2 Records and a Rant!

Posted in Food, Lesce, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Rather an odd title for this week’s blog, you might think. I’ll start with the ‘records’ and get on to the ‘ranting’ later!

The first of the ‘2 records’ refers to this year’s Radovljica Chocolate Festival where, in addition to a full programme of chocolate tasting and other chocolate-related entertainment, there will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest ever chocolate bar.

The current world record was set in 2011, with the largest bar weighing a whopping 5,792.50kg (probably equating to about my average annual consumption of the stuff!). It was produced by Thorntons Plc (UK), who just happen to make one of my favourite kinds of chocolate in the world. Any friends or family visiting from the UK are always instructed to bring me some!

So, it will take some doing to break it – the record I mean, not the chocolate bar! Though, one does wonder how on earth they are going to divide it up into manageable chunks! The full programme for the festival, which takes place from 15 – 17th April, is almost complete, so there’ll be plenty more about it here, and on the festival website, in the coming weeks – http://www.festival-cokolade.si/program/

That’s not all on the subject of record-breaking. The 2nd of the ‘2 records’ refers to the record-breaking weekend at Planica. I wasn’t among the crowd as unfortunately, despite being offered a ticket, a problem with my ears means that I’m unable to withstand loud noise and Planica is a synonym for loud noise with hooters, claxons and the masses of highly enthusiastic fans cheering on their heroes. However, since there was such widespread media coverage over the whole 4 days, it was easy to feel a part of the nation’s pride without actually being there.

The combination of fantastic weather, record-breaking crowds, and world-beating performances by the Slovene ski jumping team ensured a winning weekend was had by all. And boy, do the supporters know how to cheer and wave their flags in earnest when it comes to Planica – all 110,000 of them!

To crown his sensational season, on Sunday Peter Prevc once again secured victory, to round-off a truly astounding year which saw him amass 15 wins, 22 podiums and a new record of 2303 points to become the overall 2016 FIS ski jumping champion. I think it’s fair to say that there isn’t a single Slovene who isn’t proud of him! In Sunday’s competition, Slovenia’s Robert Kranjec took 2nd place, whilst on Saturday the Slovene team were second in the team competition.

Now, moving onto the ‘rants’ – well actually just one rant, and not something I would usually use the medium of blogging to do, however, on this occasion I feel the need, so please indulge me, just this once.

Saddened, disgusted, horrified, angry, these, along with resignation, were my feelings on finding out that a McDonalds is to open in Lesce. In recent years Taste Radol’ca restaurants, amongst others, have been striving to place a focus on eating locally-produced food. In schools too, both here and elsewhere, there has been ever increasing attention on what kids eat.

From my perspective, I thought I’d found a little corner of the world to escape mass corporate globalisation, though, in truth, that’s almost impossible these days. Therefore, to find out that this particular burger chain is opening on my doorstep was a huge upset. Of course, it’s not the first one in Slovenia, but until now they have been confined to larger cities, rather than encroaching in this beautiful part of the country.

What is additionally worrying is its location. Right at the Bled exit from the motorway, which is notoriously busy. Every weekend during the summer there are tailbacks of several kilometres, and this will only add to that, not to mention there will no doubt be ghastly advertising hoardings erected here, there, and everywhere – another of my pet hates.

Sadly, it’s inevitable that it will do well, as those passing on the motorway will stop off for a fast food fix. I’m not trying to be a preacher here, since I’m no saint when it comes to food – pizza, chocolate, cakes etc. are a staple part of my diet. I can only hope, forlornly perhaps, that at least some of you, my dear readers, appreciate quality food over fast food and steer clear! After all, within just a few kilometres, or even less, of ‘that burger chain’ there are a wealth of restaurants awaiting you with delicious home-produced Slovene food. And if the need for a burger really grabs you – as sometimes it does, at least choose one such as this Angus beef burger, new on the menu at Draga Inn, looks delicious wouldn’t you agree?

So, I urge you, please support local food and restaurants, when visiting Slovenia eat Slovenian food, and don’t let the global giants win!

