Journey Around The Globe

Easter Break Trip 2012 – 6th destination: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Globe Runner

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA: Truly speaking, I had little expectation from Ljubljana, especially after reading this information from wikitravel on the city, “Ljubljana has no world-famous attractions, which is great: there’s no need to hop from one place to another, taking photos and crossing the items on your checklist. You have all the time to stroll around and enjoy the city itself”. I saw some Google pictures of Ljubljana and those looked nice but nothing extraordinary to me. Still, I wasn’t sure why my husband wants to put that city in our itinerary. But thanks to my husband that it was in our Easter break trip list. I am not exaggerating, but I truly, truly wished we stayed there longer than just one night.

: A panoramic view of Ljubljana from the viewing tower of Ljubljana Castle

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia. It is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe. It may not have any world-famous attractions, but the city itself is so beautiful and picturesque that it doesn’t need any famous tourist spots. Ljubljana is a walkable city, all the main attractions of the city are very close to each other and can easily be reached within just a few minutes. It took us few hours to visit all the places that we wanted to visit. River Ljubljanica flowing through the center of town, Ljubljana may have a touch of Amsterdam-like look. But the better part is that, it is not a hustling-bustling city like Amsterdam…not at all. It is a peaceful and friendly city with stunning old architectures, beautiful small old city center, cozy squares, little bridges on Ljubljanica river, and a castle on the hill. I would love to go back there again and again just to enjoy its serene atmosphere.

: River Ljubljanica flows through the center of town. A picturesque beauty

TIME OF TRAVELING: We took a long road trip during the Easter break 2012, which was in the 1^st week of April. Ljubljana was our 6^th destination among seven in total. It took us about hour and half (150 km) by car to reach Ljubljana from Zagreb, Croatia. It was drizzling the day we arrived there, also was a bit cold. We reached there in the afternoon, checked-in at our hotel, ate something, and then started walking according to our to-do list.

: One of the statues on Butcher’s Bridge

OUR HOTEL: The hotel we stayed in, Best Western Premier Hotel Slon, was literally 1 minute walk from Ljubljana’s main square, Preseren Square. The castle was about 10 minutes of walk and other places were also within few minutes of stroll.

The legend of this hotel goes something like this: “The elephant is an extraordinary animal, hardly ever seen in Europe until public zoos were created (in Vienna in 1779). Possessing such an exotic animal as an elephant, tiger, lion or leopard… was considered a token of wealth and power and was the sole privilege of the highest aristocracy.

In 1552, Maximillian II was the Archduke of Austria and about to become the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. He was 25 years old and had recently married Mary of Spain. On his way from Spain, he was bringing one of his wedding presents: an elephant called Soliman. At that time, the Sultan Soliman the Magnificent was Austria’s most terrible enemy. Therefore, domesticating such a powerful animal under that name was a significant symbol.

Maximilian stopped at the best inn in Ljubljana with his escort and the wonderful animal, which impressed the population tremendously. The hotel Slon was later built on the site of this inn. The memory of Soliman the elephant was still very strong in the city, so the guesthouse, and later the hotel, were named Slon (the Slovenian word for elephant).” http://www.hotelslon.com/index_en.php?id=2

WHAT TO BUY AND EAT IN LJUBLJANA: A very traditional Slovene design that you will see in many souvenir items is red and blue flowers. Lots of wooden trinkets, like small paintings, kitchen wares, serving wares, can be found in the open market near the Triple Bridge. Also, make sure to buy honey from here as it is a big business in Ljubljana and protected under EU laws. You will find vendors selling honey in that market too.

: Wooden trinkets in a market near Triple Bridge with traditional Slovene design

We really didn’t try any local food in Slovenia. There was a kebap restaurant in between our hotel and Preseren square, that’s where we had our lunch. And for dinner, kids wanted to eat in the nearby McDonald’s, so that’s what we did. But there were few nice restaurants all around the old town and in Preseren square. But I am not sure if they have traditional Slovene dishes in their menu.

: We saw many locals carrying these baskets with grocery/bakery inside covered with cute, lacey fabric…very unique I thought

PLACES WE VISITED: We actually managed to see everything that we wanted to see in Ljubljana in about few hours. The city is very kid and stroller friendly. Also, most of the people speak very fluent English. Here are all the places we visited and enjoyed in Ljubljana.

