Romantic Radovljica!

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On Tuesday, the eve of St. Gregory’s Day, I went to the small former iron-forging village of Kamna Gorica, in the Lipnica Valley, to watch the annual tradition of floating local children’s handmade creations, illuminated by candles, in the village stream. It is such a colourful and simple custom, but one which brings great joy to young children who watch on proudly as their creations float by and are judged for their creativeness. Meanwhile the adults get to stand back and watch, also proudly, enjoy a warming mulled wine and saviour the atmosphere. As can be seen in the photos below (more to follow on Pinterest), some of the creations were clearly painstakingly and meticulously thought out and constructed, others just simple paper creations, but of course its the taking part that counts! The custom dates back to the era of manual iron-forging, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the name day of St. Gregory was considered the first day of spring.

And since there has barely been a cloud in the sky all week, it certainly feels like spring. We could hardly ask for more perfect weather for this time of year. It‘s certainly much appreciated after the bleakness of February. Earlier today, whilst walking around, it occurred to me how even the narrowest of streets now appear to be so wide, and what a luxury it seems to have the entire width of the pavement to walk on, these having been piled up high with snow for weeks on end before. How one learns to appreciate the simple things in life!

It also occurred to me recently, whilst walking through Radovljica’s old town centre, what a shame it is that more people don’t appreciate what a great destination is to hold a wedding. During the summer there are a number of weddings which take place here but, having made enquiries, I discovered that 80% of weddings in Slovenia take place in Bled. Ok I’m biased, but the fact is that everything is right here in one place; St. Peter’s Church for the religious ceremony or Šivec House for a civil ceremony, the grand Radovljica Mansion and/or Lectar Inn for the reception, the perfect spot for photographs with the backdrop of the Julian Alps and the Jelovica Plateau and accommodation both in the old town centre and nearby. Having made some enquiries, it seems that although weddings in Slovenia are increasing in popularity, the vast majority of people still opt for Bled, as it is the obvious choice due to the castle and the island on the lake. However, Radovljica is just 7kms from Bled so a wedding in Radovljica offers an alternative and could also be combined with a visit to Bled. So, if you are lucky enough to be considering a wedding abroad, take a look at Radovljica and dare to be different! Here are a couple of photographs of the venues (more to follow on Pinterest) and more information can also be found here – http://www.dapetra.com/

With the temperatures currently in the mid-teens the snow line is currently at around the 1,000 metre mark, somewhat higher on the south facing slopes. However, above this level there is still plenty of the white stuff as can be seen from the HUGE snowman that greeted my arrival on a hike up to the Roblek Mountain Hut (1672m) from the Draga Valley. It’s been warm enough to cycle too, which is unusual in March, so my bike has had an early awakening from its winter hibernation!

10Mar2014

A weekend of winter sports in Gorenjska, Slovenia

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It was a big weekend of winter sporting events in the Gorenjska region of Slovenia. On Pokljuka the World Biathlon Cup took place whilst in Kranjska Gora it was the Vitranc Skiing World Cup competition. Whilst this was great for the many spectators and armchair fans of winter sports, it left me with something of a quandry about where to go in order to avoid crowds and traffic congestion. And with the weather forecast to be glorious all weekend, which it was, I had to come up with something!

Fortunately Radovljica‘s favourable location, flanked by the Karavanke range, the Julian Alps and the Jelovica plateau, means one doesn’t have to go far to have a wealth of options. However, at the moment there is still several metres of snow in the high mountains, whilst at lower altitudes there is the problem of the vast amount of fallen trees resulting from February’s ice-storm. So one has to carefully select where to go bearing all these factors in mind. In the end, I settled on Dovška Baba, part of the Karavanke range, reached from the village of Dovje. I make the hike to the peak of Dovška Baba (1891m) at least a few times a year, usually during the summer and autumn, but it is also popular during the winter, albeit in the current conditions, it is perhaps more suited to ski touring than hiking. From the top there are stunning views in all directions; on the Slovene side across towards the village of Mojstrana, Triglav and the Julian Alps, and into Austria on the other side.

There is a small hut, which isn’t open during the winter, located on the Dovška Rožca highland (1650m) and due to the amount of snow and the hike taking way longer than it would usually do, I only went as far as the hut on this occasion. I walked up on the road, but having later noticed that the path was somewhat trodden, I pondered whether or not to return on the road or the path. In the end I plumped for the path, which leads fairly steeply down through the forest, thus making for a much quicker return trip but also a VERY wet one since by then the snow was incredibly wet as it was so warm and I returned to my car with feet wetter than had I been for a swim!

Everywhere you go at the moment, you can hear the constant and distinctive din of chainsaws, as foresters, and forest owners, go about clearing up the devastation from the ice storm. One the one hand I find the noise comforting, to know that some of the impassable areas may soon once again become passable. However, on the other hand it evokes a degree of sadness at the sheer amount of trees that have been lost. In what could perhaps be considered something of a silver lining, I read this week that hundreds of the unemployed are to be offered the chance to train as foresters in order to help the clear-up operation, which will last several years.

And in another stark reminder, a friend and I had something of an unexpected adventure during our lovely sunny Sunday afternoon stroll, from Radovljica down to the Fux suspension bridge over the Sava river, where we were pleasantly surprised to find the path free of debris. Had we returned the same way it would have been fine, but choosing to take a different path proved to be a mistake and involved us clambering steeply up an embankment due to the sheer number of fallen trees entirely blocking the way ahead. But we survived to tell the tale!