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

14Mar2016

Archery, Hiking and Taste Radol’ca in the Draga Valley

Posted in Food, Hiking, Karavanke, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Even a very rainy Saturday didn’t dampen the spirits of the 150+ archers who came from far and wide to take part in the recent archery tournament in the Draga Valley.

I am often in the Draga valley, as it is a starting point for a number of hikes in the Karavanke mountains, and is also home to Draga Inn, which offers tasty home-cooked, traditional Slovene food. The Inn is one the participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants where you can also take advantage of the ‘Adele in Slovenia Discount Card’. More information here – http://wp.me/p3005k-1oe

On this occasion I actually visited on the day prior to the archery tournament since a) rain was forecast for the day of the tournament itself; b) I wanted to take some photos of the targets and not to become a target myself during the tournament!; c) I anticipated parking in the narrow valley to be nigh on impossible on the day of the tournament; and d) I wanted to walk up to the Planinca planina highland, 1136m, (seen below) before the next snowfall.

There is a very pleasant path which runs from Draga Inn, through the forest, past the remains of Kamen Castle, before emerging near the parking area at the Krpin recreation ground in Begunje na Gorenjskem. It was on this path that I first came across the targets and since then, on a number of occasions, I have been back to search for more, as each time I go I discover new ones – which is a real thrill!

The annual archery tournament attracts teams from Slovenia as well as from neighbouring countries.

The targets are positioned in strategic places in the forest.

It makes a great walk, especially with kids, who will love trying to spot the targets! So far I have found 7, though I think there are probably several more.

If you are visiting the valley for a walk or hike, I’d also recommend a meal at Draga Inn, which specialises in game, trout, and other local and traditional Slovene dishes.

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

7Mar2016

Spring Restaurant Week 2016

Posted in Food, Gostilna Kunstelj, Mosnje, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

After a relatively dry and mild December and January, the weather seems to have been playing catch-up for the last few weeks and we’ve been experiencing alternating torrential rain and snow. Operators of Slovenia’s ski resorts will be rubbing their hands with glee as an extended ski season looks a dead cert now, since in the past week in some places there has been up to metre of fresh snow. So, if you are considering a late ski trip, consider Slovenia!

Despite the rain and snow, temperatures have been feeling more spring-like (though it was snowing when I woke up this morning!), there are plenty of spring flowers in bloom, the days are getting longer, and Spring Restaurant Week is here, yippee!

Spring Restaurant Week 2016 takes place from 11th – 20th March. There are a total of 86 participating restaurants, and out of the 11 in the Gorenjska region, 3 of these are Taste Radol’ca restaurants. This is all the more impressive since the Restaurant Week team visit each restaurant to ensure it meets its strict criteria for inclusion, meaning only the finest are chosen.

Restaurant Week takes place twice a year – in spring and in autumn – and the concept is to make gourmet food affordable. Diners have an opportunity to try out some of Slovenia’s best restaurants, with 3-course specially prepared menus available for just 16 euros. It is incredibly popular, so bookings are essential. Since the website is only in Slovene I thought I’d give you a sneak preview of what to expect.

Kunstelj Inn, Radovljica – a choice of 2 themed menus. One is ‘All Things Vegetable’. Below you can see the main course – the 4th generation of Kunstelj štruklji.

The other is named ‘From the Mountains and Forests’. The main course is fillet of mouflon with parsnip mash and kohlrabi.

Vila Podvin, Mošnje – Uroš Štefelin, one of Slovenia’s top chefs, will be cooking up delights including carpaccio of rainbow trout with a herb and horseradish mayonnaise

Lambergh Chateau & Hotel, Dvorska vas – there are 2 menus, meat-based or fish-based. Note – *this photo is from the 2015 Restaurant Week as photos of the 2016 culinary delights at Lambergh have yet to be released.

Now, I just have the tough choice of deciding where to go and how many of the restaurants I can fit into one week!

