Teensy tiny Slovenia

Having extrapilated myself from the clutches of Rottweilers and stallions in countryside Slovenia, I have now acclimatised to a new kind of holiday with daddy dearest. And I've still not taken out any money.

Dad came with his wife yesterday to pick me up from the farm and I couldn't get out of there quick enuf. I was so excited to see him and also to just move on, I jumped in the car and bid the place a final goodbye. We went straight into the capital Ljubljana (pronounced lube-lee-arna, took me a while to get that one) and found the accommodation I'd booked for us. Was a bit worried about whether it was going to be nice enuf for them but it has turned out more than adequate. Me done good.

Went out for dinner by the city river, which was so nice and reminded us of Switzerland or Stockholm... as everything else has been in this country, it was clean, neat and orderly. Maybe it's more like Germany then. Everything is nice and sensible - dad loves it.

Today we jumped in the car and opted for a last-minute planned route skirting the city centre, checking out some cute little towns and old buildings. We didn't get out much except to eat (fine with me), which was good since it was raining all day, and I enjoyed just staring into the yellowing autumn forests as we wound up and down the hills and rolled through the pasturised valleys. My favourite town was Skolja Toka. So romantic...

Everything is so darned close to each other, I'm now getting an idea of just how small this country is. I hope I can stretch this holiday out for a few more days before seeing everything it has to offer!

Ate way too much for lunch and now am trying to prepare myself for another no doubt overfilling for dinner. This is what happens when I holiday with dad. We eat. And drive. And stop to eat. And eat again.

Staving off anxiety with alcohol

Having arrived safe n sound in Sydney, I was already pleasing dad because we were in and out within the free 15 minute parking allowance they've now introduced at Kingsford Smith. Nothing much changes ;) It was stupid o'clock in the morning, I was still drunk from the plane (would you believe, the steward actually asked me how much I'd had - ha! First time ever) but I was pushing on. And I'd now gotten over the mild anxiety attack that came on as I landed in Sydney, once I could tell myself I was only here for a week.

Came home, checked the net and twiddled my thumbs until I thought it was a reasonable hour to call my friends. Turns out all of them were up already because, as I'm yet to find out, having a big grown-up job does require a pre-8am wake-up. NOT looking forward to that in the future!!

Everyone was super surprised at me ringing from a Sydney number, but I was still paranoid someone would slip to my sister. Alas, the surprise was kept under lock n key until that evening. After a little sleep and catching up with two of my besties at a local pub for lunch (more alcohol), I joined dad and his wife for the drive up to my sister and her fiance's new place on the coast.

We'd hired a house on the same street, which was quite nice, and soon enuf they left to make sure everyone had arrived at my sister's before dinner. Once they had, they tried to get me on Skype, of course I wasn't on, dad feigned annoyance and tried to ring me, that was the signal, I picked up my beer (I'd had three more by this stage) and another 6-pack, and headed up the road.

I swear I've never seen L so surprised - now I actually know the look of someone whose seen a ghost! She gave a little shriek and then hugged me, everyone was all excited and it was hectic, then we headed to dinner.