The Draga Valley: The Lamberg Trail and the Draga Inn

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The Draga Valley lies at the far end of the village of Begunje na Gorenjskem. The valley is little more than a couple of kilometres in length yet is a very popular destination, particularly as it is the start point for hiking to numerous destinations in the Karavanke mountains. The road through the valley has a monument and cemetery in remembrance to hostages of the second world war who were held in the Gestapo prison in the nearby Katzenstein Mansion in Begunje.

The Draga Inn (Gostišče Draga) is situated at the end of the valley alongside the Begunščica stream, making it an oasis of calm and tranquillity. During the summer months its position affords welcome relief from the heat, thanks to the freshness of the stream, whilst in the winter the Inn is toasty warm thanks to the log-burning fire – just perfect for me! The Inn is particularly popular with weary hikers looking for some sustenance after a long hike. However, it also offers a more gourmet experience for those looking for something finer.

One of the most popular destinations to visit from the Draga valley is the Roblek mountain hut. From the valley it takes around 2 hours to reach the hut at 1672m and since it was dark when I went for dinner, and since the valley was shrouded in pesky low cloud most of the weekend and I just knew that the sun had to be up there somewhere, I returned over the weekend to take some photos and to hike up to Roblek in search of the sun. I didn’t have to go for as it was sunny up above 800metres, so I was rewarded for my efforts with fantastic views and warm sunshine up above the clouds. Other than the final 10 minutes, most of the path was free of snow but, as you can see from the picture below, winter has already arrived in the mountains.

You can visit the valley by car, by bike or on foot, and a great way to reach the Draga Inn is via the Lamberg Trail which officially begins at the car park opposite the Avsenik Restaurant and Museum in Begunje. However, you can also park, as I usually do, at the Krpin Recreation Ground in Begunje and begin the walk from there. The trail runs behind the ruins of Kamen Castle and ends at the Inn, passing several information boards and sights of interest. The path is a little undulating but not difficult and takes about 45-1 hour minutes each way. More about the trail can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/lamberg-trail-begunje/ Keep your eyes pealed for wildlife though, who knows what you might encounter!

As it is still November, and therefore the month of Taste Radol’ca, my friend and I decided we just had to take the chance to sample the Taste Radol’ca menu, and in fact because Gostišče Draga are offering 2 Taste Radol’ca menus, we plumped for one of each so we could try each others too (don’t we all do that?). However, since I don’t eat fish and menu 2 is predominantly fished-based, I lost out a bit there! The food was thoughtfully presented, tasty, and with generous, but not over-the-top, portion sizes, which was just as well as there were 4-courses to try.

We began with game pate with cranberries (menu 1) and smoked trout (menu 2). This was followed by pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Next came fillet of deer (in my case substituted for beef) in a honeyed-pepper sauce, cheese strukelj and, one of my favourite things on their menu, house dumplings filled with cranberry sauce. Menu 2 was trout fillet in cornmeal with buckwheat and mushrooms.

Dessert was apple strudel (menu 1) and hot-chocolate soufflé (menu 2).

Oh, and of course all capped off with a little glug of one of the myriad flavours of schnapps on offer!

In addition to the Taste Radol’ca menu, Gostišče Draga offer a full and varied menu with an emphasis on game and fresh fish. Their philosophy is based on traceability of ingredients; many of the ingredients used, such as fruit, vegetables and flour, are home-grown and produced. More information can be found here – http://www.gostisce-draga.si/

So, I have now completed the (arduous!) task of reviewing this year’s new additions to Taste Radol’ca and am no doubt a few kilogrammes heavier for having done so! More information about all the participating restaurants can also be found under the Taste Radol’ca heading at the top of the blog.

With the festive season rapidly approaching, this week Radovljica’s residents are invited to help decorate the old town to help make it into a festive winter wonderland. Decoration, and the making of decorations, will take place on Wednesday (9am – 1pm), Thursday (9am – 1pm and 3pm – 7pm) and Friday (3pm – 7pm) in the atrium of the Radovljica Mansion. Come and join us and get in the festive spirit!

17Nov2014

The Globočnik Excursion Farm (Izletniška kmetija Globočnik)

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These days, people are more than ever looking for somewhere different to go, somewhere off-the-beaten track, away from the masses and the hubbub of modern life, and if that places just so also happens to serve great homemade food, then more so the better! So, this week I have the answer; The Globočnik Excursion Farm (Izletniška kmetija Globočnik). Situated in the tiny settlement of Globoko, next to the Sava river, the Globočnik farmhouse offers genuine, traditional, home-cooked and produced food, which can be enjoyed either outside, during fine weather, or in the centuries old farmhouse which is complete with an original black kitchen and in winter is toasty warm thanks to the log fire and wood-burning stove. The house dates back to 1628, as witnessed by the preserved stone on the façade of the house. The house really has a unique ambience and you feel right at home from the minute you step inside, much in part also to the owner, Cene, a larger-than-life character with a wealth of tales to tell, ably assisted by his wife and family.

The house is packed full of interesting artefacts, each of which have stories to tell, and many of which are from the time Cene spent working on the railways.

