Travel Tuesday: Shoes on a wire--different places, different meanings

I took this shot in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, back in 2013. This is one of the many wires in the city festooned with shoes. A local explained to me that the university students throw shoes up there in celebration of the end of term.

At least that's what it means in Slovenia. In the United States, shoes hanging on a wire is a common sign that a drug dealer operates on that street.

In the Arab world, shoes on a wire mean something absolutely different. The sole of the shoe is dirty and it's considered rude to sit in a way that shows the sole, or to touch someone with it. That's why after the fall of Baghdad we saw those pictures of Iraqis slapping statues of Saddam Hussein with their shoes. In the West Bank, I saw shoes hanging on wires over many streets. They had been thrown there by Palestinians in order to insult the Israeli patrols as they walked under them.

I suppose that other countries have their own meanings. Can you name any I've missed?

Travel Tuesday: Lake Bled, Slovenia

Here's a shot from a hill overlooking Lake Bled, one of Slovenia's most popular attractions. Even on an overcast day it's beautiful. That's Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption, which has some fine 14th century frescoes and a church bell that gives good luck if you ring it. You get to it by hiring a boatman to row you out across the tranquil waters. On the cliffs above is an imposing 11th century castle. The small town on the lake shore is a bit touristy, so stay in one of the more isolated guesthouses further out.

My travel year, a look back and a look forward

Tallinn in winter.

This past year has been pretty good for me as far as travel goes. I managed to visit three new countries—Estonia, Slovenia, and Austria. In addition I got in some other smaller trips such as visiting an Italian book festival to celebrate the translation of one of my books, did lots of caving, saw Edinburgh, plus the usual visits to Oxford and London. I also visited Tangier three times. I’ve really fallen for that relaxed Moroccan port and I’ve been getting a lot of work done on a novel set there.

Sadly, there was no great adventure travel in 2013. In 2012 I got to visit Iraq and the year before that I spent a couple of months living in Harar, Ethiopia. This year I spent entirely in Europe with a toehold in Africa. Am I getting old? No, it’s just that my travel funds are drying up thanks to my main sugar daddy, the travel blog Gadling, closing up shop.

This is going to make 2014 a tight travel year. Oxford and Tangier are in, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford much more than that. Both of those will be working/research trips. Beyond that, I may just hole up in my apartment and write a ton of fiction, like I mentioned in an earlier post.

Of course, the New Year might bring some surprises. Who knows where I may end up in the next twelve months?

What were your big trips in 2013? Anything good planned for the New Year?