Maandelijks Archief: juni 2012

Top 5 places to see in Syria

19 dinsdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in TOP 10, TRAVEL & NATURE

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Latakia (c) Srsck

Of course we all know you can better avoid Syria at the moment and it’s kind of out of nostalgia that I am writing this list today as everything changed 360 degrees since we’ve been there on holidays some two years ago.

That’s also what makes it so strange…. Seeing places on the news you’ve been to and that are absolutely unrecognizable now. Trying to recognize some street we walked through in the rumble of the city of Homs or wondering if the hotel you stayed in still stands or how the kid you bought that necklace from is doing.

Unfortunately this is not the first country I see crumbling to pieces and I think it’s a pity to see what we, people, are doing to this world.

Left or right (c) Srsck

Lets get back to Syria. The Syrian people were very welcoming when we had been visiting for a few weeks. We would get invited just about everywhere by just about everyone. We were traveling with our three children and with them running around with their blond hair we sure got noticed everywhere we went. “From where? From where?” they would call out, and “Welcome to Syria”.

Green Syria (c) Srsck

We were driving around and I was reading the maps which resulted in a few wrong turns (I’m kind of stubborn: no, no I don’t need a GPS) but as soon as we were at risk of getting lost we would call out to the first cab that drove passed us and not once did they not tell us to follow them. This way they would bring us to our destination and they never, in the weeks we were in Syria, asked for anything in return of their help.

  1. Aleppo

Aleppo was the first town we drove to and a great town to start your roadtrip as you are completely immerged in the Syrian culture from the start. The busy streets and cars hunking their horns everywhere.

Souq in Aleppo (c) Oscar Ramos via Flickr.com

Aleppo is characterized by mixed architectural styles, having been ruled, among the other, by Romans, Byzantines, Seljuqs, Mamluks and Ottomans. Syria’s second city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aleppo souq (c) Arian Zwegers via Flickr.com

Souq in Aleppo (c) Arian Zwegers via Flickr.com

Visit the citadel, the souqs, the Umayyad Mosque and the Christian quarter. Stroll around the old part of town surrounded by it’s thick old walls and look at the nine gates.

We stayed at the Martini Dar Zamaria Hotel. It is a charming and beautiful and luxurious hotel on a perfect  and central location. The decoration is very nice and traditional. The rooms are clean and spacious. The breakfast was a real dream. The food is fresh and well presented. The service is friendly and helpful. Nothing to add for this great hotel!

Martini Dar Zamaria Hotel (c) Srsck

2. Hama

Hama is known for it’s Norias, large water wheels that were used for irrigation. They used to be nearly 700 Norias in Hama. They are impressively large, up to 20 meters in diameter. There are 17 left nowadays.

While in Hama, sit next to the river with a Shawarma sandwich and some Syrian baklava, these are delicious!

We stayed at the New Basman hotel. We were the only clients that day. The hotel is clean and basic. The staff was super friendly. When we checked in they asked for our passports (they did in most hotels actually) and when we checked out we forgot to ask them back and they forgot to return them.

New Basman hotel (c) Srsck

So hours later, in Palmyra, I realized our passports had stayed in Hama. I called the hotel and to my surprise the owner sent a taxi right away on his costs to bring us our passports about 3 hours drive from Hama. I thought that was incredible!

3. Bosra

Don’t miss the beautiful ancient city of Bosra. It’s about 70 km South from Damascus. It has many interesting Roman sights. One of the main tourist attractions being the Roman theatre which is very well preserved.

 

4. Damascus

The Greeks, Romans and Byzantines left their marks in the gorgeous capital of Syria. There is a lot to visit in Damascus like the Umayyad Mosque, the various Souqs, St. Paul church, Al-Takieh Al-Suleimaniyeh, Bimarstan Al-Nory, St. Ananias church, Saladin’s tomb and the citadel.

But do also just stroll around and try to grasp the special atmosphere of this historical city.

Busy busy (c) Chill via Flickr.com

Busy busy (c) Chill via Flickr.com

5. Palmyra

After driving on quite a boring stretch of desert road the oasis of Palmyra looks stunning from far. The ruins are monumental, majestic, breathtaking and Queen Zenobia’s bathroom is larger then 6 times my apartment.

Palmyra (c) Riy via Flickr.com

No tourists venture in the little town of Palmyra itself. There are just loads of tour busses arriving at the ruins site where you can get tours in about any language possible, and leaving a few hours later.

