SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS-HUNGARY-PART FOUR

HOTEL VOLAN OVERLOOKING LAKE BALATON


WE PASSED ON THE LAKE CRUISE---UP THE LAKE,DOWN THE LAKE. BORING!

(Excerpt from my book: OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, AMAZON.COM)

After a day-and-a-half to travel few hundered miles, we finally left Maribor and Slovenia about noon, our destination for the night, Lake Balaton in Hungary. I know, were still not in Budapest, but hang in there, we'll get there. To get to Lake Balaton from Maribor, one drives for about a half-hour through Croatia, so I expect Elysee and I can claim having also visited that recently ill-fated country.
Lake Balaton is, outside of Scandinavia, the largest freshwater lake in Europe. A long finger-like lake of a little more than 50 miles, but a narrow 10 miles at its widest, it is also shallow, averaging a mere nine feet in depth. Nevertheless, it has long been Hungary’s summer vacation destination and has that mixture of tackiness and refinement often associated with lake and beachside resorts. In Balaton’s case, it takes some searching to find the latter. Because we were starting from the end of the lake furthest from Budapest, one decision we had to make was which shore to drive on, north or south. The south has the advantage of better roads, an autoroute, but that also brings more summer vacationers and the inevitable carnival resort atmosphere. From our reading, it appeared that the north shore was nicer and less hectic, and this proved to be the case.

Another feature of the Balaton locale is its reputation as a major Hungarian wine- producing region, and the north side is sprinkled with hillside vineyards that add a pleasant view all along the lakeside drive. As the day was getting on and the weather rainy off and on, we stopped for the night at Hotel Volan in Badacsony; really more a restored upscale villa than a hotel. Once more the value was astonishing. For about $58 we received a very nice room overlooking the lake, with breakfast. That evening, after a stroll along the lakefront, looking at the ferries going from one side of the lake to the other as well as the local marina with many sailboats, we hade a fine dinner at an outdoor restaurant with a very tasty bottle of Hungarian wine. It was a 1999 Szeremley from the Tihany region further along the lake’s north shore and cost an amazing $7. The next day we found a wine store and managed to purchase three bottles, about all we could carry to Budapest considering the other baggage space needed. Hungary is a country of very good and inexpensive wine.

A word about the Hungarian (magyarorszag) language: I usually, even if in a country for a small time, try to learn a few courteous phrases to get me through the day. Especially how to order a beer, find the men’s room and find a place for the night, all the while returning greetings and thanks in the local language. I gave up on Hungarian right away. I simply concluded that having arrived at the age of 70 years I was entitled to pass on without ever attempting to speak Hungarian. It is correctly said that Hungarian ranks up there with Japanese and Arabic as the most difficult language to learn. Personally, I would add Irish to that, a language that has been described as a cross between Norwegian and Hebrew. Hungarian is right up there. The language has no widespread European antecedents such as Latin or Slav, and evolved from an obscure Finish tribal tongue so long ago that the Hungarians and the Finns cannot understand each other. Many words have the same sound but different meanings and consonants are strung together sometimes five in a row without a vowel and, all sorts of accenting symbols that make reading road signs while traveling at normal speed very difficult. For example, Elysee was navigating and kept me bearing towards the town of Nagykanizsa a city on our route and on all the road signs, when she finally said “ just keep on the road to Nagasaki.” The name for a police station is, Rendorkapitanysag. In an emergency, by the time you get that word out you will no longer need help. My real favorite though is Sajtburger, which is pronounced shiteburger. It means cheese.
In my opinion, if you happen to be in Hungary for only for a long weekend or perhaps even a few days more, there are more interesting places to see and things to do, than going to Lake Balaton.
BUT BUY THE WINE.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS- HUNGARY-PART THREE

TITO'S UNIFORM BEING WORN BY THE INVISIBLE MAN


TOWN SQUARE WITH 14TH CENTURY MARIBOR CASTLE AND STATUE OF ST. FLORIAN

TOMBSTONE OF RABBI ABRAHAM 1376

( Excerpt from my book: OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, AMAZON.COM)

Leaving our comfortable guest house nearby Celje after a satisfying breakfast, except for the instant coffee, we set off for Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city (about 110,000.) The morning coffee, very important to starting Elysee’s day, as it is for many Americans including myself, was the nasty European Nescafe type. This loathsome brew, common throughout Europe, thankfully is becoming less popular. It is a sour-tasting imitation of coffee, sure to start your day with a frown and an acidic stomach. We promised ourselves that the first thing we would do in Maribor would be to search out a civilized cup of coffee.