Other than the occasional distant rumble of a passing train, (Globoko station is just a few minutes away on foot making it easy to visit the farmhouse even for those without a car) the farmhouse is a haven of peace, surrounded by fields and forest, and a hark back to bygone-days. Just a few metres away is the Barbana Breeding House which is dedicated to the breeding of the famous white Lipizzaner horses and where, upon prior arrangement, visitors can take a horse and carriage ride – http://www.barbana.si/en/about-us

This year, Globočnik have also joined the Taste Radol’ca (Okusi Radol’ce) collaboration and therefore during the whole month of November, they are offering a special menu in addition to their regular range of dishes. The food on offer is rustic, hearty and plentiful – perfect for this time of year and for the Gorenjska climate.

Additionally, as part of Taste Radol’ca, on Saturday 29th November from 4-6pm Globočnik will be holding a demonstration and tasting of homemade sausages, made using home-reared pork, together with other goodies and homemade bread.

Dishes on offer at Globočnik include farmers mixed platter (cold meats, cheese, pate) and various soups to start; main courses include – farmers feast (grilled sausages, black-pudding, roast pork, stewed beef or roast duck), goulash, tripe, and various stews; a wide selection of side dishes such as steamed sauerkraut, roast potatoes, turnips, buckwheat with mushrooms, cheese štruklji; and, if you’re not bursting at the seams (which I was but of course still managed to find room for something sweet!) desserts on offer include apple strudel or stuffed apples with walnuts and honey.

Note – The Globočnik Excursion Farm is only open Friday, Saturdays and Sunday and prior reservations are essential. More information can be found here (in Slovene only) – http://www.globocnik.si/

Whilst in the area, you can also visit the village of Mošnje, home to the Villa Rustica Archeological Site – http://www.radolca.si/en/villa-rustica/ – and/or take a walk along the Mošnje Archaelogical Trail – http://www.radolca.si/en/mosnje-archaeological-trail/

They say the sun always come out after the rain but it was beginning to feel as if we would never see the sun again after 13 days of incessant rain, low cloud and general dullness. My Sunday morning began much as had the previous 13, lying in bed listening to the rain on the roof, and not feeling terribly enthusiastic about going for another walk clutching my umbrella. Imagine my delight then when I finally forced myself out of bed, lifted the blinds and saw blue sky and sun – even though it was still raining! And there was even a perfect rainbow to cap it off whose brilliant colours were the perfect way to banish the blues!

10Nov2014

Humanfish (proteus) in Slovenia / Hotel and Restaurant Krek

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In last week’s blog, written when it was dry, sunny and mild, I mentioned the new Sava River Trail, vowing to write more about it this week once I had had time to further explore it. However, once again the weather scuppered my plans. I must admit, I did wonder about the wisdom of erecting the signage and arranging the path at this time of year which is notoriously wet, since, as the name suggests, the path runs alongside the Sava river and even during the driest of months will be wet in places.

After last week’s torrential rain and flooding, it will be impassable in places so I’ll write about that at another, drier, time of year; goodness only knows when that will be though as this year anything is possible! Last week it started raining on Monday evening and continued until the early hours on Sunday – literally – it didn’t stop, not even for five minutes. This has inevitably led to more widespread flooding, villages being entirely cut-off, and more heads being scratched and questions asked in a year that has, so far, seen an unprecedented 15 extreme weather events in Slovenia; beginning with the glaze ice in February and continuing fairly unabated since then. The sheer frequency alone should surely be more than a warning that we, and by ‘we’ I mean all of us – not just here in Slovenia – need to take climate change more seriously and, although we can’t interfere with nature, we can at least take more preventative measures and governments need to be assigning more funds to addressing flooding and other climate related issues. Oops, I’ll get off my soap box now!

However, the flooding did turn up one interesting discovery, the very rare proteus, sometimes also known as a humanfish due to the colour of its skin, which was found in the flooded cellar of a house in Kompolje. These rare cave dwelling vertebrates live, eat, sleep and breath in the subterranean waters of the karst caves, and are an endemic species of the Dinaric Alps. They are only found in Slovenia, specifically at the Postojna caves, and occasionally in neighbouring parts of Italy and Croatia which share the same karst characteristics. In this case, it was carefully captured and collected by the relevant cave experts who could ensure a safe return to its habitat.

Also in last week’s blog I mentioned the arduous task facing me(!) of visiting the remaining restaurants which have now joined the Taste Radol’ca collaboration, and which I have yet to review. This week then, it was the turn of Hotel and Restaurant Krek in Lesce. The hotel is situated just off the motorway at the exit for Lesce/Bled, next to the services, a casino and a coupe of supermarkets. It is a particularly popular destination for those transiting through Slovenia, as well as those looking for a mid-priced, convenient hotel close to Bled, Radovljica and the surrounding areas. The hotel’s restaurant is particularly popular at lunchtime with locals who pop in for daily light lunches (malice) and it’s large function area also regular hosts business events, seminars etc. Lesce Sports Airfield, from where panoramic flights across the Julian Alps can be taken, is just a few minutes from the hotel.

Having lived here for over 7 years now, I have been past the hotel hundreds of times, on my way to the shops and/or for petrol. However, I will admit, that it never occurred to me to go there for lunch or dinner. Having met and had a similar discussion with the management, I realise this is perhaps a common misconception as one wouldn’t necessary think of going to a hotel restaurant for dinner, thinking of it as being merely for hotel guests. However, this is certainly not the case and by joining the Taste Radol’ca collaboration, Krek hope to further spread the word among locals and visitors about their restaurant and fortunately I also now know and can contest it is worthy of a pit-stop.

