Posted in Ljubljana, Photography, Slovenia, Travel, tagged Castle, Ljubljamski Grad, Photography, Slovenia, Travel on Friday, 31 July, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Standing on a hill overlooking Ljubljana is a beautiful castle, Ljubljanski Grad. The views from the top are fabulous especially from the top of the tower. On previous visits, we hiked to the castle from the Old Square in Ljubljana but it was over 36°C so we rode the funicular.
View from the top of the Tower of Ljubljanski Grad
One of the cells in the penitentary
Stairs leading to Castle Tower
Castle high on the hill
For more information about visiting the castle, click here.
Posted in Ljubljana, Photography, Slovenia, Travel, tagged "Dragon Bridge", Dragon, Ljubljana, Slovenia on Tuesday, 28 July, 2015| 5 Comments »
The dragon on the City of Ljubljana’s coat of arms symbolises strength and courage. The dragon is located on the top of the castle.
There are four gorgeous dragons on the Dragon bridge:
Dragon Bridge ~ side view
There are several versions of the story of the Ljubljana Dragon:
The Ljubljana dragon is thought to come from the legend of Greek hero Jason and the Argonauts. Jason and his Argonaut comrades stole a golden fleece, which was the coat of a golden ram, from the King of Colchis who lived on the Black Sea. They fled their pursuers but found themselves at the mouth of the Danube River rather than at the Aegean Sea and their Greek homeland. There was no way for them to go back so they continued up the Danube and eventually made it to the River Ljubljanica.
After wintering at the mouth of the Ljubljanica, they took their ship, the Argo, apart and carried it on their shoulders to the Adriatic sea, then they put their boat back together again and sailed on ending in Ljubljana. The Argonauts stumbled onto a large lake with a marsh which is where a terrible dragon lived. Jason killed the dragon after a heroic battle. The dragon became known as the Ljubljana dragon. It is said that Jason was the first true citizen of Ljubljana.
The other version of the Dragon story is taken from St George who is the the patron saint of the Castle Chapel. St. George is often depicted as slaying a dragon. In ancient times, Castle Hill was a sacred place then in the Middle Ages, when the foundation of the castle was laid, the builders dedicated the Castle Chapel to St George. And the dragon comes with St. George.
The dragon is a part of the coat of arms on numerous buildings owned by the city. After WWII, the dragon has been used by various companies such as the name of a torch company, on cigarette packages, as a fashion award and on beer bottle labels like the Union Beer can:
Who doesn’t love a dragon…
Posted in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Travels on Saturday, 25 July, 2015| 11 Comments »
Some cities make me feel great and Ljubljana is one of them. It’s clean, safe and vibrant. I find it relaxing to stroll along the beautiful streets of the city absorbing all the fabulous energy it has to offer. London is the only other city that I feel as comfortable in as I do Ljubljana.
There are hundreds of gorgeous statues and sculptures throughout the city. Here are but a few:
France Prešeren ~ a prolific Slovenia poet/writer and National Hero in the early 1800s. 
Adam & Eve being banished from the Garden of Eden. Located at The Butcher’s Bridge over Ljubljanica River, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Prometheus statue by Jacov Brdar
Another one of the amazing Dragon statues
Not sure about this sculpture ~ looks like “Seymour” from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Logan thinks it symbolises the painter being consumed by his/her artwork. I have to agree with her…
Posted in Photography, Travels, tagged Bridges, City, Ljubljana, Ljubljanica, Photography, River, Slovenia, Travel on Friday, 24 July, 2015| 9 Comments »
We decided to take a very last minute, unplanned trip to Slovenia and Croatia. It has been a whirlwind but lots of fun. Slovenia is one of our favorite countries in Europe. The capital, Ljubljana is safe, beautiful and very friendly. When we lived in Germany, we visited Slovenia four times but our last visit was 10 years ago. There have been a few changes but the essence of the country is still the same. Thankfully, the city seems even better than we remembered.
The beautiful Ljubljanica River which flows through the center of the city
The Ljubljanica was a major supply and trade route from Roman times until the advent of the railways. You’ll find a lot of social activity along the river with many outdoor cafes, tourist boats and entertainers.
The Dragon Bridge. The Dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and you will see the fierce-looking dragons all over the city.
Back side of the Dragon Bridge
The Butcher’s Bridge, built in 2010, has become a popular spot for the lover’s locks. Keys are thrown into the river. Personally, I’m not a big fan of the locks (or the litter going in the river). Call me unromantic but I think lovers should have to use combination locks so if they break-up, one of them can come back and remove the lock.
Walking across “Triple bridge” off the main square in the city center. It was originally built in 1842 and is a good starting point when touring the city, especially for first timer.
The first thing we did when we arrived is head down to the river, have a glass of wine and RELAX!
