I moved to Slovenia in 2007. I came here alone without knowing anyone – some call that brave – others mad! However, I’m still here, have all but mastered the notoriously difficult Slovene language and now call Radovljica ‘home’.
My main passion is hiking in the mountains of the Julian and the Karavanke Alps, both of which are on my doorstep. I also enjoy cycling, running and eating chocolate (well we all have our vices!), and am a bit of a foodie in general.
I make my living mainly by translating; all manner of things – websites, leaflets, brochures etc. (from Slovene to English). I am the English language copy editor for a Slovene energy portal and also proofread and edit other documents, books etc. as well as doing some English tuition.
By writing this blog about my life here and all the great places I like to go, I aim to share my love of Radovljica and the surrounding areas, and help promote it to both tourists and Slovenes alike, whilst also including information about other destinations further afield in Slovenia too.
I have co-written a guidebook about Slovenia (http://komshe.com/guide.php?guide_id=14), recorded a DVD about beekeeping in Slovenia for the Beekeeping Museum in Radovljica, and run an English Book Club.
I hope to provide some interesting information about my home town of Radovljica and other places around Slovenia and encourage potential visitors, both from abroad and from within Slovenia, to come and see it for themselves.
FACEBOOK – If you would like to keep up-to-date with the latest information about Radovljica and the surrounding areas, and you are a Facebook user, be sure to ‘like’ the ‘Adele in Slovenia’ Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adele-in-Slovenia/605410972861690
PINTEREST – To see more photos of my adventures in Slovenia, see the ‘Adele in Slovenia’ Pinterest page – http://www.pinterest.com/adeleinslovenia/
WORK WITH ME – If you have a product or service (restaurant, tourist attraction etc.), that you think might be of interest to readers of this blog, please contact me by email to: adeleinslovenia@hotmail.com
MORE ABOUT ME – See me in this edition of the tourist programme ‘Na Lepse’, broadcast on 5.2.2016 – http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/na-lepse-oddaja-o-turizmu/174386896 (the part about me if straight after the ad-break).
You can also read more in these media interviews (in Slovene):
Planet SIOL – http://www.siol.net/novice/svet/2015/01/adele_gray_anglezinja.aspx
Lipov List – http://www.youblisher.com/p/1041552-Revija-Lipov-list-12-2014/
And in this interview for JANA magazine (objavljen 2014 – povzetek clanka):
Britanka Slovenijo postavila na turistični zemljevid sveta – Blog Adele in Slovenia bere 35 000 ljudi iz 105 držav
Ko je Adele Gray pred 8 leti v spletni brskalnik vtipkala narava, hoja, aktivne počitnice, ji je program ponudil Slovenijo. »Kot večina ljudi na svetu o Sloveniji nisem vedela nič. Odpotovala sem brez pričakovanj. Tam pa me je čakalo presenečenje.« Gorenjska, še posebej Radovljica, sta jo tako očarali, da se je septembra vrnila še za en vikend, potem spet oktobra. »Takrat sem šla na planino Vogar. Ko sem občudovala prekrasen pogled na Bohinjsko jezero me je prešinilo, da si želim ostati tu, se prebujati ob pogledu na gore in naravo.« Ker jo v Londonu takrat ni nič vezalo, se je odločila, da poskusi zaživeti v Sloveniji. Adele zadnjih 7 let živi v Radovljici.
Zelo lepo govorite slovensko.
Govorim slovensko z močnim angleškim naglasom (smeh).
Se je bilo težko naučiti našega jezika?
Ko sem se preselila nisem znala povedati ničesar drugega kot dober dan. Kmalu sem začela obiskovati individualne ure. Šla sem približno dvajsetkrat po eno uro, potem pa odnehala. Gradivo je bilo zastarelo, način poučevanja dolgočasen. Mogoče sem bolj zahtevna, ker se tudi sama ukvarjam s poučevanjem jezika in vem, da je učenje jezika lahko zelo zabavno. Zato sem se odločila, da se začnem učiti sama. Striktno sem se z ljudmi pogovarjala samo po slovensko. Na začetku sem imela kar nekaj težav, saj je večina z mano želela govoriti angleško. Vendar se nisem dala in sem jim odgovarjala izključno v slovenščini. Zdi se mi pomembno, da človek obvlada jezik ljudi med katerimi živi. Poznam precej Angležev in Američanov, ki živijo ali so živeli v Sloveniji in se sploh niso lotili učenja, ali pa so poskusili in obupali.
