LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

                                      A Charming Old City

            The drive from Vienna to Ljubljana was over a good road through pretty countryside back dropped by green mountains. Wild flowers were in bloom. Many maypoles were still standing in small villages. Pumpkins grow in the fertile areas, and apparently pumpkin oil is a big product. We crossed the border into Slovenia at noon. Officials came aboard to check passports. The European Union has opened up borders and relaxed restrictions. The only passport stamp we received the whole trip was on entry into the EU in Vienna. The Slovenia stamp occurred only because our guide had to collect all our passports at a stricter control point and the female official did us a favor by stamping them.

            Only 150 miles from Venice, Italy, the Slovenian capital city of 300,000 is a lazy old town clustered around a castle topped mountain.  Although a mid-sized European city and gateway to the Julian Alps, it maintains the friendliness of a small town, while possessing all the characteristics of a metropolis. Here, where cultures of the east and west meet, the old harmonizes with the new. Ljubljana, surrounded by hills, is in a fertile glacial valley.

            The city boomed when the railroad connected Vienna and Trieste. An 1895 earthquake destroyed the city and it was rebuilt in the then popular art nouveau style. Integrating historic structures with modern designs created a unique architectural style. Cafés, restaurants, and markets line the embankment of the Ljubljana   River that flows   through the city. Large market squares sprawl along the river’s south bank.

            I fell in love with Ljubljana. It is a city of young people and you can feel the excitement and vitality of the city. Ljubljana University brings many young people to the city----a city of culture, numerous theaters, museums, galleries and one of the oldest philharmonic academies in the world. Many cultural events take place in the Slovene capital. Top quality musicals, theater and fine arts performers, as well as alternative and avant-garde performers can be discovered in 14 international festivals.

            I learned that 85-88 percent of the country’s two million people are Slovene. The country is 55 percent forested. Mushroom picking and chestnut roasting are national sports. Biking and hiking are popular past times. Karst covers 28 percent of the land accounting for the many caves. Vineyards abound and wine is a popular drink. We learned local beers and wines are everywhere with each community having its own facilities. I cannot speak for the beer, which everyone said was good, but the wines, mostly white, were excellent.

            The city goes back to the 6^th century. During medieval times the country’s first settlement was in the large marsh lands that cover 53 square miles just outside of the city.  The two million year old marshlands are protected.  Now hops are grown in that area. The bitterness of the hops off sets the sweetness of the malt and is what makes beer so good. The city experienced earthquakes in 1895 and 1905.

          More about this lovely city next time.

BALMORAL CASTLE

                              The Queen's Favorite Home

 Balmoral Castle is one of two properties that the crown actually owns, and   is the favorite retreat of Queen Elizabeth. Albert actually designed the castle for Queen Victoria in 1852. It took about 50 years to complete. In the area are heather covered moorland, peaty lochs, wood glens, salmon filled rivers, granite stone villages, ancient castles, fishing harbors, and north shore beach resorts.

        A very good film in the beginning was most informative. Only 50 miles from Aberdeen, Balmoral covers 18,000 hectares, includes 10 miles along the River Dee, has 80 miles of road, and sits 1000 feet above sea level. Forests cover 3000 hectares. Red deer live on the property and are managed to control the population at about 2500.

         The property employs 50 full time people, 20 part time people and several contractors. The services of a plumber, painter, mason, joiner, gardener, and seamstress are always needed. On the property there is a nine-hole golf course, stables and fire station. A 3000-foot high mountain can be seen in the distance. Everyone was wearing the Balmoral tartan.

        It was disappointing that the ballroom was the only room in the castle open to the public. And that is open only three months a year. The docent there said, “At the end of July everything will be removed from the ballroom and returned to its home in the castle. The room actually will be returned to a ballroom.”

         The castle is impressive and looks like the image most of us have of a castle. The grounds were lovely and would be  wonderful to just sit and enjoy the scenery.

       There was a nice gift shop on the grounds and a small cafeteria where we grabbed a sandwich and drink for lunch. The ride to and from Balmoral was through scenic peaceful countryside. Several of us got off the van and walked over the single-lane 250-year-old picturesque arched bridge spanning the River Dee. It’s the little things that make a trip memorable leaving lasting memories

BERGEN continued

                 More About Bergen, Norway

            In this quaint picturesque city small wooden houses painted lovingly in bright colors are a special feature of the city. Owners take great pride in maintaining them. Many date back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Bergen was chosen as one of Europe’s cultural cities in 2000.

