Quick, say Ljubljana 3 times fast! (Hint: the J sounds like Y). This is the capital of Slovenia, and a beautiful arty youthful city. It housese the Slovenian Academy of Arts and Sciences, and each year there are over 10,000 cultural events – last year there were ten international festivals of music, theater and art. The centerpiece is the historic St. Nicholas cathedral rebuilt in the 1700s, which had these amazing 10 ft. tall bronze doors – this is a closeup of the “handle” worn shiny from thousands of worshipers. The dragon is one of 4 that flock the corners of the Dragon bridge, cast in 1900 when the city was part of Austria-Hungary. The last photo was of a pre-school group who were acting out a play with “fisherman and his wife” marionettes.

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