From now until May 3rd, Slovenia is on a sort of national spring break. Monday is the Easter Monday holiday, Wednesday is the Day of Uprising Against the Occupation (celebrating the resistance against German occupation in World War II), and the following Monday is Labor Day. So, like everyone else here, we are taking a vacation (from our vacation). Tomorrow, we are driving five hours to Split, which is a small, medieval city on the coast of Croatia. Then, on Monday, we are taking a ferry out to the island Vis to spend the remainder of the week.
Wish us luck, as we are sure we can use all we can get. Happy Easter!
PS - The title was Chantelle's doing....
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Day of Wandering
Today was a perfect day here in Ljubljana (we have been really blessed with the weather here this spring) and we made the most of it by doing a lot but very little. It was a combination of going to the market, buying sandwiches and sitting on a bench by the river for lunch, getting a few things in preparation for our trip to Croatia on Saturday, and wandering through parts of the city we haven't seen on our way to Tivoli Park to get ice cream cones and let the crew run off some steam on the playground. The kiddos thought the fact that we had lunch, an afternoon snack, and ice creams cones outside was the bee knees (not to mention that they got to go down the big slide at Tivoli "lots of times").
On the way to Tivoli, we came across a small museum that is dedicated to Roman stone work, much of which is from the first and second centuries. The exhibit had gravestones, pillars, columns, statues, caskets, altars...pretty much everything they would have made out of stone. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the original Roman stonework around Ljubljana has been preserved, as most was used to build the Ljubljana castle. The caskets looked like something we found in our hotel room in Ptuj, which is a little creepy.
At the museum, we learned our useless bit of knowledge for the day: the terms milestone and itinerary originated in the Roman era. The Romans placed stone pillars along their roads with inscriptions indicating the ruler at the time that section of road was built and how many miles the pillar was from the road's origin (Get it? Mile "stones"?). They also made maps of the milestones and inns along the roads, which were called itineraries (Latin for "it's in the area"). And, they had the original Trip Advisor, in which people etched reviews of roads and inns on itinerary stones. Actually, we weren't able to verify all of this at the museum, but we're pretty sure some of it is true.
On the way home, we walked through the literature festival taking place in old town (Slovenia is big on reading and has received a lot of international recognition for this...in fact, there is at least one bookstore on every block). It's a big deal...there are a lot of vendor stands selling books (in Slovenian, of course), a stage where people do readings of children's books (in Slovenian, of course), and lots of music (also in Slovenian). It's very cool.
By the time we got home, we had three exhausted kids and two exhausted parents on our hands. We took showers, ate dinner, and it was bedtime. Sy was asleep before we even shut his door (actually, he sleeps on the floor with us, so technically it's "our door").
It was a good day.
On the way to Tivoli, we came across a small museum that is dedicated to Roman stone work, much of which is from the first and second centuries. The exhibit had gravestones, pillars, columns, statues, caskets, altars...pretty much everything they would have made out of stone. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the original Roman stonework around Ljubljana has been preserved, as most was used to build the Ljubljana castle. The caskets looked like something we found in our hotel room in Ptuj, which is a little creepy.
At the museum, we learned our useless bit of knowledge for the day: the terms milestone and itinerary originated in the Roman era. The Romans placed stone pillars along their roads with inscriptions indicating the ruler at the time that section of road was built and how many miles the pillar was from the road's origin (Get it? Mile "stones"?). They also made maps of the milestones and inns along the roads, which were called itineraries (Latin for "it's in the area"). And, they had the original Trip Advisor, in which people etched reviews of roads and inns on itinerary stones. Actually, we weren't able to verify all of this at the museum, but we're pretty sure some of it is true.
On the way home, we walked through the literature festival taking place in old town (Slovenia is big on reading and has received a lot of international recognition for this...in fact, there is at least one bookstore on every block). It's a big deal...there are a lot of vendor stands selling books (in Slovenian, of course), a stage where people do readings of children's books (in Slovenian, of course), and lots of music (also in Slovenian). It's very cool.
By the time we got home, we had three exhausted kids and two exhausted parents on our hands. We took showers, ate dinner, and it was bedtime. Sy was asleep before we even shut his door (actually, he sleeps on the floor with us, so technically it's "our door").
