Day.1 #Ljubljana

In Poland we have that old song from 80s.

Take any train you see ("wsiądź do pociągu byle jakiego").

It goes further in my rough translation:

run away from friends,

enemies, bills and phones

don't think twice,

it's enough to step out of home. 

(...) Watches will be needless, 

I will lose all my calendars.

Fo such a trip I want to set off,

Not sure though whether I dare once.

 

 

Perhaps that was one of the motivations for me to take a train and get off at early morning at Ljubljana main train station. The capital of Slovenia that counts not more than 285,000 inhabitants welcomed me on Sunday 6.30 a.m. Peacefully. Closed cafes and stores, empty streets, thick fog rolling in from the castle hill. At the central square with three bridges (Prešernov trg) I spotted a polish guided-tourist group that were probably the only people willing to sightseeing at that moment. In my desperate attempt to run away from them, I luckily stumbled upon a charming cafe Promenade next to the river Ljubljanica.

[unfortunately I did not take any photos from there...]

Even more bridges are going to built here!

At 7 a.m. in front of the wall with a miraculous manifest JOŠKE, you could find there only the denizens - three grandpas sipping their coffee at the table next to the river and lazily discussing with the owner the politics and family's problems (as far as I understood thanks to my non existent Slovenian). They cherished, just as much as I did, this morning's tranquility that was disturbed only by chirpping sparrows. Owner of the cafe brought me soon a cup of espresso (and yet another one). Small-size sketchbook and a bunch of rapidographs appeared on the table just after it. For the first time since very long I started to draw again. Undisturbed. Although at that moment I had no idea that this place is going to turn into touristic centre just within 3-4 hours.

Dejvid. Thanks for enlighting me. It means "boobs" :)!.

It felt unusual to draw again. Hands where stiff and firm. Results not quite satisfying. Line not even, rough and lazy. Attempts to make it the way I saw it in my head - desperate. After first go, I immediately started the second - and so it has started. In that very moment I decided to draw every day at least one picture. I kept my word and results you are going to see in the blog.

Black&white.

From the first moment I was fascinated with clocks and cathedrals. Hence, the first picture - the clock of the Saint Nicholas's Cathedral (Stolnica svetega Nikolaja, 1461). From the river bank I saw only one tower, but there are two, not to forget the green-shaded dome. Maybe next time I dedicate them separate picture...

I added colours already after coming back home.

The spot at the river offered also a beautiful view for the Butcher's Bridge (Mesarski most), relatively new (2010) in comparison to all the other bridges that connect the two side of the city.

Lovers lock their dreams about romantic eternal future in the padlocks that hang miserably on the steel wires. The bridge itself shelteres a couple of bizarre creatures that were put there by Jakov Brdar, Slovenian artist. Ostrich, frog or humanoid dragons were only some from the throng of phantasmagorias I saw in that city. Later on, I learned they supposed to be actually Prometheus, Adam and Eve and Satire... maybe Ljubljana shall create their own mythology?

frogs?

This morning was crowned by meeting with my couchsurfing host that happened to wake up my hidden addiction to morning coffee and slovenian / balkan music & folk dance.  Dejvid - Hvala :) !

Bonus - song that we couldn't stop singing for three days... well.. enjoy! :)