an exception, but they were relegated to a smaller venue, so no exceptions.

I have to say, I was really impressed by Slovenia and how a small socialist country operates, even though I was only exposed very little to it. It does appear to be working and the people seem quite happy, those that I came across at least. Quite a contrast from the US and its present trending. 

I understand that I am only here for a short time and only meet people mostly related to tourism, so maybe not a fair look, BUT no one, as in zero, goes bankrupt over health issues. 

Also, English is widely spoken, so it is easy to talk to people here, a nice change from Italy, where I couldn’t really converse. I am enjoying the change.

Sending love,

Charley