More information here (in Slovene only) – http://tedenrestavracij.si/restaurant-category/gorenjska/

You can also read more about Restaurant Week here, in English, though it is only about Ljubljana-based restaurants – http://www.inyourpocket.com/ljubljana/Restaurant-Week_73983f

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

3Mar2016

Easter in Slovenia – My Potica Journey!

Posted in Food, Ljubljana, Potica, Slovenia, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

It’s not even Easter yet and I’ve already eaten half my body weight in potica – all in the name of research for this blog!

It’s not hard to find potica in Slovenia, far from it, it’s abundantly available, particularly during Easter, Christmas and New Year holidays. I have often read that there are over 80 different types of potica in Slovenia, yet in most shops and bakeries there are only the usual staple varieties, such as; walnut – by far the most commonly found; poppy seed; tarragon; pork crackling; dried fruit; potratna – as seen below – a layered ‘luxury’ potica, made with curd cheese, walnuts and layers of light and dark sponge.

So, where then are the other 70+ varieties I asked myself? Therefore, for this blog I set myself the challenge of seeking out some of the other, more unusual types of potica. In the process I have crossed waters and worked my way through an awful lot of potica, so, I hope you enjoy reading about potica in Slovenia as much as I have enjoyed eating it!

I must confess that sometimes I find potica can be rather uninspiring, dry, and, well, a bit underwhelming. For me the ratio of dough to filling is the key factor. According to potica experts, the ideal ratio is 1:1 – for example, if the dough is 1cm thick, then the filling should also be 1cm. In reality, especially when it comes to mass produced potica, this seems to be far from the case, hence it definitely pays to seek out handmade potica, and it also pays to pay! Though these days you can find potica in pretty much every supermarket throughout the land, and it can often be found on special offer, these shop-bought varieties, though cheap, are often disappointing. Homemade versions are almost always the best – almost everyone in Slovenia seems to have a grandmother who makes ‘the best’ potica, or I recommend also trying some of the ones below!

First I contacted Iva Gruden from Ljubljananjam – http://www.ljubljananjam.si/ who knows pretty much everything there is to know about the food scene in Ljubljana. She suggested I try the coffee shop and patisserie Čopomana in Ljubljana. Čopomana has many flavours of potica including several that I have never seen, let alone tried.

Čopomana bakes the usual favourite flavours and also an array of different and imaginative flavours. During Easter week they are readily available, whilst at other times throughout the year they are baked to order.

Almond and candied fruit

Hazelnut with rum-soaked raisins

Pumpkin seed, pistachio and cardamom

Date, orange, almond and rose petal

Coconut and milk chocolate

Chestnut, fig and Tonka bean – unfortunately I failed to get a good snap of this one for some reason, though it was actually my favourite of the lot – too busy eating, perhaps!

I’d like to say a very big ‘Thank You’ to the owner of Čopomana, Tanja Viler, for her extreme friendliness, inventiveness and willingness. My visit even inspired her to invented a new flavour of potica (the chestnut one!), and I must mention that my attention was also drawn by all the other delicious looking handmade cakes, jams and other goodies available. I think I will be visiting again soon! More information here – https://www.facebook.com/Čopomana-576820115783243/?fref=ts

My search also led me to Bled island. As well as being home to the Church of the Mother of God, and a gallery, the island also has its own ‘potičnica‘. I’m going to let the photos tell the story, as there is SO much to tell!

I journeyed to the island by private boat.

I was warmly greeted by Romana Bohinc, who then proceeded, at lightning speed, to skilfully make and bake five different kinds of potica.

A chocolate-enriched dough filled with ground almonds and cranberries soaked in honey and lemon juice

Blanched almond with white chocolate, cream and honey

Toasted hazelnut, honey and dried fig – Romana told me about the island’s fig tree. The alpine climate in Gorenjska isn’t exactly conducive to growing figs, however, she explained to me that the island has its own kind of microclimate, which results in a healthy annual fig crop.

