Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, and also, without a doubt, the most charming place I have ever seen in my entire life. I spent only one day there, but could have easily stayed longer just soaking in the ambiance of the city and eating basil-lemon ice cream.
I made a delightful discovery while visiting this quaint place. In the city, few figures are as beloved as the architect Plečnik, whose work can be seen everywhere, as he was fortunate enough to be favored after a large earthquake destroyed most of the structures.
Visiting the home of a famous architect I know nothing about is not something I would normally do. But I was urged (by my very handy guidebook) to dispel the initial sense of being underwhelmed when seeing the house from the outside, and to really pay attention to the details during the tour. So I did. I waited for about 20 minutes for it to start, enjoying the beautiful garden and somewhat stately but still friendly ivy-covered walls. I took a lot of photos. It turns out I was the only person on the tour. My guide was a very kind, very knowledgeable Slovenian. She asked where I was from and when I told her LA she was very excited. The LA Kings were one game away from winning the Stanley Cup, and they have a Slovenian player, who would be the first ever to win that prize, and she was quite excited.
Her enthusiasm extended throughout the tour - she spoke about Mr. Plečnik, to quote Rick Steves, with a bit of reverence. There was a bust portrait of him, done by a student, in the entryway. Plečnik declared that it was perfect. "And believe me, if he said something was perfect, it was perfect," she assured me. She spoke not just of his work, but his family, his life, his personal habits. Many of his unrealized plans were displayed in his home, giving me a personal insight into his character. The dreams of architects, I think, are often quite grand, and Plečnik was no exception.
I left the house with my own feelings of awe and even closeness to this somber, brilliant man. Every time I saw a column after that it brought his name to my mind, along with the smell of coffee and cigarette smoke, his two great weaknesses. I am completely shooting in the dark on this, but I got the impression that he may have inspired Frank Lloyd Wright - or perhaps the two simply had similar tastes and philosophies to begin with.
In any case, I enjoyed the tour of his home very much, and it certainly added to my enjoyment while walking around the city.
I experienced in Vienna, and continue to affirm, that walking is the best way to get to know a place. If one isn't in a hurry, it not only helps establish a firm sense of direction, it really augments the enjoyment of the little details that help give a city its flavor. Things like the color of the buildings, the window displays, and the people walking with you.
People watching is a favorite pastime of mine. I find people fascinating, strangers especially so. There's something very unique about observing someone who you don't know, seeing them for a moment with no preset opinions about them or knowledge of their background. To me, that invites a simple appreciation of them in that one moment. I often find myself wanting to photograph people on the street, but doing so unobtrusively has proved quite the challenge thanks to the large size of my camera. But, photos or no, the enjoyment is there, and Ljubljana is an excellent place for that type of entertainment.
Why only one day?
ReplyDelete