: Ummm…scary?

1) PRESEREN SQUARE: This is the main square of the city where locals come together to meet and mingle. The square took it’s name from the statue that it houses of Dr. France Preseren, who was a famous Slovene romantic poet around 1800 A.D. This is a great spot for the tourists as well, where you will find cafes, view of Ljubljanica river, Triple Bridge, Ljubljana Castle on the hill-top, and if you are lucky, may be some live local music. The unique orange/pinkish building that can be seen from many part of the city is the Church of Annunciation, which also stands here.

: Preseren Square as viewed from Church of Annunciation

2) TRIPLE BRIDGE or TROMOSTOVJE: This is definitely a uniquely designed bridge and one of the ways to enter Preseren Square. It was designed by Jose Pleznik, who was a famous architecture from the mid-19^th century and influenced the look of Ljubljana by his amazing architecture around the city.

: Triple Bridge

3) OLD TOWN: The charming, little old town contains the city hall in Mestni trg or City Square and Cathedral of St. Nicolas along with few local designer shops and cafes. There is an obelisk near the town hall. It is not as crowded or popular as Preseren square, but sure can keep you busy for some time with all the lovely boutique shops.

: Sculpture on one of the entrance to St. Nicholas Cathedral or Ljubljana Cathedral

4) DRAGON BRIDGE or ZMAJSKI MOST: The bridge was built in 1901. The area is situated rather on a busy road just outside the pedestrian zone, 2 minutes of walk from Preseren Square. There are four dragons at four corners of the bridge. Dragon is the city’s coat-of-arms; therefore, you may find some dragon motifs throughout the city. The river and the colorful houses add extra beauty to the surrounding of this bridge. You can see Butcher’s bridge in one side within very short distance.

: A dragon in one of the corners of Dragon Bridge

5) BUTCHER’S BRIDGE or MESARSKI MOST: The bridge opened not too long ago, in the summer of 2010. It is located in between Dragon Bridge and Triple Bridge. This is a pedestrian bridge, partially made with glass. There are some big and small unique looking statues on this bridge that can’t be missed. You will see lovelocks hanging on the both sides of this bridge. Newly-weds or young lovers put their names on locks and hang them there to symbolize their everlasting love.

: Lovelocks on Butcher’s Bridge

6) LJUBLJANA CASTLE: The history of this castle goes back to the early 12^th century. It is located on Castle Hill overlooking the old town. The recent renovation of this castle took place in 1960. This long and extensive renovation took more than 35 years. Now it is used as a place for weddings and cultural events. This is the main attraction of the city and a must see.

: Overview of Ljubljana Castle Courtyard from the viewing tower

There is a funicular that takes up right to the castle. The access to funicular is near Vodnikov Trg or Vodnikov Square (a market place selling fresh produce and hand-made items). We paid 8 euros per person which covered 2-way funicular rides, the viewing tower, castle exhibition/museum, and a movie on Ljubljana Castle and free for kids 7 or below. There is another way which you can use to go up on the hill without using a funicular. It is free to enter Castle Courtyard and the Chapel of St. George. There is a café and a gift shop up there too. The castle is open from 9 am to late at night until 11 pm from April to September, which I though was very convenient for us tourists. From October to March, the castle is open from 9am-9pm.

: Beautiful view of Ljubljanica river and the red roof city from the castle viewing tower

I would highly recommend buying the ticket to go on top of the viewing tower. You have to climb 95 narrow steps to go all the way up. But it is very well worth. You will love the splendid 360 degree view of the whole city. Once you are done, come down and watch a 10 minutes long movie on the history of Ljubljana from a pre-historic settlement to Roman Empire to modern times. Audio of the movie is available in English too. The Chapel of St. George is under the tower, in the basement. It a very old and small chapel from 1489 A.D.

: Exhibition and museum of Ljubljana Castle

7) REPUBLIC SQUARE or TRG REPUBLIKE: This is the place where crowds gathered as Slovenia announced their independence from the Yugoslav Federation in 1991. This has been an important place for the locals for important public gathering and demonstrations in the past. There are few monuments and statues in this square. Across the road is the Slovene Parliament, with a façade decorated with nude statues of Slovenes at work and leisure.