This coming week, on Tuesday 11^th March, on the eve of St. Gregory’s Day, it will be once again time for the local age-old iron-forging custom of floating handmade creations, illuminated by candles, in the streams and villages of the iron-forging villages of Kropa and Kamna Gorica. The events, which begin at 5pm in Kropa and 6pm in Kamna Gorica, involve the floating of the models, which are a mixture of unique art creations made from paper, cardboard and wood with candles affixed either on the exterior or interior, creating a colourful effect against the dusk setting, together with an accompanying programme. This custom dates back to the era of manual iron-forging, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, when the name day of St. Gregory was considered the first day of spring. Unlike last year, this year the spring gods appear to be listening as the week ahead looks set to be bathed in sunshine and pleasant spring temperatures.

Also coming up soon it will once again be ‘Restaurant Week‘ (Teden restavracij – website only in Slovene –http://tedenrestavracij.si/ ) throughout Slovenia. During the period from 22^nd – 30^th March, many of the finest restaurants throughout the country will offer specially prepared menus, of at least three courses, for the set price of just 14 euros per person, which means a great opportunity to try out some new and different restaurants. In the Radovljica area, both Vila Podvin and Gostilna Kunstelj are participating. But hurry, bookings must be made in advance and many restaurants are already fully booked. I’ve made my reservation already!

If you are Facebook user, don’t forget to like the new ‘Adele in Slovenia‘ page, where, in between my weekly blog posts, you will be able to find up-to-date news and information about things happening in Radovljica and the surrounding areas.

3Mar2014

Carnival Time in Radovljica

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The inaugural Shrovetide Carnival (Pust) Dance took place on Saturday in Radovljica and I was fortunate to be invited. The theme of the dance was ‘Sanitising Slovene Banks’ – bringing a lighthearted note to the otherwise serious problem of the financial crisis and trying to restore the hole in the Slovene banking sector. Since fancy dress was obligatory, and in keeping with the financial theme, I decided to go as Mickey Mouse’s new friend ‘Money Mouse‘!

Guests were greeted in the lobby of the Radovljica Mansion, photographed on the red carpet and given the 10,000 euro banknote, which was specially printed for the event. After an aperitif, ‘Money Mouse’ together with the various nuns, cats, nurses, policemen, lynx (in a nod to the one which is still on the run from Ljubljana Zoo following the destruction caused by the recent ice storm) and others, made their way up to the Baroque Hall where the evening’s entertainment began.

It was impressive to see the efforts everyone had gone to with their costumes and a fun evening was had by all. There was live music, provided by the band Medik and delicious food, provided by the 7 restaurants involved in the Taste Rado’ca project (see http://wp.me/p3005k-8s) ably assisted by students from the Radovljica School of Hospitality and Tourism. Such was the deliciousness of the food, ‘Money Mouse’ rather overindulged but still managed a shuffle and a wiggle of the tail on the dance floor! Let’s hope this event becomes another staple on the Radol’ca Events Calendar.

Earlier in the day the annual Shrovetide Carnival Parade (Pustni sprevod) travelled through Radovljica and even the rain showers didn’t dampen the spirits. The parade was awash with colour as the floats and accompanying costumed participants, with a special tribute to the successful Slovene winter Olympians, proceeded through the town ending in Linhart Square in the old town centre.

As of this week ‘Adele in Slovenia‘ now has its own Facebook page too. Having avoided it thus far, I finally succumbed, or rather was persuaded, in order that I am able to post news and information in between my weekly blogs. You can find a ‘Like’ box towards the bottom right-hand corner of this page, so be sure to ‘Like’ it, if you want access to more news and regular updates. More pictures from this week’s carnival events can also be found on Pinterest.

Earlier in the week the Slovenian Forestry Institute issued the first official estimates of the damage caused by the recent ice storm and it made sombre reading. Up to 660 hectares of forest will require clearing and 7 million cubic metres of wood will have to be cut, twice as much as initially thought. Some 2 million seedlings will be required for replanting and there is now a drive to hire foresters, several hundred are needed. When driving and walking around, there is visible evidence of the destruction but I was particularly shocked and saddened this week, when I went for a walk around Lake Bled, for the first time since the storm, as the path had been closed since. A part of the path was still closed to allow foresters to clear the most affected area, under Bled Castle, which now appears almost barren. Elsewhere entire trees lie in the lake but the great clean-up is already underway and in general the damage is somewhat localised with paths at lower altitudes, where deciduous trees are dominant, being particularly affected.

I have slowly been discovering where is and isn’t safe to walk as many of the paths still remain closed and impassable. There were a couple of days of glorious winter sunshine during the past week and I managed hikes to both the Roblek Mountain Hut (1672m) and the Hut on Dobrča (1478m). It is interesting to note that Roblek, part of the imposing Begunščica mountain, is part of the Karavanke range, the mountains that form the border between Slovenia and Austria in this part of the country, whilst neighbouring Dobrča is actually part of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. The former was without problem whilst the latter, beginning from Slatna, involved a little negotiating of fallen trees to begin with, but was ok once some height had been gained.

24Feb2014

Snow Castles and Successful Slovenia

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With a total of 8 medals, the success of the Slovenian team at the Sochi Winter Olympics was quite phenomenal; even more so when you consider the population of just 2 million people. I read some interesting statistics; in comparison, the USA, with 316 million people, would have needed to have won 1,106 medals to have equalled Slovenia’s success! Furthermore, there are only 148 registered ice-hockey players in Slovenia but the team made it through to the quarter finals, ranking them among the best 8 hockey teams in the world. Something for all Slovenes to be proud of and the rapturous receptions the competitors have been receiving on their homecoming, certain bears testament to that.

