Slovenija~Celje, Cevapcici, & Cokolino

This morning was a hectic one.  I woke up at 8:00 and went to check my email to see if Irina had emailed me back about trying to meet up sometime.  I HATE not having a phone here!  Anyways, she had written me back and said she had to work but I could come see her at work.  I check the train schedule and it said there was one leaving at 8:50.  I rushed back to my room, grabbed my stuff and hobbled as fast as I could to the train station.  I got there at 8:45 and bought my ticket and rushed to the right platform only to find the internet had been wrong and the train left at 8:45, not 8:50 so I had missed it by 3 minutes!  I almost started to cry but decided to pull it together.

I found out what time the train I had a ticket for was leaving (9:50) and decided to try and find something to eat for breakfast.  I could have gotten McDonald’s, but I can have that in the states anytime.  There was a little convenience store in the train station and I saw a sign for Magnum bars and just had to get one b/c it was on my list of things to eat while in Slovenija & Jonesy & I loved eating these when we came back in 2004 to visit.  So, I bought an almond Magnum bar and ate that for breakfast in honor of Jonesy.

I was sitting on a bench enjoying my Magnum bar (with lots of people looking at me like I was crazy for eating ice cream so early in the morning on a cold day) when this guy who was smoking walked over by me.  It stunk so bad that I got up and moved down the platform to the next train area.  A few minutes later, he came walking down to where I was & lit up another cigarette!  I made a face like, “Phew.  You stink!”  and moved even further down the platform.  I was enjoying my Magnum bar when a 2nd guy walked down towards where I was and started smoking!  I also gave him “the look” and he walked away eventually.  I know they weren’t doing it on purpose…they were completely oblivious to how much they stunk and how close they were to me.  But really, how could they not know or even notice?  If you’re going to do something that can other people’s lung cells, try to be a little more courteous and aware and go kill off your lung cells by yourself.

The train finally showed up and I had to snap a picture of this intersection as the train sped by.  The sisters used to live in an apartment on the ground floor of this green blok.  I remember standing and waiting everyday on this corner waiting for the buses to come.  So many memories!!!

This was just a quaint little train station that we stopped at.  I liked taking the potniski (slow) train today instead of the fast one I took to Maribor yesterday.  It takes longer on the potniski, but there are a lot more stops and I got to enjoy more of the countryside.

This is Zidani Most (most means bridge) where I had to switch trains.  I like the way the arches of the bridge reflect in the water.  I was so tired, but I made myself keep my eyes open so I could soak in all of the beauty of Slovenija.  I didn’t want to miss any of it by closing my eyes.  I tried burning thousands of images into my mind that I didn’t capture with my camera so I can remember how everything looked for years to come.

I got off the train in Celje and this was the sight that greeted me.  I felt very emotional and a lot of nostalgia by being in this city.  Even stepping off the train and onto the platform brought back memories of transfers and waiting there with the Maxfields for new missionaries to come and old ones to leave.

This star is right in the center of town and I spent so many hours there trying to contact people and tell them about the gospel.  This alleyway is where the Maxfield’s apartment was.  I stood across the way from where their apartment was and could picture Elder Maxfield opening the window to throw down the key to us so we could unlock the little door to let ourselves in.

I love this bank b/c of the multiple levels of columns and window flower boxes.  It was here that I would use the ATM to get out our monthly rent amount.  Just kiddy corner of this bank to the north is the Mercator where we would get Poli sandwiches and drinkable yogurt for lunch and do our small grocery shopping on P days.

I just adore the contrast of the vibrant colored flowers against the backdrop of the faded century old building.  This is right down the street from the bank and across from the elementary school.

This is where I got so emotional that a few tears (just a few) escaped from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks.  This window that sticks out above the store is where we the sisters in Celje used to live.  I LOVED this apartment b/c it was huge and it was right across the hallway from the church.  I wasn’t going to walk up there, but the gate was open so I went up and just stood outside the apartment door and remembered the hundreds of times as a missionary that I would go in and out of those doors.  Walking down the stairs and looking at the mailboxes at the bottom of the stairs is when the few tears escaped.  I am eternally blessed for having been able to serve a mission in such a special country.

I had to stop and get a picture of my reflection in the windows of the Lekarna across the street.  That reflection has changed a lot from when I was a missionary 7 years ago.  However, I still hold all the memories, lessons learned, struggles, hardships, triumphs, and blessings in my heart.  So even though I’m not wearing a skirt and nametag in this picture, I felt like a missionary once again in the Celestial City of Celje.

I wasn’t about to walk all the way to City Center (which was about 2 km away) b/c I didn’t have a lot of time, so I took a taxi there and went and found Irinia at the pizza parlor in the mall where she works.  Since she was working, she couldn’t stop and come sit and talk, which I completely understand.  I was just glad to see her, and just stood at the counter and talked to her when she wasn’t helping customers.  It was WONDERFUL to see her again and to just chat for a little bit.  I admire her so much.  I was only able to stay and talk for an hour and a half, so I sadly said my good byes and headed back towards the train station.

