GOLF SLOVENIA- PART TWO

SUNDAY DINNER MAIN DINING ROOM

(excerpted from my book: Our Summer in Slovenia, amazon.com)

The golfing experience at the Bled Golf and Country Club is highly complemented by the facilities and service. Weather permitting Elysee and I had no finer Sunday than a round of golf beginning at noon followed by drinks and an early dinner on the patio. The menu is extensive, the service attentive but not obsequious. The cost was moderate compared with Western Europe and the wine, beer and after dinner cigars (Elysee passing on the cigar but enjoying the $5 Chivas.) and the dinner laid out in the patio cost us about $75 for the two of us.

Half liter of fresh beer to wash away the "oririble tirst" from the round just played. A shared appetizer of fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, with a chilled glass of local wine. While watching the concluding matches from our oversight of the 18th green were were served a Chateaubriand for two with a bottle of Slovenian Refosk wine. We shared a desert of fresh mini-strawberries and iced cream. The meal concluded with a good old Johnny Walker Black and a Davidoff cigar for me and a Chivas for Elysee. I'll tell you friends it just doesn't get any better. Elysee and I sitting there together at the close of a magical afternoon, the shades of light and drifting clouds ever-changing the outward show on Mounts Stoh and Grappa in the distance, a warm spring-like breeze freshening the early evening...one of those moments you don't want to end because it will be so difficult to recapture.

The Bled Club and the wonderfully competent and friendly staff provided one of our more memeorable golfing experiences.

GOLF SLOVENIA-Part ONE

(Excerpt from Our Summer in Slovenia, Amazon.com)

When Elysee and I contemplate where in the world we might spend the summer, golf is consideration. Not that we are accomplished golfer, far from that. But we enjoy the pastime, and

Driving range with Alps for background.

travel with our clubs. We look for a playable course at a reasonable price, and were delighted to find just such a combination minutes outside the village of Bled, that we were strongly considering for a summer-long stay.

Hard to focus on putting in this setting

Bled Golf and Country Club is the oldest course in Slovenia, est. 1937, and the home of several annual tournaments.Even though it is surrounded by the Karavanke portion of the Alps, it is not a mountain course. There are several climbs of 100 feet to elevated greens, but mostly the fairways are undulating with only a few blind tee shots. The men's tees from the tips are 6881 and the women's 6199. The is also a nine hole second course that can be played twice. So overall, a challenging 27 hole layout, amid spectacular scenery. We played all our gold there for the summer we were in Slovenia and were treated wonderfully by the staff.

As with many European courses walking with a pull cart is the norm, and course management does not overly rely on cart fees for revenue. It is a decent workout to walk Bled, but that is how golf was meant to be played.

Not to mention,it makes the very good pils draft beer at the end of the round taste that much more enjoyable.

The staff at Bled Golf could not have been more accommodating. They allowed Elysee and I to become "unofficial" members, provided us with reduced green fees, free bag storage and use of a locker. Clean lockers and showers, a wide-ranging menu, and a 1/2 liter of beer at $2.25. Can't get a better experience.

LJUBLJANA-A DAY TRIP PART THREE

1941 Library
Lovely, just the right size, Opera House

It was a lovely Saturday in June. The Capital was alive with shoppers and day trippers, enjoying the spring-like weather. We visited St. Nicolas Cathedral c.1461, which is immensely Baroque and had hosted Napoleon, all the Austrian emperors, Tsar Alexander and Pope Paul II. During Saturdays much of the town is devoted to marketing, and large portions are set aside for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The markets are loosely organized by product: flowers, fish, produce, clothing and so forth.

For each product there were dozens of stalls, mostly all selling the same items.

During our saunter we found the Parliament building, an unimposing structure, a delightful Opera/Ballet house, the national museum (closed at the time for renovation) and a very modern department store in the style found in Germany. Buildings everywhere were in need of repair, unfortunately many of them leftovers from the socialist building spree of the 1960s that would be better torn down and replaced.