We stayed at the Zenobia Cham Palace hotel which I would not recommend. It is the only place we stayed in Syria where the staff was unfriendly and unhelpful. The room was super small, actually it was not really a room but a inyminyclaustro container like thing. The hotel is on the sight of the ruins though, giving amazing views from the terrace of the restaurant.

Zenobia Cham Palace hotel (c) Srsck

There was this guy who wanted to sell us stuff on the site. But we did not have any money. It was in the evening, the tourists where gone, it was picture perfect beautiful, anyway…Another guy shows up and wants to sell us carpets and necklaces or something and eventhough we kept saying no, the guy kept coming back on his motorcycle.

So then the first selling guy comes and tells him: “Leave them alone, they are very poor tourists, they have no money” and he kind of chased the other guy away. It was very funny. The other guy did not come back and this guy started telling us how much guides asked for tours and that he thought it was really expensive and then he told us “come, I’ll give you a free tour, I’m finished working anyway” and we got a tour of 1,5 hours at sun set. It was perfect! And then he left and said he had to go to his wife for dinner and that in the morning we had to drop by for some breakfast. “Where do you live?” we asked. He showed us a hill and said “After the mountain second tent to the left”. Perfect I’m telling you!!

Private tour (c) Srsck

I probably should have made a top ten or eleven because you can’t visit Syria without passing by Ma’alula, The Dead Cities, Dayr az Zawr, the Apamea ruins, As Suwayda and the crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers.

I really hope one will be able to visit this special country and region one day soon and that it’s people will not suffer much longer. At my age one does not believe or wish for world peace anymore. I do hope the problems will not spread to a country close to my heart, one of my favorite countries in the world actually, Lebanon. They’ve already had their share of misery.

Mrs

Artist of the week: Michael Parkes

15 vrijdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in ART, Beeldend

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Creating Eve (c) Michael Parkes

Some days the beauty seeker has an off day. Like today. And on those days she doesn’t talk or write. She does enjoy beautiful art though, maybe a bit different than what she would chose on another day but today…she loves Michael Parkes. Check more of his work here.

♥ Mrs

Traveling circus (c) Michael Parkes

Black Rhino (c) Michael Parkes

Nightflight (c) Michael Parkes

The Summit (c) Michael Parkes

Review: Carpe Diem Club, Cadaques

11 maandag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in Mystery Guest, TRAVEL & NATURE

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Charming Cadaqués lies in the bay of the Cap de Creus peninsula, one of the most gorgeous places in Europe. I had been there as a child and never forgot the gorgeous town with the white houses, the sea and the beautiful church of St. Mary. I had not forgotten the road from the highway to Cadaqués neither. I remembered it as narrow, winding, dangerous and scary. We came by car from the Perpignan region in France by the scenic coastal road and the road was seriously not as bad a I remembered at all!!

The blue house in Cadaques (c) dvdbramhall via Flickr.com

Cadaqués is known for the many artists that stayed there amongst who Dali, who lived in the adjacent village Port Lligat. Check the Museo de Cadaqués out as it has interesting temporary exhibitions about Dali of course but also about and/or by other artists associated with the village like Picasso.

You can walk to the Salvador Dali House in Port Lligat from Cadaqués, it’s close by (about 20 to 25 minutes from the centre of town). It’s worth it, don’t miss it! I’m a big fan of Dali but even if you’re not: the deco is fun and weird and it’s so special to look out of the window of his painting studio and seeing the view that inspired him.

Salvador Dali House (c) Srsck

Take care though: if you want to visit the house you’ll have to reserve your tickets through their websiteor by phone in advance and be there in time. The visit to the house is undertaken in small groups up to eight people, with entry of each group  every ten minutes. You must then be there 30 minutes before your tour otherwise you lose your reservation.  If you’re late you’re f***ed as all the spots are mostly already reserved for several days at least. I know, I was late and I could beg for an hour they wouldn’t let me in. Your only option in that case is wait by the door for someone else not to show up, they will then give you their spot.

We stayed in one of the apartments of the Carpe Diem Club during our holiday. The apartments are very clean and efficient. The one we had, as well as the one of our friends, looked very new as if it had been renovated not long ago. The small kitchen was well equipped. 

The apartments had balconies with sea view including view on the pool of the residence and view on the football stadium outside of the residence. The balconies were nice with a table and chairs. They are large too, we could easily have dinner with our friends, a group of 8.

