Merrily into winter

No matter how I’m more than ready for it to end, on Thursday the winter only just begins. Try not to think about that.

The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (reblogged from Nes Felicio Photography)

Mal di Maremma is real. (As is mal d’Africa, the feeling of nostalgia of those who have visited Africa and want to go back.) I knew I’d need it one day, the quotation above, perfect for one whole week of waiting for the sun. It’s not been raining all of the time, it was snowing too, and the last few days have been dry but cold and covered. I’ve got the best of both worlds, I like to say, but I hope it doesn’t stay so cruelly divided: no rain there, no sun here.

I’ve seen it today though, the sun, weak but brave. It’s here to stay, it says, adding in a whisper that at home it’s stronger.

Here is the past week in people and glimpses of the (non) sun. But even without it, each our visit to Slovenia is always varied and wonderful. Thank you to everybody, even the dentist.

Ljubljana Mosque behind Union Brewery.

Das ist Walter, Sarajevo away from Sarajevo. She thought she could run away from me.

Lisca is the winner: First sun!

Du-Bop bar behind WTC Ljubljana.

He and sis call it “Living Room”. Cozy.

Three minutes of sun and I ran out. “Atom Venus” by Janez Boljka.

The next day Manouche were trying to play in heavy rain and wind. Kudos for even getting up there.

This Romano is not impressed.

Luckily we soon hid in Ziferblat with fellow translators. Just when we confirmed we sounded good together, they threw us out.

Into the rain/slash/snow, reflected in the Ljubljanica river.

One afternoon the sun was everywhere but here. A view of Krvavec ski resort from my parents’ house in Bežigrad, heavily zoomed in. We had high hopes for the first sunny day.

No rest for these wicked girls from Šiška. Honey brandy was keeping us warm.

No more things falling from the sky means more minus in temperature. I don’t know which is worse. Also, Ljubljana exaggerated with lights this season.

Promised sunny Saturday turned into this: fog, floods, but photos full of atmosphere. Podpeč lake.

St. Ana above the Ljubljana Marshes: not high enough to lose the fog.

I’d say that this lunch saved the day but the day trip was still a success due to mystic weather.

The hostess was fully prepared: Slovenian-Italian dictionary (and reverse). We learned “valerianella” and “temperamatite”.

The next day, the united colours of Bežigrad and still no sun.

But sunny conversation with lost and found high school friends.

The frame of mind where anything goes. A few more days, and then winter and back.

Photo: © signature mmm

A bit of a soundtrack: Manouche – Men si fensi (“You’re fancy to me”). So sorry for the weather that evening. It was impossible to bear it.