It was a good day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
River Clean-Up
We were witness to "river clean-up day" over the weekend, in which divers go up and down the river looking for things to haul out. They piled all of it on the Cobbler's Bridge: bikes, bike racks, street signs, bar tables, garbage cans, and shopping carts (we heard they usually pull out a car or two each spring). We actually thought it was some sort of art exhibit when we first saw it. This is precisely why when Rosetta asks if we're going to swim in the river, we give an emphatic "NO!" There was also a nice aroma coming from the heap. Mmmm, seaweed soup.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Postojna Cave
Saturday, we decided to go see the Postojna Cave, which is one of the main tourist attractions in all of Slovenia. They give tours every two hours and our plan was to have lunch, drive thirty minutes to Postojna, hit the 2:00 tour, and be back to our apartment by dinner time. However, it's the exception when things go as planned, and we missed the 2:00 tour by three minutes. Literally. There were a number of culprits that put us behind schedule, but the final one was Rosetta, who said the second we got in the car, "I need to go potty!" So, we stopped on our way out of town. For three minutes.
From 2:03 to 4:00, we stood outside the cave listening to Rosetta ask when we were going to go inside the cave, and then finally it was time. There's a two-kilometer train ride in, through huge caverns and narrow tunnels in which it would be easy to lose a knee, hand, or head if you weren't paying attention (we are pretty sure that train wouldn't pass in the U.S. -- there were no seat belts or doors to keep you in, and there were a lot of spots we felt like we needed to duck in order to keep our scalps intact). Then we had a one-kilometer hike through the cave, which climbed up about 100 meters, then down 150 meters, and then back up again. And then another two-kilometer train ride out.
It was very impressive and worth our wait. We learned that the Postojna cave was one of the first caves in the world to be open to visitors back in the 1800's. We also learned that prior to that, people stayed away from the caves because they thought that the "human fish" (an albino salamander) that were found there were baby dragons. And, we learned that the stalagtites and stalagmites that form from dripping water take thirty years to grow a millimeter. So, if you do the math, a 10-foot long stalagtite would take 30,000 years to form (the caves are estimated to be a few million years old).
The kiddos each got something different out of it. Sy's favorite part (of course) were the train rides. Rosetta loved the "icicles" on the ceiling and is very impressed with herself that she knows what they're called now. And Celia got in a nice nap during the hike (but liked the train). So, even with our standard goof-up, it turned out to be a successful trip.
If you want to see pictures, click on this link: Postojna Cave Pictures (we weren't supposed to take pictures inside).
From 2:03 to 4:00, we stood outside the cave listening to Rosetta ask when we were going to go inside the cave, and then finally it was time. There's a two-kilometer train ride in, through huge caverns and narrow tunnels in which it would be easy to lose a knee, hand, or head if you weren't paying attention (we are pretty sure that train wouldn't pass in the U.S. -- there were no seat belts or doors to keep you in, and there were a lot of spots we felt like we needed to duck in order to keep our scalps intact). Then we had a one-kilometer hike through the cave, which climbed up about 100 meters, then down 150 meters, and then back up again. And then another two-kilometer train ride out.
It was very impressive and worth our wait. We learned that the Postojna cave was one of the first caves in the world to be open to visitors back in the 1800's. We also learned that prior to that, people stayed away from the caves because they thought that the "human fish" (an albino salamander) that were found there were baby dragons. And, we learned that the stalagtites and stalagmites that form from dripping water take thirty years to grow a millimeter. So, if you do the math, a 10-foot long stalagtite would take 30,000 years to form (the caves are estimated to be a few million years old).
The kiddos each got something different out of it. Sy's favorite part (of course) were the train rides. Rosetta loved the "icicles" on the ceiling and is very impressed with herself that she knows what they're called now. And Celia got in a nice nap during the hike (but liked the train). So, even with our standard goof-up, it turned out to be a successful trip.
If you want to see pictures, click on this link: Postojna Cave Pictures (we weren't supposed to take pictures inside).
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Haircuts
Of all the experiences we have had here, some of my favorite are from the salon around the corner. Last week, we took Rosetta and Celia to get haircuts from the woman who cut Chantelle's hair, Ana. Both of them thought they were very cool, getting haircuts in Slovenia (especially Celia, as this was her first haircut). The best part was how great all of the women there were. Ana totally played up how big of a deal it was and the others gave the kiddos juice and cookies and candy while they waited. I think the stylists all were genuinely amused by the scene.
Two days later, I stopped in with Sy to see when I could get a trim. The place was empty, so Ana volunteered to babysit if I wanted to do it right away. She got out colored pencils and paper and sat with Sy, drawing, teaching him colors in Slovenian, and feeding him piles of candy. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. And why wouldn't he be? The kid has become quite a flirt, so getting one-on-one attention from a young hair stylist with sweets is right up his alley.