We did not have any problems with noise from the stadium. We actually found the street and the area to be very calm. The residence is not far from the centre, about five minutes walk down to the centre (and 15 minutes to Port Lligat). Coming back from the centre is uphill, it will take about ten minutes and can be quite tiresome, especially with the shopping from the supermarket! It is a very good option though as one can do everything by foot which is agreable in high season when you can’t park anywhere and the streets are very busy.

View on pool and tennis (c) Srsck, bedroom (c) Carpe Diem Club, view on sea and football (c) Srsck, kitchen (c) Carpe Diem Club

The pool is clean and nice. There is also a small fitness room and a tennis court. The staff is nice. They are a brother and sister working there and they are very friendly and give great tips about the area and the town itself. As it’s not a hotel but self catering units there is not really any service, only check in and out. In summer though it seems there is a café where you can have a bite and a breakfast buffet but we were there out of season.

Overall I would recommend as the location and cleanliness are great. The prices are relatively ok for Cadaqués. As you are able to cook yourself it also is financially more interesting than a hotel if you’re staying longer than one or two nights.

Cap Creus nature reserve (c) Srsck

The good things of Cadaqués: the Cap de Creus nature reserve, the sea, the picturesque cobbled streets, the art, the summer festival (sept.) and watching a football match in the bar “Casino”.

The bad things of Cadaqués: I truly have no idea…I love this place!

Hasta Pronto!

The Mystery Guest

The magic of clothes lines

10 zondag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in MOM, Reizen, TRAVEL & NATURE

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White washing day in Split, Croatia (c) Srsck

I love clothes lines. I love the look of them and the story behind them. Looking at a washing line is kind of a form of a voyeurism though. It tells you so much about ones private life. Looking at it you can tell how many people live in a house, their ages, their tastes, their hobbies and so on. “Hi honey, the lady on the first floor went to the beach today. She changed twice. She had her yellow bikini, the small one and later she changed to the red one with the ugly print.”

Clothes line in Split, Croatia (c) Srsck

Looking at someone’s clothes line is like looking in their caddy in the supermarket or at the books in ones library (yes I know but I ignore ebooks. I do). So show me your caddy, your library and your washing line and I can tell you who you are.

Mrs.

Artist of the week: Ray Caesar

08 vrijdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in ART, Beeldend

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From such foulness of root does sweetness grow (c) Ray Caesar, 2009

I hesitated a long time about Ray Caesar as I do admire his work very much but they also disturb me to a certain extend.

Pollus (c) Ray Caesar, 2005

Born in London, Ray Caesar lived in Toronto most his life. He’s living an interesting, though not always very happy life: he worked for 17 years in a children’s hospital, lost his mum and sister and two other relatives to cancer in a very short period of time and struggled/s with dissociative identity disorder.

There are many recurring themes in his digital art and 3D modeled characters and lots tentacles and insects. Look at the details in any of this pieces, it’s great, he doesn’t forget a thing!

A private affair (c) Ray Caesar, 2012

Burden of her memories (c) Ray Caesar, 2003

Arabesque (c) Ray Caesar, 2009

N.B Yeah! Ray Caesar will have a solo exhibition from the 15th of December ’12 until the 19th of January ’13 in Amsterdam. It’s called “Sinnocence” and will be at the KochxBos Gallery Amsterdam (Eerste Anjeliersdwarsstraat 36).

♥ Mrs

Top 10 Johnny Depp movie roles

07 donderdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in ART, Film, KIDS & TIPS, TOP 10

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By Little Miss

Poster of Corpse Bride

Johnny Depp is an actor that played in a lot of movies and I find that these are his ten best movie roles. I like Johnny Depp (and my mum wants to marry him) because he can act really well and he can play very different roles. He also did the voice of one of my favorite characters ever, Victor van Dort in Corps Bride (my favorite movie ever! from my favorite director ever! oh well we were talking about Johnny!) but I didn’t put that role in my list as it was just the voice.

1. Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows…

In dark shadows Johnny Depp plays a vampire named Barnabas Collins. Before, he used to be a human but he fell in love with a women named Josette and a jealous evil witch turned him into a vampire.

Angelique, the witch kills Josette with a curse and locks Barnabas up in a box for a very very long time. When he gets out of the box he meets another girl and he falls in love with her.

+ Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Grace Moretz and Eva Green (and my favorite director Tiiiiiiiiiiim Burtoooon!!).

