Day 21 - Monday in Ljubljana

Not a lot of tourist spots remain open on Mondays after the height of the tourist season. We were in for another low-key day, which suited us just fine.

Ljubljana hotel breakfasts are not to be outdone by small-town fare in terms of selection. Flavors, on the other hand, can't be matched against farm-to-table offerings. Happy to taste-test as much as we could manage, we enjoyed a leisurely morning.

Time to hike up to the castle. The Ljubljana Castle has a sad history. Never housing clergy or nobility, its primary purpose was imprisonment, especially once the Hapsburgs embraced the Renaissance notion of rehabilitation, and to contain Italian POWs prior to WWI. (Slovenians and Italians seem to have been frenemies for years.) In contrast, visitors will now find a welcoming courtyard with cafés, a wine bar and a great view.

We continued our stroll among the many bridges crossing the Ljublianica River. Our hotel is perfectly situated near Triple Bridge. My favorite is Dragon Bridge, aptly named. A permanent farmers'market, Central Market, made me briefly wish I had a kitchen. Briefly.

Ready to diverge from local cuisine, we opted for a burg' and a beer at Pop's. Hit the spot. Tourism options dwindled further under gathering clouds, so we decided to just chill for a bit.

The waiter at the burger place gave us a great recommendation for dinner. The hard part was finding it, since it was tucked into a courtyard behind other restaurants and shops. Mission accomplished, we lounged for a few hours, making our way through another couple of wonderful wines. Here's a summary of our favorite Slovenian wines:

Seems I'm missing images of some of more favorites. We must have consumed them too quickly.

Tomorrow, we'll be up for a couple museums and galleries.