Walnut, honey and rum-soaked raisins – a slight twist on the classic walnut potica

Chive, rum-soaked raisins and cranberry – with a base layer of egg yolks, butter and sugar. I couldn’t quite get my head round chives being used in a sweet bake, as they have a very pungent flavour, but this one actually turned out to be my favourite of the lot. Do try it!

I was also impressed by the ‘no waste’ policy, whereby the ends of the dough that are cut off before the potica goes into a mould, are baked into biscuits.

By prior arrangement the potičnica offers workshops for groups, whereby each person can make their own potica, have a guided tour of the island, a tasting session, and some potica to take home. This sounds like a fantastic idea to me and I hope that, rather than just being a spectator, I too will be able to participate myself sometime soon. More information here – http://www.blejskiotok.si/poticnica

I also happened upon one more variety of potica, cream potica, made at Trojane – home of the original Trojane doughnut! One perhaps wouldn’t associate Trojane with potica, but they have their own in-house bakery and patisserie and also pride themselves on their homemade local food. Whilst traditional walnut potica is available all year-round at Trojane, cream potica is only available at Easter and Christmas. The filling comprises a mixture including breadcrumbs, curd cheese and cream.

Perhaps potica purists will baulk at some of the flavours shown above, preaching that they don’t consistute ‘real’ potica, but, as I see it, as long as the original shape and methods are retained, then there are no limits to the possibilities – all it takes is a little imagination, as I discovered on my potica journey.

Easter in Slovenia is celebrated in a number of ways. It begins on Palm Sunday when people can be seen flocking to churches around the country carrying bundles of branches and leaves, called ‘butare‘ which are then blessed as part of a custom thought to date back as far as the 9th century.

On Easter Saturday people take baskets of food, covered with embroidered cloths, to church to be blessed. However, this food cannot be eaten until Easter Sunday. Then, after a period of abstinence (by some), with a fast beginning on Ash Wednesday, food becomes a big deal as tables in homes around the country can be found bursting under the weight of, of course, potica, as well as baked ham, horseradish, eggs and other delicacies!

However and wherever you choose to celebrate Easter, may it be filled with colour, joy, and, of course, potica! I reckon I might manage another slice, or two!

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

29Feb2016

A gift from me to you: Discounts and special offers galore!

Posted in Food, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

To celebrate the momentous (for me at least!) occasion of my blog achieving its 100,000 view, I decided I would like to prepare something special for readers, as a way of a thank you, and also to involve the local community.

Therefore, I came up with an idea and am now immensely proud and excited to introduce and offer you the ‘Adele in Slovenia Discount Card’. The card offers a range of benefits that EVERYONE can take advantage of, regardless of whether you live in Slovenia, or are visiting as a tourist, and even better it’s FREE! As it is a celebration of achieving 100,000 views the special offers will last 100 days – commencing 1st March, ending on 8th June.

I pitched the idea to the director of Tourism Radovljica, who liked the idea and agreed to help with printing the cards, and I then set about contacting each of the Taste Radol’ca restaurants, and a few other local companies, all of whom were enthusiastic and generously offered a variety of discounts, special offers, freebies and more.

Here’s the deal. Simply pop into the Radovljica Tourist Office (opening hours – daily 9am – 4pm), where you can take advantage of the first special offer, and pick up your card. There are no strings attached, anyone can get a card, and it can be used unlimited times during the 100 day period.

RADOVLJICA TOURIST OFFICE – 5% discount on all purchases + free tasting of honey
GRAJSKA GOSTILNA, Radovljica – 15% discount on food bills
VILA PODVIN*, Mosnje – A free visit to the kitchen of Uroš Štefelin, one of Slovenia’s top chefs, and a free culinary gift
KUNSTELJ INN*, Radovljica – Free dessert when ordering a main course
TULIPAN INN, Lesce – 15% discount on bed and breakfast rate
LECTAR INN, Radovljica – Free dessert when ordering a main course
LAMBERGH CHATEAU AND HOTEL*, Dvorska vas – 10% discount on all hotel services (excluding massage)
DRAGA INN, Begunje na Gorenjskem – 10% on food bills
NA KLEŽNK, Lesce – 10% on food bills
LESCE ALPINE FLYING CENTRE – 10% discount on panoramic and glider flights
JOŠTOV HRAM, Podnart – 10% discount on food bills
SODČEK WINE BAR, Radovljica – 5% discount on purchases above 30 euros (bottled wine only)

So, don’t delay, go and pick up your card today (well tomorrow, from 1st March they are available)!