Flimposter of Dark Shadows

2. Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean…

Johnny Depp plays a pirate named Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie. He steals things and always escapes. He’s very smart (and handsome;)). There are four parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean and there will be a number five, yeah!

+ Orlando Bloom, Keira K.

Film still Pirates of the Caribbean (c) Disney

3. Gilbert Grape from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape…

Johnny Depp plays Gilbert Grape, the older brother of Arnie and he has to do a lot at the same time like taking care of Arnie and his mother and work!

His mother can’t leave the house and his little sister Ella isn’t nice at all for him. He meets a girl and falls in love with her, but he already has a girlfriend who is actually married! What does he have to do?!

+ Leonardo DiCaprio

Film still What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

4.Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…

Johnny Depp plays Willy Wonka and he is a genius and makes candy, but someone stole his secret recipes and he closes his factory. Charlie and the Chocolate factory is based on a book by Roald Dahl.

But this year Willy Wonka has hidden 5 golden tickets in the whole world, which means that when you buy a candybar, you open it, and if you see a golden ticket you can visit Wonka’s mysterious factory!

The grandfather of Charlie worked there before and would do anything to go there…

+ Freddie Highmore (and directooooooor…o well you know who’s my favorite director by now!!)

Willy Wonka

5. Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland…

Alice is a girl that always has the same dream: when she follows a rabbit she falls in his hole and she ends up in a weird world with a mouse, the rabbit, and a mad hatter…Actually Alice in Wonderland is based on a book by Lewis Carroll.

The red queen took the place of the white queen and now the white queen wants it back. The red queen has a giant head and Alice meets her.

How will Alice save the Mad Hatter and how is she gonna get home?!

+ Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway (and by directooooor….oh forget it!)

6. Edward Scissorhands from Edward Scissorhands…

A scientist was creating a man named Edward, but he died just before he could finish him and give him hands.

Edward now lives all alone in a giant and broken castle, till someone finds him. He’s cute and creepy. He knows nothing about the world and falls in love with Kim, the daughter of Peg.

+ Winona Ryder

Film Still Edward Scissorhands

7. Johnny Depp from Jack and Jill…

Jack and Jill is a funny comedy and Johnny Depp has a little role, himself…

Jack has a sister named Jill but she ruins everything for him. She’s coming to visit him and she’s going with him and his family on a cruise!

What will happen?!

+ Adam Sandler, Al Pacino

8. Cry-Baby from Cry-Baby…

Johnny Depp is Cry-Baby and he has a little group of boys and girls, the Drapes. Their enemies are the Squares, the rich people. But there’s a square named Allison and Cry baby falls in love with her!

He ends up in jail and his friends are coming to save him.

+ Kim McGuire, Ricki Lake

Cry-baby (c) Universal pictures

9. Sam from Benny and Joon…

Benny, the big brother of a girl who is mentally ill, named Joon, fixes cars.

A boy, Sam, has to stay at their house for some time and falls in love with Joon. Joon falls in love with Sam. But Benny doesn’t like that…

+ Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn

Benny & Joon (c) MGM

10. Sir James Barrie from Finding Neverland…

James Barrie is a writer and he is inspired by a woman and her children to write Peter Pan. It’s a very funny and a very sad movie!

+ Kate Winslet, Freddie Highmore

Road trip Slovenia: The Northeast/Vineyards and spas

06 woensdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in Reizen, TRAVEL & NATURE

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Road trip 3: The Northeast/Vineyards and spas – 7 days

The Northeast is not the most touristy part of Slovenia and maybe not the most interesting (but then again that would depend of your interests, wouldn’t it?) but it is my favorite part of Slovenia nevertheless. The Northeast has a feel of authenticity and of serenity to it. It’s the region of thermal spas, castles, rolling hills, rivers and wine. Lots of wine.

Day 1 Maribor:

The European capital of culture 2012 Maribor is the capital of the Styria region and the second largest town in Slovenia. It’s a busy, dynamic and sometimes hasty city, just like a city should be.  There are a lot of monuments and interesting sights in Maribor, one of the most beautiful being the castle of Maribor. The cathedral of St John the Baptist, the townhall (check out the plague pillar too!)  and several museums are all worth visiting.

Wine production is very important in the region around Maribor. The Lent quarter of Maribor is home to the world’s oldest vine. The plant is over 400 years old and still produces about 40 to 50 kg of grapes every year. Taste some of the great wines in the wine shop in the old watertower, Vodni stolp. They have around 300 Slovenian wines available!