            We walked to the fort at the far end of the city where, in spite of the misty day, we had a good view of the city and harbor.  Hakon’s Hall, 1247 and 1261, is the largest secular medieval building still standing in Norway. Built of local stone, its corners, window and door casings were worked in soapstone. The hall was the most imposing building in the royal residence at "Holmen", the political centre of the 13th-century Norwegian kingdom. It was built for great occasions in the history of the monarchy and the realm.  In  1520 it was used for storage. Roofless by the 17th century, it was refitted as the storehouse of Bergenhus Castle around 1680. The hall was restored in 1880-95. A German ship explosion in 1944 set the Hall on  fire, leaving only the walls standing. Restoration followed. The Hall today is used for ceremonial occasions, and for concerts. Rosencrantz Tower dates back to medieval times. The tower served as a combined residence and fortified tower to Bergen.

            People have worshiped for  900 years in the Bergen Cathedral, Domkirken, built in 1150. The original small parish church was damaged  in 1248 and 1270 by fire. In the early 13^th century Franciscan Friars were granted use of the church and built a beautiful church next to their convent. Again fire damaged the church in 1463 and 1488. When Lutheran Reformation was introduced to Norway the old cathedral was in ruins. The first Lutheran Bishop claimed the old Franciscan church and made it the Cathedral of the country’s oldest diocese. The cathedral was rebuilt after fires in 1623 and 1630. Restoration took place in the 1880s. The old rococo interior was replaced with the present interior. A new organ was acquired in 1997.

            At the Hanseatic Museum we were lucky to pick up an interesting English guided tour just as it began. In 1360 German merchants set up import/export offices in Bergen and dominated the trade for 400 years. A 1702 fire   reduced the city to ashes, but the museum  was quickly rebuilt on the foundations that had been in place since the 11^th century. The museum is one of the best preserved buildings in the city and is furnished in the style of the 1700s.  Hanseatic apprentices were teenage boys. They slept two to a bunk, head to toe, in narrow single beds in enclosed cabinets. They actually were locked in at night so there was no monkey business.  Punishment was severe for rule infractions. No smoking was allowed because of the real danger of fire. The guide was very knowledgeable and made this visit not only interesting but a lot of fun.

            The 12^th  century St. Mary Church  is the oldest building in Bergen, and one of the most outstanding Romanesque churches in the country. The Baroque pulpit is one of the finest in Norway. Hanseatic merchants worshiped here 850 years ago.

            St. Jorgen’s Church, built in the Middle Ages, forms part of the old leprosy hospital. Rebuilt after the 1702 fire, it is now used for special services for students, associations and English congregations. We ran on to this church by accident and happened to run into a couple of English-speaking fellows who enjoyed filling us in on the history and background of the church.

Bergen was heavily bombed  in WW II. In 1944 a German ship loaded with explosives entered the harbor as the captain wanted to see his brother. The explosion tossed boats up onto land, broke windows and threw the ship’s anchor 4 kilometers away.  This reminded me of the Nova Scotia harbor explosion during the same time period.

            Norway is more than untouched nature. The country is rich in history, but Nature and  its rich natural resources has formed the Norwegian character and given it a kind of durability that has formed the country’s national identity. There is rightfully a special pride in being one of the first countries to eradicate illiteracy!

BERGEN, NORWAY

                                 Delightful Bergen

          Bergen, established in 1093, is squeezed between mountain ranges and bounded by water. Bergen means meadow between the mountains. The city center is between the harbor and the railroad station. The capital of Norway in the 13^th century, it was the country’s largest city for the next 600 years. The main square is called Torgalmenningen. In the Middle Ages the Bryggen waterfront became a thriving center of international trade. Because of its harbor and commercial importance it was a vital link in the Hanseatic League, a tradesman organization. The parallel rows of colorful buildings with their seaward-facing gables are characteristic of a building tradition 900 years old. The old wooden buildings along the waterfront are a UNESCO site.

             Norway’s oldest city is a city that has seen a dramatic change of life in the past century as it has evolved from an area of small farms and fishing villages to a city now dominated by gas and natural oil industries. 

           The northern end of the city, Sandviken, is filled with warehouses. Cobbled streets, medieval houses, numerous cafés, colonnaded shops, and an open-air fish market add charm to the city center. At Gamle Bergen one can step back into the early 19^th century. Most major attractions are located within walking distance of the Fish Market. 

         The next day we woke to a very heavy mist---there goes my Bergen pictures! This weather also prevented us from riding the funicular as the visibility was zero. Taking advantage of the weather, in the morning we rode out of town a bit to the Royal Residence, a castle-like structure on lovely park-like grounds. The grounds keep one full time and a couple of part time gardeners busy. 

         The residence was built in 1900 by the Prime Minister. When he died he willed it to the Royal Family to stay in when they visit the city. It was a short uphill walk to the grey stucco residence.

       En route our local guide told us, “Although Bergen is Norway’s second largest city with 250,000 residents, the city feels like a small town. People have lived and worked here for centuries. Much fish is shipped into the city as Bergen does not have a fishing fleet. This year 234 cruise ships will visit the city in a five month period. The unemployment rate is very low. The Gulf Stream moderates the weather, so the city seldom experiences freezing temperatures and we see very little snow. The old south gate to the city remains. The University of Bergen has   23,000 students. Chimneys must be cleaned every three years by law and many of the chimney sweeps are women. It is supposed to be good luck to touch one.

