By Bus from Radovljica – Dom Pristava and the Zois Park

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I hate to wish time away, especially as I’m always saying how life is so short and we must enjoy it to the full, however, I must admit I am wishing the next few weeks go by quickly until I can get out of this shoulder immobiliser which, as the name implies, is leaving me rather ‘immobile’ (see last’s weeks blog for an explanation as to how I came to be like this).

As I also mentioned in last week’s blog, not being one to be able to sit around doing nothing and feeling sorry for myself, I’ve been racking my brains where I could go for a walk that doesn’t involve snow, ice, using crampons, hiking poles etc. – none of which are currently feasible for me. Then I had my ‘eureka’ moment when I remembered some years back having driven up the road to the hut (though it is far from a hut, more a large home) ‘Dom Pristava‘, from where, at that time, I then made an onwards hike into the surrounding mountains of the Karavanke range – the most popular of which is Golica famed for its annual carpet of white daffodils every Spring and many buildings and other objects in this part bear the symbol of a daffodil – including the Dom (as seen below).

So, since I’m currently unable to drive, I took a bus from Radovljica early one morning, which arrived on time to-the-minute, alighting at Koroška Bela, then proceeded to walk up the road, first through the village itself, then to Javorniški rovt, before reaching the Dom situated at 975m. It only took a little over an hour but it sure felt good to get the calves working and heart pumping fast again! From the Dom there are numerous paths in all directions, however, tempted as I may have been, I was sensible and returned the way I had come, especially since all the routes ahead were snow- and/or ice-covered. There is, however, an alternative, more scenic, way to reach Dom Pristava, by taking the path ‘Gajškova pot’ which begins in the village of Koroška bela and leads 4km up through the forest taking 1-1.5 hours.

Dom Pristava can be either a destination in itself; you can walk up and enjoy a look around the Zois Park and surroundings and enjoy some traditional hearty Slovene food such as štruklji, stews, and farmer’s feast, or it can be a start point for walks higher into the surrounding Karavanke range such as Golica, Stol, Vajnež and Dovška baba.

The Zois Park was formerly the botanical garden of the amateur botanist, Karel Zois (1756-1799). Today, the Park is part of the Natural and Mining Educational Trail that which also leads past Dom Trilobit, to where I made a detour to on my return, which serves as a centre for school trips and extra-curricular activities, nature excursions etc. and is right next to a small, emerald-green artificial lake.

On returning to the village, I had a little time to kill before the return bus so I took the opportunity to look around the village. Koroška Bela, unfortunately, doesn’t occupy the most favourable position as the village is directly opposite the Acroni steel factory which is constantly pumping out smoke from its large chimneys and is a bit of an eyesore. Thus, it is easy to dismiss and overlook the village, as I admit to having done until now. However, having recently translated a part of the new Transnational Church Route – the part featuring 11 selected churches in Gorenjska – one of them being the church in Koroška Bela, I had an added interest in going for a closer look.

The Gothic Church of St. Ingenuim and Albuin dates from at least the middle of the 14th century and is the only church in Slovenia, and indeed the only church outside of the Tyrol, which is dedicated to Saints Ingenuin and Albuin. It’s hidden away in the upper-part of the village which I didn’t know even existed until now so I’m pleased I got the opportunity to see it and discover that, actually, once away from the factory and plumes of smoke, there is more to Koroška Bela than first meets the eye, including a small memorial park.

So, almost 2 weeks into my recovery time, I’m managing to stay relatively sane and at least a little fit. The weather too has been on my side as it’s been almost spring like this past week with temperatures above the seasonal norm and a few little spring flowers starting to pop up from the undergrowth. However, I’m not fooled and not being lulled into believing winter is over yet as the past couple of years the bulk of the snow has come in February so I’m sure winter still has a sting in its tail to come, in fact, snow is forecast for later this week…..

Finally, a little light reading (in Slovene) as published yesterday on PLANETsiol – http://www.siol.net/novice/svet/2015/01/adele_gray_anglezinja.aspx

19Jan2015

St. Peter’s Church, Begunje – An icy break

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I’m afraid it will be at least 6 weeks or so until I’ll be able to blog about any of my latest hikes and adventures as, unfortunately, on Monday last week I fell on ice and now have a fractured humerus – which believe me is anything but ‘humorous’!

