Posted on

Slovenian wine and monasteries

Today we left our lovely little farmhouse accommodation and set off for the wine region of Slovenia. We headed off to Brezice and travelled through the the beautiful winding hills heading north. It was a beautiful drive heading for Bizeljsko which is the centre of the wine region. The hills are steep and the vines tumble down the slopes without any terracing. You just can’t imagine how they work up and down the rows particularly in the wet and the snow. Our first major stop was at a winery called Najger. This is unique as they store all their wines in Repnice. These are small sand caves hewn into the hills under the vineyards. They used to be used to store their vegetables (notably turnips) all year but the wine makers latched on to them and they are now used for wine barrels and bottles. The temperature is a constant 7-11 deg C and the humidity around 90%. This winery makes between 27 and 30,000 litres and they sell it all to tourists. Needless to say we bought some to add to our travelling wine bar. But not before we’d tasted them to make sure we liked them!!

The lady there put us on to a place for lunch again gorgeous but we’ve wised up a bit and we no longer take their lunch special which turns out to be 4 courses. They are a little surprised when we insist on just one course!! Then we headed off again this time to Olimje Monastery which is very beautiful. Behind the monastery is Syncerus Chocolaterie. Just full of beautiful chocolate which, of course, meant we had to buy supplies for our journey too. Then onward and upward to a most beautiful 2000 yr old town of Ptuj. It is a most beautiful town, second only I believe to Ljubljana. It is lovely and the Ptuj Festival is in full swing tonight. We are staying in a nice hotel and through the windows is the thump thump of the music blasting from several venues around the town. Its a lovely festive feeling. We realised later tonight that we’d left our beautiful chocolates in the car…they no longer look so beautiful but no doubt they taste as good!!

Its bed now and Zagreb tomorrow.

Posted on

More adventures as we roll on through Slovenia

I can’t remember where I got to last time but I think I was in Firenze waiting to have final drinks with the girls. That happened. Drinks in the roof top bar of this fabulous hotel with a view of the Duomo. Too hot to be outside but the view from the picture window inside was to die for. They went off and I wandered around the town at sunset. Still stinking hot but slightly more bearable. I wasn’t going to eat but I stumbled across a lovely little restaurant so in I went and had a risotto and a wine to finish me off for the night.

Next morning, which, bizarrely, was only yesterday, I had an amazing breakfast (included) and I set off walking to the station. 1.2km…nothing until you add the heat which turns you into a melted icy pole in a flash. Anyway no problem and by some strange miracle Chris and I managed to get ourselves onto the same train. We got off at Venezia Mestre and the hire car place was closed from 12.30 to 2.30 as is the Italian way. So, again in the Italian tradition, we had lunch! Picked up our little Citroen 3 and off we headed for Slovenia. It was a long haul and we finally made it to our ecotourism farm where we were staying for 2 nights at around 7.30. Phew. We have a great room which actually has 2 bedrooms (I keep thinking how relieved Rose would be). Included is the night meal and it is all produce from the farm and is totally delicious. They also make their own wine from their own grapes and again delicious. We sat around eating and drinking in a beautiful garden setting which restored us to normal pretty quickly. After dinner we sat out on our balcony and had another glass of wine we had smuggled in!! Then bed which would have been perfect had it not been for the fucking zanzari that chose to bite me and only me!!

This morning we had a delicious breakfast of all the farm produce including home made bread, apple juice, yoghurt etc etc. Then we set off for a day of exploring Southern Slovenia. Just like last time 2 years ago I just love this little country. So beautiful and so proud. First we went to Peterlji Monastery which is nestled in the hills surrounded by vineyards on steep steep slopes. They make their own wine and after we visited the church, had a look outside the monastery (you can’t get in), then of course we bought a bottle of their white and a bottle of red just to keep our supplies up. We also visited a lovely old house and farm buildings which was a treat. It had a traditional Black Kitchen which, Ang and Kirst makes the black kitchen an art form!! It was also full of animals that followed us around!!

By this time it was so hot and a man told us that this was Slovenia’s hottest day EVER i.e. EVER. The previous hottest had been 40.9 70 years ago. Today was 42!!! He said they are usually more used to having 60cm of snow.

