A Day in Ljubljana

 We had until 3:00 to explore the city before officially meeting with our group to start the trip.  I should mention the lovely hotel we’re staying in for two nights before heading to the country. Hotel Cubo is just steps from entering the old town with access to a lovely grocery right down the block.  A boutique hotel, the staff is friendly and courteous.  The freshly cooked breakfast offered both hot and cold dishes along with pastries and coffees.  The rooms are modern yet comfortable.  Highly recommend if planning a stay in the city.

There are many bridges that cross over into the old town, but the three bridges that descend from Presernov Square appear to be the major crossing point.  The farmers market on the other side provides several blocks of fresh vegetables, fruits, food stands, jewelry and flowers.  Even though this was Friday, there were plenty of people out exploring.

We strolled the pedestrian streets and browsed several of the shops.  By noon we were ready to try one of the sidewalk cafes.  We stopped at a sushi restaurant, Sushimama, for a crisp salad and a sea bass in a yuzu miso sauce.  The leisurely pass of the meal meant we would only have a short time before our group convened.

This adventure was being lead by our good friend, Ira Block and produced by Compass Rose.  There are 12 photographers with two spouses in the group.  Many were old friends and it was great getting to see some for the first time since the pandemic.  The dominance of phone photography was evident on the trip with 1/3 of us using them as their sole camera.  The rest of us are still using our mostly mirrorless ones.

After our briefing, we crossed the river to stroll the streets on our way to dinner at Restaurant Manna.  We were offered a choice of a fish meal or meat meal.  The multi course offerings were both artful and tasteful. Much care was taken is crafting the flavorful dishes.  .  After dinner, we walked back to our hotel for a good night’s rest before starting our journey in earnest.

Tomorrow: Into the mountains

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