The snow in Radovljica was put to good use last week when, for the second year in succession, a snow castle was built in the old town centre. Locals were invited to come along and help build the castle so it really was a ‘team-town’ effort. Just take a look at these photos, more of which of these and others can be seen on my Pinterest page (http://www.pinterest.com/adeleinslovenia/), to see the results of the work, which was especially impressive when illuminated at night, thanks to the teams at ‘Playful Architecture’ and the ‘Centre for Architecture Slovenia’.

Sunday, the last day of the winter school holidays, at least for those in the west of Slovenia, finally saw the brilliant sunshine that had been lacking all week and it seemed like half the land, if not more, took to the roads, ski pistes, hills and mountains to partake in winter sporting activities. The ski centres were doing a roaring trade and the roads to/from the main resorts, such as Bled, Pokljuka, Bohinj and Kranjska Gora, were thronging as if it were the height of the summer season.

I made the most of the day with a double-whammy of outdoor activities. My day started with an early morning walk to Valvasor (which I wrote about in last week’s blog) then, after some sustenance and a short rest, an afternoon walk to Štefanja Gora, home to the Church of St. Štefan. This hill (748m), is in an idyliic location above Cerklje na Gorenjskem and beneath the Krvavec ski resort. Although not high, there are wonderful and expansive views, to the south across the valley and to the north towards the Karavanke mountains. Just a few minutes beneath the church is the small tourist farm, Pr’Mežnarju, which offers refreshments and the winter sun meant it was even warm enough to sit outside with a nice cuppa!

There are still a huge number of forest and mountain paths closed and inaccessible, due to the fallen trees, and the risk of avalanches still remains high, so it is therefore best to check the conditions before setting off. There is an up-to-date list of the paths closed on the Slovene Mountain Association website (some of the site is in English however this part isn’t), though it is not exhaustive since it lists only the main paths which are known to be closed and have been reported by the relevant section of the Mountain Association – http://www.pzs.si/

Preparations for this year’s traditional Shrovetide carnival ‘pust‘ continue with people busy planning, sewing and creating their fancy dress costumes. The street parade will take place on Saturday 1^st March when Radovljica will be awash with a procession of witches, clowns, animals of every description and a riot of other original costumes. If you want to see it be sure to arrive early, as the surrounding streets are closed to traffic just before, and during, the parade, which will start at 2pm and travel through the centre of Radovljica ending in the old town centre at Linhart Square.

And just a reminder about the new Pust Dance that will also be taking place on the same day in the Radovljica Mansion. This unique event is aimed at reviving the tradition of ‘pust‘ whilst combining it with characteristic cuisine and adding a dash of humour to the times in which we live. For those attending the dance, masks, or costumes, are obligatory and prizes will be awarded for the best ones. A meal will also be served, provided and cooked by the local restaurants involved in the Taste Radol’ca project. The entire evening’s entertainment, including a welcome drink, dinner, dance and guaranteed fun, will cost just 15 euros per person. More information and details about reservations can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/

Hope to see you there, though you might not recognise me!!!

15Feb2014

Seven Years in Slovenia!

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I celebrated my 7th anniversary in Slovenia this week – gosh, how time flies! I spent a pleasant evening with friends who ensured I didn’t spend it alone and who pronounced themselves, resplendent with badges, the official founders of the Adele in Slovenia Fun Club! I’m not yet entirely sure what being a member of this club entails, but watch this space!!!

After what seemed like an eternity, although in reality it was only around three weeks, the sun finally made a very welcome reappearance during the latter part of this week. Alas, it was somewhat brief, but it was much needed and almost at once it felt like the whole country, or at least this little alpine part of it, suddenly breathed a collective sigh of relief after the harsh bout of weather that Slovenia has had to endure during the past few weeks. There is, of course, still a huge clean-up operation taking place and, as is so often the case, once the media have left, little of the remaining work in clearing up after such a disaster, gets any coverage. Current predictions are that it will take at least a year for areas of forest that have been entirely, or at least extensively, devastated to be cleared.

I took full advantage of the few hours of brilliant early morning sunshine on Thursday and made a much longed for trip to Valvasor. Since the heavy snowfall and ice, which caused so much destruction, hiking had become pretty much a no-no, as most paths were inaccessible due to fallen trees. However, having asked around, I heard that the path to the Valvasor mountain hut (Valvasorjev dom), one of my regular winter haunts, was in good condition so I wasted no time in going. I certainly wasn’t alone and was surprised how many other people I met; skiiers, sledgers, hikers – no doubt all of whom had been (im)patiently yearning for some sunshine, much as I had. Incidentally, I noticed there is also now a new winter sports area, including a small cross-country skiing area, a children’s ski area, a sledging track and an ice-rink, located just 300metres from the Završnica reservoir.

It occurred to me whilst listening to the news this week, which was once again dominated by bickering politians and the latest corruption scandals, that perhaps the only upside to all the recent weather related news was that the nation has had a brief respite from all the usual news – the same the world over no doubt! However, this week Slovenia has really had something to celebrate with our winter sports stars performing exceptionally well in Sochi. For the first time in the history of women’s downhill skiing, two gold medals were awarded as Slovenia’s Tina Maze and Switzerland’s Dominique Gisin recorded identical times and were named co-Olympic champions. Other Slovene medallists (so far) are Peter Prevc, silver in the men’s ski jumps, Vesna Fabjan, bronze in cross country skiing and Teja Gregorin, bronze in biathlon.