Posted in Photography, Travels, USA, Virginia, tagged Frank Lloyd Wright, Historic, Home, House, Pope-Leighey, Travel, USA, Virginia on Tuesday, 21 July, 2015| 6 Comments »
The Pope-Leighey House was owned first by Loren Pope, a journalist. He was intrigued by Frank Lloyd Wright’s home designs and wrote to the architect asking to be considered. At the time, Wright made his decisions based on the location and family. The house was commissioned in 1940 and became part of the more than 100 of these modest homes, referred to as Usonian, which were constructed between 1936 and Wright’s death in 1959.
The Leigheys were the second owners of the home. In the 1950s, when Hwy 66 was being widened and in danger of being destroyed due to eminent domain, Mrs. Leighey graciously gave the property to the National Trust, which relocated it to nearby Woodlawn. They granted her lifetime tenancy and Mrs. Leighey lived in the house at Woodlawn until her death in 1983.
In 1995-96, the house required another move due to the unstable clay soil but this time, it only had to be moved thirty feet up the hill. Currently, Route 1 is expanding and Woodlawn/Pope-Leighey House are along the route. Wisely, the decision makers went with the other side of the road so both historic sites wouldn’t have to be moved.
Front Entrance and car port 
Detailed woodcarving on all the windows.
Between 1936 and Wright’s death in 1959, he focused on designing and constructing over 100 affordable, middle-class residences. The style was referred to as Usonian, thought to mean “the United States of North America.”
The house is very small and would be ideal for a beach or lake house but I couldn’t imagine a family of five, like the Popes, living in it comfortably. No privacy whatsoever. On the positive side, it blended in nicely with the environment and all the little details inside the home were clever and quirky.
Posted in United States, Virginia, tagged Frank Lloyd Wright, National Trust Historic Site, Pope Leighey House, US, Virginia, Woodlawn on Tuesday, 14 July, 2015| 3 Comments »
I must have driven past the signs for Woodlawn and the Pope-Leighey house several hundred times and last week I finally turned onto the road leading to the two historic and contrasting homes.
Woodlawn was a gift from George Washington to his nephew Major Lawrence Lewis and his wife Eleanor “Nelly” Custis (Washington’s step-granddaughter). They were married on February 22, 1799 which was George Washington’s last birthday. Nelly was raised at Mount Vernon after her father died when she was two and her mother was unable to raise her two youngest children. Nelly continued to live at Mount Vernon with her husband Lawrence Vernon until Woodlawn was completed in 1805.
The Lewis family lived in the home until 1846. Since 1846, there have been numerous owners including the Troth-Gillingham family who were Quakers intent on proving that successful farming could be done with a free-labor colony as opposed to slavery. They sold off parcels of the 2,000 acre estate to other Quakers, like-minded Baptists and freed slaves, leaving 120 acres today where the two houses are located. 
Woodlawn is a Georgian/Federal style home designed by Dr. William Thornton who was the architect of the U.S. Capitol
Photography is not allowed inside the house but I snapped a few of the exterior:
Crepe Myrtle flowers
Crepe Myrtle archway
Bench at Woodlawn
Pond and Gardens at Woodlawn
Woodlawn and the Pope-Leighey House are both owned and operated by the National Trust of Historic Preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture formed a partnership in 2013 for the purpose of providing visitors a place eat, learn and garden. Arcadia, which has been operating a garden, agriculture programs and a Mobile Market bus at Woodlawn since 2010 will expand to include dining, agricultural production, educational programs and retail operations. Woodlawn seems like the perfect place to have experimental agricultural since George Washington was an innovative farmer when he owned the land.
Plan on two hours to visit both homes. Opening hours are Friday through Monday with guided tours at Woodlawn at the top of every hour from noon until 4pm.The Pope-Leighey House offers guided tours every half hour from noon until 4 pm. For more information and directions, click here.
It’s a short walk from Woodlawn to Frank Lloyd Wright’s house but more about Pope-Leighey house next time…
Posted in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Travels, United States, tagged Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, UPenn, Vedge, Vegan, Vegetate on Tuesday, 7 July, 2015| 13 Comments »
The University of Pennsylvania, created in the mid-1700s by Benjamin Franklin, is a gorgeous tree-lined campus. We took the 1.5 hour prospective student tour, ascertained all the pertinent information needed for undergraduate studies and enjoyed seeing all the lovely buildings/artwork. It’s definitely worth a walk around the campus even if you’re not college shopping. There’s a self-guided walking tour.
College Hall, built in 1872 and Ben Franklin Statue. The building was the inspiration of Penn alumnus Charles Addams for the Addams Family mansion.
