Ljubljanized! (17-20 April)

I had the great opportunity to go to the General Assembly of the European Volunteer Centre (CEV, acronym in French) that took place in Ljubljana (capital city of Slovenia) from 17th to 20th April. CEV is an European network of volunteer organizations all around the continent. I went there as the representative of SEEYN, new member of CEV. The main topic of the conference was Putting volunteering on the economic map of Europe. For that reason, the main speech was done by Lester Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Civil Society Studies (USA). This institution works for the recognition of the economic weight of volunteer activities by the ILO. After a long day of discussions among their members, CEV agreed to urge EU countries and EUROSTAT to measure the economic value of volunteering. And it was great for me to be a part of this.

What to say about the city? Ljubljana is a beautiful quiet city, more similar to Austria than to a Balkan city. Coming to the tidy capital city of Slovenia from chaotic Sarajevo is the perfect way to notice it. "This is not a Balkan country, or at least we're somewhere in between the Balkans and Central Europe", a local guy told me. The city center is smaller than I thought, so you can reach everything on foot. And it is really nice to walk along the river, crossing the Triple bridge. Sitting on a terrace on a sunny Sunday and take a look at the castle. Then walk again to enjoy the coloured buildings and the wide squares. Everything is so beautiful and perfect that you have the feeling that you're in a fairy tale, waiting for some blond princess to appear in the balcony of the Town Hall. (The fact that it didn't happen to me doesn't mean that it could happen to you. Who knows. Everything is possible).


But if you're tired of this ideal and romantic atmosphere, then head to Metelkova. This autonomous social center is located on what used to be the Slovenian headquarters of the Yugoslav People's Army. There you can find seven buildings: art galleries, bars (a gay bar included), and also the popular Hostel Celica. This hostel won several awards basically due to its special origins: it was a former prison redecorated by some local artists. So you can live the unique and claustrophobic experience of sleeping on a strangely beautiful cell. But at least you're free to go out whenever you want, and enjoying the wide offer of drinks in Metelkova bars: you can chose among a can of Union or Laško beer. I strongly recommend this place because of its originality. Every detail on the walls calls your attention. Some of the people I was with compared it with East Berlin.

And if you have a car and a free day, don't miss the lakes Bled and Bohinsko. Just 40 minutes far from Ljubljana, Bled is another fairy tale place, with its church in an island in the middle of the lake. And the castle on a hill over the lake. Amazingly beautiful but too touristic for me. I preferred the pure air of sea-coloured lake Bohinsko. "This is the Caribbean", Nicola joked. (It was cold and rainy. I smiled, thinking to myself: well, there is something from the Caribbean that I miss now...).
Back in town we enjoyed the Saturday night life on a huge club in the center. Then you are aware of the Balkan halve of Slovenians: girls and boys dancing pop and turbo folk songs in Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Macedonian... and of course Slovenian. An special suggestion from Lluch, the great discover coming from Barcelona: talk to the Bosnian taxi drivers in Ljubljana. "They are nice and funny, and we were talking about politics", he told me. By the way, that was at 5am after the party.

Lake Bled

Dedicated to all the nice people I met in Ljubljana, especially Lluch and Nicola. I'll be waiting for you in Sarajevo!

OST Some shitty country song on Radio Sarajevo