OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONIES

On our first day in Ljubljana it rained, and rained hard. After settling into our pad, we took advantage of a lull in the rain and went to get something to eat. We walked down our street, Mestni Trg, when it started to rain again. We ducked our heads into a bar named "Cafe Romeo" only to discover the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on the flat screen at the end of the wall. Far easier to watch them here than to try to figure out our tangle of technology back at the apartment (We have figured it out to a point by a week later). Because we knew we are going to be here watching for awhile we ambled slowly through ordering and eating. I enjoyed a .5 liter Union (pronounced sorta like our "onion") testifying that Slovenia also has very good beer.

It's interesting to watch sporting events in other countries. If you remember, we watched some Euro Cup soccer in a bar-restaurant in Haarlem. You can get a feel for the fervor that a nation has for its "team". The athletes proceeded into the stadium. We were very noticeable by the fact that we were clapping for ALL of our adopted countries: USA, Holland, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia as well as all the ones we have yet to visit. The other guests in the restaurant were subdued and didn't express enthusiasm for even their neighboring countries, kinda like what we would (or should) do for Canada. When Slovenia marched in, only one young gentleman and the "One World One Trip" team cheered. I was expecting the place to stop, cheer, and then go back to their conversations but that didn't happen. I have noticed in other places that Americans are more enthusiastic in their speech than others. Oh, Well.