Here’s to the next 100,000 views….. I hope you will remain with me for the journey – there’s still plenty more to come!

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

22Feb2016

Na Kležnk in Lesce – First Class Airport Food!

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Did you know that there is an airport in Lesce? Well, ‘airport’ is a slight over exaggeration, airfield, to be more precise – the Lesce Alpine Flying Centre (Alpski letalski center). It offers panoramic flights above the Julian Alps, glider flights, skydiving and parachuting (more here – http://www.radolca.si/en/adrenaline-in-the-air/). I’m told that in the past there also used to be scheduled direct flights to Dubrovnik. What a shame that is no longer the case!

Moreover, you can now also get first-class food there that doesn’t break the bank, which is not something that can often be said of airport food! However, this is no ordinary ‘airport’ restaurant. The Na Kležnk restaurant, which opened last year, has brought a much-needed revival to the centre, and it’s range of high-quality dishes and delicious desserts, are just the ticket!

I was interested to know where the restaurant’s name hails from and found out that it comes from the name of a farm that used to be located in the area where the airfield now stands.

During the warmer months you can sit outdoors on the terrace and admire the views of the Julian Alps and the Jelovica plateau.

My visit on a damp February evening wasn’t exactly conducive to admiring the outside views, but instead I was able to sit in the warm, pleasant ambience of the restaurant and admire the indoor views – mainly of the cakes!

Na Kležnk has its own in-house patisserie, where delicious cakes are baked daily and can also be purchased to take-away, or they will even deliver if you have a sudden urgent craving for cake – it happens, you know!

With such a wide range of cakes on offer, it was a tough choice, so I had a slice of this raspberry meringue cake to start, well I don’t mean as a ‘starter’ but as my ‘starter dessert’!

And later a piece of the delicious, and highly addictive, banana mudcake ‘to go’!

Oh yes, and I also ate some seriously tasty and imaginately presented ‘real’ food too!

Starters include cheese ravioli with a pesto sauce and parmesan, and, as seen below, shrimp tails with crab pate.

For my main course I chose a dish from the specials menu – pork fillet with onion sauce and bread dumplings.

And my friend ordered the sea bass which came looking like this.

And inside looked like this!

Apparently, though, word is already out and, particularly if you go at the weekends for their popular Saturday and Sunday lunches, reservations are required. Now I too know why and am already looking forward to my next visit. It is to be hoped that Na Kležnk will also join Taste Radol’ca later this year.

© AdeleinSlovenia 2016

18Feb2016

Love Food – Love sLOVEnia: 10 Must-Try Slovene Foods

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Although these days Top 10 lists are all the rage, I decided not to make this one since choosing just 10 of the many great Slovene foods would be difficult, not to mention what I consider the Top 10 would surely differ from what others consider the Top 10 and I could foresee controversy looming! Therefore, this list presents just some of the’ Must-Try Slovene Foods’ and some suggestions for where to try them but is far from exhaustive and comprises merely my suggestions. There are, many, many other great foods and dishes, not to mention wines, that you should also try whilst in Slovenia.