If I wasn’t already paranoid enough about ice, now I will be even more so and this year, since the snow fall at the end of December, the ice has been particularly bad, though, following heavy rain this past weekend much of it in the valley has, thankfully, finally melted. I wasn’t doing anything dramatic or particularly adventurous when I fell and, annoyingly, had had my crampons on until just minutes before, having removed them for the final part of the path down which, being on the sunny side, had been ‘ice-free’ – or so it seemed – for a week or so. However, there was just one small spot, just a few metres, where there was a little ice mixed with mud and that was my downfall – literally.

At first I thought/hoped I might have just torn the tendons and was praying the pain would dissipate. However, some hours later it was evident that wasn’t going to happen so it was time for the inevitable trip to the on-call doctor, followed by x-rays at A&E, to confirm that, yes, I had actually broken a bone. ‘Bugger’ – just one of the expletives I might have uttered and probably the only one that is suitable for print!

So now follows 6 long, frustrating weeks of being one-armed which, when you live alone, is anything but easy. Simple, every day tasks become torturous, not due to pain – thankfully and strangely it doesn’t really hurt – just due to the length of time it takes to do the simplest of things; getting dressed, showered etc. Still, I’m trying to remain as upbeat as I can and at least I can still get outdoors for a walk, albeit not exactly the type of walk I would choose and running and cycling are off the agenda, though, being winter I wouldn’t be doing much of that anyway.

The place I fell was on the path to St. Peters Church (Sv. Peter) above the village of Begunje which is a really popular place to hike among the local population. There are a number of routes up to the church but I usually favour the direct, steeper route which leads up from near the post office in Begunje. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the church and a further 5 minute level walk leads to the Sankaška hut (Sankaška koča) which has a terrace with amazing views over the whole valley and where tasty soups, stews and strudel can be enjoyed. This place is popular all-year round and, particularly at weekends during fine weather, its pretty much guaranteed to be buzzing. Another popular route up to the church begins from the Krpin Recreation Centre a little further on through the village. Don’t be put off by my fall – it was just one of those unlucky things – so if you are visiting the Radol’ca area, I’d definitely recommend a trip up to St. Peter’s Church and to the viewing terrace at the Sankaška hut. You can read more about St. Peters Trail here – http://www.radolca.si/en/st-peters-trail-begunje/ and about St. Peter’s Church here – http://www.radolca.si/en/begunje-church-st-peter/

Here are a couple of photos of me on a winter’s hike – taken a couple of year’s ago – to the very same place – believe it or not!

I will, of course, still be blogging – what is it they say about ‘not being able to keep a good man/woman down’? In the meantime, I’ll also be getting my thinking cap on, availing of public transport (driving is now out of the question too) and being thankful, once again, that I live in Radovljica which is well served by public transport and offers plenty of places to walk – even for those of us who are, temporarily at least, somewhat less mobile.

Hot off the press news – the new ‘Taste Gorenjska’ (Okusi Gorenjske) brochure has just been launched and, having been involved in its preparation, I think it looks rather good! The cuisine of each area of Gorenjska is presented with featured special dishes. You can pick up a copy in local tourist offices or the online version is available here – http://issuu.com/bledtouristboard/docs/okusi_gorenjske_a4_ang

12Jan2015

Historic Radovljica / Retro skiing in Kropa

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I recently came across this fascinating website which contains digital archives of photos, postcards and texts about Radovljica – the oldest dating back to 1689. The collection on the website is also being added to, as and when locals offer suitable pictures from their own archives, and can be viewed here – http://www.dar-radovljica.eu/

History buffs might also be interested to know that Radovljica is the oldest settled area so far discovered in the Gorenjska region. Settlements have been discovered from the Middle Palaeolithic Age (40,000 BC) with the first permanent settlement arriving during the Hallstatt period of the early Iron Age. There are also archaeological sites which can be visited in the area including Villa Rustica in the village of Mošnje; a Roman villa which was discovered in 2006 – http://www.radolca.si/en/villa-rustica/

It’s been a relatively ‘unwintery’ winter’s week, with no extremes of weather – thank goodness – until yesterday when a rain storm made a, fortunately, brief appearance bringing with it more snow on higher ground. At the Kredarica mountain hut (Triglavski dom na Kredarici) a record-breaking gust of wind, measuring 221kmph, was measured on Saturday. Kredarica is the closest hut to Slovenia’s highest mountain, Triglav (2864m), and at 2515m is the highest hut in Slovenia. It is only officially open for a couple of months a year – usually from the end of June to the end of September – dependant on weather conditions, however, it is permanently manned by meteorologists.