            The hospital is a major employer with a compliment of 8500 people. It has a state-of-the-art burn center, a large ob-gyn division as well as all other disciplines except for organ transplants, which are done in Oslo."

        Beautiful flower boxes were all over the city.  Local people are fond of saying they are not from Norway, but from Bergen. They are very proud of their city and its history. They also have a distinctive dialect. Bergen is a delightful city---old, picturesque, historic and friendly.

            More about this delightful city next time.

KAPELLBRUKE BRIDGE

               Lucerne's Famous Bridge 
 

         The Reuss River runs through Lucerne, Switzerland’s old town dividing the city into two nearly equal parts. Several foot bridges span the river, but the Kapellbruke Bridge is the most famous. One of Lucerne’s signatures, it also is known as the chapel bridge.  

Built in 1333, the bridge leads to the doorstep of the chapel that was built in 1178. The octagonal tower at one end of the bridge was once a navigational light for the river. Then it was a prison, and finally a water tower.  Now it is available to rent for private parties.

Years ago the bridge was used by rope makers. The covered bridge is long and the rope could be stretched from one end to the other. The bells of the church used to ring at regular intervals so, in the days before all the famous Swiss watch, people in the surrounding areas would all be on the same time.

          The Kapellbruke Bridge is the oldest covered bridge in Europe. In 1993 a boat tied up to the bridge caught on fire. The fire spread to the bridge causing major damage. Because the bridge is so symbolic of the city, it was rebuilt. On a second trip to the city I could see that a good two-thirds of the bridge obviously had new timbers and trusses. The 101 triangular paintings depicting Swiss history have been reproduced in photocopy and are in place at each bridge truss. Lovely hanging flower baskets hang outside on both sides of the bridge.

            One morning we walked across the bridge and on the other side we walked through some of the narrow cobbled alleys. We hadn’t gone too far before we saw an elephant walking in the opposite direction. What a surprise that was! We soon learned there   was a circus in town. I managed to get my camera for one quick photo. Continuing on our walk we also saw several street performers.

            We stopped to watch an organ grinder with his little monkey. I hadn’t seen one since I was a little girl. I was so intent on the monkey that I hadn’t seen the mime until my friend nudged me. He was very good, and I had to do a double take to realize he was alive and not a mannequin.

            The famous bridge in the center of the city’s old town is quite a tourist attraction and always fun to revisit. I find it picturesque, enjoy the hanging baskets and admire the paintings under the roof as I pass across the bridge.

CHATEAU RAMEZAY MUSEUM

        Montreal's Jewel of a Museum

I can’t tell you how many churches, castles, old homes and museums I have visited over the years while traveling. I always look for something new or unusual and the Chateau Ramezay Museum in Montreal was a real gem for new discoveries. Here our 45-minute tour with Margaret, a retired British school teacher, married to a French Canadian, continued for over two-hours. What a delight she was! And we learned so much.

She told us, “Claude Ramezay built this chateau in 1705 as a family home. He started out as a soldier in a French regiment, eventually went into furs, then wood, and eventually became governor. At that time the average house was the size of the kitchen in this home. He could not bring his wife and ten children to Montreal to such a small home so he built this chateau.”

The lovely home now would have been magnificent in the early 18^th century! This building was the first in the city to be designated a historical monument. Mrs. Ramezay had 16 pregnancies, but only 10 children lived to adulthood. Three of the four boys died in war or conflicts, and the fourth boy after one such conflict moved to France to live. When Claude died in 1745, the house was sold to a fur trading company. Now the museum is run by a board of directors, not the government. In 1994 it celebrated 100 years as a museum.

In one large room we were told the mahogany paneling and ornate carvings around mirrors and paintings all came from a fur trading company before it was demolished and then installed in the chateau in 1967 for the 100^th anniversary of Confederation.

I had never heard of a butter drier, much less seen one. The copper wall mounted hand washing apparatus was unique and quite decorative. I had seen many tin candle holders, but never knew that they were wind proof and that was the purpose of them.

Candles in colonial days were often quite soft and we saw a clever candle holder that made sense to hold up a soft candle. It prevented potential fire by keeping the candle from falling over.

I was most fascinated with the pocket worn around the waist under a woman’s skirt with the slit in it. Talk about practical! My friend was most intrigued with the barrel that they put a dog in to keep the spit turning over the fire. A doggie treadmill, if you will. We both thought it was for a mouse, but of course, it was much too big. Now that was really clever!  It kept the dog out from underfoot and kept the spit constantly rotating!

It was so obvious that Margaret loved what she was doing. I loved that sparkle in her eye, and without her we would have missed a lot. It was an afternoon well spent!