Celebrating Carnival Time – Avsenik Style!

Posted in Uncategorized by adeleinslovenia

This year, Carnival Saturday (Pustna sobota) also happened to fall on Valentine’s Day and Radovljica’s Carnival Dance (Pustni ples) took place at the Krek Hotel and Restaurant in Lesce. It is traditional to dress up in masks and costumes for pust, and the theme of this year’s dance was the music of the famous Avsenik Ensemble, from the nearby village of Begunje na Gorenjskem, since this year marks the 60th year since the issue of the hugely popular track ‘Na Golici’, which is also one of the most widely played. Since Avsenik have produced more than 1000 songs, attendees had a wide range of songs and lyrics to allow them to get creative with their costumes. Perhaps some of the best known songs, in this area at least, are ‘Na Robleku’ and ‘Na Golici‘ – named after two peaks in the Karavanke mountains which are popular destinations with hikers.

Here you can listen to the original version – http://youtu.be/r7gFNaGYEs8

And here you can listen to, and watch, a recent modern interpretation of ‘Na Golici’ – Riverdance style! – http://youtu.be/VUVN3mGiL9c

The music of the Avsenik Brothers is actually a world-wide phenomenon; it is particularly popular in Slovenia and neighbouring European countries, but is also known in the USA and even further afield, and their music has won countless awards. The home of Slovene popular folk music is at the birthplace of its founders, Slavko and Vilko Avsenik, at Pr’Jožovcu in Begunje. It is regularly visited by coach loads of fans of their music and the restaurant hosts regular music performances by the Avsenik House Ensemble, as well as workshops, festivals, competitions and other events. There is also a gallery and museum, music school, and guest accommodation. If you are visiting the Radol’ca area, then a visit isn’t complete without popping in to see, listen to, or even dance to, a bit of Avsenik!

The main day of pust is pustni torek (Shrove Tuesday) when, wherever you are in Slovenia you could be forgiven for thinking it is Halloween as children go to school dressed up as all kinds of ghosts and gouls, and some can be seen going from door-to-door trick-or-treating. However, there is actually a point to pust; to help drive winter away by scaring it with various costumes and masks. So, despite not being one inclined to fancy dress, masks etc., I am more than happy to join in and help drive winter away!

All the different regions of Slovenia have their own pust traditions, customs and characters. Among the most known are the ‘kurenti‘ from Ptuj (seen below left), where the country’s largest carnival takes place, with celebrations lasting a whole 2 weeks, and also the ‘laufarije‘ from Cerklje (below right). I think they look frightening enough to shoo-off winter!

After 4 long weeks, and following an x-ray last Tuesday I was finally free of my immobilising shoulder immobilser last week and what a relief it was. To be able to quickly and easily get dressed and have a shower, do up my shoelaces etc. I, of course, wasted no time on my mission to regain my fitness and on Wednesday morning I was already up and out at 7am and at the mountain hut Roblekov dom in record time! Well, you didn’t expect any less did you?!

Oh and I should just add, here in Slovenia we eat doughnuts for Shrove Tuesday, instead of pancakes. I will, of course, oblige!

2Feb2015

Snowy Slovenia Facts and Figures

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Allow me to start this week’s blog by giving myself a small pat on the back. Why? Well, because last Friday my blog achieved its 50,000th view – something I’m really rather proud of. Ok, granted, it’s not up there matching the figures of some of the world’s ‘supper bloggers’, some of whom probably achieve that many views in a day, but for somewhat lesser-known Slovenia, and little old humble me, I think/hope/believe it’s quite an achievement. The greatest number of readers are actually in Slovenia, as often Slovenes themselves tell me that they turn to my blog for ideas and inspiration; this is followed by readers from the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands…… and as far away as Bangladesh, Mongolia, Senegal, Ghana, Martinique and more; a total of 110 countries to date.

It’s now been 3 weeks since my fall and, hopefully, that means I’m at least halfway through the healing time. Unfortunately, the fresh, and heavy snowfall on Friday, and again on Sunday afternoon, meant that I couldn’t get out much at the weekend as I’m just too scared at the moment in case I fall on ice again, particularly as I currently only have one arm for balance.

As I was sitting watching the snowfall from my window on Friday, and the snow was growing higher by the minute, I was wondering what the actual record snowfall figures are for Slovenia and set about finding out. Here, instead of a blog about MY latest snowy adventures, are some rather fascinating Slovenia snowy facts and figures:

The most amount of snowfall in 24 hours – 125cm – Dom na Komni mountain hut, 1951 & 1970
The most amount of snowfall at less than 500m above sea level – 105cm – village of Soča, near Bovec, 1970
The most amount of snow in one place – 700cm – Kredarica, below Mt. Triglav – 2001
The most snowfall in one season – 1662cm – Kredarica, winter 2000/2001
The longest lasting snow cover – 290 days, Kredarica – 1976/77 & 1984/85
The earliest snowfall in a place below 500m above sea level – Kotlje, Šmartno pri Slovenj Gradcu, 11 September 1970
The latest snowfall in a place below 500m above sea level – Nomenj – 10 June 1974

So, instead of being out there enjoying snowy hikes, I’m resigned to looking back wistfully at photos of previous ones and looking forward to future ones. With that in mind, and for those looking for somewhere to enjoy the snow, and/or those who are maybe thinking about a winter visit to Slovenia, I offer below a few ideas for some of my favourite winter hikes and other snowy activities in and around the Radovljica area:

The Pokljuka plateau is a haven for all things ‘snowy’ – there’s the biathlon centre, cross-country ski tracks, skiing, and hiking. A very popular destination is to the hut ‘Blejska koča’, which can be a destination in itself, or the more hardy can continue onwards towards Mrežce (as seen below), Brda or Debela peč, the highest peak of the plateau.