A friend and I had the special ‘Taste Radolca’ menu, which is available for the whole month of November at 15 euros for 3 courses (the same price applies at all the other participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants during November). However, the restaurant also offers a full menu of other typical Slovene, and non-Slovene, dishes.

The food was beautifully presented, tasty and excellent value; mushroom soup to start (although I requested pumpkin soup as having tasted it at last week’s opening event, I knew just how delicious it was!), followed by the main course of roast pork with honeyed-apples and a trio of struklji, for dessert triple-chocolate cake which was rich and chocolately enough even for me!

The Slovene television programme Na Lepše, about tourism in Slovenia, broadcast a feature about Taste Radol’ce (Okusi Radol’ce) in last Friday’s edition. You can watch it here, with a thankfully minor appearance by me, here – http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/na-lepse-oddaja-o-turizmu/174303338

Of late, Slovenia seems to be cropping up increasingly in articles published in the press and online, and in various ‘Top Ten’ lists. Many of the articles are inevitably about Bled, which is indisputably picturesque, however it has all kind of been said before. So this week it was nice to see Slovenia’s only national park, Triglav National Park, featuring in one of these lists. Despite it being referred to as ‘Solvenia’, the Park appears at number 9 in this list of 24 awe-inspiring National Parks – http://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/national-parks

3Nov2014

Taste Radol’ca 2014

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Following the success of last year’s inaugural ‘Taste Radol’ca’, this year’s event is even bigger, better and yummier! In addition to the great food on offer, what I personally love about Taste Radol’ca is the co-operation between the great restaurants and talented chefs in the Radol’ca area, who, rather than being in competition with each other, can see the benefits of collaboration, strength in numbers and jointly presenting and promoting the best of what the area has to offer.

The event kicked-off on Thursday afternoon with a farmer’s market and tastings of products and dishes from local producers and the participating restaurants. All the dishes on the menus at the participating restaurants, both for the opening event and for the menus on offer throughout the whole of November, are prepared using these local ingredients; something which to many people these days is of great importance; the traceability of food and food miles.

The opening event then moved to Lectar Inn in the old town of Radovljica where we were treated to a sumptuous five-course dinner, prepared by the talented chefs from the 10 participating restaurants and with accompanying wines from Radovjlica’s Sodček wine bar (Vinoteka Sodček).

We began we a dish which included a spinach roulade, bear pate with pine tree syrup, beetroot and alfafa sprouts, created by Gostišče Tulipan in Lesce.

This was followed by pumpkin soup with honey and seeds, courtesy of Restaurant and Hotel Krek in Lesce.

The next course was the work of the chefs from Joštov hram in Podnart and Vila Podvin in Mošnje, and comprised a white bean puree, paste with river crab, trout fillet with a vegetable crust, garlic cream and herb sauce.

Next came a dish jointly prepared by Lectar Inn and Lambergh Chateau and Hotel. It included rabbit in sauce and a pastry basket, beef stuffed with perch, parsley puree and pancetta wrapped beans.

Finally, it was time for dessert! This was prepared by Gostilna Kunstelj in Radovljica and was a creamy carrot cake with vegetable ice-cream. Who knew vegetables could taste so good!

We were also treated to live music including a performance by Joze Andrejaš, the owner of Lectar Inn, who is a master of the mouth organ, which you can watch and listen to here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q_gLMCJVJQ&feature=share

To say it was a great evening, and to say I waddled my way home feeling like a barrel, would be an understatement! No-one need leave Radol’ca hungry, and especially not during the month of November as all the participating restaurants have special menus for the whole month at a set price of 15 euros for a minimum of 3 courses.

This year there are also some new restaurants participating; Gostišče Draga, Izletniška kmetija Globočnik, and Hotel and Restaurant Krek, I’m very much looking forward to visiting them and providing reviews and recommendations – as I have for the other restaurants (see the Taste Radol’ca window above) – it’s a hard job but someone has to do it!

You can read more about Taste Radol’ca here http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/ and also watch a TV broadcast (in Slovene) about it here – http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/prispevki-in-izjave-prvi-dnevnik/174302082

On Thursday, I was also interviewed for the television programme ‘Na Lepše’, which covers tourism in Slovenia, for which I was totally unprepared as it was sprung upon me unawares. This time, at least they wanted me to speak English, and to give my opinion about food in Slovenia among other things. Of course in hindsight I can think of a hundred things I should have said, especially when asked about food in Radovljica and I could have talked about Lectar Inn’s gingerbread and Linhartov cukr, as well as the new choco-o-bee chocolates, but since I had about 0.5 seconds to prepare, I did my best! It will be broadcast next Friday evening so I think I’ll be found somewhere cowering behind the sofa for that!

To work off all that excess, I headed out for an early morning run alongside the Sava river on Friday and immediately noticed the new signs that had been erected. Never one to miss a trick, I swiftly set about exploring and discovered the new Sava River Trail (Pot ob Savi). I’ve walked it one way, just need to do the other way and will write more about that next week….

