Signs of the times

It's time to mention a couple of things that caught my attention in Ljubljana this Easter.

Firstly, what substance is it that some planners of urban art are on? I mean, I'm a big fan of artwork in public spaces. It adds to the atmosphere in a manner that it is difficult to imagine anything else achieving. But the statue (by France Kralj) in the fountain in front of the university ... seems to be ... well ... pretty obvious bestial cunnilingus. And while that may be fun for some, and may even add to the number of hits I get on my blog, I don't quite get how it is representative, as it claims, of 'Evropa'. Nor do I know if it's a compliment to us blokes or not.

The castle planners, on the other hand, were obviously smart chaps. While exploring other castles around and about, I've become used to squeezing through crowds of people who are pushing their way up badly lit spiral turret-steps while I'm in a state of near-claustrophobia, trying to get down in one piece. But in Ljubljana, it's a double-spiral, which means that the up and down routes are vertically separated. Luxury! Until, of course, some idiot tourist goes up through the wrong entrance.

So top marks for Slovenian castle architects. But a quizzical raised eyebrow at the university art buyers.

An Easter of firsts

Well, that was a trip, but I'm back now. Back from Easter in Slovenia. Some of the weekend was a distinct echo from Balkan times past. More on that later, perhaps, but for the moment it's back to blogging lists. Here are some firsts that I notched up, both personal and more general.

1. This was my first visit to any country of the former Yugoslavia, and therefore my first to Slovenia. During my time in the Balkans, Yugoslavia was busy blowing itself to pieces, so going there then was not a good idea. Not even when I was invited to do my bit for France by picking up a pistol and taking a barge through Serbia. Seriously! Though then as now, Slovenia was the peaceful corner.

2. I was on the inaugural flight on the route between Helsinki and Ljubljana. It was, we were told, the first-ever direct passenger flight between the two cities. The Slovenians were a bit slow on the uptake, and the flight was delayed in Helsinki by more than an hour as we waited for the necessary permission to enter Slovenian air space. Strangely, that eased my travel nerves slightly, as it was then apparent that not everything in the old East would be completely unfamiliar. On touch-down, at least three people on the Finnair flight attempted to applaud, before being smothered by the waves of apathy exuded by the surrounding passengers.

3. It was the first time that I have been on a brand-new aircraft. Somewhere above Poland, the pilot told us that the Embraer 190 was just 42 hours old. I was uncertain whether to be reassured by this or not.

4. It was the first time that I have had seat 1A on an aeroplane. That was on the return journey, and a result, I suspect, of my nervous habit of arriving at the airport several hours before anyone with any sense would dream of turning up. The route is not yet so established that there would be transit passengers, and every sane person was still soaking up the sun. You may deduce, correctly, that there was no business or first class on the flight.

5. It was my first stay at a 5-star hotel. That was the deal that the travel agent got for me at quite a reasonable price, as other places were booked up for a salsa festival or something. Actually, the place was much like a regular Finnish hotel but with everything polished in a more shiny sort of way. And that's wonderful. Shower heads, wash-basin plugs, and loo paper were rarely found in Slavic hotels 15 years ago, never mind a mini-bar and cable TV. But we're all Europeans now, and I have a bunch of Slovenian euros in my pocket to prove it.

Ljubljana comes highly recommended. Photos are going up on Flickr next, including some of my Sunday jaunt to the historic town of Ptuj. And although they were difficult to find, I also secured a bottle of slivovka, and a suitably emblazoned cap, T-shirt, and drinking vessel. No, that's not a first.