Update

To those of you checking out my blog I feel that I should let you know that I am so far behind in my posts, that it is unlikely I will catch-up before I return back to Canada. I am in the midst of essay writing at the moment, and will soon travel for the holidays with my lovely and amazing girlfriend Steph.

In anycase, I will at some point in the next 2 months finish my posts, and maybe I can even go through them with you if you like. I have taken somewhere around 2500 pictures, so this blog is a good way to show you a short(er) version of my trip.

To those of you who are students coming to Koper next term, I will hopefully get a chance to put up a post about the Faculty of Humanities here. As I am writing in the library, it is a nice break to have a coffee and take a few pictures of this pretty nice building.

Although I won't take the time to put up pictures, I can let you know a bit about what I've done in the last little while. Budapest (my last post) seems like ages ago. Since then I spent a week a Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. This was a great experience for me, especially because of my interest in the country and the fact that it is the subject of the paper I am currently writing (The Implementation of Constitutionally Mandated Diversity Management Techniques in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada). This trip included hitchiking from Koper to Zagreb, 3 nights in Sarajevo, day trips to the towns of Gorazde and Mostar, and then hitchhiking up the Croatian coast.

I also had a chance to go to Belgium for a weekend. We found very cheap RyanAir tickets (10 Euros return - about $14) to Brussels, where we stayed with friends of my travel buddy Ella who had lived there prior to coming to Slovenia. It was a quick trip, but well worth it.

Click the "Read More" link below to see a few pictures.

Budapest

In early November, a few of us took a road trip to Budapest for the weekend. My friend Mario drove here from his home in Spain - so the 6 hour drive gave me chance to practice my Spanish with Mario, Carlos, and Javier. Despite the rainy weather, we had a nice time. Click the "Read More" link below to see more pictures.

November Snowstorm

I hitchhiked from Koper to Ljubljana for a meeting and encountered snow along the way. It was something I didn't expect to see in early November. Koper's climate is much more maritime, so getting inland to Ljubljana is always a welcome change. These pictures are from this short trip to Ljubljana. Included is a photo of the Institue for Ethnic Studies - my main library and professor's office.

Vina Koper

The local winery here in Koper is quite well known in Slovenia. They make some good (and some not so good) wines ranging in price from 3 euro to hundreds. Me, I usually stick to the bottom end of that range, but an St. Martin's day all bets are off when the winery has a weeklong party. Also in this group of pictures is a trip to a wine tasting and market in the center of Koper. A nice experience, and a good way to get tipsy at 11 in the morning.

Click "Read More" to see photos.

Skocjanski Jame

Here are photos of a visit to Skocjanski Jame (skosh-yen-ski ya-may). A really amazing place and typical of the karst geography of this region. Limestone and water - ingredients for fantastic geological features.

Click the "Read More" link below to see more pictures.

One Month Later

Well, it has been a month since my last post, so I suppose it is time for an update. I've done quite a bit since the end of October. Adventures to Škocjanske jame (Skocljan Caves), Piran, Budapest, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Split, and of course several trips to Ljubljana. In fact, I'm quite proud of the fact that I made it to 4 capitals in less than a week - can't do that in North America!
We also had St. Martin's day festivities at Vina Koper, in addition to a wine tasting the week before. Yes, lots of fun to be had - though studying gets in the way sometimes!

In the posts above you can take a look at some of the pictures, should the mood strike you. Enjoy!

Koper at Night

Here are a few night shots of Koper. You'll see Tito Square, as well as a few of the narrow backstreets of the town. Also, the photos that have a lot of palm trees are around the Djiaskidom, and comprises my nightly walk home.

Ljubljana (loo-blee-an-a)

Here are some photos from a day trip to Ljubljana. I went with Alenka and Terezka from Slovakia, since they have a friend from home staying there, who was willing to show us around the city. It was quite a cold day, so we started out warming up in a cafe, but we eventually made it to the University of Ljubljana, as well as checking out a couple of the libraries in town. Since both Terezka and I have our departments in Ljubljana it we were able to get situated there and see where we will be spending some of our time.