: One of the sculptures in Repubic Square

This is very close to Congress Square. Unlike other squares, there are no shops or cafes in Republic Square, and nothing much to do other than taking some pictures.

: Door of Slovene Parliament across the road from Republic Square

8) CONGRESS SQUARE or KONGRESNI TRG: This is rather a lovely square to hang out and spend some time. It is surrounded by some historical and important buildings. At one side, Church of Holy Trinity is situated, facing that on the other side is the Slovenian Philharmonic building (the yellow building), and if you are facing Philharmonic building, you will see University of Ljubljana (with fountain in the front) to your right side. You will find some souvenir shops and cafes in this square. Also, don’t forget to look up to the hill to check out one side of Ljubljana Castle.

: Academia Philharmonic (middle building) in Congress Square and Ljubljana Castle on the hill-top

Easter Break Trip 2012 – 3rd destination: Bratislava, Slovakia

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Globe Runner

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BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA: Bratislava is the capital and largest city in Slovakia. The city center or the old town of this city is very cozy and small with pleasant medieval look. You will find lots of old buildings and statues around there. You can easily walk from one side to another in just few minutes. It is definitely quieter at night near the city center but we saw some other tourists, open restaurants and cafes, but no souvenir stores were open.

: City of Bratislava with New Bridge in the back

TIME OF TRAVELING: We took a long road trip during the Easter break 2012, which was in the 1^st week of April. Bratislava was our 3rd destination among seven in total. It took us about an hour (95km) by car to reach Bratislava from Vienna, Austria. The weather was a bit on the colder side, had to wear jackets and hats. We spent a night there and had the next whole day to explore the city before another 2 hours drive to Budapest, Hungary

: “Man at Work” statue in old town

OUR HOTEL: Or should I say BOTEL 🙂 We actually found a boat hotel on River Danube to spend a night there. It is called Botel Gracia, the price was very reasonable, less than hundred euros per night. But spending a night on the water was simply fabulous. Not to mention you get a great view of the river and New Bridge (Novy Most). It even looks splendid after dark. The location was very convenient too, only 5 minute walk to the city center and about 15 minute walk to Bratislava Castle. Plus it offered free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, and free parking. What else can you ask for when searching for a hotel, especially in Europe?

: Our boat-hotel or Botel Gracia in Bratislava

WHAT TO BUY AND EAT IN BRATISLAVA: There are plenty of souvenir stores in the old town, selling colorful decors and many gift items. But the best one I saw was on top of the hill near the castle. It had some paintings, traditional art works, dolls, ceramics, pots, and many other unique items. There is a market near the old town hall, where you can find some local goods, lace items, hand-made trinkets, and lots more unique items.

: Market in Hlavne Namestie near Old Town Hall

For food, we had lunch in a restaurant near Michael’s Gate (the restaurant says “Traditional Slovak Restaurant”. This place had some traditional Slovak dishes. My husband tried old Slovak-style chicken soup with carrots, chicken, hand-made noodles and French fries. I never had French fries in my soup before…delishhh. Another dish I tried was old Slovak-style roasted beef with fried onion. Very unique in taste and the fried onion added burst of flavor in my mouth with a piece of roasted beef…yummm.

: Old Slovak-style chicken soup

PLACES WE VISITED: We had an evening and the next whole day to explore the city. Bratislava is a walkable city. We went to the city center at night for dinner and just to walk around with the kids. Then next morning we started off with the castle on the hill, then came down, went to old town/city center, had lunch, and did some more walking…then we were done. We were actually done around late afternoon.

: Paparazzi statue near Paparazzi Italian restuarant in old town

1) NOVY MOST or NEW BRIDGE: New Bridge is over River Danube and can be easily identified with its flying saucer-like structure housing an observation deck and a restaurant, called UFO. It looks gorgeous at night with all the lights.

: Novy Most or New Bridge at night

2) BRATISLAVA CASTLE: The castle on the hill-top is visible from almost any part of the city. This is a must-see in Bratislava. You can spend an hour or two enjoying the open space, statues, and panoramic view of River Danube, New Bridge, and the city itself. The castle courtyard is very simple and plain, may just disappoint you.