Arriving in the old quarter of the city situated alongside the Drava River, we parked quickly and strode towards the old square. The square features a statue of St. Florian and also is the site of Maribor castle, begun in the 14th century and for once not built on a hilltop. Maribor, like many towns at the time, financed its growth and development from a large Jewish community and grew wealthy on timber, wine and the port developed on the Drava river. As happened throughout Europe in the later part of the 15th century, exemplified mostly by Spain with the Jewish expulsion in the 1490s, the Jewish community was also expelled from Maribor during the same period. The town thereafter competed with similar river locales for the commercial lead in Eastern Slovenia, but gained a leap ahead with the arrival of the railroad in 1846. Maribor became the first town in Slovenia to have a direct rail link to the imperial capital in Vienna, and developed as a major stopover on the line between Budapest, Vienna and Trieste. In the age of railroads, gaining this important position on the main line was critical, and Maribor increased in importance as other competing cities declined.

Aside from the fact that Maribor is home to Slovenia’s second university, the city offers only two particularly interesting features for a half-day stopover. First, as the region is a major Slovenian wine-producing region there are many opportunities to taste and purchase the vintages. There is a nest of underground wine cellars covering a vast area that can store seven million liters of wine. The 160-year-old cellars are filled with oak barrels, that are kept at a constant naturally arrived at 15c. Secondly, and where we spent most of the day, is the Maribor museum housed in the former castle, just opposite the iconic statue of St. Florian that dominates the center square. The museum, establish in 1903, contains some of the richest collections of “Sloveniana,” organized into historical, commercial, cultural and ethnographic displays. It has a collection of military uniforms from the 18th century onwards, culminating with a display of Marshal Tito’s uniform. Accompanying this are displays of period dress, mostly of the Austrian bourgeoisies. Also, an extensive collection of Romantic, Baroque and Rococo art, routinely religious and church carvings (you really have to like this stuff, which I do not), and a loggia that contains tombstones from the Jewish era in the 14th century. Altogether a very nicely displayed collection and well worth a visit if you just happen to be in Northeastern Slovenia. As an aside, it is interesting to note that our visit occurred on a Friday and the beginning of the European “I quit work for the month of August”, and yet we were the only people in the museum. I was left with the impression that the Maribors don’t really care much for all this. After all it was mostly Austrian history and culture, not Slovenian.

A final note: Maribor, being an important manufacturing city for Germany in WWII, was extensively bomb-damaged from allied air-raids. Almost two thirds of the city was lost. After the war the city was a center for Yugoslavian industry, and it now has many “SocialRealistic” housing developments of a singularly unappealing appearance. You can sense the socialist past today in the quietness of the people and the remaining vestiges of run-down infrastructure; but, times are changing.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS-HUNGARY PART TWO

AN EVIL EYED WITCH FROM VALVASOR'S COLLECTION
A TRIPLE SETTEE BEHIND THE TABLE IS THE BRIDE AND GROOM FIVE MINUTE WAITING CHAIR

LOOK CAREFULLY TO SEE ELYSEE SHEEPISHLY PEEKING FROM BEHIND THE BUSHES

Excerpt from my book, OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, AMAZON.COM

While at Bogensperk Castle we were introduced to the Slovenian custom of the five-minute waiting period just before the marriage takes place. The bride and groom are seated, surrounded by their immediate family, and five minutes of silence ensues. During this period the bride and groom are to think separately and silently about their marriage and either can have a change of mind at this point and cancel the entire proceedings. We were told by our guide that on only one occasion did the bride change her mind, but in her case she would not even come into the castle and no one knew where on the grounds she was hiding. That marriage never occurred.

Leaving Bogensperk Castle behind we drove on to Celje (chel-yea), an important town of about 42,000 people that was originally a Roman center of activity and in the 15th century the home of the Counts of Celje, the last holdouts before the Habsburgs united all Slovenia under their rule. It was here that Elysee and I made an important discovery; the historic icon of a McDonalds
restaurant. I know what you are thinking, how tacky! But do you realize we had not had a single hamburger since we left the USA almost two months ago? They are not on any menu, and are unavailable in Bled. Without a single moment of guilt we plunged our faces into french fries and double cheeseburgers and were awash in Coke. Two mad and crazed Americans, ketchup dripping from the corners of their mouths, greedily protecting their plastic trays from preying pigeons. The fries, to our amazement, were identical in flavor to those in the states. After a walkabout in town and examining the remains of Roman walls, we headed a few miles west to a roadside “Gostisce,” the Slovenian equivalent of a B&B where we spent the night in a large guest room, including breakfast, for the equivalent of $30. One could move to Slovenia and stay in guest houses all the time; forget mortgage payments. Think about it! $900 a month with breakfast; and you won’t have to make the bed.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS- HUNGARY

BOGENSPERK CASTLE; SITS ALONE AND ISOLATED IN A MOUNTAINTOP


BANQUET HALL ARRANGED FOR A WEDDING

(Excerpts from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, Amazon.com)

As I have noted before, a major factor in Elysee and I deciding to spend a summer in Slovenia, is it being excellently situated to enable side trips to other countries. It is possible to easily drive from Bled to Budapest in six or seven hours. In our case, being in no hurry, we took several days stopping overnight at Celje, Slovenia, visiting Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city (110 thousand) and then stopping overnight again in the Lake Balaton region of Hungary. From there we drove on into Budapest. The following day we met up with our friends from Florida, Char and Al Love, for several days of adventure.