Bike Trip

Last weekend we took an ESN sponsored bike trip around Koper and the Slovenian coast. We followed the "Path of Health and Friendship" - a pedestrian and cycling path, built along the old train route that linked Trieste, Italy, to Porec, Croatia. It was a lovely and tiring 65 km trip that took us from Koper to the Italian border, then back down through Koper to the Croatian border. Some highlights include a chance meeting with some lovely Slovenian moonshiners (and a taste of their schnapps), the salt flats at the Croatian border, and generally just enjoying the Slovenian landscape of vinyards and olive groves. Click the "Read More" link below to see more pictures.

Piran

On our way home from Croatia we stopped in at Piran, which is just down the coast from Koper. It is quite close, yet this is the only time I have actually been there! I plan to get back there as soon as possible, since it is a very nice town, as you will see in these photos. Once I do get back there, I'll post some photos taken in daylight. Click the "Read More" link below to see the pictures.

Croatian Road Trip

Here are some photos from a day trip to Croatia. My Finnish friend Ella had a friend from home visiting and they rented a car, so I was able to tag along on their trip south, along with Michael and Magda from the Czech Republic. We headed down the coast to the towns of Umag, Novigrad, and Porec, before heading inland to the hilltop town of Motovun. This part of Croatia is called Istria. If you look at a map it is a large peninsula with the city of Pula at the southern tip. Koper and much of south-western Slovenia are also part of Istria, and interestingly the Italian name for Koper is Capodistria, which means "head of Istria". It was a lovely trip, and I look forward to heading back that way to visit Rijeka and more of the Croatian Coast. Click the "Read More" link below to see more pictures.

Trieste

Trieste, or "Trst" in Slovenian, is about a 45 minute bus ride away from Koper. It is a medium sized city at about 200,000 inhabitants. Interstingly, there is a major Slovenian influence there. During the communist era, the Italiam government offered citizenship to a large number of Slovenes, resulting in large Slovene suburbs surrounding the city. Nevertheless, this is most definitely an Italian city, and has some very nice sights. Click on the "Read More" link below to see more pictures.

Two Weeks On

Well, two weeks on and it's time for an update. My first week in Koper seems like ages ago, but I'll try my best to include the most important details.

The first week essentailly included getting oriented. Many of the Erasmus (European exchange) students didn't arrive until the second week of October, but those that were here got to enjoy a deluge of welcome events. A welcome party with all Erasmus students in Koper was the highlight. We began at a small pub and played some get-to-know-you games organized by our fantastic Slovenian tutors. Eventually we moved onto the beach, and in an attempt to make a name for myself as a tough Canadian, I went swimming. Indeed, I think I swam every day for the first 10 days I was here. Fabulous weather - though the only people that went with me were Poles and Fins. Everyone else (mostly from warm climates) thought we were insane, but when it is 25 degrees out and the water is 20, it was absolutely fantastic (at least by Canadian, Polish, and Finish standards).

It should be said that when I arrived in Koper, my first impression wasn't great. The train/bus station is a little outside of town, and surrounded by construction sites and rather disappointing buildings. However, the town center is lovely. It doesn't take long to get a grasp of this small city. You are never more than 10 minutes from where you need to be.

My roommates - a Pole (Tomek) and a Turk (Baris)- arrived a week later than me, so I had the place to myself for a bit. I'm happy to have some company now, since it keeps things interesting and lively. Our room is about 3 times the size of those at the Djiaskidom (student residence), which also has 3 people to a room. The major drawback has been the lack of a kitchen, but I am very pleased to report that we got a fridge and hotplate yesterday! Our landlord in this Youth Hostel/Residence is actually very helpful. His limited knowledge of English aside, all we have to do is ask for something and he will find it for us - patio furniture, cabinets, fridge, hotplate, dishes, extension cords, shower curtains, cleaning supplies, and so on. Even though the rent is 15 euros more than the dorm, I think it is well worth it to be here. We are on the edge of town, but it only takes about 7 minutes to walk to the Djiaskidom, which is in the center - about 100 meters from Tito square.

The community of Erasmus students here is really great. A few of us were commenting yesterday on how even with 50 of us, there has been no drama. Everyone is friendly and enjoyable to be around. Of course, in a month or two I may be at Tomek or Baris' throat, but right now it doesn't seem likely. It really is a community - everyone looks out for everyone else. Most of us are taking advantage of this chance to learn about eachother's culture (mostly food, drink, and music). I've also had some impromptu language lessons in Slovak, Polish, and Turkish (and of course slovene). I am honestly quite terrible with languages, and dispite my best efforts I can never seem to pronounce anything properly. At times we all have a laugh at my butchering of various languages - but seriously, I often can't hear the differnce when they say "No no no - it isn't Matchka it's Matchka"! And how the heck do can you have words with no vowels?! I just stick to "Hvala" (thanks), "Doberdan" (goodafternoon), and lako noch (goodnight).