: Bratislava Castle on the hill-top

It is free to enter the castle. There is a Treasure Room that can be visited for 6:50 euros per family (2 adults and 3 kids). We weren’t allowed to take any pictures inside the museum. It took us less than half an hour to tour the museum. If you are walking, shortcut way to get there is taking the stairs. There is another way to get there, which avoids the stairs but takes longer time.

: The main entrance and one corner of Bratislava Castle

3) ST. MARTIN’S CATHEDRAL: The church located below the hill of Bratislava Castle. There is a stairs which will take you up to the church entrance. It is free to enter but visitors are not allowed to take picture s inside. There is a statue of Rafael Donner in the cathedral.

: St. Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava, Slovakia

4) MICHAEL’S GATE: It is located in the old town with a tall tower, called Michael’s Tower.

: Michael’s Gate in Old Town Bratislava

5) OLD TOWN: It is one of the smallest historical centers around but definitely charming in its own way. It is mostly pedestrian areas, but be careful of the cyclists and occasional cars that come by rather quickly. There are some red trains that will take you around the old town and the castle for an hour for 10 euros per person. Some statues that you may want to look for are “Man at Work” and statue of a paparazzi with his camera behind a wall, located near a restaurant, called Paparazzi. National Art Gallery, Slovak National Theater, Slovak National Museum are very close to the old town, may be few minutes of walk will take you there.

: Hlavne Namestie, the main square of old town Bratislava

6) PRIMATE’S PALACE: This is located in the historic city center near the Old Town Hall in Primacialne namestie. It is currently the seat of the Mayor of Bratislava. Opposite of this the Magistrate Office is located.

: Primate’s Palace, Bratislava Mayor’s office in old town

7) OLD TOWN HALL: Old Town Hall of Bratislava is in the main square of the city in Hlavne namestie. There are some interesting statues there: a man with hat leaning on a chair, statue of a guard.

: Old Town Hall courtyard in the main square Hlavne Namestie of Bratislava

Easter Break Trip 2012 – 1st destination: Nuremberg, Germany

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Globe Runner

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NUREMBERG, GERMANY: First two things that came to my mind when I thought of Nuremberg were Hitler and his Nazi Party. It was, in fact, considered the ceremonial birthplace of Nazi Party. Reich Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg hosted annual rallies with German soldiers, which is now known as Documentation Center by the locals. In addition to that, Nuremberg Trials also took place in this Bavarian city of Germany. Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals to prosecute the members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Party, which took place right after WWII ended.

: Statue of Albrecht Durer (a famous son of Nuremberg) in Albrecht Durer Platz near St. Sebuld Church

Other than these usual impressions of Nuremberg, the city has a lot to offer for its guests. The old town with gothic churches, old/typical German-styled houses, old castle, and small squares give a lively atmosphere in the city. You will find medieval look, recent history, and modern touch co-existing in the same place.

TIME OF TRAVELING: We took a long road trip during the Easter break 2012, which was in the 1^st week of April. Nuremberg was our 1^st destination among seven in total. It took us about 6 hours by car to reach Nuremberg from Tervuren, Belgium. The weather was a bit on the colder side, had to wear jackets and hats. We spent a night there and had the next half a day to explore the city before another 6 hour drive to Vienna, Austria.

: House of Albrecht Durer (red & white building) in told town near the entrance to Kaiserburg Imperial Castle

OUR HOTEL: We didn’t get a hotel in the old town this time. Our hotel was “Fuerther Hotel Mercure Nuremberg West”, which was about 15 minutes of drive from the castle in old town. They didn’t have free breakfast but had free Wi-Fi and parking space (not free though)

WHAT TO BUY AND EAT IN NUREMBERG: There are some nice small cafes near St. Sebuld church and other part of the old town. I’ve heard that gingerbread in Nuremberg is quiet famous, although we didn’t have the chance to try one. Unlike other old towns in Europe, I didn’t see souvenir shops at every corner here, but there were some which were selling key rings, postcards, and t-shirts along with other gift items.

PLACES WE VISITED: We literally spent half a day…just few hours in Nuremberg. We had the chance to visit only two places in the old town leaving out the Documentation Center (Nazi Rally Grounds).