Here in Radovljica, preparations for this year’s traditional Shrovetide carnival, known here as ‘pust’ are in full swing. The street parade will take place on Saturday 1^st March and is a spectacle of colours as the streets through the town are filled with a procession of floats accompanied by children (big and small!) dressed in handmade costumes and masks. The parade will start at 2pm and travel through the centre of Radovljica ending in the old town centre at Linhart Square.

Additionally, this year a new event will be taking place in the Radovljica Mansion – the Pust Dance. This unique event is aimed at reviving the tradition of pust whilst combining it with characteristic cuisine and adding a dash of humour to the times in which we live. For those attending the dance, masks will be obligatory and prizes will be awarded for the best ones. A meal will also be served, provided and cooked by the local restaurants involved in the Taste Radol’ca project. The entire evening’s entertainment, including a welcome drink, dinner, dance and guaranteed fun, will cost just 15 euros per person. More information and details about reservations can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/

I popped to the capital, Ljubljana, on Friday for a meeting and got ridiculously excited about seeing green grass! I’m not much of a city person usually but after seeing nothing but whiteness for some time now, the sights and sounds of the city were something to behold. Friday was of course Valentines Day too, so love was in the air – apparently! But then there’s always love in Slovenia since it’s the only country with ‘love’ in its name – sLOVEnia!

It’s school holidays for a week now and therefore the ski resorts throughout Slovenia, all of which are operating and have copious snow, will be in full swing. Meanwhile in Radovljica, the Olympic size swimming pool is offering free swimming for children all week from 9am – 11am; perfect for keeping the little ones occupied and out of mischief!

9Feb2014

A cultural weekend in Slovenia

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There’s been significant international media coverage about Slovenia during the past week, which is rare for this little country, but then the ice storm that hit the country last week was also a rare and freak occurrence which wreaked havoc throughout the country and whose after effects are still being, and will continue to be, felt for a long time to come.

Fortunately, by Friday, temperatures finally climbed above freezing and the thaw has now begun. Not that this isn’t also without its hazards as large lumps or ice and vast amounts of snow fall from rooftops and trees. The sheer scale of the devastation in the forests will only really become apparent once the roads can be cleared of fallen trees and debris and forest workers can obtain access to begin to assess the damage. Suffice to say it is great; initial estimates are that up to 40% of all the trees in Slovenia have been affected, though this could well turn out to be on the conservative side. As I write, its now pouring with rain, which also brings further troubles due to flooding and avalanches. However, power to most areas has now been restored, even if only temporarily due to the use of generators, and most of the trains are once again up and running, albeit using diesel instead of electricity. Hopefully, slowly, some kind of ‘normality’ will begin to reign. A word of gratitude, on behalf of all citizens, must be extended to the thousands of volunteer firefighters who have so selflessly given up their time to help, often using their annual holiday entitlement, and who don’t receive a single euro in return for their time, effort and sacrifice.

Saturday, February 8^th, was a cultural public holiday, Prešeren’s Day, named after the great Slovene poet, France Prešeren, who died on this day in 1849 and the day was chosen as a holiday in his commemoration. In Slovenia, unlike in the UK, public holidays are determined by date and therefore when, as is the case this year, the holiday happens to fall on a weekend then people really miss out because they are not granted that day in lieu. In the UK, public holidays (other than Christmas and New Year) are always on a Monday – ‘Bank Holiday Monday’ – so people always get an extra day off work and a nice long weekend to look forward to. If only that were the case here too. I’m sure if that were put to the vote, as so many things here usually are, there would be quite a high voter turnout!

Slovenes are great lovers of culture and none more so than on 8^th February when cultural events take place throughout the country. My home town of Radovljica, being one of the three best preserved medieval town structures in Slovenia, is a popular choice for lovers of culture as it is home to the grand Manor House (graščina), where regular concerts, events and festival are held. To mark the cultural holiday there was a ceremony held in the Baroque Hall and additionally free admission to the Museum of Apiculture, the Town Museum and the Šivec House Gallery.

In Kranj, the capital of the Gorenjska region, the Prešeren Fair, which is one of the most important cultural events in Slovenia, takes place annually on the 8^th February; an event which I always like to attend. Kranj is synonymous with France Prešeren who, although born in the village of Vrba, lived and worked in Kranj during the 19^th century. The Fair, which takes place in the Main Square, is home to most of the city’s most visited sights, galleries, museums and the Prešeren Theatre, featuring a large statue of its namesake (seen below).

The streets and squares are transformed into an early-19^th century experience featuring poetry recitals, dances, period music, demonstations of traditional crafts, costumed performers, a street fair and free admission and guided tours of all the cultural institutions. The weather even played along too, other than a few light showers one could almost, for a short blissful time, forget about the chaos and destruction outside of the confines of the town and they had achieved wonders in removing all the snow too! It wasn’t until I got home that I realised I had managed to, quite by chance, capture almost identical ‘then’ and ‘now’ photographs!

Here are a couple more photos of the event (more to be added to my Pinterest account-http://www.pinterest.com/adeleinslovenia/) and just one of the many poems that Prešeren wrote, which have since been translated into English.

A Wreath Of Sonnets (1/14)
A Slovene wreath your poet has entwined,
fifteen sonnets is the chaplet bound,
And in it thrice the Master Theme must sound:
Thus are the other harmonies combined.

Now from his source like streams in order wind
The sonnets, and the head of each is found
By the last line of the last sonnet crowned;
This is a semblance of your poet’s mind.

From one love all by thoughts arise,
and lo! Whene’er I sleep at night they cease to flow,
But stir when darkness flees before dawn’s rays.