Talking of snow, last weekend saw the annual Retro Ski Race ‘The Koledniki Cup’ held in Kropa in the Lipnica Valley. It is a competition which invariably involves a degree of humour as competitors try to demonstrate their skills using antique skis, clothing and equipment – which serve as a reminder of how far technology has come – together with an accompanying entertainment programme, culminating in the ‘Pig’s Head Cup’ ski jumping competition.

Judging by the number of emails I’ve had in the past week, it must now be the time of the year when people are starting to dream of warmer days and start planning their summer escapes. People who find my blog often write with various questions relating to their planned visit. With this in mind, I decided it would be a good idea to collate some of the more frequently asked questions and try to begin addressing them throughout the course of the coming weeks and months. One question that seems to crop up quite frequently is:

‘When does the Vršič pass open?’

At 1611m the Vršič pass is Slovenia’s highest mountain pass and crosses the Julian Alps to connect the Gorenjska region and the Soča valley. It has a total of 50 hairpin bends. It is usually closed throughout winter due to snow and the risk of avalanches, however, it is very difficult to say exactly when it will open/close as it is dependant on the amount of snowfall. As you can see from the picture below, showing me standing on the ‘road’, taken last winter when I walked up to bend number 17 (read more here – https://adeleinslovenia.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/winter-on-the-vrsic-pass/), there is good reason for it to be closed! It is usually open at the latest by the start of May but it has also been closed until the end of May during years of particularly heavy snowfall and its also not unusual for it to then close again for a day or two if there is heavy snowfall, which is still possible in May. If you are planning a trip which involves going over the Vršič pass, then you should check the up-to-date traffic information (see Links to Tourist Information on the right side of this blog) and, if necessary, take the alternative route which involves continuing on past Kranjska Gora into Italy, then taking the Predel pass into the Soča valley. This is also a scenic route with plenty to see enroute, including the Kluže Fortress.

So, I hope that answers that question! More to come….

5Jan2015

Snowy Hikes and Winter Bites!

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It was a very chilly start to 2015 with temperatures midweek well into minus figures. Babno polje, which regularly measures the coldest temperatures in Slovenia, was minus 24 degrees, whilst Celje wasn’t far behind with minus 19. Here in Radovljica it was a (balmy!) minus 15! Fortunately, on Friday the polar temperatures subsided a little and the temperatures in some parts of the country even got into positive numbers during the day.

Having not strayed too far from home for a few days, due to the cold, snow and bitter wind, I was itching to get out and therefore was mighty pleased to be able to make the hike up to one of my favourite winter destinations, the mountain hut Roblek dom, located on the western slopes of mount Begunščica, part of the Karavanke range. The route up to the hut is popular all year round and can be approached from several directions, however, the safest and only really viable route when there is heavy snow, is to begin from the Draga valley and continue up to the hut at 1672m.

During the winter you may share the lower part of the path, the part which is on the road, with sledgers, before the path veers off, steeply in places, into the forest. Probably the reason it is such a popular destination is also the relative wideness and safeness of the path as it is not in an area prone to avalanches (I’m of course touching wood as I write this!), the path is well-trodden and you are rarely alone en-route or at the top; there’s always someone to pass the time of day with. However, it should be noted that at present the path is treacherously icy in places and a pair of small crampons really are a must. On reaching the hut, the thermometer showed +4 degrees, which is almost 20 degrees warmer than it had been in the valley during the previous few days so actually felt remarkably warm. I’m not usually the greatest at taking pictures but, if I say so myself, this one below (on the left) isn’t a bad effort – though of course these days the camera does most of the work and I can just ‘point and click’!