27Oct2014

Speciality Slovenian Foods

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I’m afraid I haven’t any glorious sunny hiking trips to write about this week because, as had been forecast, a mammoth storm arrived on Tuesday night bringing the temperatures crashing down and even though the rain only lasted a short while, the sheer amount that fell in such a short time – a record amount for October – caused landslides, floods and millions of euros worth of damage. It’s been dry again since then but the low cloud has meant that temperatures have struggled to get into double figures and I for one am freeeeezing already! It wouldn’t be so bad if the temperatures were to come down gradually, so one has time to adjust, but going from 20 degrees to 5 degrees, literally overnight, is a bit extreme and I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold! People often (jokingly) tell me I need to eat more, especially zaseka, a kind of lard with minced pork, which is eaten spread on bread and which is perfect for adding a layer of warmth for the winter! Alas, I don’t like it so I’ll have to find other ways to keep warm; answers on a postcard to……

Thank goodness I had such a lovely hike to Srednji vrh last week (see last week’s blog) as this week it certainly wouldn’t have been possible as it is now covered in snow as Tuesday’s storm also brought the first snow of the season in the mountains, and quite a bit too as you can see from these photos of the Karavanke mountains (below) taken on Wednesday; the morning after the night before! In the picture on the right, you can just about make out the mountain hut, Presernova koca, on the top of Stol, the highest peak in the Karavanke range.

In last week’s blog I mentioned that I was going to be presenting at an International Tourism and Hospitality Conference that was taking place in Ljubljana. Well, I did, and I’m pleased to report that it went well (at least I think so!). I presented a little about blogging in general and then some of the facts and figures related to my blog in particular. As another measure of its success, an article was written about my blog in last week’s Gorenjski glas newspaper. I especially like the part where the reporter referred to my ‘beautiful, fluent, and very correct Slovene’ – albeit it with an English accent! http://www.gorenjskiglas.si/article/20141020/C/141029987/1082/1039/z-blogom-navdusila-celo-havajce-

As regular readers know, in the absence of hikes, trips etc. my mind usually turns to my other great love; food. So, this week I thought I’d write a little about some of the Slovene specialities which have a specially protected status and which visitors should keep an eye out for on their travels through the country to have a chance to tasting these genuine Slovene products.

Cheese: Nanoški sir (Nanos cheese), Sir Tolminc (Tolminc cheese from Tolmin), Bovški sir (Bovec cheese), Mohant sir (Mohant cheese, a semi-soft cheese from the Bohinj area which has a particularly distinctive taste and smell i.e. it smells like the smelliest socks you’ve ever known!)

Honey: Kraški med (Karst honey), Slovenski med (Slovenian honey), Kočevjski gozdni med (Kočevje forest honey)

Meat: Kraški pršut (Karst prosciuttio), Zgornjesavinjski želodec (Upper-Savinja stomach), Kraški zašink (a Karst meat product made from neck of pork), Prleška tunka (smoked pork), Sebreljski želodec (stuffed pork stomach), Kranjska klobasa (Carniolan sausage), Kraška panceta (Karst pancetta)

Other specialities include: Prekmurska gibanica (Prekmurje cake), Idrijski žlikrofi (Idrija dumplings), Belokranjska pogača (Bela Krajina bread), Štajersko-prekmursko bučno olje (Styrian-Prekmurje pumpkin-seed oil), Ekstra deviško oljčno olje Slovenske Istre (Extra virgin olive oil from Slovene Istra)

Talking of food, my tastebuds are already tingling at the thought of this year’s Taste Radol’ca (Okusi Radol’ca) opening event, taking place this Thursday. The event begins at 4pm in the old town centre with a fair and presentation of local dishes and products, then the opening event dinner will take place at Lectar Inn at 6pm; a 5-course dinner prepared by the chefs from all the participating restaurants. Then, for the whole month of November, each of the participating restaurants will have a special Taste Radol’ca menu prepared using the local ingredients. There will even be adjovi krapi (filled buckwheat flour pockets – read more here https://adeleinslovenia.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/traditional-slovene-food-struklji-and-krapi/) on the menu which, as I wrote about 2 weeks ago, are seldom found on menus these days so this will be the perfect opportunity to try them. Below you can see one of the chefs at Lectar Inn preparing them. They look a bit more professional than the ones I made, however, as they say ‘it’s the taste that counts’!!!

20Oct2014

Zelenica – The Karavanke

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Slovenia’s Karavanke mountains are, without a doubt, at their most beautiful during the autumn months, and this year is no exception, especially when the autumn weather is as glorious as it has been these past couple of weeks. It doesn’t exactly make-up for the dreadful “summer” we encountered this year, and is all set to end tomorrow with temperatures forecast to plummet, but it has at least provided a welcome respite from battling the elements.

So on Sunday morning, after a particularly busy week spent largely working at the computer, I decided it was time for a bit of ‘me time’! However, seeing as I knew I still had a mountain of work awaiting me at home, I needed to go somewhere not too far from home, yet far enough to make me feel I’d had a few hours away from the usual environment. This is one of the pitfalls of being self-employed and working from home. Of course it has its upsides too but, as with all jobs, there are the inevitable downsides and for me isolation and constantly being in one room are the predominant ones.

Anyway, fortunately I’m surrounded by the most stunning scenery so when moments of calm and respite are needed from time-to-time, they are never far away. Totting up all the options and taking into account the limited time, the position of the early-morning sun, and where I hadn’t been for a long while, I decided to head to Ljubelj for a walk up the Zelenica ski piste and onward to the peak of Srednji vrh.

The Zelenica ski slopes are set between the mighty north-walls of Begunščica and Vrtača to the south (at 2060m and 2181m respectively, the 7th and 5th highest of the Karavanke range). There are stunning views across the Podljubelj valley to the east and the Završnica valley to the west.