Čeprav živite na Gorenjskem govorite zelo pravilno slovenščino.
Smešno bi bilo, če bi govorila v dialektu. Sem pa imela z gorenjskimi izrazi kar precej težav. Ko sem obiskovala kuharski tečaj so se tečajniki ves čas pogovarjali o šporhetu, jaz pa nisem imela pojma o čem govorijo. Ker besede nisem našla v slovarju, sem se odločila, da začnem sestavljati svoj slovarček gorenjščine.
Koliko besed ste zbrali do sedaj?
Ne vem, približno 5 strani A4 formata. Zdaj sem že kar domača tudi s štumfi, britofom, cajtngi in štacuno. (smeh)
Pred slabima dvema letoma ste začeli pisati blog o Sloveniji – Adele in Slovenia (https://adeleinslovenia.com/). Danes vas bere že skoraj 35 000 ljudi iz 105 držav. Imate najbolj obiskan blog v Sloveniji. Od kod ideja zanj?
Nataša Mikelj, direktorica zavoda Turizem Radovljica mi je januarja lani predlagala, da bi začela skozi svoje oči pisati o življenju v Sloveniji. Blog se je zelo hitro prijel.
Zakaj je vaš blog tako obiskan?
Več razlogov je. Eden je ta, da o Sloveniji piše zelo malo tujcev, ki tu živijo. Kot tujka imam o Sloveniji drugačno predstavo kot jo imate vi, ki ste tukaj rojeni. Kadar pa že beremo denimo o Gorenjski, povsod opisujejo samo lepote Bleda. Saj je lep, ampak tam ni nič drugega kot jezero, otok in grad. Ni muzejev, galerij, ni veliko pešpoti, razen tiste okrog jezera. Drugi razlog je ta, da je moj blog čist. Na njem ni nobenih reklamnih sporočil. Ker ne pišem za neko podjetje, sem lahko nepristranska. Tretji razlog je prepoznavnost. Če v Google vtipkate besede: gore, pohodništvo, čokolada, julijske Alpe, Karavanke, se bo moj blog pojavil zelo visoko. Četrti razlog je ažurnost. Ko se ljudje na nekaj navadijo, jih ne smeš razočarati. Zato so redne objave zelo pomembne. Vsak ponedeljek objavim nov blog v katerem opišem kje sem bila in kaj sem počela za vikend. Vedno se odzovem tudi na komentarje. Poleg tega pa redno spremljam tudi objave na spletni strani Tripadvisor. Ker je tam oglaševanje prepovedano, se vključujem v debate in ljudem ponudim v branje svoj blog.
Imate precej odzivov. Kaj vam pišejo bralci?
Ravno te dni mi je pisala gospa iz Anglije, ki je bila poleti s sestro in možem v Sloveniji. Dve noči so prespali v Ljubljani, 5 noči na Bledu, gospa je šla s sestro in gorskim vodnikom na Triglav, soprog je ta čas izkoristil za fotografiranje in pohajkovanje po Pokljuki, potem so šli še za nekaj dni na Sočo in v Piran. Napisala mi je, da so se imeli tako lepo, da se bodo zagotovo še vrnili. Ta gospa pred mojim blogom sploh še ni slišala za Slovenijo. Neka Američanka pa mi je napisala, da bi prihodnje leto rada prišla v Slovenijo in naredila gorsko turo od ene planinske koče do druge. Ljudje se mi pogosto zahvaljujejo, ker pišem blog o Sloveniji. »Hvala, da pišete ta blog. Upam, da bom kdaj lahko obiskal te krasne kraje, ki jih opisujete.« »Ko berem vaš blog imam občutek, da tudi sam obiskujem to lepo deželo.«
Oktobra je zaradi vašega slikovitega opisa Gorenjske k nam pripotovala tudi skupina Havajcev.
Ko je Stephen Chung, vodja skupine turistov iz Havajev, po spletu brskal za podatki o Sloveniji, je naletel na moj blog. Napisal mi je sporočilo in me prosil naj mu svetujem kaj bi si bilo v Sloveniji vredno ogledati.
In kaj ste jim priporočili?