During the festive season, it is a tradition in many households in Slovenia to construct nativity scenes made out of various materials such as wood and moss. In the village of Rodine, just a few kilometres from Radovljica, more precisely in Jalnova hiša (Jalen’s House), the birthplace of the Slovene writer and priest, Janez Jalen (1891-1966), an impressive displays of nativity scenes of all shapes and sizes is set up each year. These days the house also operates partly as a museum with an exhibition about his life and work, and it also forms part of the Žirovnica Route of Cultural Heritage – http://www.zirovnica.eu/dozivetja/tematske-poti/pot-kulturne-dediscine/znamenitosti-na-poti/ (Slovene), OR http://en.zirovnica.eu/ (English).

The owner is more than happy to greet visitors and show them around. During this period, the exhibition is open daily for visitors, this year until 10th January (daily from 10am-6pm), so there is still time to visit. There is also a traditional black kitchen. Entrance is free.

People often ask me if I ever run out of ideas for what to write about in my blog. Well, thankfully so far that hasn’t happened and I hope it won’t for a while yet. So, its onwards into another year and I hope you’ll continue to join me on the journey….

29Dec2014

Snowy Slovenia and Happy 2015!

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Although Christmas Day itself wasn’t ‘white’, just 2 days later, as had been forecast, the snow arrived – and plenty of it too. On Sunday morning I woke up to the familiar winter sound of snow ploughs and people outside shovelling snow from one pile to another, digging out their cars and clearing their pathways and driveways. Those that know me, and regular readers of my blog, will know only too well that I’m far from a fan of the white stuff although actually I don’t mind the virgin, powder, dry snow; what I don’t like are the inevitable icy pavements and paths that follow and wish it were possible to just enjoy the snow for a few days and to then wake up one day and find it all gone – if only! This was the view from out of my window on Sunday morning, and the path down to the Šobec camp (right).

Of course, owners of Slovenia’s ski resorts will be doing cartwheels to celebrate this big dump of snow as it means their season can start in earnest and will provide a much needed boost to their coffers. Some of the country’s largest and most popular are; Krvavec, Vogel, Cerkno, Maribor’s Pohorje, and Kranjska Gora. Others include Golte, Stari vrh, Soriška planina and many more. Sadly, Kanin, Slovenia’s highest ski resort in the Soča valley, still remains closed and it can only be hoped that a rescue package can be found for what was once a thriving winter destination. The advantage of many of Slovenia’s ski resorts is their ease of access and, in comparison with neighbouring countries, the relative cheapness of ski passes.

It all looked so different on Christmas Day when I took my parents, who were visiting from the UK, for a surprise trip to see the Live Christmas Nativity in the Postojna Caves. A visit to the caves is magical whenever you visit, but on this occasion it was made even more so by the cast of actors and singers performing nativity scenes and Christmas songs. Before reaching the entrance of the caves, there is a working watermill, as seen below, and which you can visit to see flour-grinding demonstrations.

The Postojna Caves are one of the top tourist attractions in Slovenia and really worth a visit. The experience begins with a ride on the mini-train which takes visitors into the heart of the vast cave system and thereafter a large part of the trip is made on foot, accompanied by guides, before returning to the train to exit the caves. The UNESCO listed Škocjan Caves are equally as impressive (minus the train) so if you are visiting Slovenia, do make sure to visit one of Slovenia’s karst caves, you won’t be disappointed. I’m afraid since flash photography is not permitted, I don’t have any great photos of the interior of the caves; all the more reason then to come and see them for yourselves!

In Radovljica meanwhile, we were entertained on Boxing Day by Tobia Circus performing live in the old town centre with an impressive, though bizarre, act which consisted entirely of various tricks performed with brooms!

So, it’s almost the end of another year and thus time for reflection on the highs and lows of my year. I’ll get the ‘lows’ out of the way first, since there really was only one; the weather! It began with the devastation caused by the glaze ice in February (http://wp.me/p3005k-bf), the effects of which are still very much in evidence in forests and woods, particularly in the central area of the country. Otherwise, it was the rain and lack of sun that meant it was a bit of a wash-out of a year, meaning my hiking and biking trips were less frequent and ambitious than I had hoped.