Big White Button. The crack in the button represents the Schuylkill River which runs through Philadelphia. When you’re at the button, you’re in the middle of College Green and according to our tour guide, classmates use the Button as a meet-up point ~ “meet me at the button” is said a lot.
Hands Gate ~ notice the additional one?
Another beautiful campus building
Colorful LOVE
Archway at UPenn
While in Philadelphia, I highly recommend two restaurants. But, be forewarned, they are absolutely delicious, but Vegan:
Verge is an innovative, delicious tapas-style restaurant located at 1221 Locust Street in City Center. It’s only open for dinner and is very popular so reservations are highly recommended. We went early and snagged a table next to the kitchen. Not ideal but it was actually fun to watch all the staff. I was very tempted to have dessert but my two tapas selections were too filling. For two of us, we had two selections each and a glass of wine. In addition to the yummy menu selections, service was outstanding! Our bill (without tip) came to $81.00.
Spicy Tofu
Golden Beets ~ my favorite plate of the evening!
Our view from our table. Be sure to make reservations for a better location!
Vegetate is located near UPenn and Drexel at 3210 Chestnut and is a great place to have a quick and inexpensive lunch. I recommend the Vegatacos, a smoothie and a sweet potato cupcake ~ Delish!
We stayed at the Inn at Penn (Hilton) which is adjacent to the University of Penn. It was an ideal location for college tours. Since it was only $2.50, we hopped on Bus 21 when we went into City Center. We rode the bus four times and each time I was very impressed with the friendly and extremely helpful bus drivers. On every trip, I witnessed the drivers going out of their way to help elderly passengers with walkers or wheelchairs. The drivers made sure those passengers were comfortable and safe. It was heartwarming to see the true meaning of Brotherly Love.
Posted in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Photography, Travel, United States, tagged Bench, Liberty Bell, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Signer's Park on Monday, 6 July, 2015| 3 Comments »
As we drove through the hot summer haze heading into Philadelphia, with smoke stacks spewing and litter on the roads, we realized we’ve been spoiled with the clean streets of Washington DC. We were in town to tour three colleges so our time for visiting Philly’s famous landmarks was limited. First stop: Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.
The iconic Liberty Bell, the symbol of Freedom, first rang in the tower of the Pennsylvania State House now called Independence Hall. In the 19th century, the inscription on the bell became a rallying cry for abolitionists in the hopes of ending slavery.
“Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof,” the inscription on the Liberty Bell
Global Symbol of Liberty
The Liberty Bell is located at Liberty Bell Center (6th & Market Streets). The queue starts at the doors on the north end of the building. Entrance is free and we waited in line for about 10 minutes. Security will check your bags before you enter. Food & drinks (except water) are prohibited. Be sure to give yourself enough time to read the displays and watch the short video ~ about 20 minutes. For more information, go to their website here.
After viewing the Liberty Bell, we strolled through Signer’s Park. A nice place to take a break for a moment.
The Signer
Signer’s Park Bench
Posted in Photography, Travel, USA, Virginia, tagged Alexandria, Boston, Frenchmen, Hermione, NYC, Tall Ship, Virginia on Thursday, 2 July, 2015| 9 Comments »
Touring the Hermione was so much fun and, lucky me, a friend shared her extra ticket with so I went twice!
The ship is amazing. I’m in awe of the hand craftsmanship and the 18 years it took to build it. While standing on the deck, I imagined what it must have been like being in the middle of the Atlantic ~ how exciting!
The Historic Hermione and airplane in flight overhead
French Flag and Colonial Flag.
There are 15 miles of rope and the height of the ship is 56.5 meters (185ft)
No idea what this is or why there’s a measurement on it but thought it looked cool
The original Hermione was a fighting ship and there are 34 canons
There was a nice breeze on board
Lots of happy smiles
My favorite part of the tour was speaking with the volunteers and crew members about their maiden voyage on such a historic ship. Wish I could actually speak French because I’m sure a lot was lost in translation but thankfully the volunteers spoke enough English to tell their stories.
Cute Frenchmen
Another cute Frenchmen…
Pirate looking volunteer
Frenchwoman as part of the crew
Other than the volunteers and crew members, local reenactors joined the ship while it was in port:
Love the Hermione Hat
Colonial women greeting the ship
On the Lookout for trouble
Another fun aspect of touring the Hermione is I got a chance to meet a fellow blogger, Robin and his wife. His photos of the Hermione are fabulous ~ check them out at Photographybykent.
The Hermione has been making her way up the Eastern Seaboard and has stopped in Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia and is currently in New York City until July 4, 2015. Click here for a fantastic NY Times article about their arrival in NYC and more historical facts about Lafayette.
Next three stops are: Greenport, NY, Newport, RI and Boston. If you get a chance, I highly recommend touring the ship (or at least seeing it up close). You won’t be disappointed. See full itinerary here.
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