2022 World Tour – Slovenia
Hello from Slovenia, my 28th stop on the trip and my 57th country.
Below is the standard summary:
– Cool Ranch Doritos: No
– Thai ATM Card Works: Didn’t try
– Thai Debit Card Works: Yes
– Thai Internet Purchase Works: Didn’t try
– USA Credit Card Works: Didn’t try
– Worldwide Telephone/Data/SMS eSIM Works: No!
– Spanish SIM Card Works: No!
– Magic Jack Works: Didn’t try
– VPN Works: Didn’t try
– COVID Compliance Chronicles: No Requirements
– Internet Works: Yes
– Drone Flights: Didn’t check
– Cost of Living: $$
– Currency: Euro = USD $1.03
– Language Issues: None
Your Short History Lesson:
Slovenia went from ancient times through the Romans and then the Hapsburg Empire. At the end of WWI it was incorporated into Yugoslavia then in 1945 the state of Slovenia was created but still under Yugoslavian control. When Yugoslavia fell in 1991, Slovenia declared independence and is currently a member of the EU and NATO.
Don’t confuse Slovenia with Slovakia, if you even knew that both exist. I remember a ‘Last Week Tonight’ where John Oliver tricks the viewer into trying to figure out which is which.
Slovenia’s recent claim to fame is as the birthplace of the 3rd wife of a former President. Rising to fame as a nude fashion model, she arrived in America, working illegally until getting her work visa. While dating that man, she got her permanent residency through the “EB-1” visa program which is given to “priority workers” who either have “extraordinary abilities”, or are “outstanding professors or researchers” in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international acclaim.” I’ll just leave that there.
Some countries in Europe require you to purchase a “vignette” paper, essentially a road tax, in order to drive on their roads. I encountered this for the first time in Austria in 2000. The nice man at the car rental place explained it all to me, â¬20 for the vignette and another â¬20 for his cross-border insurance add-on.
At the border there was quite a long line, eventually I was waved through getting out of Croatia but stamped in entering Slovenia. I quickly noticed that neither my Spanish SIM card nor my Thai travelling eSIM worked. Ruh roh! Well, this is just a quick in and out, hopefully I’ll be OK just with offline Google maps and maybe a bit of Wifi.
I was impressed with the scenery heading north towards the capital of Ljubljana, rolling hills covered in trees and tall craggy mountains above the tree line. Saw signs for ski centers and could see trails and lifts cut through the trees sometimes.
There’s a castle on the hill overlooking the city of Ljubljana, of course – wouldn’t be a city in Europe without it! I toured the castle and tried to get some lunch but was told “the kitchen needs a 30 minute rest.” OK then. I came down the long funicular train to the city and river level where I successfully had lunch and wandered around the shops and markets and river and bridges. I went back up to the castle and tried to use the toilet but saw a gate machine that says its costs 50 euro cents, and this is after I already paid â¬10 to enter the castle, so I felt no guilt ducking under the bar, and 3 people followed right after me.
On the way home I stopped at Bled Lake, a glacier-fed lake that’s supposed to be postcard-pretty and it was. Downside is masses of tourists and no place to park. I drove up one side of the lake and back, and took some pictures through the car window while waiting at a traffic light, there’s literally nowhere to even pull over. I then drove home, very tired after a long day on the road.
Is it worth a visit? Yes I think so, from the little that I saw of the great countryside scenery and the historic city of Ljubljana.
Next Stop: Bosnia & Herzegovina