Ker so prileteli v Trst so si najprej ogledali slovensko Istro, Koper, Izolo, Piran, potem so odpotovali v Ljubljano, ki jih je navdušila z mostovi in Plečnikovo arhitekturo. Pot so nadaljevali proti Gorenjski. Najprej so obiskali Škofjo Loko, potem Radovljico. Skupaj smo se sprehodili po starem mestnem jedru, v lectarski delavnici gostilne Lectar, kjer so imeli kosilo, pa so izdelovali lectove srčke. Nekaj dni so preživeli še na Bledu in v Bohinju, potem so se odpeljali v Muenchen, kjer so z obiskom Oktoberfesta zaključili svoje potovanje.
In kje vam je bilo najbolj všeč?
Vsa Slovenija mi je všeč, ampak Radovljica se mi še vedno zdi najlepša.
Zakaj ravno Radovljica?
Ko sem bila prvič v Sloveniji sem se v Radovljico pripeljala s kolesom iz Bleda. Ko sem se vzpenjala z Lancovega proti Radovljici sem bila navdušena nad prekrasnim razgledom na Jelovico. Radovljica ima super lego, kamor koli greš je iz nje dobro izhodišče. Zdaj, ko imamo avtocesto, do Ljubljane potrebujem le dobre pol ure. Čeprav je mesto majhno, ima vse kar človek potrebuje za kvalitetno življenje: kino, gledališče, knjižnico, kopališče, muzeje, galerijo. Zadnje čase se tudi precej dogaja.
Če se še malo vrneva k blogu. Zanimivo se mi zdi, da je polovica vaših bralcev Slovencev. Zakaj vas berejo?
Pravijo, da pri meni dobivajo ideje za izlete. Poznam namreč veliko poti, celo nekaj takih, za katere celo domačini niso vedeli. Sem res navdušena obiskovalka vaših gora, veliko tudi kolesarim. Radovljica pa je odlično izhodišče. Letos poleti sem veliko pisala tudi o kulinariki, saj je bilo vreme res grozno. Kadar pišem o hrani se ljudje precej odzivajo. Zdaj pišem o projektu Okusi Radol’ce.
Če bi primerjali življenje tu in v Angliji?
Težko bi primerjala London in Radovljico. Pa vendar. Ko sem prišla kot turistka so bile cene precej nižje kot v Angliji. Zdaj, ko tu živim in moram plačevati stroške bivanja, ugotavljam, da je življenje dražje. Predvsem davki so višji. Lani so se podražile tudi komunalne storitve za stanovanja v katerih živi samo ena oseba. Meni se to ne zdi logično. V Angliji samski plačujejo 25% manj. Sicer pa me v Sloveniji najbolj moti politika in vaša birokracija. Vsakič, ko dobite novo vlado, dobite še kakšen nov davek.
Slovenci smo med seboj zelo sprti. Veljamo tudi za nevoščljive, smo polni predsodkov. Zakaj mislite, da smo taki?
Mislim, da je to predvsem zaradi zgodovine. Mogoče se bo, ko se bodo zamenjale generacije, kaj spremenilo. Mladi odhajajo v tujino in bodo videli kako je drugje.
Vi ste kot otrok videli kar nekaj sveta. Rojeni ste v Bahrajnu. Menda ste se v svojem življenju zamenjali kar 35 bivališč.
Večji del otroštva smo se zaradi očetove službe selili po različnih državah Srednjega vzhoda. Ko sem bila stara 9 let smo živeli v Savdski Arabiji. Ker starša nista želela, da bi tam hodila v šolo sta me poslala v Anglijo v internat. Ko sem bila stara 13 let sta se starša vrnila v Anglijo. Vendar nismo dolgo živeli skupaj. Pri 16 sem se že odselila na svoje. Potem sem se veliko selila po Angliji. Ko sem končala študij, pa sem se preselila v London. Zdaj sem v Radovljici.
Nameravate tu ostati?
Zdaj prvič čutim, da imam dom. Čeprav mi včasih ni lahko, mi je tukaj všeč. Ne želim se več seliti.
Adele in Slovenia 
Hi Adele
Sorry to bother you again. On our last visit we based ourselves in Bovec to do some hiking. This time around we will (sadly) only have four days in Slovenia. After a night in Ljubljana we want to head up north again, snow permitting. Just hoping you can please recommend a nice town to base ourselves in. I was looking at Kranjska Gora, but wasn’t sure if it was a bit “ski-resorty” or if there is another near by town that might suit. We will have our own car. We are used to driving on mountain roads in summer, although no experience in possibly icy or snowy conditions which I gather we could experience in April.