The Lent Festival is held every year in Maribor during about two weeks in the summer months. There are stages in different venues in town. There are all kind of events, concerts and shows: music, theatre, acrobats, a children festival, etc…

Day 2 Ormoz-Ljutomer-Jeruzalem:

Wine route in East Slovenia (c) ChrissyJ via Flickr.com

The wine growing region in the east of Slovenia has many different wine routes (and wine of course!!) that can be discovered. Drive around through the vineyards, the green hills and the wine making landscape. The most famous route is the Ormoz -Ljutomer-Jeruzalem one. White wines are the traditional product of this area, even though some producers also produce red wines. The Beli Pinot and the Sipon are regarded as the best whites in the region.

You can start the route in Radenci (52 km from Maribor), an old thermal spa resort, in a beautiful setting between hills and vineyards. You can drink some Radenska water here, which is one of the richest mineral waters of Europe and tastes really good. In the 19th century the imperial court in Vienna and the pope would already enjoy a glass of Radenska!

Visit the gorgeous castle in Ormoz and have a stroll in its pretty park. Stop for some lunch in the little town of Ljutomer with it’s three main squares. The area of the Ljutomer vineyard hills is well known for it’s good cuisine. The journey ends in Jeruzalem, a village with less then 50 inhabitants, a splendid church and many wine tasting options.

Day 3 Ptuj:

Drive another 36 km to get from Jerusalem to Ptuj, the oldest town of Slovenia. Ptuj is a modern and lively town with a relaxed pretty old town. Visit the historical Ptuj wine cellars. The oldest Slovenian wine, the Zlata Trta from 1917, is stored in its vaults as is an extensive collection of archival wines.

Furthermore there is an open-air market, a cute square, a nice castle on a hill (Ptujski grad), a Dominican monastery, the Terme Ptuj spas, museums, the river Drava and the old town hall. No time to be bored in Ptuj!

Have an early dinner at restaurant Ribic, on the bank of the river Drava. The setting is excellent and the food is fresh and good. We ate there a few times and were never disappointed.

If you manage to be in Ptuj around carnaval don’t miss the festivities. The carnaval there is called Kurentovanje and lasts about ten days. The traditional festivities in Ptuj are the most important in Slovenia. Book your accommodation very far ahead!

Day 4 + 5 Kozjansko park:

The Kozjansko park is the largest regional park of Slovenia. It will be about 83 km driving from Ptuj to Podsreda, one of the villages in the park, where you will find the info centre of the park.The park lies between the Alps and the Pannonian plains and is absolutely worth the visit.

There are many hiking and walking trails in the park, from a few hours to a few days. There are villages in the park, five castles and thirty churches. The landscape is stunning.

Day 6 Kostanjevica na krki:

Kostanjevica na krki (c) Savič Domen via Flickr.com

Kostanjevica na krki (c) Savič Domen via Flickr.com

35 km south of Podsreda you will find one of my favorite Slovenian towns, on an artificially made island in the river Krka, with a bridge on both sides of the island. You can walk in less then fifteen minutes from one side of the island to the other.

There is not much to visit in Kostanjevica na krki but it’s so cute here, just enjoy the stroll of this peaceful little place. It’s a special town with a special atmosphere.

Galerija Bozidar Jakac (c) Srsck

Very close to the village you will find an old Cistercian Monastery. It hosts an art gallery these days, the Gallery of Bozidar Jakac, where there are regular exhibitions mostly of modern art. The small garden with hundred wooden statues is very nice too.

Day 7 Rogaska Slatina:

Clean and tidy in Rogaska Slatina (c) Srsck

Head north for about 74 km to get to Rogaska Slatina. It is one of the oldest thermal spa resorts of Slovenia. It has a mineral water therapy tradition of more then four hundred years. You can drink the Donat Mg mineral water, full with magnesium and great for the health (but I find it has a dreadful taste!).

Everything is extremely clean and tidy in the town, it surprised me somehow but then again Slovenia is very clean and tidy in general so what am I bazzeling about…There are many hotels which remind the fact that Rogaska Slatina is an important health resort town in the region. It’s about 50 km from Rogaska Slatina back to your starting point: Maribor.

Extra time? Check the other two road trips through Slovenia!

Mrs.