The Dom na Komni hut is one of the few huts that is open all-year round and the route up, beginning from the car park by the Savica waterfall at Lake Bohinj, is usually well-frequented and trodden. From the hut there are also a number of other options to continue onwards on the Komna plateau.

The Koča na Taležu hut (725m) is popular with locals from around the Radovljica area as it is easily accessed, offers fantastic views for relatively little effort, and offers good food and a warm welcome

The Valvasor dom hut is another popular winter destination for hikers and sledgers. The path begins at the Završnica reservoir.

CIMG7089

There are also currently tracks prepared for cross-country skiing in Radovljica, behind the Spar supermarket, and in Kamna Gorica.

It should of course be remembered that during winter anyone visiting the mountains must be well-prepared, equipped, and experienced in such conditions. The current fresh snowfall means the risk of avalanches is high, currently level 4 out of 5 on the avalanche danger scale, and unless you are familiar with the terrain and the conditions its not recommended to take on anything too adventurous at this time of the year, hence I tend to stick to (relatively) easy and well-trodden routes.

You can also find out more about these destinations in previous posts by using this blog’s search facility (top right corner).

The week ahead looks like being snow all the way, so until next week……

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….

15Dec2014

Slovene Christmas Customs, Traditions and Gifts

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One of the customs I love in Slovenia is that of always removing your shoes before entering anyone’s home and being given a pair of cosy slippers to wear; whatever the time of year. I found this a little odd at first as in the UK I’d never thought twice before about going into other people’s homes wearing shoes – the same shoes which I’d been walking around in outdoors – but it makes perfect sense really as who knows what could be lurking on the soles of your shoes. Now, I’m so accustomed to this, that even when I visit friends and family in the UK, I automatically remove my shoes at the front door even though it means getting cold feet since I’m not offered slippers! So I was particularly delighted this week when, on the occasion of a little pre-Christmas get-together with friends, I was given an early Christmas present; of a pair of beautiful hand-made, personalised slippers which I’m now wearing with pride – thanks Anja!

We had a lovely evening with an array of Christmas treats too – some healthy, some less so – including my homemade mini-Christmas cakes, which were the star of the show!

So, this got me thinking about other customs and traditions in Slovenia and, it being the festive season and all, I thought I would elaborate a little further this week, in particular about Christmas and New Year traditions.

I should probably begin by saying that Christmas is actually a relatively new tradition in Slovenia since during the times of Socialism, under Tito’s rule, Christmas per se i.e. 25th December, wasn’t celebrated. Instead, there were (still are) 2 festive celebrations; St. Nicholas (Miklavž), who secretively delivers small gifts to children on 6th December, and Grandfather Frost (Dedek Mraz), who delivers presents, usually in person (ahem!) on New Year’s Eve.

These days of course, Slovenia has rapidly caught up on celebrating Christmas and festive food and gifts starts to appear in shops late-autumn, though thankfully not in July, which I read wass when Harrods opened its Christmas Department this year!

As in many other countries in Europe, the evening of the 24^th is when most families celebrate and get together for a special meal – which is usually some kind of roast meat though not especially turkey – exchange gifts, and/or attend midnight mass. If you are visiting Slovenia at that time it is worth noting that many restaurants may be closed on this evening or close earlier than usual. Shops are usually open on the 24^th but close a little earlier than usual. All shops are closed on the 25^th and again this is a family day, often for some recreational activities perhaps skiing, hiking or visiting relatives. The 26^th is also a public holiday, ‘Independence and Unity Day’ and therefore again many shops and business will be closed although some of the larger ones may open for a few hours in the morning.

Talking of shopping, which many of you, myself included, have probably been doing frantically in the run up to Christmas, I don’t know about you but I find there’s always someone who is SO difficult to buy for; the person who has everything and is choosy to boot! So, this week when I discovered the new range of gifts from the Slovene Centre for Architecture, it was a revelation! Their range of gifts are made in Slovenia, unique, stylish and practical too. The gift range includes towels, notebooks and other stationery, jewellery, water bottles and even chocolates and feature motifs related to individual works of Slovenian architecture, both traditional and modern.

The products will be on sale at selected Tourist Information Centres, including in Radovljica, or can be ordered directly from the centre. More information can be found here – http://www.centerarhitekture.org/vurnikovidnevi/?page_id=131

The Christmas programme continues in Radovljica and on Saturday evening we were treated to an impressive display by the flaming circus act, Cupakabra. As you can see from the photos below, it was quite a spectacle and drew plenty of spectators to the old town centre.

The week ahead will see more concerts and entertainment, as well as the Christmas market which takes place each Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday throughout December. The full programme of events can be found here – http://www.radolca.si/en/what-to-do/events-1/festive-december-in-linhart-square/83/110/

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, last week we had a WHOLE WEEK without rain, fog or low cloud. Thanks Santa!

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

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/

Adele in Slovenia

My life and adventures in Radovljica and throughout Slovenia

Tag Archives: Slovenia

Celebrating Carnival Time – Avsenik Style!

Snowy Slovenia Facts and Figures

Historic Radovljica / Retro skiing in Kropa

Snowy Hikes and Winter Bites!

Slovene Christmas Customs, Traditions and Gifts

Humanfish (proteus) in Slovenia / Hotel and Restaurant Krek

Zelenica – The Karavanke

An Indian (or Hawaiian?) summer in Slovenia!

Traditional Slovene Food: ‘Štruklji’ and ‘Krapi’

When opportunities come a knocking…..