Back to Italy for a family visit before the holidays, we flew this time via Lufthansa into Trieste (Ronchi) connecting in Munich. Flying into Venice, even with a car rental and tolls, is definitely the way to go cost-wise comparably, however, the airline seasonally changes flight schedules and of course a direct from Stuttgart wasn’t available this time of year on our usual flight days.
On the plus side, Trieste is only a few minutes down the road from one family members stonework business and parents home so we stopped in for lunch on the way back to Gorizia.
First meal: Involtini with prosciutto inside veal. Garlic potato’s, prosciutto and cheese plate, salad and Friuli wine with limoncello chocolate and espresso after.
Saturday we road-tripped an hour away to Ljubljana, Slovenia. Stop to get a vignette sticker for the car on the way at a Tabacchi or gas station to cross the border. The drive is easy and beautiful along the mountains. The elevation changes along the way also, so in the hour-long drive, there was sun to snow, back to sun.
To Do
Food Markets Everywhere:
The Central Market (outside open air market)
‘Plečnik’s Covered Market’ (Indoor and underground) between the Dragon Bridge to Triple Bridge. It is on Pogacarjev trg, Plecnik’s colonnade, and underground areas open everyday but Sunday. The underground space has everything from meats and cheeses to a beautiful fish market and lots of baked goods. We picked up some beer and sweets while my family bought sardines to filet and fry for dinner later that night (amazing!).
Ljubljana’s Central Market which is outside, open air. The open air markets continue on Vodnikov trg above the square where the underground market is just below.
The Bridges – There is a river running through the city making for numerous historic bridges, most notably, the Dragon Bridge with huge statues of the city’s symbol, the dragon, and the Tromostovje or Triple Bridge, where three bridges cross to the same point from the New Town to the Old Town under the castle.
According to my family, the local legend says when a virgin crosses the dragon bridge, the dragons come to life and fly away.
Festivals – In November, Ljubljana has a series of food and wine events all month. There just happened to be a wine tasting festival that weekend which also had some local foods including popular pumpkin seed oil, chocolate and sausages of all kinds from reindeer to horse.
The Castle up on the hill and can’t be missed in terms of a photo point from the square. We didn’t get to walk up to it this trip but once again, a place we will have to return.
The Food:
Meat. For lunch the options seemed to be meat or meat. We went to traditional looking restaurant off the square randomly and it was good, but they all looked good. If we go on our own next time we will research more. The restaurant options and cafes are endless there. It is an international city with a university and lots to choose from to find what you like.
The Beer:
We only had time to stop to pick up a bunch of local brews at one shop this trip and we were lucky because it was a great one: Beer Shop Pr ‘Primožu (Trubarjeva cesta 44).
Ljubljana is a cool city, go there!
Travels Through Europe 
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