Dragon Our Feat

Day: 221

Towns / Cities Visited: 141

Countries Visited: 26

Steps Taken Today: 19,894

Steps Taken Around the World: 3,651,614

As expected, the light shining in through the curtainless hostel window had us stirring early, but not nearly as tired or grumpy as we had preempted. Despite the fact we were sequestered to a tiny former prison cell, we had slept surprisingly well. Bundling out of bed, we readied ourselves, had a quick bite to eat, stored our luggage to pick up later, and stepped into the sun to explore.

A short walk into the heart of the city found us arriving at one of the city’s major landmarks: Dragon Bridge. Like much of the architecture in the city, the bridge dates from the time of Habsburg rule here, being completed in 1907 to replace the original wooden bridge which was damaged by an earthquake at the end of the 19th century. Although it was originally dedicated to Emperor Franz Josef, its name was changed when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. The bridge itself is not hugely inspiring, being a fairly under-embellished, reinforced concrete structure, but its charm comes from the majestic bronze dragons which stand proudly to guard each end. The dragon has always been a symbol of Ljubljana, and legend has it that the city was first founded by Jason, of Greek mythology fame. It is said that he fought and killed one, which dwelled in a large lake in the marshlands here, as he journeyed back to Greece after stealing the golden fleece from…