1) OLD TOWN: Any old town in Germany is beautiful, especially with the ones with red colored, typical old German style houses. Nuremberg is also like that. Its cobbled street and old buildings give a nice medieval look. It is beautiful and cozy. There are some shops and boutique stores, but not too many. You will see some cafes and restaurants every corner of the town. St. Sebuld Church and Nuremberg Castle are also located in the old town. A big advantage of this particular old town is that, you don’t have to look for street parking here. There is a nice big garage right beside St. Sebuld.

: Nuremberg Old Town

2) ST. SEBULD CHURCH (SEBALDUSKIRCHE): The church is standing there since the 13^th century. It is one of the oldest and most important church of the city. There are some posters inside the church that show how it was heavily destroyed during WWII and later reconstructed to its present look. It is located in Albrecht-Durer-Platz in front of the old city hall in old town, about 600 m away from the castle.

: St. Sebuld Church in Nuremberg, Germany Old Town

3) KAISERBURG IMPERIAL CASTLE: This huge castle and its towers dominates Nuremberg’s old town. It is believed that the castle was built here somewhere around the 11^th century. You can enjoy an impressive view of the old town and its surroundings from the castle. Inner courtyard of the castle has some typical old-style German buildings (I have only seen these in Germany, nowhere else), the long tower, and the deep well (Tiefer Brunnen), which is now closed for the public.

: Courtyard of Kaiserburg Imperial Castle in Nuremberg. The five-cornered tower and the deep well (inside the red building in the front)

The castle is huge in size, but unlike many other castles you won’t be able to see it from a far distance, except its towers may be. There is a convenient parking garage in old town right beside St. Sebuld Church. It is free to enter the castle and roam around in its terrace and courtyard, but you have to take guided tour to go inside the buildings. The tour is ONLY in German, takes about 1 ½ hours, and costs around 7 euros. If you don’t understand German, at least you get to view the interior of the castle.

: View of the old town and St.Sebuld Church from Kaiserburg Imperial Castle, Nuremberg, Germany

Waterloo, Belgium – The place where Napoleon fought his last battle

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Globe Runner

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After a long and dark winter, Belgium finally started to get some sun and bright days. This Sunday, our family went to visit the historical battle ground of Waterloo in Belgium, which is only about 20 minutes drive from our house in Tervuren, Belgium.

Just a bit of history on this place, the present day Waterloo, Belgium was part of United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The mighty French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in this battle by the British army along with their coalition forces on Sunday, June 18, 1815.

The ticket to enter Lion Butte or the Lion Mound is 6 euros per person, which also includes access to the “Panorama“. We climbed 226 stairs to get an overview of the battle fields, position of the French army, British army and their allies. “The Panorama” gives the tourists a panoramic painting that depicts the Battle of Waterloo from 1815 A.D. There is also a trolley tour that takes tourists around the battle field giving some taste of the history of this important battle. But that only starts after Easter. The combined ticket price is 12 euros.

Enjoy the pictures…

A huge painting of Napoleon Bonaparte on his horse

226 stairs to go on the top of Butte de Lion in Waterloo — 226 stairs to go on top of Butte de Lion in Waterloo

Looking over the battle fields of Waterloo

The panoromic painting inside "The Panorama" in Waterloo — The panoramic painting inside “The Panorama” in Waterloo

Butte de Lion, a man-made hill to comemorate the Battle of Waterloo. It is said that the lion is facing towards France — Butte de Lion, a man-made hill to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. It is said that the lion is facing towards France

10 Fun Facts About Belgium (journeyaroundtheglobe.com)
Brussels Welcome Weekend (bestofbrusselsblog.com)
Frites Forever (culturenerd.wordpress.com)

Half a day in Doha, Qatar

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Globe Runner

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Just got back from Jeddah, KSA three days ago. On our way to Jeddah, we had a stop over at Doha Int’l Airport in Qatar for 22 hours. Ofcourse who would miss that opportunity to visit this small but rich and very organized country? We spent a night in Movenpick Hotel near the airport. Next day our flight to Jeddah was at night. So we had the whole day to roam around the city. Not to mention, going from below freezing temperature in Belgium to a hot place was simply fabulous. Hope you enjoy the following pictures while I work on the page on Doha, Qatar with travel tips and other info.