Due to unfavourable snow conditions, and the consequent financial implications, unfortunately the ski resort has not been in regular operation for the past couple of years. However, the mountain hut Dom na Zelenici was renovated a few years back and regardless of the season, or whether the ski piste is operating, this is still a very popular area year-round with hikers and also ski tourers who simply put their skis on their backs and walk up to one of the surrounding peaks before skiing back down. Ski touring is popular in Slovenia and it also means, as in this case, that the lack of operational chairlifts needn’t present a problem.

Ljubelj is one of the border crossings (though nowadays obsolete) from Slovenia into Austria. There is still a duty-free shop, a restaurant and a large parking area, just as well, as by the time I returned to my car, the car park and all the surrounding parking areas were absolutely rammed – I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so busy, again a reflection of people’s desire to make the most of the little sunshine that we have been afforded this year.

My morning began with the steep slog up the ski piste, passing the Vrtača koca hut, where interestingly the sign, as seen below, tells us to ‘BEWARE OF APPLE STRUDEL’! Note the cloudless blue sky – not many of my photos have looked like that this year – hence I ended up taking a lot of photos, too many to be shown here, so I will post the rest on my Pinterest page.

Continuing onwards the Zelenica mountain hut (Dom na Zelenici, 1536m) is reached in less than an hour from the carpark, and for some people this popular hut is a destination in itself. However, there are still many beauties awaiting ahead so I continued, first in the direction of Vrtača, crossing its steep scree-covered lower slopes, before branching off on the route signed towards Stol, and again branching off to the Šija saddle. It was great to see that since I was last here, quite some considerable effort has been made to update and renew the signage and, as can be seen below, there’s no shortage of choice!

From the Šija saddle, I took the path up to the peak of Srednji vrh (1796m) for a quick photo stop and the amazing far-reaching views across the valley towards Bled lake and the Julian Alps. On returning to the saddle I then took the path down to the picturesque mountain hut ‘Dom pri izviru Završnice’– so named as it sits very close to the spring for the Završnica stream. Don’t expect to see rushing waters though, in fact if you didn’t know it was there, blink and you’d miss it!

The week ahead looks like being another busy one, not least because I have been asked to be a plenary speaker at an international tourism and hospitality conference taking place this Friday. My presentation is entitled ‘Blogging for Tourism’ – Wish me luck!

Meanwhile, don’t forget that Taste Radol’ca begins next week (http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/) and also from 25th October – 1st November, the Radovljica Manor will host the 10th Chopin’s Golden Ring Competition. This is an international competition which sees 40 young pianists compete in three categories. More information can be found on the organiser’s website – http://goo.gl/90EygY or Radol’ca’s website – http://goo.gl/IkErne

13Oct2014

An Indian (or Hawaiian?) summer in Slovenia!

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There’s a new look to my blog this week to reflect the beautiful hues of autumn that are now here in the valley and the surrounding mountains. It certainly looks and smells like autumn with the crimson and auburn leaves on the trees, chestnuts, pumpkins and all manner of ghastly Halloween-type things appearing in the shops. However, in the topsy-turvy world of Slovene weather this year, last week was more akin to summer, certainly drier and with temperatures in places reaching 26 degrees, it was warmer than much of August too. The record high for temperatures at this time of year hasn’t quite been beaten, that stands at 27 degrees, but it wasn’t far-off and, as you can imagine, I was revelling in it!

Perhaps I have some Hawaiians to thank for that – let me explain; Back in the winter I received an email from the leader of a group of 12 Hawaiians friends who every year travel somewhere together on holiday. This year’s holiday was to be a European tour covering many of the major cities and sights and including 2 days in Slovenia. Over the course of the ensuing half-year we traded numerous emails, the upshot of which being that by the time they arrived in Slovenia we already felt like old friends. The day of their arrival was also splendidly ‘Hawaiian’ with brilliant, warm sunshine and cloudless skies, and therefore my wish and request that they ‘bring us some Hawaiian sunshine’ really did come true! Having arranged for them to begin with a guided tour of Škofja Loka, which along with Radovljica is one of the 3 best preserved medieval towns in Slovenia, I met the group on their arrival in Radovljica and it was my pleasure to show them around the town, which was looking at its best on such a wonderful day. They then continued with their visit to Radovljica which included a visit to the Lectar Gingerbread Workshop, where they also took part in a workshop and decorated their own gingerbread hearts, lunch at Lectar Inn, and a a visit to the Museum of Apiculture, before they left for their overnight accommodation. Fortunately, they left us the sun too, and brought me some Hawaiian chocolates – aptly named ‘Sunshine Chocolates’!

Last week my blog hits reached another new milestone – over 30,000 – and the number of readers, and countries where it is read, is growing exponentially and continues to surprise and amaze me in equal measures. Interestingly, I’ve noticed that the posts I have written about food, such as last week’s one about struklji and krapi, seem to attract the most interest, views and comments; just as well then that I love to eat and still have plenty to write about on that score! Fortunately also then that Slovenia’s bi-annual Restaurant Week (Teden restavracij) is due to begin again shortly, and will run from the 18-26th October. This event sees some of the best restaurants throughout the country offering diners a chance to try out specially chosen three-course menus for a set price of just 14 euros. Two of Radol’ca’s restaurants will also be participating; Vila Podvin and Gostilna Kunstelj. More information can be found here (only in Slovene language) – http://tedenrestavracij.si/ and you can also read reviews about these restaurants in the Taste Radol’ca section of this blog.