While on buildings however, the famous Slovenian architect and city planner Joze Plecnik must be mentioned. Born in 1872, he designed building throughout Slovenia from 1921 until his death in 1957. He defies description, being at the same time Secessionist and Art Moderne, but including features unique to him. You should look at two of his notable achievements, the Three Bridges, a single span over the Ljubljana River and the University library, c.1941

I think what I likes most about our day trip was the impression that Ljubljana, or at least the city center. can be easily maneuvered through, with a small-town feel of people knowing and meeting each other.. A young "old city" just right for a university city and artistic features the contribute to the fuller life for all its citizens.

LJUBLJANA- A DAY TRIP PART TWO

Many structures compete in the center of the capital, three bridges converge, and three architectural styles are seen; Art Deco in the distance, Italian Rococo on the left and French Empire. A delightful, compact city square.

Just a little more of Ljubljana's fascinating history. The ancient Romans established a military camp named Emona that by the 6th century AD had developed in the town Julia Aemona. The site of present day Ljubljana has been occupied continuously for well over 2000 years. Ljubljana is not only the political capital of Slovenia it is the cultural, economic and and educational capital as well. Nothing of importance occurs in Slovenia without a connection to Ljubljana. An important but short-lived moment for Ljubljana was its selection by Napoleon for the capital of his new province of Illyria, which was to counter Hapsburg power and limit their access to the Adriatic.

This short exposure to French egalitarianism lasted only a few years, 1809 until 1813, but it set the stage for Slovene independence movements henceforth. In Ljubljana's French Revolution Square there is an Illyrian Pillardedicated in 1929 in remembrance of the short-lived Illyrian Province's and those heady days when so many reforms were introduced, including the use of the Slovene language in compulsory education, only later to be suppressed with the return of Hapsburg control. Napoleon is to this day highly regarded by the Slovene people for his reforms.

LJUBIJANA- A DAY TRIP

One of the many dragons found in Ljubljana

As my readers know, my wife and I stay in a different place in the world each year, and I write a travel journal about the experience. (See my profile for more.) During our summer in Slovenia we made several trips from our residence in Bled to Ljubljana. This is an account of one such trip.

Ljubljana means "beloved" in Slovene.It is an easy 45 minute drive from Bled. We went on a Saturday, market day, and the town was all a buzz. Finding a parking place for the day near the university, we set about discovering the central part of this lovely capital.

Ljubljana is not a large city, though it is the largest in Slovenia by far. About 168 miles square with about 275,000 residents at the time of our stay. It is a young persons city with the average age about 40 and more than 50,000 students. The distinguishing feature is the Ljubljana River which is linked to the Sava, and was once a waterway through marshland that could be navigated in small boats to the Adriatic. Legend has it that Jason (of Greek fable Jason and the Argonauts) having stolen the Golden Fleece, sailed in the Argo down the Danube, Sava and Ljubljanica rivers to the Adriatic on the way back to his homeland. The Argonauts are believed to have set up winter camp in a place later settled by Romans. It is here that Jason is alleged to have slain a dreadful dragon resulting in that beast becoming Ljubijana's heraldic symbol. That explains the many dragon symbols found in the city, such as the one in the photo. (More to follow.)

SUMMER SPORTS in SLOVENIA

FLY FISHING 10 MILES FRM BLED AND SWIMMING IN BEAUTIFUL LAKE BLED WITH THE CASTLE LOOMING OVERHEAD MILES OF PRISTINE HIKING TRAILS

8 MAN CREW RACE ON LAKE BLED

(Taken from Our Summer in Slovenia)In addition to golf which I shall describe separatly, Slovenia's mild, abundant sunshine, and clear unpolluted summer days provide a havan for those who appreciate the outdoors. Besides climbing the mountains of the north, rafting the many clear streams and rivers, cycling through a generally sparse countryside replete with roadside resturants and rest stops, these is fly fishing, swimmming, competitive rowing, camping, and all the other natural out-of-doors activities one can indulge in; and do so in a comparatively uncrowded and more relaxed setting than found in western europe. Elysee and I especially enjoyed swimming in Lake Bled, I tried some fly fishing, many days we spent walking the countryside and trails in Triglev National park, and watching the competitive two and six man oar regattas on Lake Bled, a sport that the Slovenes are particulary adept at.While I have no direct experience, I am informed by several colleagues that Slovenia's winter sports should not be overlooked. I did witness, even in summer, their penchant for ice hockey with summer practice taking place in Bled's indoor rink. And Bled, which is several miles from the higher elevations, boasts a local ski lift.With Slovenia's low population density, beautiful and environmentally unspoiled outdoors, an outdoor's person will find plenty to do in great surroundings.