First things first. We did not begin with the intention of staying in Celje. But, as is our style we took back roads in our general direction, being open minded about seeing and learning more about this great country of Slovenia. Not too long after leaving Bled we saw a road sign beckoning us to visit Bogensperk Castle. I'm not a "gotta see this castle" type of person. You can waste your life visiting castle ruins in Europe and die not having finished the job. In fact, had we known the castle was a long ride up a lonely mountain road, and somewhat out of our way, we would have declined. But once committed, we determined to see it through and came at road's end to the entrance of the castle, finding that we were the only ones there to take a tour with a very bored summer intern. The castle dates from 1511, being built by the feudal lords von wagen. They built their castle on an enormous rock because their previous property had been destroyed in an earthquake. The castle reached it glory during the end of the 17th century when the Slovenian scientist and historian Janez Valvasor lived and worked there., Valvasor, a former soldier, previously had traveled throughout Europe and North Africa, and was a man of the world. However, during his 20 years at the castle he adopted a studious life, undertaking many research projects, the most famous being the 3,532 page history of Carniola released in 1689. He trained his workers to in copperplate pripnting and produced exquisite, detailed prints of life at that time including painstaking folio pages. This monumental work about Valvasor's Carniola region is an invaluable source today about the life and times of the late 17th century.

Being an inquisitive man of scientific bent, he also disproved what many peasants thought to be mysterious witchcraft; for example, the inexplicable rising and falling of the nearby lakes which peasantry believed to be induced by witches. He learned of a series of underground lakes and limestone caves that rose and fell according to scientific factors such as periodic rainfall and drought. For documenting his findings scientifically and disproving witchcraft, Valvasor was admitted to the prestigious London Royal Society, a distinct honor for a person so far removed from the mainstream of commerce and knowledge. He was self-funded and his endeavors brought him to the brink of bankruptcy and in 1692 he sold all of his property, dying a year after. A copy of Valvasor's monumental work is on display.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS: AUSTRIA PART FOUR

ENJOYING A NIGHTCAP AT THE SACHER CAFE.



THE RAUCHFANGKEHER. LOTS OF HORNS, HOOVES AND FEATHERS.

(From my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, AMAZON.COM.)

On our last evening in Vienna we took a decidedly different approach to dinner. On this night we actually dressed up (that means I put on a jacket) and went to the Rauchfangkeher, loosely translated into the “chimney sweep who fell in love with a woman married to a baker and who always dusted her roof with white flour after cleaning up the chimney which it seems was cleaned much more frequently than needed.”

That’s a long and loose translation, but then, this is the German language. This restaurant is billed as having top-quality Austrian cuisine, serving a lot of game of both the hoof and feather varieties, as testified to by all the antlers and stuffed birds decorating the walls and shelves. We were not disappointed; great service, Elysee having antelope and I wild boar, the wine steward being very accommodating and offering at least two selections for tasting with each course, and in between servings bringing small savories to the table to maintain our interest. This is a restaurant to have dinner in during the cold winter months; cozy tables, fireplaces, walls of old timber and exposed beams, examples of 19th century Austrian clothing hanging about such as Tyrolean hats and hunting jackets. It’s as though you’re expecting a grand uncle to burst through the door any minute, shaking the snow from his great coat.
Just for old times sake we ended the evening at the Sacher Café, knowing it would not be the same as drawing out the evening in the Sacher Coffee House which, as noted previously, was under renovation. Still, the Sacher is the Sacher, but being the only portion open to the public it was crowded and noisy. Can’t complain though. If we have any complaint it’s not planning more time in Vienna. It is a city that draws you in, lots to do but not brassy or hurried, and with its trams still fully functioning, buildings of 19th century proportion, and the coffee houses retaining their ambience, one might easily drift off and imagine finishing a conversation with Sigmund Freud, then stopping by the Sacher for coffee before a night at the Opera. It’s all still there (except Sigmund of course) and has not been overrun by modernism. However, before I get too nostalgic, here is a dose of reality. The home of Strauss the Younger at the time he wrote the Blue Danube waltz is now right above a McDonalds.
Can’t miss it.

