SLOVENIA

Monday May 1 .
Today we caught the bus from Venice to the airport and picked up the car we had booked. The process was very long as there were four people ahead of us in the queue and the paperwork was involved.
Eventually we found the car in the carpark and Glenn, very carefully, drove out of the city. We used Google maps on the phone to guide us to Slovenia. Most of the way was excellent freeway and the trip took us about two and a half hours, excluding a stop to explore a market along the way.

  

We arrived in the tiny village of Svino, and after several attempts to locate our exchange place, we met our hosts Mojca and Vojko, a very welcoming and friendly couple. They immediately sat us down and shared a bottle of local rose with us on the terrace. They have a home, as well as two separate apartments which they exchange or rent. ... and a beautiful garden.

The surrounding countryside is lush, hilly and beyond beautiful.

We settled into our lovely apartment until hunger eventually drove us into the nearby, small town of Kobarid in search of food. We chose the recommended Restavracija Kotlar and had excellent grilled squid with spinach and potatoes, followed by a traditional 'Kobariski strukelj 'dessert. Every housewife in Slovenia, it is said, prepares hers in a slightly different way and 'signs' it with her fingerprint in the middle. The ingredients are steamed dough, walnuts, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, butter, breadcrumbs and raisins. Delicious!

 

Tuesday May 2.
Today we explored our immediate surroundings, the tiny, picturesque village of Svino.

 

Our walk through the village and out to a swiftly running creek and waterfall was a delight. The spring flowers are just beginning to burst into life and the horses enjoyed a nose rub.

 
 
We drove again to Kobarid where we went to the War Museum which has graphic photos of the first world war against the Italians, and very moving, detailed, diary documentation from soldiers of the Austrian/Hungarian empire. The conditions and extreme deprivation they endured were inhuman. There are many memorials of the conflict as this area was on the battle frontline.

 
We came home and indulged in another drop of local, non-preservative wine, provided by our hosts who produce quite copious quantities of the nectar! We Mundays seem to fall on our feet!.
Chef Glenn is again providing dinner. Rice and fresh veggies. I would cook but my free time is taken with blogging!

 

Wednesday, May 3
Mojca, our hostess, kindly did our washing while we explored further afield. We drove to Bovec, in the heart of the Triglav NP, among the peaks of the Julian Alps where the Soca River originates. It is stunning at every turn and not surprisingly, was used as the shooting site for the Walt Disney film 'The Chronicles Of Narnia. '
The Bovec area is also known as the land of Slovenian superlatives because it has the highest-lying mountain road to Mangart's saddle (2072 m), the highest- lying road pass, Vrsic (1611m), and the highest-lying ski slope Kanin-Sella Nevea (2300 m), and the Boka waterfall.

   

We dipped our fingers in the blue- green water of the Soca River and were sorry we missed seeing the Polish Olympic kayak team enter the water. We saw others carrying kayaks down the steep bank to the river which has warnings everywhere about the dangers of the rapids for the inexperienced.

Above the river we explored the tunnels cut by hand through the the mountain, where heavy guns were installed to protect the strategic pass below the Kluze Fortress.

Thursday, May 4.

We awoke to steady rain so had a slow start to the day and a leisurely brunch. We finished some postcards for the family and ventured out for a coffee and a bit of shopping, and a quick foray into the town tourist information centre. It's cold today.... 10c so hope tomorrow is better as we plan a day in Ljubljana.

Friday, May 5. Ljubljana.

 

Today was a big day out starting with a 2hour drive to Ljubljana along the beautiful Soca Valley. Glenn needed all of his concentration powers for the narrow winding road which snaked its way through picture perfect villages and around hairpin bends as we climbed high over the mountains and down into the .valleys. We stopped at a bar for a coffee and a break along the way. Thanks to google maps we arrived and found the parking station without any trouble . It's centrally located so it was a few minutes walk then to the Triple bridge, Preseren Square, the park and the centre of the compact city. Almost all places of interest are within 15 minutes walking distance and buses and the bike-share system, along with the free mini electric shuttle make it easy to explore.

 

Our first stop was the bustling central city market where local fruit, vegetable, plants and handcrafts were available for sale and stall-holders prepared and cooked local, traditional dishes (and others), on the spot. There were crowds of happy people eating and drinking and the hardest thing was deciding what to eat. We chose just-roasted, suckling pig which was so... succulent, with roast potatoes and capsicum, followed (a bit later) by strawberries and creme- brulee !!!! We resisted the wine because driving in the alps on the opposite side of the road requires having all your wits about you, for driver and navigator!

We wandered through the mostly-pedestrian old town and along the riverside promenade and absorbed the sense of history, noted the calm, slow pace and the human-friendly scale of the small, graceful city. The entire population of Slovenia is only 2.8 million, compared with Sydney's 4 million.

 

 

We then went to see the Castle in the middle of town, home to various invading forces over the centuries, now used for performances, conferences and cultural activities. We took the funicular railway to the top, watched the video, wandered through the cells and climbed the circular staircase to the top for a panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside. 

 

Saturday May 6

We had a sleep-in and a leisurely breakfast and then drove to Bovec, about 23 kms from Svino, to get the Cable car to ski fields in Julian Alps. It's about 2,000m up the mountain, over several valleys and it took 50 minutes each way. The views were stunning and there were quite a lot people enjoying the last of the winter snow. We had lunch at the top and then Glenn trudged through the snow to the nearest chairlift and looked longingly at it, while I (the non-skier), remembered the uncomfortable boots, wet bottom, mountain of clothing to be removed for a toilet break and myriad other discomfits!!!

 

We continued further up the Soca valley to Trenta, to the Juliana Alpine Garden, a beautiful terraced garden with a waterfall running alongside it. About 600 different plant species prosper in the garden, including endemics known to grow solely in Slovenia. It was a serene place we enjoyed immensely.

 

 

A  bit further down the valley we stopped to cross one of the many swinging bridges across the Soca river which give access to isolated houses. The power of the river, swelled by melting snow, is irrestible to the many kayakers who love the challenge of a swift and bumpy ride downstream. It is obviously training ground for Olympic teams too, as we saw several of their vehicles pulled in along the banks at access points to the rapids.

 

Sunday May 7

This is our last full day in Slovenia.

We walked down a track from Svino village to Korabid and asked a local boy which way to go at a fork in the track. We followed the way he indicated and it took us past a small, beautiful waterfall and eventually into the town. We wandered down streets we hadn't been before and then out of town into the surrounding meadows. They are full of early spring flowers, crisscrossed with walking/bike tracks and  providing benches for weary walkers. Many people walk and the pace of life is much slower than ours at home. Sometimes in our rush I think we forget to take time to smell the roses and enjoy the tranquility.

 

Through the town and out the other side we walked to the Napoleon Bridge and gazed down into the torrent of blue-green water rushing below. There are memorials there, a reminder that this area which is now so peaceful and beautiful, was once the front line between opposing forces in WWI, where many people lost their lives.

  

Back in the village of Kobarid, we had a late lunch and a chat to a local man and his wife beside us in the restaurant. He is an historical author and he spoke about how much life has changed now there is no fear. The borders are blurred by the Euro Zone and people are peaceful and more prosperous.

It has been a special week.... A walk back in time to a rural community where people tend their veggie gardens and their animals and prepare wood the next winter. The  country side is lush, green and extremely beautiful. It brought back memories of my childhood in a country town ... An uncomplicated time.