Slovenia is known for its diverse and rich culinary heritage. For such a small country it is amazing that there are 24 gastronomic regions, comprising over 170 distinguishable dishes. Each region has its own specialities and characteristics and is influenced, in part, by the surrounding countries of Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. You can read plenty more about food and wine in Slovenia here – http://www.slovenia.info/en/Food-and-wine.htm?kulinarika_in_vino=0&lng=2

Carniolan sausage (Kranjska klobasa) – This humble sausage has been the subject of great debate over its originality or ownership over the years and is probably one of the best known Slovene food products worldwide. It is also one of the foods named a ‘Protected Slovene Product’. The oldest recipe for its production was found in the cookbook ‘Slovenska kuharica’ dating back to 1912. The several-time winner of the Best Carniolan Sausage is the Arvaj Butchers in Kranj. The sausages are often served with sour cabbage, as seen below, or can be cut up and added to stews, or just eaten simply with mustard (sorry but it has to be ketchup for me!) and crusty bread.

Gibanica – I’ve seen attempts to translate this as ‘Over moving Mura cake’, which is just plain ridiculous! The ‘Mura’ part refers to the cake’s origins from the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. However, I believe some things shouldn’t be translated – let the cake do the talking for itself! Gibanica comprises multiple layers of apple, curd cheese, ground walnuts, poppy seeds and pastry. I think it’s at its most delicious when served warm.

Pumpkin seed oil – Delicious, versatile and healthy! Pumpkin seed oil is most commonly used as a salad dressing, but these days you can also find it being used in a multitude of imaginative ways, such as drizzled over vanilla ice-cream – yum!

Potica – One of the most typical Slovene desserts, though actually I consider it less of a dessert, more of an afternoon tea kind of food as it is something between a bread and a cake. It’s a filled rolled loaf which can have a variety of fillings, the most common include walnuts, poppy seeds, or tarragon, but there are also many other different varieties including savoury versions containing pork crackling. Traditionally potica is a festive bread, eaten at Easter or Christmas, though these days it can be bought and enjoyed year-round.

Štruklji – I had a hand in making the štruklji in the photo below – though I must admit I had some help! These were made at a cookery workshop I attended a couple of years ago at Pekarna Mišmaš. Štruklji are a type of rolled dumpling made with a light dough. These ones are filled simply with curd cheese, which is the most common filling, though the sky’s the limit in terms of fillings and they can be either sweet or savoury e.g. walnut, tarragon, blueberry.

Žlikrofi are small boiled dumplings from the town of Idrija. As with other Slovene foods, there are a number of variations, however, žlikrofi originated in Idrija so it’s as good a place as any to find and taste them. Žlikrofi are made with a soft pasta dough and filled with a mixture of potatoes, onions and spices. They are often served as an accompaniment to meat dishes, such as hare or goulash, but can be equally enjoyed as a stand-alone dish with a light sauce.

Pršut; Karst-dried ham – from the Karst region of Slovenia where the bora winds provide the perfect conditions for drying the salted meat, resulting in a delicious tender ham which goes perfectly with some local cheese and wine, adding to the Mediterranean feeling in Slovenia’s karst region.

Bograč is a traditional dish from the Prekmurje region, on the border with Hungary, hence its similarity to goulash. Traditionally, this hearty stew is cooked in a cauldron and contains four different kinds of meat as well as onions, potatoes, pork fat, peppers and spices. The annual Bogračfest takes place in Lendava where chefs compete to have their dish crowned the ‘World’s Best Bograč!’ These days you can find bograč served in many parts of the country, however, for the real deal, head to Prekmurje. Last year’s competition featured a record 108 teams from Slovenia, Hungary, Austria and Croatia, and the winning dish was cooked by chef Jožef Činč from the Lindau Lendava Motor Club. The 2016 event will take place on 27th August.

Here you can watch a short video of last year’s bogračfest – just to get the taste buds going!

Trojane doughnuts – Everyone, and I mean everyone, in Slovenia knows about Trojane doughnuts as well as half of Europe too, it seems! The fact that they make and sell an astonishing 10-15,000 doughnuts per day, speaks for itself. I visited Trojane last year to see for myself how they are made and you can read the whole blog here, which, incidentally, was the 2nd most popular blog I wrote last year – http://wp.me/p3005k-10d

Buckwheat žganci with pork crackling – Žganci is another thing which I don’t like to see translated as it often ends up being described as ‘mush’ which, trust me, does not sound appetising! Personally, I think its ample to just write ‘buckwheat’. It is, however, a rather difficult to describe dish and, at first sight, can look somewhat unappetising but done well, it’s delicious! Alone it can be fairly bland but makes a perfect accompaniment to sausages and stews and is also often eaten with sour milk, particularly at mountain huts where the sour milk comes direct from the grazing herds.

