I feel sLOVEnia

We are here in Ljubljana. While it has only been an official capital a relatively short time, "it has been preparing for centuries" - according to one of many brochures put out by the hard working tourist bureau. We would agree - this is a wonderful place to spend time. There is a tourism push - I think the bureau underwrites some cheap tours and bike rentals. Slovenia joined the EU in 2004, the Euro monetary union in 2007 and was the first former communist state to serve as EU president. They rank on the low end in a lot of EU categories but have a high overall standard of living (there is some tough competition there). The culture and architecture feels like a blend of Italy and Austria (shocker) but there is a dash of Communist bloc architecture mixed in - especially once you leave the Old Town. Any amount of Slovene you can speak seems to please folks - I've added "very much" to my "thank you" - need to learn "check please" (the checks are always a pleasant surprise after Austria and Germany).

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