Now, on to the ‘highs’. On the professional side, after almost 8 years living here, my efforts seem to be finally paying off and I have a marked increase in the amount of translating and proofreading work I have been doing of late. But perhaps the astonishing success of my blog is one of my proudest achievements of the year. When I began writing it in 2013, I had no idea if anyone would find it/read it, however, in it’s first year, it had 10,000 readers; this year it has racked up over a further 30,000 readers taking the total to over 40,000 since I began writing it. Along the way I’ve had lots of positive feedback, helped many readers who have contacted me for advice and/or assistance, and met some of my readers too. I believe the thirst for information about Slovenia will continue to grow and I hope to try to keep providing as much up-to-date information about my life here in Radovljica and the surrounding areas; my hikes, bike trips, and trips further afield. My Adele in Slovenia Facebook page has also mirrored the success of the blog and I will also endeavour to keep providing relevant up-to-date information there too, as well as photos on my Pinterest page.

On the personal side, well my year is ending much the same as it began i.e. alone. However, I don’t see that as a negative. This year for me was about regaining some of my lost confidence and assertiveness, meeting new people, building friendships, and continuing to live a relatively quiet, but content, life in this tiny corner of Europe. So all in all, 2014 was a good year and here’s hoping 2015 will be even better!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

8Dec2014

Fine Art, Festivities and Food in Radovljica

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Ok, I admit, ‘fine art’ probably isn’t exactly the right choice of word, ‘fine pottery’ would be a more accurate description, however, it had a nice ring to it as a title for this week’s blog and it goes some way to describing the skills of two of Radovljica’s stalwarts, Oli and Urban Magušar. The couple, who have long resided and operated a pottery workshop in Magušar’s House (Magušarjeva hisa) in Radovljica’s old town centre, have now finally opened a shop selling and exhibiting their, as well as other local artists, creations. I attended the shop’s opening last weekend and as well as being able to see the products up close, we were also treated to a BBQ in the courtyard! Who knew that the Magušars were such talents chefs as well!

The shop will be open throughout the year on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-8pm, on Saturdays from 10am-1pm, and at other times by appointment. The arcaded house itself is also fascinating with its open courtyard and worth a snoop if you get the chance.

You can read more about Magušar’s House, as well as about Radolca’s other galleries and museums here – http://www.radolca.si/en/other-galleries/

Next, on to the ‘festivities’ part. Of course the festive season is now upon us and with Radovljica’s old town now adorned by Christmas lights, festive garlands and the like, the first of the Christmas events began on Friday with the official switch on of the Christmas lights, followed by the start of the small Advent Market. The Advent Market will take place every weekend during December and to accompany it there are a wide variety of events and entertainment for all the family including creative workshops for children, circus acts and street performers, concerts with live music, carol singing, and not forgetting the all important arrival of Father Christmas, accompanied by his elves on 21st December at 5pm. The full programme of festive events can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/festive-december-in-linhart-square/83/110/

And finally the ‘food’ part. Some weeks back I blogged about my visit to the Globočnik Excursion Farm in Globoko, which are now part of the Taste Radol’ca project. For the final weekend of this year’s Taste Radol’ca, they held a demonstration of sausage making; the traditional Slovene pečenice pork sausages and also black pudding krvavice. To accompany them, the farm’s neighbour and legendary bread maker came to do her magic with bread baked at its most simple with minimal ingredients and maximal care and attention. After mixing the bread in the specially made wooden vessel, it was then left to prove next to the warmth of the log burner before being baked in the stone oven. Once the sausages were cooked and the bread baked, there was a chance to taste them too. However, since I had to rush off to the opening of the pottery shop, I didn’t get a chance for a taste and therefore, not wanting to miss out completely, vowed to return the next day to polish off what was still left! I can contest that it was all delicious and even more so as I had seen everything being made and knew there were no nasty additives or hidden ‘E’ numbers, preservatives etc. Good, honest food at its best.

Don’t forget to get your entries in for the competition to find a new drink for Radol’ca. The competition is open to every one and you could win yourself a luxury weekend at Vila Podvin. More information here – http://radolca.si/en/radolca-drink-competition/

Need I even say that yet another week passed us by without so much as seeing the sky, let alone the sun. Since I’ve been a very good, hardworking girl this year, I’ve now written my wish list to Santa – I bet you can guess what is at the top of the list! And perhaps he has already received my letter because as I sit here writing today, I can now seem a glimpse of blue sky…..