On Saturday I visited some friends in Zaloše, a small village near Podnart, where they own and run the restaurant Joštov hram. The weather was perfect for a short walk in the forest up to the viewpoint of Stovc, from where there are magnificent views across the wide Radovljica plains and the mountains of the Karavanke range. Though not a mountain, or even really a hill, there was the customary record book (vpisna knjiga), where those who visit can record the date and time of their visit and the number of times they have visited in that year.

This is quite common practice at mountain huts, and on certain peaks, in Slovenia. Some people like to tot up the number of times they go, setting themselves personal goals, and in some cases, at certain mountain huts, there are even prizes awarded annually for those achieving the highest number of visits per year and the season ends with a social gathering including music, food and other festivities. For some, this certainly provides the perfect incentive to get, and keep, hiking in Slovenia’s mountains. In this area, some of the most popular and frequented mountain huts are Koča na Taležu, Roblekov dom and Valvasorjev dom – the latter of which recently won the prized title of ‘Mountain Hut of the Year’ in the annual competition which is voted for by the public, and they also added to this accolade by winning last weekend’s ‘Best Strudel’ competition. I frequently hike to all three of the above mentioned huts, although rarely do I go in as I’m usually in a hurry, however, now I will have to make a point of stopping by sometime to taste that great strudel for myself!

There’s a fascinating new exhibition on view at the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska, which exhibits photographs of Carnolian honey bees’ honeycomb as never seen before. If you are in the area or passing, it’s worth a look. The exhibition will be on view until December. More information can be found here – http://www.cricg.com/novice.html

Would you like to see the Julian Alps from a different perspective? Here’s the chance with this panoramic flight taken from Lesce Sports Airfield. The 45 minute flight has been compressed into just a 3 minute video and gives a wonderful impression and bird’s eye view of the beauty of Slovenia’s Alps – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nbDjsLfZfQ

7Oct2014

Traditional Slovene Food: ‘Štruklji’ and ‘Krapi’

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

Regular readers and those that know me, know only too well that I love my food! When I moved to Slovenia in 2007 it would be fair to say that I could have been described as a borderline fussy eater. However, living here has immeasurably broadened my horizons and my palate as well as heightening my awareness and desire to eat home-cooked, in-season and locally grown and produced food. Even when I’m pushed for time as I have been of late, I would still rather cook up a soup or stew from scratch than go and buy something pre-prepared. I’m not professing to be a saint when it comes to food though – pizza, chocolate, cakes, biscuits etc. still form a staple part of my ‘diet’ too!!

Each region of Slovenia has its own unique and characteristic dishes, as well as having their own festivals and other food and drink related celebrations. Within the regions there are also local specialities and, in the case of štruklji and krapi, in places even neighbouring villages have their own distinguishable recipes that have been handed down through the generations. Both of these foods also happen to be among my favourite Slovene foods, so, when I saw an advert recently for a workshop to learn to make štruklji and krapi, using traditional recipes from the Upper Sava Valley area of Gorenjska, I knew I wanted to be a part, to learn a little more, and to get to taste some local variations of these dishes so I enrolled myself immediately. Although a little time consuming to prepare, in fact neither of these foods are actually that difficult to make and both make a filling, hearty meal on their own or as a side-dish.

The workshop was held at the Mišmaš bakery (Pekarna Mišmaš) in Gozd Martuljek, near Kranjska Gora, which, as can be seen from the photo below, is worth going to for the views alone. Pekarna Mišmaš is actually based on a children’s fairy tale about a baker who is helped by mice and at the bakery in Gozd Martuljek there are regular workshops held for children whose faces are painted to get them into character and where they learn about how to bake bread and about the story of Pekarna Mišmaš. For adults, in addition to the štruklji and krapi workshops, there are other workshops and some new ones planned for the future featuring other traditional Slovene foods such as potica – a rolled filled cake.

The workshop began with an introduction and short discussion about the history and various origins of the flavour combinations used in this part of Slovenia. Next, it was time to don our aprons, each hand-designed with its own Pekarna Mišmaš character, roll up our sleeves, and get stuck in – literally – as the first step was to make the dough. The same basic dough mixture can be used for both štruklji and krapi. We made 2 variations, one using just plain flour, the other a mixture of plain and buckwheat flour. Once the dough had been mixed, kneaded, slapped about a bit (there’s probably a more cookery related term for that but it doesn’t spring to mind – anyway, apparently the ‘slapping’ helps!), it was left to rest whilst we got on with making the fillings.

Krapi are pockets of unleavened dough with various fillings which are then boiled and served with different toppings. To make štruklji the dough is rolled out very thinly, the filling added, and then the whole thing is rolled up to resemble a swiss roll. As with krapi, there are numerous variations and ways of filling, shaping and serving them. In both cases, the shape and filling used varies from region to region, town to town, and even from village to village. We made three fillings for the krapi; curd cheese, polenta, garlic, parsley; dried pear, fried onions, polenta; curd cheese, fried onions, millet; and another filling for the štruklji; curd cheese, sour cream. Whilst they were cooking, we also prepared a mushroom sauce and some other toppings, prepared a salad to enjoy with our meal and, once everything was ready, it was time to sit down to enjoy the fruits of our labour over a sociable dinner and a glass of wine (not for me I hasten to add since I was driving!).