I didn’t realize how late in the day it was, and I had told Majda I would meet her at my hotel at 3:00 when she got off work, but I wasn’t going to make it.  So, I stopped at Milena’s apartment to see if she was home so I could use her phone to call Majda.  Luka was the only one home, but he let me use his phone and then looked up the train schedule online for me.  He was so sweet and offered to walk to the train station with me and wait until my train came!  While we were walking, I told him that I’ve always thought that someday he’ll be an apostle b/c of how wonderful and faithful he is.  I remember him teaching Sunday School at the age of 16 right after he got baptized!  Who does that?  He just laughed it off and said he’s not serious enough to be an apostle.  I told him he can be the next Pres. Uchtdorf and he just gave me a humble and sheepish smile.  It meant so much to me that he would walk with me to the train station and then wait with me until it got there.  I look up to him so much and he is one of my favorite members in Slovenija.

Once I got back into Ljub, I needed to check my email to see if Majtaz had emailed me back about getting together sometime tonight.  I went to the internet cafe in the train station where we used to check emails every P day as missionaries…talk about bringing back a lot of memories.  B/c I only used the internet for a few minutes the guy there didn’t charge me, which I thought was very kind of him.  I finally bought a phone card and used it at the payphone to call Majtaz and let him know I got his email and when and where we could meet up tonight and then I called Majda to see if she wanted to hang out for a little bit.

She came & met me at my hotel at 5:15 and she took me to this restaurant in the basement of a building called Sarajevo ‘84.  They have traditional Serbian food that she wanted me to try just for a different experience.  I got some cevapcici served in a flatbread.  Cevapcici is a grilled minced meat and kind of reminded me of sausage, but with a different flavor.  It was good, but I still prefer Kebapci’s.

She wanted to try using my camera and went around the restaurant taking a  bunch of pictures.  I liked how the wall had exposed brick near the top.  I also tried their baklava, but it was just OK.  We sat and talked for a while and then went on a walk.  We walked past a store (S. Oliver) that had jeans, and she is trying to find a good pair.  I didn’t want to go into the store b/c the ladies in there looked really snobby and I wasn’t dressed nice and Majda had her walking sticks, but we went in anyways.  The jeans she was looking at were $80 Euros!  That is so ridiculous to me, b/c I refuse to spend more than $30 dollars on a pair of jeans.  I couldn’t believe how expensive the clothes were and know it’s hard to find nice and cheap clothes in Slovenija.  Also, none of the stores I saw carry clothes for plus size people.  Anyways, she didn’t end up buying a pair but said she would go back later and try some on.

We took a walk around part of the city and I found this cool old door to add to my collection.  Look at how ornate the parts above the door are!

The city is so pretty at night when it’s all light up.  I was able to get this cool picture of center with the lights reflecting on the river.  Ljubljana is such a beautiful city.  There were 2 guys signing by one of the outside cafes, so we stopped and listened to them sing for a little bit.  They were really good and played a good mix of Slovene & American songs.

Majda & I walked to the train station where I was going to meet Majtaz at 8:00.  Majda went home with the bus (she was going to go walking in Tivoli but decided she was too tired), and I went with Majtaz to go pick up Erik (I knew him as Elder Swensen) at the airport.  When we got to Majtaz’s car, a friend of his from work came out of the building and needed a ride to his car, so we gave him one.  His friend was really nice and gave me a free t-shirt (now I don’t have to buy a gift for Nick).  We had some time to kill, so Majtaz drove me past where the US Ambassador lives, and it is NICE!  Then we drove past the church and the lights were on and there were cars in the parking lot, so we stopped and went inside.  There was a group of members there practicing their musical number for the 20 year celebration party on Saturday.  It was wonderful to see some of the members again.

Anyways, we left and went to the airport.  Erik was a little early and Tina pulled up right as we were walking to the car.  He went with her and Majtaz and I followed them to Tina’s house, where Erik was staying.  We met her boyfriend and his family, and they have a super nice house with 4 levels!  We watched some CNN b/c they were showing the Chilean miners that were being rescued, which I was so glad to hear!  We went up to her & Gasper’s level of the house and just sat and talked.

We had sok (of course) and then she made me some cokolino, which I was thrilled about b/c it is on my list of things to eat while in Slovenija.  Her boyfriend is a kick in the pants and had us laughing the whole time.  They are good together.

I just had to try out her new tub b/c it was so huge, and I was actually big enough for me to stretch out in!  It was already 11:00 and Majtaz needed to go b/c he is driving to Berlin tomorrow w/ some co-workers for his job.  He dropped me off at the hotel and I used the internet to chat with Mom on Facebook for a little bit.  She let me know that Autumn has been doing better than she ever dreamed possible and hasn’t cried for me at all.  She has been a little sick and threw up from coughing so hard but other than that is doing fantastic.  I was so happy to hear that.  I have a busy day ahead of me and need to go to sleep!