Postojnska Jama

The spell has been broken on our extraordinary run of excellent weather. Today we awoke to clouds, rain, and temperatures in the low 50s.

The cool, wet weather did not deter us from exploring the nice botanical park right next door to our hotel. Others had told us how nice it was, but we had not found the opportunity to walk there. The rain abated long enough for us to take a walk there after breakfast.

We also walked a couple blocks along the main street of Opatija. The town no longer has the feel of a winter refuge for Hapsburg dynasty nobles, but some very neat old buildings remain.

It was only about a 20 minute bus ride to the Slovenian border, and Croatia seemed to care not at all that we were leaving. Processing at the Slovenian entry point was efficient, so with our passports freshly stamped, we traveled on.

Slovenia (or Slovenija, to use the local spelling) is a beautiful country, even on a cloudy and somewhat foggy day. One instantly notices that the farms and villages are just a bit better kept and more prosperous looking. Fruit trees in bloom everywhere added to the natural beauty.

Our first destination was the town of Postojna, the location of Postojnska Jama -- or literally, the cave of Postojna. Slovenia contains the foothills of the Alps, and these limestone hills hold hundreds of caves. The largest, and one of the few open to visitors is Postojnska Jama.

The cave is large with more than 25 km (almost 16 miles) of connected caverns documented. This doesn't make it one of the largest in the world, but abundance of stalactite and stalagmite formations makes it very scenic.

The cave was "discovered" by accident by a shepherd boy in the early 1800s. But in fact, the Pivka River flows out of the ground here, not as a small spring, but as a wide and deep stream. So people must have suspected a lot of underground activity here from ancient times.

To enter, we boarded a small, open-air electric tram which took us on a fairly rapid, 10-minute ride deep into the cavern. We then walked for more than an hour -- about 2 miles -- while underground. The lighting was especially well done.

Not the hotel, but a former bank building across the street.

After exiting the cave, we enjoyed a very nice included lunch at a nearby hotel restaurant. Then we continued about 45 minutes into central Ljubljana. Our original hotel had some sort of booking problem, so we were taken to the venerable Hotel Union, right in the heart of the old city.

After settling in, we met a local guide for a walking tour. The city is very charming, with many old buildings. Damage from 20th century wars was minimal here, so many 17th century structures remain in use.

The city is also very lively, especially on a Friday afternoon, with lots of people shopping or enjoying outdoor bars and restaurants. An event tomorrow, celebrating the city's liberation at the end of WW II, has brought even more people to town.

An unexpected bonus, our tour guide was about to show us the city hall when she interjected, "and here is our mayor!" A man in his 60s or so, clad in bluejeans and a sweatshirt, came over to greet us and ask where we were from. We chatted awhile, and then he asked if we wanted to see his office.

The mayor led us into the old town hall, took us up the stairs, through the city council chambers, and into his ceremonial office. He seemed to be having a really good time. Then he said he would show us his real office.

We went through some beautiful wooden doors with the city crest on them, and into his private office, where there were photos of the mayor (in business attire) shaking hands with all sorts of celebrities -- Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton, and even Vladimir Putin, among a number of others.

Our local guide said that even though she is a lifelong resident of Ljubljana, she has never seen some of these rooms before. She was probably more surprised and astounded than we were.

The tour continued, and our OAT tour leader brought some sausage out to us from one of the shops so that we could taste a local specialty.

On our own, we went with a few other group members to do a bit of shopping. Then we stopped for dessert. And finally, we joined so many others in the city for a seat at one of the many sidewalk bars to enjoy a beverage and some interesting people-watching.