These days krapi are not found on many menus, other than in places particularly known for them, such as in the village of Rateče. Štruklji, however, can be found on the menus of many restaurants throughout Slovenia and they are often one of the dishes offered in Slovenia’s many mountain huts. In the Radovljica area, štruklji can be found on the menus of several restaurants such as at Gostilna Kunstelj, Lectar Inn and Gostila Tulipan – these are just some of the restaurants that are part of Taste Radol’ca. Štruklji can be served sweet or savoury with ever more inventive fillings such as walnut, carrot, bean, spinach; some of which will also no doubt feature in the forthcoming Taste Radol’ca week which is coming soon and which last year was a great success and looks like being even bigger and better this year – I’m already looking forward to it! This year’s event will begin on the 30th October with a market of local produce and a special 5-course dinner prepared by the chefs from the participating restaurants, then throughout the month of November each restaurant will offer a Taste Radol’ca menu for just 15 euros. More information can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/taste-radolca/

29Sep2014

When opportunities come a knocking…..

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

If there is one thing I’ve learnt since being in Slovenia, it’s that when opportunities come a knocking, they must be grabbed with both hands. So last week I did just that – twice! The first occasion came about when, out-of-the-blue, I received an email a couple of weeks ago from an English couple, Marian and Eddie, inviting me to be their guest for dinner. I of course accepted with pleasure and intrigue. Marian and Eddie have been holidaying in Slovenia for over 10 years now and they visit at least 3 times per year. On a recent visit, whilst staying at their current favourite guest house, Penzion Alp in Bled, the owner told them about my blog and they have been following it ever since. This prompted the above mentioned dinner invitation and we spent a thoroughly enjoyable evening together, due both to their friendliness and ‘great Britishness’ and also to the overwhelming hospitality of the staff and presentation and taste of the food we savoured. It seems that as long-standing guests, Marian and Eddie are treated like old-friends but also pampered with extra little treats such as the wonderfully presented bread wreaths that were presented to our table (and only our table!) made up of lots of miniature bread rolls spelling out the word ALP, so cute – as seen below – and it really was a shame to eat them but they were tasty too! It was my first visit to Penzion Alp and I have a feeling it won’t be my last, especially since they are due to come back again at Christmas for their fourth visit this year. The couple are proof positive, as if it were needed, that there’s always plenty to see and do here; they love Bled and always visit Radovlijca and the surrounding areas too, and say ‘Slovenia never ceases to amaze them’.

The second of last week’s opportunities came about following a chat I had with Radovjlica’s Mayor whilst at the Mošnje Days event the weekend before last. As a result, he invited me, together with Nataša Mikelj from Tourism Radovljica, to visit him in his office to acquaint him further with my blog. Again, this was another opportunity not to be missed, both in terms of the chance to be able to convey some of the amazing statistics the blog has achieved to-date and also to get a sneek peek into his office which was full of interesting handmade wrought iron pieces, such as the candelabra, coat stand, clock, desk tidy (some of which can be seen in the photo below) from the nearby village of Kropa, which is the cradle of Slovene iron forging (you can read more about Kropa here – http://www.radolca.si/en/kropa-old-town/). It was also more than satisfying to get some additional recognition and gratitude for all my hard work helping to spread the good word about Radovljica.

The weather was absolutely glorious last weekend and perfect for outdoor activities and people, including me of course, were out in their droves making the most of it seeing as it was about the best weekend we’ve had since about June! My weekend began with a Saturday morning hike on one of my favourite local paths beginning in the Draga valley first to the Preval mountain hut, then via the ‘čez Roža’ route to the Roblek mountain hut. In the afternoon, I drove to Bohinj to visit the Mostnica gorge, the Devil’s Bridge and Bohinj Lake. It was surprisingly how little water there was in the gorge considering how much rain we’ve had this year but nevertheless the view into the gorge from the bridge, and further along its length, never fails to impress. Bohinj lake was, as ever, looking stunning and without a breath of wind it was perfectly calm, still and almost eerie. I then finished the day with a much deserved ‘Pizza Adele’ (yes, really, I have a pizza named after me!) – you can read more about that here – https://adeleinslovenia.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/hiking-and-mountain-huts-in-slovenia/

Sunday morning started off rather cloudily but by midday the sun had broken through. It was a little on the crisp side but I wrapped up, gloves and all, and headed off on my bike. The lack of sun influenced my decision about where to go but thankfully the newly surfaced, and long awaited, missing part of the D2 cycle route connecting Hrušica with Mojstrana is now rideable and as it’s flattish too – a rarity round here – so ideal for an easier ride without too many ups and downs on a chilly early morning. It isn’t yet officially open as there are still some finishing works to be done but nonetheless I figured that being a Sunday the workers are most likely to be on a day of rest, and my calculation paid off!

On Sunday afternoon I headed to Bled, which was looking magnificent in the brilliant blue sunshine with the glistening lake framed by the cloudless blue sky and majestic Karavanke mountains. It felt like, and was almost as busy as, a mid-summer’s day. Additionally, there was an exhibition of old-timer cars in front of the Festival Hall which was drawing quite a crowd.