You are the Master Theme of my whole life,
Which will be heard when I have ceased my strife
– A record of my pain and of your praise.

3Feb2014

Extreme Slovenia!

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What a weekend! Records have been being broken throughout Slovenia during the past few days – alas for all the wrong reasons. The country is caught in some kind of an ‘ice-age’ and a ‘red alarm’ has been in place for successive days as metres of snow followed by frozen rain, more snow and more frozen rain, have been causing chaos and destruction on the roads and in forests, with thousands upon thousands of hectares of forest being affected and many homes being left without electricity. Slovenia usually copes admirably well with winter conditions, after all it’s a fact of life here; roads are usually cleared quickly and efficiently and public transport continues to operate largely unhindered. However, this time, due to the sheer rate at which the snow fell, combined with the unprecedented ice, workers have been unable to keep up with the sheer demand and at the moment it’s certainly a case of Nature:1 – Humankind:0

Although there has been something of an east/west divide, with the west faring by far the worse, nowhere seems to have escaped unscathed and great swathes of the country are facing extremely challenging conditions. Higher lying areas have seen a number of avalanches, road closures and problems with ice whilst lower lying areas are having to deal with flooded rivers and high tides causing floods at the coast too.

How ironic then that due to a lack of snow the Golden Fox Women’s Ski Cup competition was moved from Maribor’s Pohorje, where it is usually held, to Kranjska Gora, where on Friday 200 workers, many of them volunteers, battled through the night trying to pull off the almost unhuman feat of clearing up to 2 metres of snow to get the course ready for Saturday’s competition. And they almost succeeded too but in the end nature won, sense prevailed, and Saturday’s event was cancelled at the last minute due to fears for the safety of competitors, especially with the winter Olympics in Sochi only a week away – for many, the risks would have just been too great. This sadly adds another blow to a pretty dismal season for Kranjska Gora. Looking on the bright side though at least now, hopefully, once conditions normalise and stabilise again, they, together with the other Slovene ski resorts, will be able to make full use of the abundance of snow for the remainder of the season. And of course for lovers of all things ‘winter’, both locals and tourists alike, the winter season looks set to be extended and there will be no shortage of skiing, sledging, snowshoeing and the obligatory snowmen making.

This morning I set out to try and take some photos of the snow to post on this week’s blog; some kind of arty, snowy, winter wonderland scenes. However, I was defeated on a number of accounts. Firstly, since the cloud is currently so low that one can’t even differentiate between cloud and sky, everything is just white; additionally at the moment it really doesn’t look all that picturesque, more of a mess really, the sheer number of fallen trees is staggering and heart breaking to see, oh and add to that the fact one can barely walk anywhere as the pavements STILL haven’t been cleared (why?). So instead I thought I would attempt to describe some of the scenes and challenges of daily life at these extreme times. After all, there will no doubt still be plenty of opportunities for snowy photos in the weeks and months to come! But I can’t write a blog entirely without photos so I’ve included a few from some of my previous winter hikes to offer a reminder that ‘snow can be both fun and beautiful’ as my Slovene friends are always quick to remind me! Here I am during a hike in the Karavanke range, headed from Srednji vrh towards Zelenica.

Even mundane chores, such as taking the rubbish out, become nigh on impossible. I was witness to this today when I watched someone first use a shovel to clear a path to the rubbish bins, having done that they then had to clear the snow from the top of the bins, only to find that the bins were firmly sealed shut by ice – mission aborted.

Hospital admissions have been soaring due to falls on the ice resulting in sprained and broken limbs and some pretty impressive bruises.

Family recreation time takes on entire new meaning involving the whole family out shovelling snow and/or chiselling away at ice in a vain attempt to clear their driveways, pavements, cars….

All the major passes from Slovenia into Austria are closed, meaning the only way to reach Austria, from this part of the country, currently is through the Karavanke tunnel and the only way to reach the Soča Valley is the (very) long way round. A huge number of roads are closed, due to fallen trees. Heavy goods vehicles are prohibited on most major roads. The military have been called in to help. The PM visited some of the affected areas today, as world leaders tend to do as such times to ‘offer their support’. Train travel is also severly disrupted however air travel remains unaffected and is operating as normal.

Out of my window I’ve been watching people standing on step ladders in order to be able to reach the snow on the top of their cars, people perched precariously on rooftops shovelling the snow off in order to avoid roof cave ins. I could go on, but hopefully by now you get the point. If nothing else, these times certainly unite people, provide an opportunity for neighbourly ‘bonding’ and provide some useful calorie burning activities! I’m certainly very grateful to my neighbours for helping to clear the snow off my balcony roof which was starting to sag under the weight of the snow. I’m also very thankful to a friend who, on hearing the desperation in my voice, gently coaxed me out for a walk yesterday. Those that know me will attest to that fact that I never usually need encouragement to go out for a walk – quite the opposite in fact.

Of course it will impossible to assess the true extent of the damage until conditions stabilise and access can be obtained to the worse affected areas. Neighbouring countries have already offered help to Slovenia and with outside help plus a great deal of hard work all round of course we will recover and temperatures look set to rise during the course of the week so hopefully conditions will begin to improve.

People often ask me why I remain living here, in this alpine region of Slovenia, especially when I’m not a fan of snow and, if I wasn’t a fan of snow before, then this latest episode has only served to heighten my dislike of it. I must admit at times like this I do sometimes question my wisdom but the truth is that despite the often harsh long winters, there is still something special about this little corner of Slovenia that is now my home and therefore I just have to take the rough with the smooth and look forward to warmer, sunnier times ahead. Here I am snowshoeing last year in the Vrata valley!