Road trip Slovenia: The coast and the Karst region

05 dinsdag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in Reizen, TRAVEL & NATURE

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Road trip 2: The coast and the Karst region, 7 days

Head south towards the Slovenian coast from Trieste in northeastern Italy. This itinerary will bring you from the Adriatic sea to the karstic caves, to the beautiful capital via some idyllic castles and vineyards. A very nice and diverse route!

Slovenia does not have much seaside, only 46,6 km of rocky coast along the Adriatic sea. The southwest of Slovenia, between Ljubljana and the gulf of Trieste is known for its many karstic caves, hence the name Karst region. Some of these caves are part of the most exceptional ones in the world like the Postojna Jama. Slovenia has more then 7000 caves, only about 20 open for public though.

Day 1 + 2 Piran:

The towns and sights on the coast are so close one to the other that it’s best to choose one town as a base for sightseeing. We chose Piran but you could also choose Portoroz 3 km further for example, it kind of depends on what you are looking for as the two towns are very different.

Charming Piran (c) eigirdaz via Flickr.com

Charming Piran (c) eigirdaz via Flickr.com

Piran is a picturesque walled medieval town with pretty Venetian architecture. I enjoyed having a stroll in the narrow winding streets of Piran. There are many sights to visit there like the Church of St Mary of the Snows, the Sergej Masera Maritime Museum, the Tartini memorial room, the Herman Pecaric Gallery and many more. Piran is a lovely and lively town with a promenade along the sea and lots of cosy restaurants. The Tartini square named after the violin player Giuseppe Tartini is also very charming. Check the great pictures of splendid Piran on the blog of Piran Café.

The pebbly beaches are not very special but well, at least you can swim and the sea is clear and beautiful so I’m not complaining. It’s also worth it to climb up to the St George cathedral with the pretty bell tower and some of the most spectacular views of Piran and the sea.

Portoroz is a real hassle-free holiday resort town. Everything looks so new and renovated that it gives kind of an unreal Disneyland feel to the town. Portoroz is not the place you come to for culture and tradition but for fun and relaxation. The artificial sand beaches are mostly private with sun chairs etc for rent. In Portoroz you will find nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, a well equipped marina and a casino.

Secovlje salt pans (c) DFW-photo

Don’t miss out on a visit to the salt flats in Secovlje Salina Nature Park located just 6 km from Portoroz. There is a saltpans museum and great possibilities for a nice walk or biking. The salt production runs the whole year round in a small part of the park. The saltpans are located in a protected nature park of 650 hectare. There are lots of special bird species in the marsh wetlands so it’s an interesting place from an ornithological point of view as well.

You should also visit Koper while staying in Piran or Portoroz. Koper is a commercial port and busy town and it has a gorgeous old town.

Day 3 Lipica:

We now leave the coast and drive about 45 km north, just two km of the Italian border. You will find here the Lipica stud farm, famous for its white horses the Lipizzaners. The stud farm was founded in1580 by the Archduke of Inner Austria.

One can visit the stables, ride around in a carriage, ride Lipizzaners and watch demonstrations of the skills of the Lippizaners in the stud farm. The farm is home to about 400 Lipizzaner horses. Lipica is known worldwide as an important venue for equestrian events including World Cup dressage competitions.

Lipica is these days also is an important tourist resorts with hotels on the grounds, a golf course, tennis courts, etc…A bit of a pity if you ask me but it still is special to visit the farm and see those impressive horses there.

Day 4 Skocjan caves:

The famous caves of Skocjan, at about 20 km from Lipica, lie on the main Karst plateau. The Skocjan caves regional park is enormous, about 413 hectares. The caves comprise a network of eleven caves, with amongst others waterfalls, natural bridges and Europe’s largest underground gorge.

Skocjan caves (c) The Skocjan Caves Park

It’s a real fairytale scenery with stalactites and stalagmites and the whole thing! The Skocjan caves have been on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1986.  The temperature in the caves is a constant12°C so don’t forget your sweater!

Day 5 Postojna caves:

Drive another 30 km from the Skocjan caves to arrive at yet another unique natural phenomenon: the Postojna caves. The karst cave network is approximately 20 km long, the longest of Slovenia and were created by the Pivka river. The beginning of the visit is on board of a super cool train! There are also adventure tours of the caves available for the thrill seekers by the way (chicken-me did not do this one so can’t speak out of personal experience). The Spaghetti Hall, also known as the tube hall, is fun with its spaghetti shaped stalactites on the ceilings in fuzzy colors thanks to the iron and manganese oxides but seriously all the halls are great, the one more impressive then the other.