No offense to the fellas at Schmidty's Barbers, but the two haircuts I've now gotten there from my "stylist", Lepa, are probably the best I've ever had. Her parents immigrated here from Bosnia and she has to be one of the nicest people I've met. It's a little different conversation with her than the normal barber shop banter (I don't think she's brought up Joe Mauer once). And, she ends her haircuts with an "aromatic head message", which, I have to admit, makes me feel pretty cool.
Two days later, I stopped in with Sy to see when I could get a trim. The place was empty, so Ana volunteered to babysit if I wanted to do it right away. She got out colored pencils and paper and sat with Sy, drawing, teaching him colors in Slovenian, and feeding him piles of candy. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. And why wouldn't he be? The kid has become quite a flirt, so getting one-on-one attention from a young hair stylist with sweets is right up his alley.
No offense to the fellas at Schmidty's Barbers, but the two haircuts I've now gotten there from my "stylist", Lepa, are probably the best I've ever had. Her parents immigrated here from Bosnia and she has to be one of the nicest people I've met. It's a little different conversation with her than the normal barber shop banter (I don't think she's brought up Joe Mauer once). And, she ends her haircuts with an "aromatic head message", which, I have to admit, makes me feel pretty cool.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Honeys, I Love You
Bees are a national pastime in Slovenia. There are about 8,000 beekeepers here (about one for every 250 residents), and people swear by the honey they produce. We're sold on it too.
Bee-fore...er, prior to...coming here, I thought that honey was honey and it all came in bear-shaped squeezable bottles with yellow caps. Not the case. There's acacia, forest, lime, chestnut, linden, flower, and more, all with very different colors and flavors based on the flowers the bees pollinate and based on who makes it. We have tried our fair share and our favorites so far are from the Skerlj farm we just visited. We brought back four jars, one of each type they make.
Bee-sides (sorry) the "normal" honey, there is also honey that is whipped into a creamy spread and flavored with fruit, cinnamin and vanilla. Very tasty as well. Then there is the bee propolis, which is used as an antibiotic, bee pollen, which is used as an energy supplement, and royal jelly, which is supposed to boost the immune system and give you healthier skin and a more youthful appearance (who knew?). You can also buy the honeycomb or "supermix", both of which contain all of these...a spoonful of supermix a day is supposed to keep the doctor away. With all of the health benefits, we would feel guilty if we didn't indulge.
Bee-lieve it or not (again, sorry), there are enough bee products and they are so popular that there is a store next to our apartment that sells nothing but bee products. And it is open until 8:00pm every day of the week, including Sundays, which is unheard of around here.
In the words of a wise poet, "be present in all things." As bees pollinate about thirty percent of the world's food, I suppose that applies here too. Peace.
Bee-fore...er, prior to...coming here, I thought that honey was honey and it all came in bear-shaped squeezable bottles with yellow caps. Not the case. There's acacia, forest, lime, chestnut, linden, flower, and more, all with very different colors and flavors based on the flowers the bees pollinate and based on who makes it. We have tried our fair share and our favorites so far are from the Skerlj farm we just visited. We brought back four jars, one of each type they make.
Bee-sides (sorry) the "normal" honey, there is also honey that is whipped into a creamy spread and flavored with fruit, cinnamin and vanilla. Very tasty as well. Then there is the bee propolis, which is used as an antibiotic, bee pollen, which is used as an energy supplement, and royal jelly, which is supposed to boost the immune system and give you healthier skin and a more youthful appearance (who knew?). You can also buy the honeycomb or "supermix", both of which contain all of these...a spoonful of supermix a day is supposed to keep the doctor away. With all of the health benefits, we would feel guilty if we didn't indulge.
Bee-lieve it or not (again, sorry), there are enough bee products and they are so popular that there is a store next to our apartment that sells nothing but bee products. And it is open until 8:00pm every day of the week, including Sundays, which is unheard of around here.
In the words of a wise poet, "be present in all things." As bees pollinate about thirty percent of the world's food, I suppose that applies here too. Peace.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Skerlj
On Saturday, we hopped in the station wagon and drove to the Skerlj Tourist Farm in Tomaj, a tiny village near the Italian border. Tomaj sits on a steep hillside in the middle of wine country, surrounded by rolling hills filled with grape vines and cherry and apple trees. Single-lane streets curve up and down between old stone buildings and walls, and obviously weren't intended for cars with two rearview mirrors (a lot of fun for an amateur stick-shift driver). And, for the three-hundred people who live in Tomaj, there are two Catholic churches and a third in the next village over for good measure.