As a skiing nation, skiing being the number one sport in the country, each winter Slovenia hosts numerous world class ski events meaning avid fans don’t have to travel far to watch world class skiing. There is nothing like the atmosphere of a ‘home’ event where Slovenes rapturously cheer on their skiers, none more so at the moment with Slovene skiers, especially Tina Maze and the male ski jumpers, achieving world beating results. Here are just some of the annual skiing events in Slovenia where you can catch them in action:-

The Women’s Ski Jumping World Cup: 25^th – 26^th January in Ljubno
The Golden Fox Ladies Alpine World Cup: 1^st – 2^nd February in Maribor (usually!)
The World Biathlon Cup:– 3^rd – 9^th March on Pokljuka
The Pokal Vitranc Mens Alpine World Cup: 8^th – 9^th March in Kranjska Gora
Ski Jumping World Cup – 21^st – 23^rd March at Planica

This coming Saturday, 8th February, is a national holiday in Slovenia – Prešeren’s Day – named after the great Slovene poet, France Prešeren (1800-1849), born in nearby Vrba. There are events held all round the country to mark the day. Weather permitting, I usually like to attend the Prešeren Fair in Kranj, where the streets are lined with stalls selling various handicrafts and wares and the old town centre comes to life with music, traditional dances and people dressed in clothing from Prešeren’s time. Here’s a photo I took at last year’s event – note there’s no snow!

In Radovljica there will be a ceremony on Thursday 6th at 7pm in the Mansion House (graščina) and on Saturday 8th visitors can take advantage of free entrance, from 10am to 3pm, to the Museum of Apiculture and the Town Museum in Radovljica and the Blacksmiths Museum in Kropa.

27Jan2014

Winter on the Vršič Pass

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

It was just last week that I was reading reports in the media about how there had been a record 33 days in a row during December 2013 and January 2014 where the temperature hadn’t fallen beneath freezing. Since 1900, to be exact in 1936 and 1948, there have only been two other winters with less than 10 similarly cold days. However, on Friday, as had been predicted all last week, winter most definitely arrived as temperatures plummeted and what started as rain soon turned into snow. Since then it has been dry but with temperatures struggling to get above freezing, the snow could be here for some time, especially since more is forecast for the days to come. The amount of snow, at ground level at least, wasn’t significant and therefore currently the pavements and streets are still snow free.

The warmest winter on record in Slovenia was the one of 2006/2007, which was coincidentally the winter that I moved to Slovenia and thus led me to (falsely) believe that winters in Slovenia were mild and sunny. There have been a few since then that have proved me wrong!

Of course many people couldn’t wait to get out and partake in some ‘snowy’ activities, be it skiing, sledging or just snowball fighting! Although everyone who knows me knows I’m not a fan of the white stuff, I actually don’t mind it when it’s where it should be i.e. in the mountains, and one can choose to go and enjoy it if so desired. So, when on Saturday morning I woke up to see beautiful blue skies and sunshine, I too couldn’t resist the temptation. After a short deliberation about where to go, I settled on a walk from Kranjska Gora to Vršič, which is always scenic whatever the season.

At 1611m, Vršič is Slovenia’s highest mountain pass and was built in 1915 by Russian prisoners of war on the order of the Austro-Hungarian authorities to facilitate access to Kranjska Gora. During its building, in March 1916, an avalanche buried a prisoner of war camp, killing over 300 prisoners and the Russian Chapel (seen below), built in a typical Russian design, was built by the remaining prisoners in memory of those who died.

Vršič crosses the Julian Alps from Kranjska Gora in the Sava Valley to Trenta in the Soča Valley. As well as being a vital link between the two areas, during the summer Vršič is also a highly popular tourist attraction in itself, with a number of sights to see and places to stop enroute to the top.

The pass is usually closed for the entire winter as it is not snow ploughed and is susceptible to avalanches. Last year there was up to 8 metres of snow in places and despite workers working 10 hours a day to clear it, it didn’t reopen until May. This year, so far, there is significantly less but it’s still not driveable. The road was partly ploughed up to the hut Koča na Gozdu but only suitable for 4-wheel drive vehicles or those with snow chains. There after, well you wouldn’t even know it was a road!

I parked beside the bridge over the Velika Pišnica river and began walking along the path towards Krnica, with the intention of turning off to the right to cross the v Klinu pasture to join the road to Vršič a little higher up, this being more interesting and scenic than walking up the road. However, on reaching the pasture and trying to trudge my way through the knee deep virgin snow, I thought better of it and instead walked to the Krnica mountain hut, 1113m (Koča v Krnici). The hut is set in a clearing beneath the walls of Križ and with views of the mighty Škrlatica, Razor and Prisojnik mountains and offers beautiful views and is also a starting point for other demanding hikes, for example to Križ. It is usually open at weekends during the winter and daily during the summer. The path leading to Krnica is also a very popular sledging track, as witnessed by numerous trees complete with crash matting!

Imagine my delight then when, on making the return, I saw there was now something of a route across the aforementioned pasture, presumably made by one of the branches of the Slovene mountain rescue team who were there carrying out a training session – my lucky day! This pasture is home to the Mali Tamar memorial, which was erected in 1998 in memory of all those who have died in the mountains surrounding Kranjska Gora.