The white hall (c) Postojnska jama

The constant temperature in the caves ranges from 8 to 10° C. There are a lot of animal species living in the cave around hundred permanently and another fifty more occasionally. This includes spiders, bats, water snails and the tiny-neck beetle. The most famous being the olm or human fish. It looks funny and strange and super cute!

Cute human fish (c) Postojnska jama

If you’re lucky enough to be in town at the same time as a concert is on in the impressive concert hall in the caves, be sure to go, it’s an incredible experience. The nearby Pivka and crna jama caves are also worth a visit. Also, be sure to stop at Predjama Castle, it’s only 9 km from the caves. The castle looks like if it’s growing from a cave itself.

Day 6 + 7 Ljubljana:

Pretty capital (c) jaime.silva via Flickr.com

It’s 55 km to the pleasant capital Ljubljana from and take the national for some scenic drive. Ljubljana is a great town and there is much to write about so I will write about it in another blog.  After Ljubljana it will be another 95 km to get back to your starting point: Trieste.

Extra time? Check the other two road trips!

Mrs.

Road trip Slovenia: The Northwest/The mountains

04 maandag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in Reizen, TRAVEL & NATURE

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Land of mountains and lakes (c) Mirci via Flickr.com

Road trip 1: The Northwest/The mountains – 7 days

When you drive into Slovenia from Austria through the Karawanken tunnel (7864 meter) you’ll arrive in the region Gorenjska nearby the town of Jesenice. This is the ideal region to discover if you like skiing, hiking and the outdoors. This region is mostly known for the impressive and beautiful nature and for its high mountains. The Triglav National Park, in the Julian Alps, is named after the Triglav mountain (meaning the three heads because of the shape of the mountain), which is the highest of the country with a peak of 2864 m. You will also find the largest lake of Slovenia in this region: the scenic lake of Bohinj.

Day 1 Bled:

Bled must be the most touristic town in Slovenia but that is no reason to pass it by as it is really pretty and romantic. Bled is small, about 5500 inhabitants, and built around the lake of Bled. The lake is only 2 km on 1380 m. The sights that are not to be missed in Bled are the castle Blejski grad and the island in the middle of the lake (Blejski otok). There are boats, called pletna, which look a bit like gondolas that bring you to the island. You’ll get about half an hour to visit the island before the pletna brings you back. That’s enough time as the island is super tiny and the only real place you can visit is the beautiful church of the Assumption. Don’t forget to ring the wishing bell!

The island of Bled (c) gerdragon via Flickr.com

You can have a walk around the lake, about 6 km, or if you don’t feel like walking you can just take the tourist train that drives around the lake. If you want to visit the castle, the best way is to walk to the St. Martin church and then take the road behind it that goes up to the castle. There is an exhibition area in one of the wings of the castle about the history of Bled and the lake area. While in Bled by the way, have the trout for dinner!

Bled is a good starting point for biking tours, for easy biking roads around the lake or die-hard mountain biking around Pokljuka and Mezaklja. It is also a fine starting point for hiking for example to the Vintgar gorge. The gorge is just 3,5 or 4 km from Bled so the walk is relatively easy. You can also take the train from Bled to Podhom, which will leave you with a walk of 1,5 km. The trail will take you straight through the gorge on wooden bridges, rock paths and galleries along the Radovna river. There are a few very pretty waterfalls, the impressive Sum waterfall being the highest in Slovenia.

Day 2  Bohinj:

The lake of Bohinj is the largest in Slovenia and less touristic than Bled. Along the lake there is only one building: the church of John de Baptist (Cerkev Sv. Janeza Krstnika). This church is worth the visit both for the setting as well as for the splendid frescoes. Bohinj is just about 22 km from Bled.

Bohinj is in the Triglav National Park and  a good place for lovely walks and some serious mountain climbing. There are different hiking trails in the Triglav National Park and climbing the Triglav is also one of the options there.  One of the most popular trails is the Pokljuka Trail, an informative trail of a bit more than 7 km. On the west side of the lake one can also see the gorgeous Savica waterfall (slap savica) of 78 m high.

Day 3 Kranjska gora:

Kranjska Gora is the perfect spot for the ski lovers. There are more than 30 km of ski slopes on which you will be able to practice Alpine skiing . There are good skiing options to both beginners and experienced skiers alike.

