Day 1: Welcome to Ljubljana!
If you've been on a Rick Steves tour, you know the drill: first up, the orientation meeting!
At the meeting, we met our guide (the wonderful Sašo) and our fellow tour members, went over key tour details, and picked our buddies (a system to ensure nobody gets left behind; shout out to my buddy, Doreen!). We also did something I've never done on tour before: showed our vaccine cards. Everyone has to be fully vaccinated to travel with Rick (a policy I love).
After our meeting, we headed out for a short walk through our neighborhood. Then it was on to Restaurant Manna for a group dinner. I opted for marinated amberjack to start, poached cod for my main, and hazelnut ice cream for dessert--everything was yummy!
Day 2: Ljubljana Walking Tour
Day two began with a walking tour through the heart of old town Ljubljana, led by Sašo (pictured to the right!)
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Though Ljubljana's tourist core is compact, there is plenty to see! Some of my favorite bits included:
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Seeing the gorgeous buildings and architecture along the Ljubljanica River
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Learning about the beautiful door to the Cathedral, created for Pope John Paul II's 1996 visit to Ljubljana
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Walking through the flower market
For more highlights from our walk, click through the gallery below!
Mom and me along the river!
A foggy morning in Ljubljana
Peeking into a gorgeous courtyard
Mom and me along the river!
Afternoon Free Time!
We finished our walking tour around noon and then were set free to spend the rest of our day on our own.
Our first stop? Lunch, of course! We ate at Monstera Bistro, which was incredible (but, unfortunately, appears to have since closed).
After lunch, we set out to explore more of Ljubljana! Highlights included:
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Wandering down Krakovska Ulica, a hipster street filled with pretty art and decorated benches
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Going inside both the Cathedral and the National and University Library
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Our first--but by no means last!--gelato break of the trip. We bought gelato from Romantika and ate it riverside
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Meandering through town and poking into several shops that caught our eyes
For more highlights from our afternoon, click through the gallery below!
Stunning views along the river
Reenergized after our gelato break!
What a gorgeous city!
Stunning views along the river
We ended our day with dinner at Pri Skofu, a lovely little restaurant tucked away in a quiet residential area. We had fried sheep's cheese to start, and I had gnocchi with porcini mushrooms for my main. Simple + delicious!
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Happy and full, we headed back to our hotel and to bed--we were heading out on the road the next day!
Scroll below for extra photos from day 1 and 2
(You can click on any image to learn more!)
