Slovenia: Piran

Piran is a historic town on Slovenia's Mediterranean coast, and is one of my favorite places from the trip. My sister, Wendy, and her husband, Tom, discovered the town on a previous trip, and we all gathered there for a few days. The town has a rich cultural heritage, with narrow streets and ancient, gorgeous architecture.


I spent a couple of days there--one night and morning visiting with family, and another couple of evenings on an assignment. The first morning, I woke up early and wandered the main square taking photos. The sun was coming up behind the town, and lit the clouds with an eerie blue light. The town at the hour had a quiet urgency, with a smattering of shopkeepers, fisherman, and commuters on the move in the dark, salty air.


The town is small, old, and the Mediterranean air is wonderful. I also really enjoyed Tom's observations. He loved to measure the town's rhythms and take in the ebb and flow of life from his seaside balcony. He knew which fisherman would go by at what time, when the kids would come out for swimming lessons, and when the markets would open and sell him some pastries. My sister Wendy also had her finger on the pulse of the town, and she found two stray cats that she would feed every morning.

Deadlines beckon, so these images will have to suffice today!

Slovenia: Savna Pec

I've been away for a bit, as the past three weeks were spent in Slovenia. The trip has been by far the best of the year, and one of the best of my life.

The trip began in Zagreb, where I gathered with my sisters, father and his wife. After an entertaining day in Zagreb, we headed into Slovenia to visit our relatives, the Mejac family, in Savna Pec, a tiny cluster of farms not far from Hrastnik. We spent three days there visiting, hiking around the farm, and eating (and then eating some more). We saw the home our great-grandfather, Miha, was born in.


Seeing where you come from is such a powerful experience. The mountain near Savna Pec is evocative of Middle Mound, the hill my grandfather spent his life near. The faces are familiar, and the potica, strukla, and smiles all reminded me of those I've seen in Willard, Wisconsin (my Dad's home town) my entire life.

The Bridge

As most of the world knows, the bridge over 35W collapsed last night. My neighbor, Craig, told me when he stopped by on the way to go out to dinner, and we spent the night in front of the television at a local restaurant, calling friends and relatives to make sure none of them were involved.

One friend crossed the bridge a few minutes before the accident, and another was on his bicycle a few blocks away, but that's it so far. I'm thankful for that.

So far, the loss of life appears to be surprisingly low for such a major catastrophe, and the reports from the scene indicate people stayed relatively calm, resilient and helpful. Their efforts are admirable, and my heart goes out to those who lost friends and loved ones in this tragedy.