Brrrr, it’s been freezing this week, unseasonably so. Usually this time of year can bring some nice warm days and with it some nice hikes in the mountains to enjoy the autumn colours. However, this week its been coats, hats, gloves and mugs of tea all round! I’m still optimistically hoping for an Indian summer, or at least a few nice warm autumn days – it can’t be winter, not yet!

How different to the previous week when I was basking in sunshine at the coast, more about which I promised to write this week. I packed so much into my day out at the coast there was too much to write. So if you didn’t read it, check out last week’s blog to read part one of my day out!

Slovenia only has a small coast line – 42kms to be precise. But as the saying goes ‘Small things come in big packages’ and this is certainly true. Koper is Slovenia’s largest coastal town and home to the country’s only port. It is therefore very much a working town and on first glance, looks somewhat industrial. However, it is worth a visit to the compact old town centre which has a hidden charm; narrow streets, town squares and several impressive buildings. An increasing number of cruise ships also now call at Koper.

The centre of the old town is Tito’s Square (Titov trg), which is dominated on the south side by the city hall Praetorian Palace (Pretorska palaca) whilst on the northern side of the square is the Loža (Loggia) building which was formerly used as a debating club for the townsmen but today houses a cafe and art gallery. Some of the other buildings of note in Koper are the Cathedral of St. Mary’s Assumption, the 36m bell tower opposite it (climb it for great views), and Brutti Palace in Revolution Square (Trg Revolucije).

Koper doesn’t have much in the way of a beach but the paved embankment area has plenty of benches, a wide paved area and far reaching views and is a great place to just sit and soak up the views before or after a stroll around the town.

Numerous events are held in Koper throughout the year but the one that I always make a beeline for is the Sweet Festival – Sladka Istra – held annually in September. For someone as sweet-toothed as me, it is heaven; stall after stall offering all manner of cakes, biscuits, drinks, chocolates and other heavenly sweet delights. I spent a plesant couple of hours browsing the stalls, tasting, deciding what to buy, sitting enjoy the sun, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere.

This week a new photograpy exhibition opened in the Mansion House (graščina) in Linhart Square in the old town centre of Radovljica. The photographer, Tomaž Sedej, is my neighbour so of course I was intrigued to go along and see his work. The photos are of children, taken over a long period of time, in different situations and environments and he has successfully captured some of their unusual adventures in more informal manners. I’m no expert but the photos really are quite unique and its well worth stopping by if you are passing. The exhibition is in the Pasaža Gallery (Galeria Pasaža) in the entrance hall of the mansion house and is open at all times for free viewings from 1^st – 31^st October.

Whilst in the area, you might also be interested in the following events taking place in, or near, Radovljica next weekend. On Saturday 12^th October, there will be a Family Activity Day in the village of Ljubno. Beginning at 10am at the football playing fields, the day will include orientation adventures, nordic walking, a market and more. On Sunday 13^th October, there will be a concert in the Radovljica Mansion House, performed by the Radovljica Veterans Choir. The concert will begin at 6pm and entrance is free.

Almost five days it’s been. Five long days. I know I’m forever waxing lyrical about the beauties of Radovljica and its surroundings, but anyone visiting this region of Slovenia during the past days would be forgiven for thinking I’ve been talking rubbish since all that has been apparent to the eye for those five days has been low, white lingering cloud. Not a hint of blue sky or sunshine, not a forest or mountain in sight. So, today it was time to get wily and outfox the weather! And I did and I felt smug! It’s quite often the case that whilst there might be low cloud in the valley, if you get up high enough, you can be bathed in glorious sunshine and, looking down over the cloud.

So this morning I set off on foot from home towards Jelovica, the plateau that dominates the backdrop to Radovljica, and within a little over an hour of leaving home, I found it – the elusive sun! I continued up to the Goška ravan highland and then reluctantly began to return back towards Radovljica where, I’m pleased to report the sun, albeit briefly, peeked through the clouds and the forecast looks decidedly better for the remainder of the week, if still unseasonably cold.

One of the advantages of living in a small country like Slovenia, is the ability to be able to get pretty much anywhere in the country within a couple of hours. I’ve never been overly interested in the seaside and certainly not sunbathing, the mere thought of it bores me to tears. However, the occasional day trip to the Slovene coast is a real treat; a change of scenery, the warmer climate zone, the different flora and fauna, food etc. So last weekend, to coincide with the Sladka Istra Festival, I set off towards Koper. Wanting to make a whole day of it, I started early and stopped to walk first on Nanos, then later on Slavnik, before reaching Koper.

The vast Nanos plateau forms an extention of the Dinaric Alps and is 6kms wide and 12km long. The highest point is Suhi vrh at 1313m. However, the most often visited part of Nanos is the mountain hut ‘Vojkova koča‘, which stands a little lower at 1240m. The hut, established in 1949, was named after the national hero Janko Premrl (1920-1943), who was born in the nearby village of Podnanos, and whose statue can be seen adjacent to the hut.

There is a choice of routes and start points which lead to the top. I left the motorway at Razdrto, around a hours drive from home, and parked in the large parking area in the village, which is specifically intended for those visiting Nanos, such is its popularity. From here the steep path ‘strma pot‘ leads, as the name implies, fairly steeply up and involves a little scrambling and a couple of exposed section where steel cables are in place to assist. Following this path, it takes little over an hour to reach the hut. The more level path ‘položna pot‘, takes a little longer, but is more suitable for those wishing to avoid the rocky sections, or with children. Either path offers far-reaching views over the Vipava Valley and towards the coast.

Nanos, and the whole of the Primorska region of Slovenia, is subject to ‘burja‘ winds, hurricane strength winds, which can reach speeds of up to 200km an hour and can sometimes last for days and be very destructive. 3 of the 4 times I have visited Nanos, it has been incredibly windy and so one must always be well prepared and have additional warm clothing and perhaps an extra stone or two in your rucksack to stop you getting blown away!

From Razdrto, I continued on the motorway to the exit for Podgorje and the walk to Slavnik. At 1,028m, Slavnik is one of the highest peaks in the Istria region and a very popular destinations for hikers and cyclists. Again, there are numerous ways of reaching the top and a choice of steeper or easier paths. I chose the steep direct route up from Podgorje, which really isn’t that steep at all, and leads easily and gradually uphill, taking about an hour to reach the top where the hut ‘Tumova koca‘ stands, named after the mountaineer Henrik Tuma.

By the time I reached Koper, I had certainly earnt my sweet treats at the Sweet Festival! More about which, and about Koper itself, I will write next week.

On Sunday 6^th October, the annual walk around the village of Otoče and its surroundings will begin at 8am, commencing at the train station at Otoče. The 10 euro fee will include around 4 hours of guided walking, 2 hours of sightseeing and lunch.