Slovenian Guesthouse Dining

GOSTILNA RUPA
Near Lake Bohinj is the restaurant Rupa, which is both typical of Slovenia's wonderful roadside dining places, and yet exceptional. We found it so because of the many such places we enjoyed, this was our favorite. As you can see, flowers abound, the view from the terrace is over the tranquil fields, horses and cows in the distance. And the home cooked Slovenian dishes were superb. One lunch consisted of homemade karst ham with fresh grated horseradish, roasted pork, Slovenian buckwheat raviolis stuffed with farm fresh cottage cheese, local wine by the liter, coffee and typical fresh berry pie. The temperature was in the mid-seventies, sunny skies and just a glorious outdoor dining experience.

Visit Lake Bohinj

Mt. Triglov, Lake Bohinj below.

This picture was taken from the ski lift station at about 4500 feet. Looking across at Mount Triglov, Slovenia's highest peak at almost 9000 feet. In my book, OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA (amazon.com) I wrote "...I marveled at Slovenia's engrossing landscape, so sparsely visited." With a population of about 2 million people in a country the size of New Jersey, this is a magnificent place to visit and a great undervalued destination. Go to my website Marshallpublications.com and see my recommendations for 5 must see/do things in Slovenia.

Visit Skofja Loka

SOME OF THESE HOUSES DATE TO THE 14TH CENTURY
THE CAPUCHIN BRIDGE DATES TO 1300s
ST. JOHN NEPOMUNK STATUE IN MIDDLE OF BRIDGE

EXCERPTS FROM MY BOOK OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA: This medieval village is only a hour from the capital and 45 minutes from Beld where we were living. The entire town is a preservation site for renaissance architecture. The statue of Saint John N. who was thrown from the bridge in Prague in the 14th century. The Bishops of Freising in Bavaria ruled the village for over 800 years. A large castle overlooks the village and today serves as a cultural museum of medieval times. You should certainly plan a day trip there.

Nearby Bled-Vintgar Gorge

Fresh trout taken from a cage suspended in the Radnova River




A portion of the mile long footbridge built in 1893 that precariously clings to the steep cliff side.

Walking the three miles to Bled's nearby Vintgar Gorge is a pleasant full day excursion, well worth undertaking. It is an easy walk through the countryside, passing pastoral sites and small villages. Along the way stop at the nearby Vintgar Gorge restaurant where you can refesh youself with a cool Union beer and lunch on fresh trout kept in cages immersed in the Radnova River, which created the gorge. The highlight of the trip is the mile long footbridge, built in 1893. It clings to the sides of the gorge, crossing the Radnova River several times, ending up at Sum falls. This is delightful 40 foot fall that without the footbridge would be almost impossible to reach. You can, of course, drive there by car. But the walk through the countryside makes for a much more rewarding experience.

OUR LOVE NEST

Inside it had Italian appliances, German Guesthaus style furnishings




Our apartment was new, with the smaller balcony, located above our landlord's with the awning


We were lodged in a new apartment in the Ristic family compound a few minutes walk from Lake Bled. There was Internet hookup, telephone, parking downstairs, one large and one small bedroom (that served as an office) a large kitchen, dining, living area, small balcony and lots of storage up a flight of stairs to the unfinished attic. We had everything we needed and the supermarket was just across the street. All this for $40 a night over the period of 14 weeks. Our landlord's were very helpful, showing us how to work the appliances, hooking up our Internet service, arranging for an affordable rental car agent to meet with us, recommending restaurants during our early days, and being available for advice about Slovenian customs and out of the way places to visit. Their compound consisted of the business, a travel agency and Bled meetings and convention coordinator on the first floor of our apartment, a B&B run by Ana Ristic the 89 year old family Matriarch in her turn of the century Victorian house, two daughters who also were in their Father's business, one of which was married and building a home on the compound, and of course the residence of Andrej and Spela. Their hospitality and help made our stay so enjoyable, at times we felt we were part of the family. Indeed, we were invited to several Ristic family gatherings.