On the important topic of Food: it is hit and miss.The student card system here is great though. There are about 10 restuarants in Koper (and others in Izola, Piran, and Portoroz) where we may eat at a discounted price. We simply buy vouchers at the student center (Soup - pronounced "shope") for anywhere between 91 cents and 3,50, and we can enjoy 3 course meals that would noramlly cost between 5 and 15 euros! The only problem is the prevalence of pizza. I really thought with the proximity to the sea there would be more fish, but I think 4 of the 10 subsidized resaurants in Koper are pizzerias.

Before I get to my travels, I should probably mention something about my classes - after all, I did come here to study. I will be taking 2 classes with Mitja Zagar, who is affiliated with numerous universities in Europe. These classes will take the form of a directed readings course - one on Comparative Politics and the other on Minority Protection. I am starting to hit the books, since I will have to do a lot of reading, which will culminate in 2 final papers as well as oral exams. I am glad to get started studying, since it will keep me busy.

So, without classes to keep me busy in the first 2 weeks, I have been doing some travelling. Above you will find more postings on some of the exploring I have been doing around the region. Trieste, Croatia, Ljubljana, and the area around Koper.

Photos of Koper!

Here are some photos from Munich. I had a 4 hour stopover on the train, so I took a bit of time to explore.

Here are some photos from Frankfurt.

From Toronto to Frankfurt, From Frankfurt to Koper

It is diffucult to decide where to begin. I have been in Koper for only two days, but it has taken me months to get here. From a brief announcement during a lecture at Conrad Grebel, to application forms, and countless e-mails between Canada and Slovenia, it has been months of preparation. Firstly, I need to highlight the tremendous help I recieved on the Canadian side. Particularly, Nathan Funk at Conrad Grebel University College (University of Waterloo) helped answer my questions, assist with any problems, and provided some great encouragement. Also, Pauline Tennent at the Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice (University of Manitoba) was a tremendous help getting me in contact with the University of Primorska faculty, and dealing with all sorts of problems that I found myself faced with. Any account of my exchange experience must really begin by thanking Nathan and Pauline, since without their help I would not be here.

The first weeks will likely turn out to be the most difficult. Getting used to a new culture, being the only person around who has english as their first language, and conquering feelings of isolation resulting from knowing nobody and being so far from home.

I arrived in Frankfurt Germany on September 21st. I chose to fly in and out of Frankfurt for a couple of reasons. One - flights to this major European hub were significantly cheaper than flights to other cities. Two - I could visit Eric Bell and Kris Frick, some old friends. Eric and his girlfriend Ola put me up in their apartment for what was supposed to be three days, but truned into seven. They were incrediably wonderful hosts and made me feel very welcome, even though they were also hosting some of Ola's friend from Poland, who were in town to visit the Frankfurt Autoshow. We had a lot of fun together around the city - visiting a few sights, going out for some great Frankfurt cuisine (Apfelwine, Frankfurters and Sauerkraut), and enjoying eachothers company with dinners at home. It was really a pleasure to meet these great people and ease into the idea of life in Europe with the help of some friends.

With the help of Ola (who should really be a travel agent) I was able to find the cheapest way to get from Frankfurt, to my ultimate destaination in Koper. Only 34 euros to Munich, where I had four hours to explore the city a bit, and reminisce about the time I spent there nearly 5 years ago. From there I took a 9 hour night train to Venice for 53 euros. I was able to briefly peek out of the train station and see a vew canals, but since it is only about 3 hours by bus/train from Koper (and only 12 euros), I will be able to visit Venice again and see the sights. Train from Venice to Trieste, Italy less than 2 hours and costs about 9,20 euros. From Trieste it is only 15 km, or 45 by bus to Koper - 3 euros.
The transition from chilly Frankfurt nights, to a sunny and hot mediterranean climate was a bit of a shock, but I have so far been enjoying some lovely weather.