It really was tough choosing this list, as there are so many other delicious traditional Slovene foods and dishes I could have included e.g. krapi, ričet, jota, pogača, kremšnita etc. but I’ll save them for another blog some time! Until then, Dober tek!

15Feb2016

WANTED: Your old gingerbread – the older the better!

Posted in Radol'ca, Radovljica, Restaurants, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Last week at Lectar Inn in Radovljica the launch was announced of a special event to celebrate 250 years since the opening of its gingerbread workshop in 1766, and 10 years since the re-opening of the Live Gingerbread Museum.

Lectar Inn is seeking the oldest example of a Lectar heart. Anyone is invited to send or bring in their entries to the competition, including those from outside of Slovenia, and if there is a story connected to it, then all the better. Maybe you received one as a gift in your youth, or perhaps someone in your family did. So, get rummaging in those drawers, cupboards, and wherever else you might have Lectar hearts stashed at home! All the entries will be gathered into a special exhibition which will be on view throughout the year. Each entrant will be rewarded with a limited-edition special Jubilee Lectar heart.

The owners of the 3 oldest Lectar hearts which are submitted to the exhibition, will win an overnight stay including meals at Lectar Inn.

The gingerbread museum is housed in the cellar of the 500-year old building that is also home to the restaurant Gostilna Lectar – which has been operating since 1822, as well as Penzion Lectar, which offers 9 guestrooms. Gostilna Lectar is also one of the participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants where the focus is on using local produce. One of the things I particularly love about visiting Lectar is the warm welcome I always get, and, if the owner Jože is there, he is always ready with his mouth organ at hand to come and play a ditty or two!

These days there are four ‘lectar’ makers working in the museum. The Lectar hearts, which are entirely handmade, are made from a honey-enriched dough. The whole process takes around 14 days, beginning with the mixing and resting of the dough (5 to 10 days), followed by the baking and finally the intricate decoration.

The decorative colours also have a meaning:

red expresses love and passion
yellow, together with red, is a sign of eternal love
green with flowers is a symbol of growth, wealth and fertility

There are also Lectar hearts decorated with mirrors, which were particularly popular in the 19th century because in those times there weren’t many mirrors so women, in particular, liked to receive them as gifts. A Lectar heart with a mirror was also especially characteristic between lovers as it showed that men had a good sense of romance. When a boy wanted to show his girlfriend how much he loved her, he gave her a Lectar heart with a mirror. The girl who received it would know that her reflection in the mirror meant that she was in his heart! Oh how sweet!

There are 2 special dates to note as part of this special year at Lectar Inn:

Saturday 2nd April – Open Day at Lectar Inn

Sunday 11th December – A celebration of 10 years since the reopening of the Lectar live museum and the unveiling of the results and conclusion of the year-long search to find the oldest lectar heart.

More information here – http://www.lectar.com/_en/lectar_zgodovina.html

8Feb2016

Carnival Time, Celebration Time and My Andy Warhol Moment in Radovljica!

Posted in Beekeeping in Slovenia, Bohinj, Jelovica, Julian Alps, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, skiing, Taste Radol'ca, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

After almost two weeks of spring-like weather, snow was forecast for last Wednesday. However, in the end the snow didn’t quite make it down to ground level, where it instead rained, though snow fell above 800 metres. This will certainly have come as a relief to many of Slovenia’s ski resorts, particularly the lower-lying ones, and those without snow cannons, who desperately needed the snow and is perfect timing with school holidays rapidly approaching and it’s raining heavily today too, so there will be even more fresh snow in the mountains.

