Day 00 - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Even for the many seasoned travelers among us, the starting point of the Mediterranean Unicycle Tour (actually the starting country) is quite new to everyone. We are in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Very quick history lesson: Slovenia was formerly part of Yugoslavia, gaining its independence in 1991, and joining the EU in 2004. Ljubljana is a gorgeous gem of a city, quite small, but packed with impressive buildings, churches, a perfectly preserved Old Town with elegant and multi-colored structures in the Baroque style, all dominated by the white stoned Ljubljana Castle atop a tall hill. There are charming bridges and alleyways, elegant parks, and a beautiful tree-lined canal bustling with knickknack sellers and their sundry antiques and collectibles. Our three or four days leading up to the start of the Tour just are not enough to savor all the city's many charms.

Another key feature to the city is its people: very friendly, open, helpful and accesible. And we are so fortunate to have had several natives, mainly Petra and Jure, act as hosts for our stay in Slovenia. They organized a fantastic rafting escapade two hours south of the city followed by a giant barbeque feast at Petra's family's summer home. They helped with planning before the tour, arranged for press coverage, and got the communuty involved when the MUT riders and a contigent of Slovenia's unicyclists met for a demonstration and parade in the Center of Old Town (Presernov Trg). And they even picked up riders from the airport! All in all, their presence (and their friends and family who also helped out) has been priceless. A big MUT thank you to all our Slovenian hosts!

Highlights:
* Our lodging, called Celica Hostel, is an unbelievable place, often visited by tours simply for its unique rooms (each one is different, and made with great artistry and imagination) and hipster locale, Metalkova, a kind of haven for the youth akin to Christiania in Denmark. The hostel was once a prison, but now looks like IKEA on acid, with beams and structures at crazy angles, and a kaleidoscope of wood, graffiti (outside the hostel) and artistic paintings and statues. Free internet is a plus!

* The Ljubljana Castle is a high point of the city, not only because it looms over the city. It is a fantastic mix of ancient and modern, beautifully integrated.

* Water rafting: "white water rafting" was on order, but the trip was relatively calm, following a giant downpour that slows the river down. The group worked at rowing, playing, and splashing, for four hours, topped off by a delicious, home cooked feast. During the journey down river, the group was treated to an impromptu treat of Schnapps shots by a man on the Croatian side. The man himself looked to have partook in a few before our arrival. . .

* Our uni demo on Sunday evening attracted a total of 35 or 40 riders of all ages, including a man who showed us his 50 year old unicycle with a handmade wooden seat (ouch!). Several of our group gave some high level demonstrations, and there was a great turnout from passers-by as well.

* The town itself: gorgeous architecture, clean streets, and inexpensive food and drinks. Several riders enjoyed the large outdoor market and shopping.

Lowlights:
* John had a pretty hellish time getting to Ljubljana, with 10 hours' worth of delays and a threat from the confused airport personnel in Frankfurt that he might not make any of that day's flights. (Luckily, he did.) But his woes were topped by those of Anne-Sophie (An'So) who arrived on time, but without one crucial piece of luggage, her unicycle, which is either sitting somewhere in London, or is in transit. And then AJ: airport delays in Newark began a snowball of missed chances, until he finally arrived two days later than planned, and also without his wheel. Unless there is great surprise from the airport luggage gods at the start of Day 1, AJ and An'So will have to miss some of the fun. Fortunately, they are of such good cheer in general, that their spirits are not too damp or down.

* Two little mishaps: Tim's innertube exploded while he was simply standing there, holding his Coker. Defective tube? Excessive heat? Who knows, but it made the sound of shotgun at close range. Also, Andy was nearly struck by a flying tile, knocked into the air by a naughty pigeon. We figure we've now got all the bad omens out of the tour!

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Created: Saturday, June 23, 2007 08:29