Day 19--The Ljubljana Castle....When you try too hard to fix an old castle

We spend the day in Ljubljana.  We think we know how to pronounce it now.  Lube-la-yanna.  We think.  The morning was spent walking the Old City, visiting the Cathedral, then taking the 2nd shortest in the world funicular up to the Ljubljana Castle.  You recall we rode the shortest last week in Zagreb clocked in at 55 seconds.  This one timed out at 60 seconds......

This is the 'pope door'  pretty amazing brass sculptures.

Now, the Ljubljana Castle.  Originally built in the 11th century then rebuilt in the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th, and 20th century.  They couldn't leave this castle alone!  Finally, they turned it into a 21st-century museum and, in my mind, really cheapened it even further.  Too much glass, steel, LED lights and pay toilets.  It came off like a Soviet-era attempt at Disneyland.  Sorry, bad attitude.  I like my castles old, original and no bathrooms!

View of Ljubljana from the Tower

View of the castle from the town below.

The highlight of the day was Joze Flecnik's house.  This was one crazy architect who designed or re-designed most everything in Slovenia and much of Eastern Europe in the first half of the 20th century.  Quite a guy, a recluse, really.  Lived by himself after he threw his brother out of the house.  But, very productive and revered for his architectural expertise.

Excellent English speaking docent.  Loved his uniform, Batman t-shirt and Bermuda shorts!

This is Flecnik's morning chair.  He couldn't cook, but he could make coffee.
A workaholic, he would heat his water in the morning in the wood stove and
while waiting he had his table to the right of him.  The circular cut out in the
seat, we were told, was to store books.  Yeah, right.......

Interestingly, within days of his death in 1955, his nephew photographed every room from every angle, then shut the place up and left it for years.  In recent times, the state has bought the property, curated it and presents it the same as if Flecnik has gone outside to use the loo.  Another Baltic Region time warp.

Nothing has changed on his desk since he died almost 65 years ago!