Ljubljana - after a long day

 

If only it was this easy.  This sticker covers the Press button on most pedestrian walk signals.  Intimidating yet strangely empowering :)

I arrived in a very wet Ljubljana after a very long day of travel.  One of my trains was delayed and I was worried about meeting my car transport connection in Trieste. Thankfully it all worked out.  I admit to commiting a food crime at Trieste station.  "While in Italy" I went to McDonalds - shame.  I had limited time, and toilets! premium selling point.  Chips were very ordinary btw and not worth the shame.

Got my GoOpti transport and along the way learned from other passengers that Adria Air is about to go belly up.  This is my booked flight on Wednesday to Frankfurt.  There are no other air carriers.  The drive took 30 minutes longer than expected and the earnest young man next to me was exhausting us both with his twitching and barely suppressed anxiety that he might miss his flight.  He had just presented at a climate youth summit in UK and normally I would be very interested to hear more about it, but I had my own frantic web searching to do.  

So arrived in Ljubljana with walking directions to my Airbnb and it just bucketed down.  My backpack contained my camera and laptop, so I was not too keen to spend a lot of time in the wet.  I had one of those times where no matter what direction I walked, Google maps told me I was heading the wrong way.  Eventually I found my way and although the check in instructions seemed similar to solving a Medici puzzle (press this button, a door will open; take the lift, but only the first lift; walk to the end of the hall, a light should come on...) I entered the delightful sanctuary of my apartment.  Absolute bliss.  So clean, so well set up.  11/10

And a welcome drink.  Sweeter than I usually prefer, but SO good after the day that was. 

Immaculate

After finishing my welcome drink (priorities, as Gem said), I had to venture out for food.  My intake at this point had been Maccas chips and 2 tiny packets of pretzels on the trains.  I arrived at the first highly recommended place and went downstairs.  Very hot, very beery, very blokey, very meaty.  Left and went to a nearby likely contender.  Vegan as it turned out, and nothing resembling solid food to me, so decided I could put up with meaty place.  Went back, stood for 30 seconds watching the waitress sneeze over everything in her path and exited yet again.  

Found a sparsely occupied pizza place and decided that would do.  Pizza was ordinary, but cheap and I sat outside in the cool.  The other patrons seemed healthy enough, so I didn't check reviews as I normally would - I was running out of options.  

Home again to research travel alternatives, given the almost certain demise of Adria.  I can't take the risk of waiting until Wednesday only to have them cancel as I'd have no accommodation and no doubt be battling with other abandoned souls for escape routes.  So, it's back to Trieste very early on Wednesday morning and a flight from there.  It's a lottery whether to cancel my Adria flight now (I'd have to phone them ... horror) with a 70 euro penalty, or assume they will cancel and I'll claim on insurance.  Given they're about to go bust, any refund is unlikely, so I might as well leave the booking.  So now, as an international woman of mystery, I have two flights to Germany and one hotel booking (non refundable) which I won't use, as I'll be staying with Eddie and Larissa. Gem suggested I might as well smuggle something since I've laid all the false trails, but I think I'll leave it for now.  I'm quite tired.