Anyone with a sweet tooth will want to visit Bled this coming Saturday, 4th October, for the Original Bled Cream Cake (kremšnita) Festival which will be taking place on the terrace of the Hotel Park coffee shop which has fantastic views over the lake. The celebrations and live music will be taking place from 3pm – 5pm and during that time you can also buy the cakes 2-for-the-price-of-1. What’s not to like?! Read more about it here – http://www.bled.si/en/events/2014/10/04/1778-Original-Bled-Cream-Cake-Festival

This Sunday, 5th October, the monthly flea market (bolšjak) will be held in Radovljica’s old town centre from 9am – 1pm. Come and browse the stalls and perhaps banter and barter with the vendors. A workshop for children also takes place alongside the market, from 10am-12noon. More information can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/83/flea-market/83/274/

22Sep2014

Slovenia – A Land of Dreams?

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

I was on the radio (again) this week, this time on Radio Slovenia featuring in their series of ‘Land of Dreams’ broadcasts about foreigners living in Slovenia. If you want to hear more about my life here in Radovljica, why I’m here, what keeps me here and hear a few insider tips, then take a listen. Before anyone corrects me – and they will as Slovenes are nothing if not perfectionists (someone actually once went to the time and effort to call me to tell me there was a spelling mistake in an advert I had written; the ‘mistake’ amounted to one ‘e’!) – I know, only too well, having been there on numerous occasions that Stol isn’t 2400 metres high but I was had a microphone in my face and it was a slip of the tongue!). So is Slovene really a ‘Land of Dreams’? As a tourist destination I wholeheartedly believe it is; as somewhere to live perhaps less so, especially if you need to make a living it’s tough going, but it’s my home and I wouldn’t have it any other way – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKMx99NwsxM&index=63&list=PLnbpYjwaZ3nrsihfBfUy-mf3jsLDSsDAn

It was another busy week and, believe it or not, a WHOLE WEEK WITHOUT RAIN, well until the storm on Sunday evening but we won’t mention that little detail! Being about the first time that has happened since June, it is indeed something to write about! It’s funny how this year the appearance of the sun, or at least the non-appearance of rain, is actually a talking point in itself. Last week I mentioned I was hoping to go to Koper to the Sladka Istra Sweet Festival on Sunday, however, I didn’t go; though for once it wasn’t the rain that curtailed my plans but instead the major road works taking place on the motorway to/from the coast, meaning one lane is closed in each direction. On Friday there was a 20km tailback and I really didn’t fancy getting stuck in something like that especially since Sunday afternoons are notoriously busy with day trippers and holidaymakers returning from the coast. The road works are due to continue for another month so if you are planning a trip in that direction it might be wise to check the traffic information website for live updates, a link to which can be found in the ‘Useful Tourist Information’ section on the right hand side.

On Wednedsay I met David and Leslie, a lovely couple from Kansas, USA, who were on a whistle stop tour of Slovenia, and who I helped with some of their trip plans. Despite being possibly the most jet-lagged people I’ve ever met, they stoically landed in Slovenia on Wednesday afternoon, checked-in at their hotel in Bled, went straight to Vintgar Gorge, then came to Radovljica where we met for a short tour of the old town followed by dinner at Lectar Inn; determined as they were to stay awake and adjust to European time. The next day they undertook a driving tour of the Julian Alps, including driving over Slovenia’s highest mountain pass, Vršič (1611m), which is no mean feat when they had never driven a car with a gear stick before! They survived to tell the tale though and thoroughly enjoyed their (all too) brief visit to Gorenjska.

I also enjoyed a meal with a friend to celebrate her finding a new job. As she regularly plays golf at Bled Golf Course, we arranged to meet there and had dinner at the Lake House Inn. It was here that last year I also enjoyed a lovely birthday celebration with friends and family. As is to be expected on a golf course there are lush, green, tranquil surroundings, however here they come with the added bonus views of the surrounding mountains of the Karavanke range, all-in-all making for a very pleasant place to spend some time whether a lover of golf or not – oh and the food’s well worth coming for too!

Being home to the Museum of Apiculture (beekeeping), Radovljica is inextricably linked with beekeeping and throughout the year there are several events linked to it. This weekend, it was the turn of the Festival of Honey, held at the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska, which is in Lesce, halfway between Radovljica and Bled. There was all mannor of honey relating things going on including a demonstration of cooking using honey from one of Slovenia’s top chefs, Uroš Štefelin, honey cocktail mixing, honey ice-cream, honey beer, massages using honey and more. They did our bees proud!

Also on Saturday, in the village of Mošnje, the annual Mošnje Days event took place. It’s a celebration of local food, drink and crafts, and also an opportunity to have a look at the village museum and the Vila Rustica archaeological site. I also bumped into Radovljica’s mayor there and shared a chat with him over a thimbleful of homemade walnut schnapps. We were both in agreement about being proud to live in Radovljica and about the achievements and progression that has been made here in the past few years – long may it continue (there are also more pictures of the day, as well as other things I have blogged about, on my Pinterest page).

Bled has once again been making the headlines this week, this time being named as of the 30 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World. Read more about it here – http://www.architecturendesign.net/the-30-most-beautiful-small-towns-in-the-world-2-is-an-amazing-secret/

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

The Draga Valley: The Lamberg Trail and the Draga Inn

The Globočnik Excursion Farm (Izletniška kmetija Globočnik)

Humanfish (proteus) in Slovenia / Hotel and Restaurant Krek

Taste Radol’ca 2014

Speciality Slovenian Foods

Zelenica – The Karavanke

An Indian (or Hawaiian?) summer in Slovenia!

Traditional Slovene Food: ‘Štruklji’ and ‘Krapi’

When opportunities come a knocking…..

Slovenia – A Land of Dreams?