Many thanks for any advice.
Hi Adele,
My partner and I are moving to Slovenia in late November/early December. We won’t be working or be self-employed or retired so we need to arrange our own private health insurance. Do you know what cover we might need and how we can arrange this. Brexit has really thrown a spanner in the works and we would have waited until the Spring if the transition period had been extended.
Sorry to bother you
Nick
Hi Nick. First, lucky you, not needing to work or be self-employed, whilst also not being retired! You will have plenty of time to enjoy the wonders of Slovenia! In terms of health insurance, however, this could be a problem. You will need to apply for temporary residence, but to get this you have to show proof that you can sustain yourself (it used to be around EUR 500 per month but that is going back 13 years when I move here so may have changed) and also proof of health insurance. And this is where the black hole begins – at least it did for me. I, like you, wasn’t retired, and I couldn’t at that time afford to set myself up as self-employed, as the monthly costs of being self-employed here are very high and you have to pay them even if you earn zero, rather than being on a pro-rata basis. I therefore worked on what is called an ‘avtorska pogodba’ – a kind of contract used for one-off work by e.g. artists, musicians, translators (the latter applies to me!). However, at that time those working via those contracts weren’t entitled to health cover, holiday pay, etc. This has, I believe, since changed. I therefore found myself in a ‘black hole’ and had to wing it for a while without health cover, which was not a nice feeling. I believe some expats have taken out some kind of private healthcare insurance with a foreign provider, however, I’m not sure how that will work re Brexit. For example, I read just a few days ago that a car waiver insurance company would no longer renew a policy for a Brit living here, due to the upcoming Brexit. The other thing that can cause a problem is that, seemingly, almost every upravna enota (administrative body where you have to sort out all official documents, etc.) seems to make the rules up as they go along, and you will be told one thing, whereas others will be told something completely different. In short, perhaps the best place for you to start would be to look into whether any overseas companies will (still) offer you health insurance.
Hi Jenny, it’s impossible to say what April will be like – it could be spring-like or in the depths of winter! That said, so far we are having a relatively mild and snow-free winter, but it could, of course, come late and its certainly not unusual to have snow in late April. Kranjska Gora in April won’t be busy, as the ski season is all-but over and the hiking season hasn’t yet begun, so it could be a good option for you. Another option would be Radovljica – where I live – as it’s a good place to base yourself and is far less touristy than nearby Bled! Regards, Adele
So much for visiting Slovenia this year in 2020. Two years’ planning up the swannee ! And four years learning Slovensko with Memrise. En dan Midva upava biti turista
Don’t give up hope yet! Even if it takes a few months perhaps you can still come in autumn, which is actually a better time to come anyway when the main tourist season has calmed down, and thus there is less traffic, etc, and the autumnal colours are glorious. Until then, keep learning, I guess you have plenty of time on your hands to do so right now! Stay well! Regards, Adele
Hi Adele, I can’t find a “follow button” on your page. How do I follow you?
On the right-hand-side of my blog homepage there is a section headed ‘Follow blog by email’. Just type in your email address there and hopefully you will get each blog I publish automatically.
Thx, I managed on mobile (on laptop not!)!
Hi Adele, I’ve just found your blog. Very nice that you share all your experience with others 🙂 We are leaving tomorrow to Slovenia and we would love to see the 7 lakes of Triglav. Can you advise if it is possible with dogs or the trail is too technical for them? We would to it from the Bohinj side and our dogs are in good condition, they are used to long hikes/runs. Thank you in advance! Anita
Hi Anita, I hope I’m not too late with my reply I was away from home for a few days. The trail from Stara Fuzina to the 7 Triglav lakes would be okay for dogs, there’s nothing too technical, but I would avoid the Komarca trail which starts from Ukanc, as that is quite exposed in places. Enjoy your hike! Regards, Adele
Hi Adele, Thank you for the advice! Not too late! I hope the weather will allow us to explore the 7 lakes. Regards, Anita
Hi Adele, My wife and I are interested in a 6-7 day hike on the Juliana Trail. We’re a little older (ages 63 and 65), so we’re prepared to just do 12-20 kms. per day. We prefer to hike unencumbered with carrying a tent, sleeping bags, food, stove, etc., so prefer to hike from one town or village to the next, sleeping at guesthouses / pensions along the way. Like anyone, we love places with a variety of landscape, including mountains, lakes, forests, meadows, etc. In past years, we’ve covered a portion of the E8 trail in southwestern Poland, the E3 trail in the Czech Republic, a 4-day hike in the Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria, and the Cowal Way in Scotland. Could you recommend a stretch of the Juliana Trail (or some other long distance trail) in Slovenia? Thanks much for your help.