The fact that we were able to get ourselves to the farm is a minor miracle. In addition to the narrow, winding, hilly streets, Tomaj is so remote that none of the streets are labeled on Google Maps. So, all we knew is that we needed to look for a street after a bend in the road. If Chantelle hadn’t seen a small weathered sign pointing us in the right direction, we might still be driving…
The farm is run by a married couple with their three daughters and has been in the Skerlj family for 400 years. In fact, their meat and wine cellars are in a building that was constructed in 1630. Fifteen years ago, they decided to renovate the farm and build guest rooms (my impression is that this became a rising trend here as a means for family farms to get away from supplying grocery chains).
It wasn’t as hands-on as we expected, but we had a great time. They are true craftspeople, and it was fascinating to see everything they do. They raise pigs, chickens, and rabbits (which the kiddos thought were very cool, although Sy was worried the pigs were going to take his sunglasses), maintain a vineyard and cherry and apple orchards, keep honey bees (in the “big green bee truck”), and grow vegetables. Everything they serve originates on the farm and they make themselves: cured meats, wine, liqueurs, honey, apple juice, and meals from their kitchen, and it is all really good. We are not sure where they find the time, especially since they maintain guest rooms as well. Apparently, they just don’t sleep…they were there until after midnight Saturday and had breakfast ready to go at 8am on Sunday morning.
On top of all of this, it is an absolutely gorgeous setting. We spent the afternoon Saturday walking through the village and out into the vineyards and the evening watching the stars pop out in a perfectly clear sky (after the kiddos were “asleep” of course). We decided it would have been quite a bit more romantic sans kiddos, but we also suppose we could apply that to just about every occasion.
PS - Chantelle would like everyone to know that the bottle she is holding has apple juice in it. Also, you need to click on the "big green bee truck" picture and enlarge it to get a feel for the activity...we were standing thirty yards away and the hum was intense. Chantelle also realized after she took the picture of the purple flowers that the bush was "buzzing" and decided she should step away...
PS - Chantelle would like everyone to know that the bottle she is holding has apple juice in it. Also, you need to click on the "big green bee truck" picture and enlarge it to get a feel for the activity...we were standing thirty yards away and the hum was intense. Chantelle also realized after she took the picture of the purple flowers that the bush was "buzzing" and decided she should step away...
Friday, April 8, 2011
Super Troopers
As difficult as our crew can be at times, we have to give them a lot of credit on the trips we have taken here so far. This past weekend, the kiddos were real troopers. It always helps to have some new blood in the mix (Petra and Rok), but given all the activity we had, there was very little complaining. Although they are used to a lot of walking at this point, Bovec was different: just about everything we did was off-road and off-sidewalk. And there was nowhere to use a stroller, so they never got a break. The picture from our Bovec post captures it…they gave their all, and the second we got in the car on Sunday to come home, they were out cold.
Of course, this post is sheer lunacy on our part because we have just jinxed every trip we take from now on. We are headed to a “tourist farm” tomorrow, so I guess we’ll find out…
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Soča Front
On our way back on Sunday, we stopped to see a famous museum in Kobarid, just south of Bovec. The museum is dedicated to the Soča Front, a series of World War I battles that took place on the ridge above the Soča River Valley. These battles consisted of Italian forces attempting to take the ridge from Austo-Hungarian and German forces to no avail. On this 50-mile long ridge, over a 29-month period, an estimated 600,000 soldiers were killed and another one million were wounded (by contrast, 116,000 U.S. soldiers were killed and 200,000 wounded in World War I).
It was a harrowing experience for us to say the least. The musuem had photos from the battle and excerpts from soldiers' letters and journals that painted a horrific scene. Even more tragically, excerpts from military directives demonstrated little strategic reason for attempting to take the ridge in the first place and little to no land actually changed hands during these battles.
Six-hundred thousand killed and one million wounded. From what I have read on World War I, it sounds like a war that really didn't have to happen, but I never had a sense of the true tragedies that took place during the war. We had spent the weekend in awe of the natural beauty here; this gave us quite a different perspective.
It was a harrowing experience for us to say the least. The musuem had photos from the battle and excerpts from soldiers' letters and journals that painted a horrific scene. Even more tragically, excerpts from military directives demonstrated little strategic reason for attempting to take the ridge in the first place and little to no land actually changed hands during these battles.