After crossing the pasture and stream, I emerged onto the Vršič pass and took a series of short cuts through the forest, steeply in places, to eventually emerge at bend 17 (1418m). There are a total of 25 bends to reach the top of the pass, each one marked with a number and its altitude. After a short stop to admire the view I made the return trip, 7km, down the road. You can see more of my photos from this trip here – http://www.pinterest.com/adeleinslovenia/winter-hiking-on-the-vr%C5%A1i%C4%8D-pass-slovenia/

Meanwhile, back down on terra firma, here’s some non-snowy ideas for the coming week in Radovljica. There will be a concert of Russian music taking place in the Baroque Hall of the Manor House (graščina) on Thursday 30^th, beginning at 7pm, and organised by the Chopin Golden Ring. Tickets cost from 10 euros for adult and 5 for children.

On Sunday 2^nd February the monthly flea market will take place in the old town centre (or in the entrance lobby of the Manor House in the case of bad weather) from 9am to 1pm. The event also includes additional activities for children. Entrance is free.

The ever popular outdoor skating rink at the Radovljca Sport Park is open daily, midweek from 3-6pm, weekends from 10am-6pm. Kids (with their own skates) can skate for free, adults pay just 2 euros.

20Jan2014

The Planinca and Poljška Highlands

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

This year’s winter, thus far at least, has been a total antithesis of the previous one when there was SO much snow that even some of the die-hard snow fans, of which there are many in this Alpine region of Slovenia, began to tire of the relentless snowfall. This year however, until now at least, the precipitation has all been in the form of rain and with the mild temperatures to boot, even the weather forecasters are being left scratching their heads.

However, I’m not usually one to be deterred by a bit of rain, after all it’s only water, and in some countries of the world they would give their eye teeth for rainfall. After so much time spent snow shovelling last year, the novelty of which quickly wears off, believe me, I’m not complaining. I usually still don my waterproofs and head out for a run or walk, even if I do sometimes return home resembling a drowned rat! This week, I did at least manage one dry, albeit somewhat muddy, walk to the Planinca and Poljška mountain highlands.

The usual starting point for a walk here, and to other destinations in the Karavanke range such as the ever popular Roblek Hut (Roblekov dom), the Preval highland and hut (Koča na Planini Preval-a) and the peak of Begunščica (the 2^nd highest peak in the Karavanke range), is from the parking area at the foot of the Draga Valley.

On this occasion however I chose to begin my walk along the pleasant and interesting Lamberg’s path which leads from the Krpin recreation area in Begunje, past the ruins of Kamen Castle (Grad Kamen), before reaching the Draga Valley. The path takes about 45 minutes (in one direction).

The path from the valley head is well marked and leads first up the mountain road before branching off into the forest. It is an easy, though fairly steep in parts, hike up to reach the first mountain highland, Planinca (1136m). This was originally owned by the Lords of Kamen and was formerly used for grazing cows and sheep. These days, cattle can still be found grazing here during the summer months and one can stop at the Planinca hut for a refreshing drink or some soured milk (kislo mleko), direct from the herd. The soured milk is actually akin to a natural yoghurt, thick and most often served in a clay bowl and eaten with a spoon. I have to confess that I’m not a fan but it is a very popular delicacy of choice around here!

During the winter, or rather during a ‘normal’ winter, the road from the Planinca highland back down to the valley is transformed into a very popular sledging track. Of course with the lower section of the road being shared by both hikers and sledgers, one does have to keep aware to avoid being taken out by a fast finishing sledger!

A mere ten minutes almost level walk from the Planinca hut leads to the Poljška highland and hut (1180m), so named as it belongs to the community of the nearby village of Poljče. The pasture was also used for grazing horses, cows and sheep. The Poljška hut is a large chalet style design which, after being burnt down during in 1944, was restored to its original form after the war.

The mountain road ends at the Poljška highland and from here a path continues up through the forest to the Roblek Hut (1672m). Alternatively, as I did on this occasion, a path to the left of the pasture leads down through the forest before reaching a junction where one has the choice of continuing, at first uphill then again downhill, towards St. Peter’s Church (Sv. Peter) and the Sankaška hut (Sankaška koca), or turning left down a gully to return towards Begunje and the Krpin recreation area.

Of course all of this mild weather and rain is having a hugely detrimental effect on the low lying ski resorts such as Kranjska Gora. The higher resorts however have more than enough snow, with more falling all the time, but they just need some fine weather to entice the skiers out onto the slopes; not that Slovenes need any encouragement to go skiing.

For those not so keen on venturing out in the inclement weather, there are other indoor activities in the Radovljica area such as the Olympic size swimming pool (covered during the winter, open-air during the summer), Linhart Hall cinema and theatre, the museums and galleries in Radovljica’s old town centre (Museum of Apiculture, Town Museum, Šivec House Gallery), as well as museums in the surrounding villages of Begunje (Museum of Hostages) and Kropa (Museum of Iron-Forging).

Additionally, this week, a new photographic exhibition will open in the lobby of the Radovljica Mansion (graščina) on Friday 24^th January at 6pm and next weekend the 8^th International Accordion Competition for the Avsenik Award will take place at the Avsenik restaurant in Begunje. Entrance to all these events is free.

7Jan2014

A Happy New Year at Vila Podvin – Gourmet Food in Gorenjska

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

This year, I chose to see out the old year and see in the new year at a local venue which can definitely be regarded as being one of Slovenia’s success stories of 2013; somewhere bucking the trend of the recession, daring to be a bit different, and where the owners believe in supporting and co-operating with the local community to offer delicious, locally sourced and creative food served amid a pleasant ambience – Vila Podvin.