So…what do you do? Chris had read about a restaurant (Gostilna Vovko) so we made a beeline for there. We had a massive meal with veal shank. The servings are huge. For more than you want really!! But it was delicious. After lunch we went off to a town called Kostanjevica na Krki. This small provincial town in Slovenia has the most amazing gallery, The Bozidar Jakac Gallery in a Cistercian Monastery. It has a vast collection of Slovenian art by Jakac and the Krajl brothers Tone and France that I loved. But it was SO hot I honestly wondered whether I could keep going or not with the sweat pouring down my back. After this we went and sat by the river of the town where the families were all swimming and had a beer and a wine to cool off a bit.

Then we drove back here via the Otocec Castle but there was no stopping at this point. But then Chris got a phone call from the ceramic shop saying that you horse woman was in H&A. Now, it wasn’t supposed to come back up to Rome and I was going to go and pick it up. But here it was in Rome with the one major problem that the shop was closing within an hour and they wouldn’t be back until 9th September!!! FUCK!! Chris nearly drove off the road at this point. We pulled over and she rang a friend of hers who, thank god was actually home. He ran off to the shop (poor guy had to pay as well)…anyway alls well that ends well and the Horse woman is now being baby sat in Rome!!!! Wow!!

Anyway we got back here, had another amazing home cooked meal and we are both now so pooped its time for bed. Tomorrow we head off to Ptuj where we will spend our last night in Slovenia before going to Zagreb.

Its a great adventure so far and the leg seems to be holding up so far….touch wood!!

Posted on

The last few days of the Lucca whirlwind

IMG_0725

The photo is a takeaway Spritz. I mean how good is that?

Anyway. I forget where I was up to! I think it was Monday when the photography exhibition was closed. Then we all met up again for the mandatory aperitif before going off for a meal…the one where we spilt an inordinate amount of wine on the table.

That was a fun night that ended farewelling Andrew, Desiree and Gail as they were heading off to the Cinque Terre and I was leaving before they got back. Then Ann and Simon arrived after 11pm to stay the night as they had a night of homelessness. That all went to plan.

The next day was 39 deg again. The 3 of us set off for a fabulous breakfast place and sat about for ages. We then we went home and sat in front of the little air con unit until their place was ready for them to move into. Off they went and I went out to see the photography exhibition I’d missed the day before, arriving in a giant pool of sweat. Fortunately it was small and manageable and very enjoyable. I then went to get my first gelato since arriving in Italy. I went back to what used to be one of my favourite places but it definitely didn’t live up to expectation and my gelato treat turned into a gelato disappointment!! Then home again to cool off before the drill of meeting for aperitifs and then a meal. This time we went to a fantastic wine bar for our drinks and then a really fabulous restaurant where Ann knew the owner. This time it was Ann, Simon and Carmel. We had a great meal, sharing plates and enjoying everything.

Ann and Carmel decided that they were going to come to Firenze with me in the morning. So home for a last night in Lucca. Tidied up and packed up in the morning and Ann came to my place to pick me up. We met Carmel at a place for brekky and then they took my bags from me and off we all headed to the station. I was so glad to have them. It was hot, the elevator at the station had broken down and the regionale trains are like mountains to climb up on to!! So that was great.

In Firenze they went off shopping and I plodded off to my hotel. By the time the train got in at 12md the temperature had climbed to 40 deg. So I arrived at my expensive hotel in a pool of sweat with a face like a fucking beetroot!! I’d booked a single room of course but they told me they would upgrade me and here I am in a fabulous and massive suite. It is unreal and totally wonderful. I regrouped briefly and then set off for the Mercato San Lorenzo where I was meeting the girls for lunch. It was a 20 min walk away and when I got there I was once again like a walking, dripping beetroot!! But a glass or 2 of prosecco later and some pasta to die for (a truffle pasta that was truly divine stands out) and I was revived enough to head back to the hotel while they went off for some more serious shopping.

I only got half way to the hotel before I had to stop and get a juice to maintain my equilibrium. I came back here and flopped on my lovely bed under the air con. That was an hour and a half ago and I’m waiting for them to finish their shopping and meet me at the hotel for drinks in the bar before they head back to Lucca and that really will be it!!

I must say I couldn’t keep up the pace for much longer but it has been the most amazing time of being swept up with friends and feeling very much part of something extraordinary. Chris is worried that my expectations will be too high for the next phase of this incredible holiday. We meet on the train in the morning and that will be great too. First night in Slovenia I’m told after picking up the car.