Tag: in slovenia

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in slovenia

world cup ski jumping in planica

almost a year ago, in march 2010 we went to planica, in the kranjska gora mountains, to see something we had only ever seen on tv: ski jumping!

according to wikipedia, it’s even called ski flying since the ramp line is at 185 meters (normal ramps are at 80-100m and large ones at 120-130m).

in a nutshell, it was amazing!! i don’t think pictures can really convey how huge the ramp is, but anyway, i tried! you can click the images for bigger versions, and i’ve added some arrows to help locate the jumpers :)
someone jumping......jumping......jumping......and done!

planica is known for having the perfect conditions for really long ski jumps: the current world record was set here in 2005 by bjørn-einar romøren from norway, an incredible 239m! unfortunately, it is also known for making jumpers walk stairs almost all the way to the top – thought i’ve read on several sites that the government has plans to modernise the place by 2013.

we were there on the qualifiers for last years world cup, and despite the cold, the atmosphere was really vibrant! lots of flag waving, songs shouted around according to the jumper’s nationality, and just general enthusiasm in each jump! another day well spent :)
crowd @ planicacrowd @ planica

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in slovenia

piran

we’ve picked our new destination and if things go as planed, we should move countries in a few months time… until then, i’m making an effort to post as much as possible about what we like in slovenia and the things we saw here. first up: the town of piran!

i think when god created slovenia, it must have gone something like this: well, we got tall mountains, we got the bluest/greenest rivers and lakes, we got caves, now if only we could squeeze in a bit of sea it would be perfect. all countries should have a sea view, right? and then he pushed croatia and italy a bit to the side and voilá! 46 kms of slovenian coast facing the adriatic sea. perfect. :)
slovenian’s coast is a succession of 4 towns, connected by a road by the sea: koper, izola, piran and portorož. we don’t know the others very well, but we ♥ piran!
there’s old medieval houses in narrow cobbled streets, with lots of lovely details on the walls. there’s a church with a campanário that resembles the one from piazza s. marco in venice and from which you see the whole peninsula. there’s a cute little harbour with ice-cream stands and one of those machines that turns 5 cent coins into a mini-panorama of the city. and there’s fish restaurants, fresh sea air, plenty of sun… what’s not to like?
there’s a saying in portuguese “those who don’t have dogs, hunt with cats” and this is a bit the spirit around here. no sandy beaches? no problem! we’ll lay our towels right here in the cement or over there in the pebbles and we’ll be ok! it’s a bit strange for us portuguese: the concept of a beach without sand… is not a beach! but hey… i guess it’s better than nothing, and besides, the water is not that cold so you would be spending most of your time there anyway! :)

we must have been there half a dozen times now, and it hasn’t lost its charm yet :)

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in slovenia

christmas market in ljubljana

hello! happy new year!
it’s been quiet here, but like always on the first day of the year, there’s new energy to do the things we’ve kept postponing… like blogging :)

we’ve spent christmas in portugal with our families, like we always do. travelling here in mid-december involved a late plane and a missed connecting flight in london, with a consequent pricey flight purchase for the next day and the inevitable overnight stay in an airport. but hey, after years of changing planes in london and never visiting the city, i finally stepped out of an airport and took the subway – to another airport, but still! i can say i’ve used london’s metro! :)
all in all, we were rather lucky, considering all the stories we’ve been reading!

before we left for portugal, we made sure to enjoy the christmas market in ljubljana. the light decorations take a less christian theme there, focusing on stars and planets instead. there are stalls selling things like winter gloves, sweets, honey or christmas decorations and others with lots of food… and of course, gluhwein and hot chocolate. yum!
the whole concept of a christmas market is something i really like: it gives people enough incentive to brave the snow and come out on the streets in these cold december nights. here’s what it looked like this year:





next post: christmas night in portugal!

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in slovenia

one year in slovenia!


a few days ago we celebrated another year of this cultural immersion adventure, the fourth so far (1 in netherlands, 2 in china and now 1 in slovenia) and i don’t think we’ll stop our mission around the world any time soon… although slovenia has managed to charm us thoroughly! in fact, i can picture us settling down here, on a big house (all houses are gigantic around here) by the mountains, spending our days hiking, eating sausages and mushrooms and breathing in the fresh air with a mug of planinski tea or bela kava on our hands.

i’m almost wary of singing slovenia’s praises for fear that the country will be invaded by tourists, spoiling its magic. i’m not the only one thinking so – we’re like a league of secret slovenian admirers, speaking of the country as if it’s mythical (a bit like bielefeld conspiracy, I’ve heard…). seriously, when was the last time you heard of slovenia in the news? never? i rest my case. :P

right now, the first snows have fallen, and we’re eager to start enjoying the winter before packing the tent again and moving somewhere… north. after shanghai we craved quietness, pure air, nature. after slovenia, we’re craving a bustling city, events, cafés with internet. we’ll see. :)

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foooood in slovenia

‘shrooms!

autumn is my favourite season. it’s cold, but not freezing, the leaves turn to gorgeous colors… but the best part is the food! there’s persimmons, roasted chestnuts, apples, hot chocolate, gluhwein here and there… and mushrooms!

portugal isn’t a very “mushroomy” country, and it was only when i left home that i started to realise there was more to mushrooms than the yellow-mushy-canned variety. since then we’ve been in a path to enlightenment, slowly discovering different varieties and flavours.

and then we came to slovenia and we were blown away. due to a perfect combination of forests, humidity and sun, this country is mushroom paradise! mushroom picking is something everybody seems to know about: which ones to pick, how to pick them, how to cook… it’s a national hobbie! it’s so popular that there’s a law forbidding any person to pick more than 2kg in a day!

on a recent hike with the ics club, we’ve learnt a couple of things about this art. first, everything red is a big no-no, potentially deadly, and there are a few deaths per year caused by ingestion of poisoning mushrooms. and when picking mushrooms you should never pull them up from the roots, instead cutting with a blade to preserve the crop.

here’s a sample of what we saw on that hike:


+10 points for slovenia! :D