Vila Podvin is located in the village of Mošnje, just a couple of kilometres from Radovljica. When I first moved to Slovenia there was another restaurant open here but it closed down some years ago and had since remained shut. I regularly run past the restaurant and had often thought to myself what a shame such a beautiful place, with its adjoining, albeit abandoned, castle, had been abandoned and lain empty for so long. So it was with delight that earlier this year, on another such a run, I noticed work was taking place and the restaurant looked as if it was being given some much needed TLC. On my return home, I immediately set about sending emails to discover what was afoot and was delighted to discover that Vila Podvin was about to re-open and, even better, that its head chef was to be Uroš Štefelin, one of Slovenia’s best known chefs. Uroš (the brawns?!) together with the Director, Marcela, (the brains?!) both previously worked at the prestigious Hotel Triglav in Bled and it was there that they decided they wanted to ‘go it alone’ without the constraints of working for someone else.

Uroš Štefelin is one of the three reknowned ‘Bled Chefs’, the other two being Bine Volčič, who previously headed up the Promenada Restaurant in Bled and Igor Jagodic who now heads up the team at Ljubljana Castle’s prestigious Strelec restaurant. Despite all three chefs being very successful and adding their own twists and specialities to their food, all three now share a compassion for tradition, which is the underpinning story of these times. Here’s me with the great man himself – Chef Uroš!

So, as you might imagine, I was delighted at the opportunity to spend New Year’s Eve with them and sample some of the delicious food I had been hearing about. I will hold my hands up and admit that whilst I love food, and I’m open to trying unusual and exciting new flavours and dishes, I am by no means a gourmet. Thankfully, I didn’t need to be as the menu choices were taken care of. I must also confess that I am not usually at home in posh, stuffy restaurants, where one must mind their ‘p’s and q’s’ and has to hunt around the plate to find the food. Fortunately, again this was far from the case and I was made to feel most welcome; there was a friendly, family, relaxed atmosphere and I certainly didn’t leave hungry; my favourite dish being the excellent curry soup with black risotto (as seen below) and the hemp gnocchi were also a hit! Oh and there was a surprise visitor too! After the meal, the celebrating continued in the old town centre of Radovljica with live music and a few warming schnapps!

In line with their passion for sourcing local foods and supporting the local community, a market is held in the grounds of Vila Podvin on the first Saturday of each month. In addition to being able to sample and buy products from local suppliers, visitors also have the option of staying for lunch which Uroš rustles up using products available from the day’s market. Personally, I have always enjoyed shopping at markets. Granted, the food may sometime be a little more expensive but it’s fresh and you know its exact origins. Indeed, since moving to Slovenia I have become more aware of such things and endeavour to cook almost all my meals from scratch. These days, when I visit the UK, I look in dismay at the aisles upon aisles of chilled and ambient ready-meals that line the supermarket shelves and it horrifies me to think of purchasing any of them. Not that there isn’t a place for certain ‘off-the-shelf’ products; ready-made pastry is a boon, tinned tomatoes for making pasta sauces etc. too and sometimes of course one simply otherwise doesn’t have time.

If you live in the area, and/or are visiting, and are looking for somewhere for a special meal, for a celebration or even just for a simple ‘lunch for locals’ (offered daily – 3 courses for 15 euros), then Vila Podvin, and the village of Mošnje, makes a good choice. The village itself is also home to the Vila Rustica Archeological Site and there is a short walking trail around the village which takes in its sights. More information can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/mosnje-archaeological-trail/

As well as the restaurant, Vila Podvin also offers accommodation and for aspiring little, and big, Uroš’s, Vila Podvin also run cookery workshops. The kids workshops are a particularly great idea since the kids spend a few hours preparing and cooking lunch for their parents, whilst parents can enjoy a well-earned rest then get to enjoy the fruits of their little ones labour. And even better, the workshops are free for children, just the parents lunch must be paid for. Sounds like a win-win to me! More about all this can be found here – http://www.vilapodvin.si/

After all this, I feel as if I’m turning into a restaurant critic – my next career move perhaps?!

So to other news. Well – it’s wet! But the precipitation has been largely in the form of rain rather than snow. It’s also unseasonably warm with temperatures of around +5-10 degrees, whereas usually at this time of year it would be in the minuses. I have read several enquiries from worried visitors about the amount of snow around for skiing so I will endeavour to post a short snow report update each week for the remainder of the season.

Currently, much of the snow beneath the 1500 metres level has been washed away although of course in the high mountains, there is a lot of fresh now, up to 2 metres, and the danger of avalanches is significantly increased. Lower lying ski resorts, such as Kranjska Gora, are looking rather ‘green’ at the moment but the higher resorts such as Krvavec and Vogel, still have plenty of snow.

Therefore I haven’t been able to do much in the way of hiking of late, either because its been raining at lower altitudes or because it would be unsafe and/or unwise of me to go to the higher mountains. This week I did make it to my usual winter haunts of Valvasor (1181m) and also to Smokuski vrh (1122m), both of which were pleasantly snow free, if a little muddy. As I write, I can see blue sky for the first time for a while so here’s hoping I will be out and about in the next few days and be able to post more trip reports and photos of hikes etc. soon.

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Romantic Radovljica!

A weekend of winter sports in Gorenjska, Slovenia

Carnival Time in Radovljica

Snow Castles and Successful Slovenia

Seven Years in Slovenia!

A cultural weekend in Slovenia

Extreme Slovenia!

Winter on the Vršič Pass

The Planinca and Poljška Highlands

A Happy New Year at Vila Podvin – Gourmet Food in Gorenjska