L-A: Nostalgia

• Manja Mexi Mexcessive

For somebody living outside their country of origin, nostalgia is a dangerous word. This is Ljubljana, my city, until it wasn’t.

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There won’t be many words here. I went deep to where I used to be, for 40+ years, and returned with these images from various years and seasons.

  • Let’s start at the source. The autumn view of my old life.
  • This is home as I saw it if I looked up returning from school.
  • This was the winter view from the kitchen. Right now too, they tell me, a few cm of drama has fallen.
  • My first love lived in this street.
  • Pot means “path” in Slovenian. There is a ring around the city, The Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship, where the barb wire fence used to be during occupation. Now people walk or run the length of it (35 km or so) on Liberation Day, May 9th. Spot the red star.
  • Gently rolling double hills of Grmada and Šmarna gora spell home.
  • More serious mountains from my parents’ doorstep. I used to ski at Krvavec where that antenna is.
  • At Žale Cemetery where one half of my ancestors were laid to rest. Over here cremation is the norm.
  • Renovated Švicarija restaurant. I used to deliver lunches here by car not so long ago.
  • The wicked staircase of the Skyscraper – Nebotičnik. There is a bar on top with a lovely little terrace but you’ll have to ask them nicely to let you use the stairs.
  • Comfort food. Vienna-style steak and radicchio in old-style bowl at Slovenian House Figovec.
  • One hundred best Italian wines in the middle of Ljubljana.
  • I was astonished to find this fish moved to the old city centre. I used to play in it when little but it was in Tivoli park.
  • The Ljubljanica river. One could drown in it.
  • The centre of Ljubljana is so low-key. This is Trnovo, the hiphop centre, behind the Faculty of Architecture.
  • On the left, my favourite used books shop, Trubarjev antikvariat. On the right, a sports shop. Guess which one gets more visitors.
  • Nostalgijaaaa ♫♪
  • Hare Krishna promenade and Cacao gelato go together well.
  • The castle on the hill and snowy Ljubljana below.
  • A surprising find to drown me in nostalgia even more. A selection of Croatian beaches, including two favourites, the first one on the island Cres and the second near Duba on Pelješac peninsula.
  • A channel flowing into the Ljubljanica.
  • Academy of Sciences and Arts’ Research Centre.
  • Trubarjeva Street. Where it’s at.
  • The Church of St. Michael in Črna Vas by Jože Plečnik, premium Slovenian architect.
  • The view of my city from the Castle. Do you see this city? It looks like Sarajevo.
  • The bench says “dual grammatical case”, something Slovenian language is famous for. We say “midva” and mean us two. Sister took this one.
  • My ex living room. Is this snow outside?
  • My ex bedroom.
  • Before I get too nostalgic, I remind myself why I left. The slogan of local Radio City is: “Ni nam lahko.” (We don’t have it easy.) It’s trademarked and all.
  • And so I’ve been enjoying Italy for six years now. We found this set-up in Ljubljana though. They know.

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, hosted by Tina of travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com: Nostalgic

29 thoughts on “L-A: Nostalgia”

  3. Hmm. Many excellent photos. I like the autumn from window shot, and many of the streets shots. That spiral staircase is something. It should be in some spy movies, perhaps, with hand-to-hand combat rolling down the stairs Bourne Identity style, perhaps the occasional villain hurtling into the void. Or just walk up and down the stairs. Nevermind. 🙂

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  5. Quite an in-depth peek into your past with some really unique snapshots of life. The castle on the hill reminds if of the Chateau Champlain in Quebec City, and your spiral staircase shot is simply awesome.

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  6. There is so much to digest here, Manja. You are making me love Ljubljana! ( I always have to check my spelling!). There is so many vistas there that synchronise with me. The bookshop with the heavy door and the intriguing streets, even the low key houses. The Taxodium ? tree outside the window in the first photo and the mountains and ski fields at your doorsteo. Oh I should have been a Slovenian! Or a European at least. How did I end up in Australia!? Thanks for a lovely tour. Is it really not easy for Slovenians?

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    1. Thank you so much, Amanda! 🙂 It would be fun if you were indeed Slovenian. Have you checked your lineage back enough? 😉

      Well, it’s all in the head for the Slovenians. For some historical reasons, we are such a masochistic bunch (as are other Mittel-European nations, it appears). And then we complain and whine and suffer, secretly loving it all. (Until we don’t and we flee.)

      This fir tree (I don’t know exactly what it’s called in English, maybe spruce?) was put into its place by my father when I was born. 🙂 So we are the same age. Now they are considering cutting it down since it’s getting a bit out of control and could fall on the house in a strong wind.

      See you in Ljubljana when you get there! I firmly believe you will.

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      1. Yes I will make it there one day. Maybe the tree won’t be there when I arrive. But there is lots to see. Re the lineage: there is some weird connection with your area of the world but I can’t see yet how I am connected. Could be 5th cousin or more. Maybe in time that will reveal itself. I know many in my family that are definitely masochistic in nature. Always complaining!!

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    1. Thank you so much, Lexi, but I fear that this photo with this caption is a bit of fake news. I used to pass these structures very often, walking my first dog. I always considered them to be chimneys because the crematorium is right next to them. Alas, I think they are merely decorative structures. Sorry to trick you into commenting like this. :p

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  8. Thank you for sharing this Manja! So many amazing images from where you once lived your life. I left my home of origin Stockholm almost twenty years ago. There is so much nostalgia, emotion and memories that will always remain.

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  11. My favourite is the shot from Žale Cemetery. I think I recognize some of these photos. In that way, I’m traveling the nostalgia path with you. I wonder what emotions went through you as you found all these photos. When I undertake an exercise like this I can stay lost in time for hours, with tears, and giggles, and little gasps of “oh!” when I am reminded of something I had forgotten.

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    1. Thank you so much, Crystal. These photos were all taken now, during my visits in the last six years or so. So I was not really surprised to find them but I thought they went together well, since they are from different times and seasons. I especially like that shot of my first love’s street. I suppose I must brace myself in many ways now that I’m away. It would be a no-no-no to start moaning about missing my country. In this regard this blog is perfect, to do away with any such budding feeling that I could start having.

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Happy to learn the first thing on your mind.

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