Six-hundred thousand killed and one million wounded. From what I have read on World War I, it sounds like a war that really didn't have to happen, but I never had a sense of the true tragedies that took place during the war. We had spent the weekend in awe of the natural beauty here; this gave us quite a different perspective.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Bovec
This weekend we got to see the Julian Alps in Slovenia. In a word, they are stunning.
A member of the entrepreneurship program, Rok, and his wife, Petra, volunteered to chauffeur us up through the mountains to a small resort town called Bovec (BAH-vitz). Bovec is in northwestern Slovenia, at the top of a valley that extends south all the way to the Adriatic. It is a destination for rafting and kayaking on the River Soča, as well as skiing, rock climbing, and everything else mountain-related. However, even though it's only two hours from Ljubljana, it's not easy to get to and doesn't attract people with a lot of money so it has remained relatively undeveloped.
Saturday morning, we piled into Petra and Rok's cars and headed north through Kranjska Gora, where the world ski jump championships were just held, climbed 1300 meters through a mountain pass built by Russian prisoners in World War I, then descended down into Bovec. When we arrived, Petra got her birthday present and went paragliding around the mountain tops (if you look closely in the second picture below, you can see her...there is also one of Celia and Sy looking up to watch her). I thought that this would be a good birthday present for Chantelle too, but surprisingly she wasn't interested. While Petra was "flying" (as the kiddos put it), we hiked to the emerald-green Soča and then up into the hills to see the famous Boka waterfall.
Sunday, we took the "flying magical eggs" 2300 meters up to the mountain top (there were a lot of "flying" themes from the weekend). You can imagine how many times on the way up that Sy said, "To infinity, and beyond!", and he hasn't stopped talking about the flying eggs since. The views were fantastic. Petra and Rok skiied down, while we opted for the eggs. On the way out of town, we stopped at the World War I museum in Kobarid (more on that in another post) and didn't get back to Ljubljana until 9:30 Sunday night.
What a weekend. Exhausting, but loads of fun. Petra and Rok are wonderful people and the kiddos loved them. I'm not sure we would have gone to Bovec if they hadn't suggested it, so we definitely owe them.
A member of the entrepreneurship program, Rok, and his wife, Petra, volunteered to chauffeur us up through the mountains to a small resort town called Bovec (BAH-vitz). Bovec is in northwestern Slovenia, at the top of a valley that extends south all the way to the Adriatic. It is a destination for rafting and kayaking on the River Soča, as well as skiing, rock climbing, and everything else mountain-related. However, even though it's only two hours from Ljubljana, it's not easy to get to and doesn't attract people with a lot of money so it has remained relatively undeveloped.
Saturday morning, we piled into Petra and Rok's cars and headed north through Kranjska Gora, where the world ski jump championships were just held, climbed 1300 meters through a mountain pass built by Russian prisoners in World War I, then descended down into Bovec. When we arrived, Petra got her birthday present and went paragliding around the mountain tops (if you look closely in the second picture below, you can see her...there is also one of Celia and Sy looking up to watch her). I thought that this would be a good birthday present for Chantelle too, but surprisingly she wasn't interested. While Petra was "flying" (as the kiddos put it), we hiked to the emerald-green Soča and then up into the hills to see the famous Boka waterfall.
Sunday, we took the "flying magical eggs" 2300 meters up to the mountain top (there were a lot of "flying" themes from the weekend). You can imagine how many times on the way up that Sy said, "To infinity, and beyond!", and he hasn't stopped talking about the flying eggs since. The views were fantastic. Petra and Rok skiied down, while we opted for the eggs. On the way out of town, we stopped at the World War I museum in Kobarid (more on that in another post) and didn't get back to Ljubljana until 9:30 Sunday night.
What a weekend. Exhausting, but loads of fun. Petra and Rok are wonderful people and the kiddos loved them. I'm not sure we would have gone to Bovec if they hadn't suggested it, so we definitely owe them.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Tea Parties
The weather has been so nice here that we have been putting our patio to good use. Yesterday, Chantelle planted some herbs and then we did what has turned into a rather typcial afternoon: we walked down to the river to get ice cream cones (where Rosetta decided she would sing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman, which received some odd looks) and then came back to have a "tea party" on the patio before dinner. Truth be told, tea is glaringly absent at our tea parties, as Daddy drinks Laško, Mommy opts for a glass of wine, the kiddos have juice, and Morris (our adopted neighborhood cat -- he adopted us, not the other way around) gets Whiskas. But everyone has fun, and that's what tea parties are all about.
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