Majestic Slovenian mountains (c) Phil mcIver via Flickr.com

In the summer months there is also a lot to do in the area. There is a bike park with many obstacles. There is also some fun summer toboggan attraction. Other outdoor activities include rafting in the Sava river and skydiving. Kranjska Gora is a nice destination for the active tourist in any season.

Day 4 Idrija:

Idrija is about 125 km from Kranjska Gora. Drive through Kobarid and Tolmin (and not through Bled) so you can stop in both towns on the way. There is a very interesting museum in Kobarid about World War I. The Kobarid museum had received a price for best European museum. It seems Kobarid is also known for its great restaurants. Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of eating there (yet!). Make a stop at the Tolmin gorges as well, the scenery is gorgeous there.

Gewerkenhaus (c) Moncay via Flickr.com

Idrija is the oldest mine town of Slovenia. The mercury mines of Idrija used to be the second largest in the world. The old town is picturesque, dominated by the castle Gewerkenegg. There is a museum about the mines and the history of the town in the castle.

Idrija is also known for it’s lace making and the lace school Cipkarska Sola. The school has been operational since 1876.

Day 5 + 6 Ljubljana:

Ljubljana is about 60 km further then Idrija. I find it to be one of the most beautiful and friendly capitals of Europe with a nice convivial atmosphere. Ljubljana deserves an own post. Will write that soon.

Ljubljana dragon (c) nozoomii via Flickr.com

Day 7  Skofja Loka. Radovljica. Bled

You only have 60 km left to drive back to Bled. It’s worth stopping in Skofja Loka and Radovljica on your way back. Skofja Loka is one of the best preserved medieval towns of Slovenia. The town is divided in the low town and the high town. There are two rivers that cross Skofja Loka and there is a pretty castle from the 13th century. There are a few sights worth visiting as well like the church of St Cross, Homan’s house, the old town hall and the town walls.

If you are in the area in the last weekend of june, don’t miss out on the Venerina Pot, a medieval festival in Skofja Loka.

After Skofja Loka stop in Radovljica to visit the apicultural museum. The museum is in an old baroque building. It’s an interesting museum as apiculture is important in Slovenia.  From Radovljica you’ll be back in your starting point of Bled in a sec.

Spare time? Check the other two road trips through this great country!

Mrs.

Three road trips in Slovenia

04 maandag jun 2012

Toegevoegd door in Reizen, TRAVEL & NATURE

≈ 6 reacties

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Slovenia, land of mountains and forest (c) Domagoj Smoljanovic via Flickr.com

Slovenia by car

We went quite a few times to Slovenia on holiday and enjoyed it every time. Slovenia is an ideal country to discover by car for a stress free holiday because:

- It’s a small (just 20,273 km2) and very diverse country with places of interest scattered over the different regions.

- The infrastructure in Slovenia is very good and the road maps detailed and up to date.

- The country is relatively central in Europe and within easy reach for most Europeans.

I have written out three different road trips through Slovenia, each with a different character. If you have the possibility: do all three! Do bear in mind that these are my own personal preferences so not especially the most touristic or complete routes but I think these are three routes that will give you a fairly good image of the beauty and diversity of Slovenia.

Piran (c) Bob Ramsak / piran cafe

Republika Slovenija

The republic of Slovenia, Republika Slovenija, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Austria to the north. This border is mainly formed by the Karawanks mountain range with peaks of more than 2000 m. Furthermore Slovenia borders Italy to the west (and a tiny piece of Adriatic sea), Croatia to the south and Hungary to the northeast. About half (or more) of Slovenia is covered by forest and a big part of the country is mountainous. Slovenia has different climatic influences: an Alpine climate in the mountains, a continental climate in the east and a sub-Mediterranean climate on the coast.

Ljubljana (c) Srsck

Slovenia used to be part of Yugoslavia and was the most prosperous republic of the federation.  In 1991 Slovenia became independent after the Ten-Day war. In 2004 it entered the NATO and European Union. It was the first of the former Yugoslav republics to enter. In 2007 it also entered the euro zone and got the euro.

Ljubljana (c) Srsck

Slovenia has a population of two million. About 85% of the population is Slovene. In the west there is a minority of Italians and there is a Hungarian minority in the northeast, mainly in the Prekmurje region. These ethnic communities have a protected minority status.

Three road trips

Click on the trip to see the details!

- Road trip 1 The Northwest/The mountains, 7 days

- Road trip 2 The coast and the Karst region, 7 days

- Road trip 3 The Northeast/Vineyards and spas, 7 days

Mrs.

Volg

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