Hi Mark, have you taken a look at the descriptions of the stages of the Julian Trail. You can see the distance, the height gain, the difficulty level and more detailed information, so I think it should certainly help you in planning your trip. Regards, Adele https://www.bohinj.si/en/experiences/juliana-trail-overall-tour/#dmdtab=oax-tab8
Hi Adele, Thank you for your response. Yes, I did look at that website that you’ve provided the link to and I agree that is very helpful. I’m just wondering if there’s a particularly scenic portion (~100 kms) of that 263 km trail that you would recommend. Also, I’m wondering if there is a website you’d recommend for finding cheaper guesthouses / pensions along the way. Thanks again for your help!
Hi Adele,
Been some time…. Myself and my family are minded to come over and make the trip we’ve been planning since 2007. We hope you won’t mind our lateness but now Brenda has completed her exams, it seems appropriate.
We would like to start each morning with a vigorous Bodypump class if you still have the skills and the energy.
So, looking to book for Summer 2023, and looking forward to seeing you.
Again!
Hi Stanley, I haven’t taught Bodypump for many years now. Since living here I take my exercise in the great outdoors – hiking and cycling! I do hope you manage to make your planned trip to beautiful Slovenia. If I can be of any help re planning, just let me know. Best regards, Adele
Rene Haan
Hi Adele!! Yesterday we came back home after our 10th visit to Slovenia. Our first visit was already in 1985 in the time that Slovenia was a part of the former republic Jugoslavia. In all that time I was 3 times on the Triglav! Each visit is always perfect: Slovenia offers many possibilities. One of the things we did now was a short hike from Radovljica to Lovska Koca na Talezu using your description, which by the way was very clear. Many thanks for this, you inspired us!
Hi Rene, thanks for getting in touch. It’s always lovely to hear from readers of my blog and to know that I’ve played a part in making your holiday in Slovenia, particularly in Radovljica, a success. I bet you are already planning your 11th visit to sLOVEnia! I’ll keep trying to provide you with inspiration. Best regards, Adele
Hi Adele! Me and my wife met you and your partner inside the hut near the Russian Chapel over the weekend. We followed your advice and went to Jezersko (and surroundings) yesterday. We climbed up from the lake to Ceska Koca and we absolutely loved the view 🙂 Thanks again and keep up the good work with your blog!
Bruno
Hi Bruno, lovely to hear from you. I’m so glad you and your wife enjoyed your visit to Jezersko and hike to Ceska koca. Next time you visit you must come to Radovljica, I’d be happy to show you round and give you some (more!) hiking tips, because I’m quite sure you will visit again 🙂 Regards, Adele
Hi Adele
We will be visiting Slovenia for 3-4 days in July 2023. Is there any place which will have snow at that time of the year and can be easily accessed after a short 45-60 minutes hike ?
We will be traveling with two kids who wont enjoy a longer hike, hence the specific request
Thanks in advance
Harish
Hi Harish, only the high mountains will have snow at that time of year, which aren’t accessible with such a short hike. The only possibility could be Vogel, which you could reach by gondola, but I doubt there will be much snow left by then. I suggest you get in touch again nearer the time and I can check the conditions for you. Regards, Adele
Thank you so much Adele .. will check back with you in June ThanksHarish Mewani
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
zdravo,
thank you for your article of Radovna Valley. Could i get the exactly place of Napoleon stone prosim? Before Kreda lake when you come from Krnica?
hvzla
Hi Seb, when are you planning to visit, because the Radovna valley is currently closed due to the massive destruction caused during the storms we had last autumn?
hi Adele,
i live in Gorje ☺️ it’s open again. I was there yesterday and today. I didn’t find any information about location of this stone on internet but i finally found it this morning. ( no roadsign)
thank you for reply