I must say that our trips between places have been as enjoyable as bunkering down in places and discovering them in more detail. Our direct train from Split to Zagreb turned into a journey broken midway by bus over a section of line work being carried out. Not to worry though - all went smoothly and we just followed everyone else when necessary. Not much English spoken around here, so we do a lot of following.

Spectacular scenery enveloped us all the way, moving from more gorgeous Adriatic coastline, up into mighty mountains, and into a winter wonderland with snow falling and us just a little bit worried about icy roads as the bus ride was through the highest, most precipitous parts. We were relieved to finally dash through falling snow from the bus to board a train for the final few hours to Zagreb.

Overnight in Zagreb and a quick look around next morning gave us a taste of colder weather to come. Minus 6 degrees seemed like the right time to unpack our winter woolies, which to date have just been taking up space in our suitcases.

Then it was another scenic train ride by rushing rivers and through green valleys, past terra-cotta tiled farm houses, fat cows and woolly sheep, and through snowy mountains, to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia.

Our accommodation here is charming, in an old coach house, full of history and atmosphere. The attached restaurant is warm and cosy and serves delicious traditional food that suits our bellies fine in this cold weather.

We have covered many kilometres exploring this city, so full of surprises. Many bridges cross the river that flows through it - the Dragon Bridge, the Triple Bridge, the Cobblers’ Bridge, the Butchers’ Bridge, the Bakers’ Bridge to name a few, but sadly no bridge for the candlestick maker. The castle looms over the city from its position on a hill, as it has done for almost a thousand years. A very steep funicular runs to the top, but the many walking tracks up the hill are more inviting. The view from the top looks over Ljubljana rooftops to the snow covered mountains beyond.

Ljubljana won the European Green Capital award in 2016 and it is easy to see why. The water is clean, the air fresh, and the parks green. The city centre is mostly dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists. It has a high percentage of public green space per capita and thousands of new trees are being planted. Mind you, while we are here most of those trees are shedding their leaves for winter. Ljubljana is also the European capital with the highest share of separated waste that is collected and an ambitious plan of achieving zero waste.

With a population of not much more than 200,000, Ljubljana feels more like a country town than a city. I loved strolling through its uncrowned streets, along its lovely river and through its spacious parks. Tivoli is the largest park, with many hiking trails through it, and a very impressive open-air gallery along its main promenade. Various exhibitions are hosted here. At present there is a photographic display titled “Ljubljana, a City With Plečnik’s Signature”, showing how the city looked in the 1920s, when Slovenia’s greatest architect began realising his masterful projects. Contrasting these archival photographs, the other side of the Jakopič Promenade displays contemporary photographs by Matevž Paternoster, which unveil new perspectives of Plečnik’s artworks.

Many art centers, galleries and museums are in this area around the park and within it. The buildings are beautiful and every corner you turn presents a new structure to enjoy. As well, art works are plentiful throughout the city with sculptures and wall art, not to mention the graffiti which is an art unto itself, giving many a pleasant surprise. I am not so sure what to make of the graffiti- I have never seen so much in one town. Some of it is creative, some crap, but all very colourful. And then, amongst all this, every now and again you spy remains of the old town wall built by the Romans in the 1st century AD.

I guess you are all wondering by now why I haven’t mentioned cemeteries yet on this trip. Well, good things come to those who wait, so now is the time. I spent an enjoyable afternoon wandering through Ljubljana’s main cemetery, not that I have any relatives there. (I know! What a surprise!) Žale Cemetery in Ljubljana is considered to be one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe. All graves are beautifully designed and kept, with colourful flowers and candles adorning them, and plants incorporated into the designs growing around and in them. Designed by Plečnik, it was not his intention to create a traditional cemetery. His vision in his words: "Let us make a garden in which to take our leave of the departed, let us place chapels in it, surrounded by greenery, to act as individual chapels of rest." It gives the impression of a park, with its benches, shrines, fountains, and so on, placed among the greenery making a very peaceful setting.

Ljubljana really is a fascinating city and we have barely scratched the surface.