On Friday and Saturday last week the wonderful unseasonably warm spring-like weather returned and, when I popped to Bohinj for a meeting, I was amazed to see the bees at this hive so active and so many spring flowers in bloom. You’d never guess it was February, that’s for sure!

Last weekend was a very eventful one, for me and in general!

If, as Andy Warhol said, every one should have 15 minutes of fame, then mine came on Friday when the the tourism programme Na Lepše was dedicated, in part, to me and the success of my blog. Ok, it wasn’t exactly 15 minutes and it’s hardly fame, but I consider it recognition at least and I’ll take that! It was filmed in my home town of Radovljica – at the Tourist Information Centre, the viewing area with magnificent views of the Julian Alps and the Jelovica plateau, in the medieval old town and at the Lectar House of Tradition. Despite being rather nervous I must admit I was rather pleased with the outcome and also the response from readers of my blog. Here is the link to the programme which is, of course, all in Slovene, but even those viewing it outside of Slovenia will hopefully enjoy looking at the pictures and maybe it will encourage some of you to visit Radovljica too! (My part begins right after the ad-break, fast forward to 14 minutes).

http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/na-lepse-oddaja-o-turizmu/174386896

On Saturday the pust carnival parade took place through the streets of Radovljica. Carnivals take place throughout Slovenia for pust and although Radovljica doesn’t have its own carnival character such as the kurenti, laufarji and bedalci in other parts of the country, the locals – young and old – always make a concerted effort and the costumes and floats seem ever more creative by the year.

Saturday was also a momentous day for one other reason. It marks the day that my blog had it’s 100,000th view. Wow!!!

Since I knew this time was approaching, though in truth expected it to come in a month or so, I have begun to prepare a special package of offers for you, dear readers, to thank you for your readership, and also to involve the local community – particularly the Taste Radol’ca restaurants. There will be a whole host of discounts and special offers, so watch this space for more details coming very soon!

In the meantime, let’s crack open the champers!

1Feb2016

Men all over the world are crying – or so says ELAN!

Posted in Begunje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

So, that’s a rather strange title for my blog this week, isn’t it? I bet you’re curious what on earth it means! Let me explain.

These days watching, and listening to, the news is usually pretty depressing, I’m sure you’ll agree. So, when last week I saw the headline for the launch of Elan’s new women’s skis, it made me chuckle and I decided to find out more. Well, a bit of humour never goes a miss!

The reason why men all over the world are crying, it seems, is because they would love to get their hands on Elan’s new Delight women’s ski – the lightest ever produced – using patented Slimshape technology that dramatically reduces the weight of the skis – but, alas, this time they can’t, since they’re just for the ladies!

As I wrote in a blog post just 2 weeks ago – http://wp.me/p3005k-1fl – the Elan factory, in Begunje na Gorenjskem, is just minutes from where I live and I often pop into the shop – not for skis I hasten to add! – to browse the range of outdoors clothing and equipment. I had hoped to also see the skis up close but they are so new that they are not yet even in the shop, but will be in a fortnight or so, so not long to wait! In the meantime do take a moment to watch the video and find out who else is crying https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGPpOD1wMkY or you can read more on the website – http://www.elanskis.com/

The advert features some of the legends from the world of extreme skiing, including Davo Karničar – the first man to ski from Everest.

I had the pleasure of meeting Davo at his home, the Davo Karničar Mountain Lodge, in Jezersko. Read more here – http://wp.me/p3005k-5Q

Amongst others, the video also includes World Champion and World Cup Winner in Ski Cross Filip Flisar (SLO), Olympic and World Cup medallist alpine skiing Christian Mayer (AUT), and extreme skier Glen Plake (USA),

Talking of skiing, did you know we actually have a small ski slope here in Radol’ca? It’s in Kamna Gorica to be precise, and despite the wonderful spring-like winter that we have been experiencing of late, whereby there is barely a flake of snow lower than 1500m, the operators have been performing wonders to keep the slope open for local children to enjoy.

Apparently, though, some snow may be headed our way later this week, which will delight all the skiers out there!

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Men all over the world are crying – or so says ELAN!