Day 7: Ljubljana, a City of Modernity and History

Admittedly, by the time we had all arrived at Ljubljana we were all EXHAUSTED. Fortunately for us, our tour guide had many dad jokes up his sleeve so that kept us on our toes as we explored the city of Ljubljana.

What is so fascinating about the city is the confluence of modernity and history. On one side of a bridge was cobblestoned roads lined with old churches. On the other side there is a McDonalds. Even as many of us had never heard much about Slovenia, we found the city to be very welcoming and hold a strong sense of community. 

Fortune found us again as, the next day, we had a whole day to explore the city. We had the opportunity to visit Ljubljana’s thriving farmer’s market where we bought mounds and mounds of delicious, fresh, and local fruits.

We also hiked up (well, some of us opted for the funicular) to a medieval castle and not only saw ⅓ of Slovenia from the top, but also had a *musical experience* with trumpeters who played on the top of the castle. 

We really struck gold in Slovenia because we also got to play side-by-side with Slovenian conservatory students AND experience the marvelous conducting of the legendary Slaven. Our concert a few hours later was absolutely gorgeous and we got to play more chamber music as well. All in all, a solid few days in Ljubljana… but our time is Slovenia is not over yet!