1Dec2014

The Wonders of Slovene honey / Create a Drink for Radol’ca Competition

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Being home to the Museum of Apiculture, Radovljica is synonymous with beekeeping and thus, honey. Additionally, Lesce is home to the Beekeeping Education Centre of Gorenjska, or CRICG for short. The centre organise various events throughout the year, some more aimed at beekeepers themselves whilst others are intended merely for lovers of bees and all things honey. CRICG houses a beeswax processing plant, a honey bottling and packaging room, a tasting room, and a shop selling a wide range of honey and honey-related products. There is also currently a fascinating exhibition of bees’ honeycomb which will be on view until the end of December! You can find out more about CRICG here – http://www.cricg.com/eng.html

The centre is also visited by beekeeping enthusiasts from far and wide, such as this Indian beekeeper who recently came and made this short video about his visit – https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2K2vDAqcfz4

One of the events CRICG organises, is the annual ‘Honey in Cuisine’ workshop which was held last week in Radovljica and which I always eagerly attend. The workshop was led by one of the school’s professors whilst the dishes were demonstrated and cooked by some of the school’s talented and enthusiastic students who had given up their free time to do so. For us participants, we were able to help a little, watch, mingle, and then – the best bit – eat all the delicious dishes. In an effort to show it’s versatility, each dish, of course, included honey, even the savoury dishes where the honey acted merely as a subtle flavour enhancer rather than being instantly detectable or overpowering. These are just some of the dishes that were cooked up:

To start: Canapes and a duo of soups – Carrot soup & Fruited Barley Soup

Main courses included Slovenia’s famous kranjska klobasa sausage cooked in teran wine, buckwheat krapi, štruklji, and baked polenta

Finally, desserts included a specially concocted and very colourful, creative and original ‘bee’ drink, made using layers of honey liqueur, advocaat, ice-cream and cream.

Slovenian beekeeping is also well-known for its colourful and unique painted beehive front panels, called ‘panjske končnice’ and the oldest one in the world can be seen in the Museum of Apiculture in Radovljica’s old town centre. You can also watch a DVD about beekeeping in Radovljica, the English version of which features my dulcet tones! More information can be found here – http://www.muzeji-radovljica.si/_eng/CM-introduction.html

With Christmas fast approaching, Radovljica’s residents gathered last week to help decorate the old town centre and turn it into a winter wonderland. The Christmas tree is almost finished, the lights up, and the decorations in place so we are now officially ready for the festive season! This year, each weekend in December, Radovljica will be hosting an Advent Market together with a full programme of accompanying events for all the family. You can read full details of the programme here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/festive-december-in-linhart-square/83/110/

Additionally, this year, Tourism Radol’ca have launched a competition to find a new winter drink; something to make a change from the usual bog-standard mulled wine which is usually on offer at this time of year. The drink must incorporate at least one typical local ingredient such as honey, chocolate, honey liqueur…. and may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. The prize will be a luxury weekend break for two at Vila Podvin in Mošnje where the food is prepared and cooked by one of Slovenia’s top chefs, Uroš Štefelin. You can read more about Vila Podvin here – http://www.vilapodvin.si/

More information about the competition, the rules, the prize etc. can be found here – http://radolca.si/en/radolca-drink-competition/

I actually feel that I’m beginning to lose the plot of late due to the constant rain, low cloud and lack of sunlight. Actually, right now I’d be happy to see the sky, let alone the sun! I used to make notes in my diary, to record the weather, where I’d been etc. so I could write here about it. However, these days I don’t bother since there seems to be little point in recording yet another soggy walk with my umbrella. So, dear readers, I do hope that at some point, in the not too distant future, I’ll be able to get back to blogging about all the great outdoors things there are to do in Slovenia; after all that was my original intention. However, at the moment, given the weather, glorious hikes in the mountains seem but a distant memory. Thank goodness then that I live in Radovljica where, whatever the weather, there is always plenty going on!

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….

13Oct2014

An Indian (or Hawaiian?) summer in Slovenia!

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

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

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/

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Tag Archives: radovljica

By Bus from Radovljica – Dom Pristava and the Zois Park

St. Peter’s Church, Begunje – An icy break

Historic Radovljica / Retro skiing in Kropa

Snowy Hikes and Winter Bites!

Snowy Slovenia and Happy 2015!

Fine Art, Festivities and Food in Radovljica

The Wonders of Slovene honey / Create a Drink for Radol’ca Competition

Taste Radol’ca 2014

An Indian (or Hawaiian?) summer in Slovenia!

When opportunities come a knocking…..