In the morning, after a proper Austrian breakfast, rolls and coffee, we departed on a leisurly drive through the mountains back to Bled, arriving home mid-afternoon.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS: AUSTRIA- DINING OUT

Typical Heurigen musicians. Great Fun

Heurigen tavern fare food with wine in glass mugs


Excerpted from my book: OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA: AMAZON.COM

Vienna is no exception to most large world capital cities in having many dining options. From serving grand multi-waitered, multi-course meals in opulent surroundings, to more typical Viennese restaurants specializing in meals akin to but not quite the same as found in Germany, and lastly a class of restaurants called Heurigen, which roughly translates into wine taverns. In 1784 Emperor Joseph II granted wine producers the right to sell their own product directly to the public from their own premises. This is common to the United States today, but was new in the 18th century. This reform took hold and the resulting taverns continue to flourish, especially in and around Vienna. The word Heurigen refers not only to the tavern but to the new annual vintage as well; analogous to the Nouveau Beaujolais in France. The new vintage year begins on St. Martins Day, November 11, and that vintage remains the Heuriger wine for one year, after which its status degrades to Alte or old vintage. St. Martin’s day would be an ideal time to be in Vienna; as good as Oktoberfest in Munich for staying up all night(s) partying. These days, there are Heurigens that sell not only a particular producer’s vintage but also provide an ordinary meal and native folk music, adding to the evening’s festivities. The later the evening becomes the more merrier the crowd, the long communal benches and tables encouraging getting to know each other as the wine flows generously, served up in traditional Heurigen plain quarter-liter glass mugs.
Elysee and I ventured to an area northwest of the city called Grinzing, which is reached by tram; similar to our now mostly defunct trolley car. The last stop drops you off on Cobenzlgasse, with a half-dozen Heurigen lining the narrow lane as they have done for 150 years. We selected the Bach Hengl, an old Heurigen whose building dated back over 200 years. The food was typical Huerigen fare; wine in clear glass mugs, a plate of sausage, chicken, cabbage and potatoes, long benches, and a wonderful father and son strolling duo playing the violin and accordion. Arriving guests soon succumb to the spirit, singing along, cheering on those who would attempt a solo performance, and being flirted with by the waitresses in a friendly, somewhat coquettish manner. It can get a bit “hokey,” but if you are with a group or in a crowd, it’s great fun.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS: AUSTRIA-PART TWO

Cover of OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA



Empress Maria Teresa's grand state carriage with Elysee prepared as a lady in waiting.

Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA: Amazon.com

Our second day in Vienna was set aside for museums. Vienna has a wide variety of museums, with the best collection of sessionist art, including Gustav Klimt evoking a sexual decadence shocking in the later stages of Victorian Europe. Elysee and I decided we were "museumed out" and chose instead to visit The Hofburg Palace, home to the Hapsburgs for 600 years and their summer palace Schloss Schounbrunn. The Schounbrunn was a favorite of Empress Maria Teresa and a temporary home to Napoleon twice during his campaigns against Austria in 1805 and 1809. The Schounbrun is also where the last Hapsburg Emperor, Charles I, abdicated in 1918 at the end of WWI bringing to close the last chapter of Hapsburg rule in Europe.If you visit the Schounbrun I recommend you do so individually and not on a tour. It is vast and well equipped with headsets providing abundant information for a self-guided tour. Two interesting facts about the palace is that it is the first zoological garden in Europe and was also the site of the meeting with Kennedy and Khrushchev in 1961, where the Soviet leader took the measure of the young President and decided he was too inexperienced; this false reading led to the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War's most precipitous and dangerous confrontation. I had visited the palace many years before and was impressed with the stables, a place not included in the regular tour that mostly concentrates of the Hapsburg's living arrangements. It is a significant collection of imperial transportation including grand state coaches, funeral wagons, children's wagons and adult and children's sleighs. The most ornate coach, a "Baroque on Wheels" as Elysee named it, was built for Empress Maria Teresa in 1765, covered with gold ornamentation and needing eight horses to pull it along.

SLOVENIA SIDE TRIPS: AUSTRIA-PART ONE

WORLD FAMOUS MUSIKVEREIN

CONDUCTOR IN PERIOD COSTUME WITH NEW 1ST VIOLINIST
THE ORCHESTRA



AFTER THE PERFORMANCE AT THE SACHER CAFE

(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA, Amazon.com)
One of the attractions drawing Elysee and I to stay a summer in Slovenia was the proximity of so many attractive side trips. I explain to my fans of our lifestyle the delight we have in planning these excursions at our own leisure, and to suit our tastes. We don't usually book tours for that reason, preferring to be on our own at our pace, lingering if we so desire, not having to respond to the sound of the bus horn, or spend time in places of little value or interest to us personally. When you have the entire summer, there is ample opportunity to pick your time and place. As a side note to visiting Vienna, I want to add that we could have easily gone to Salzburg, even by train, it is that close to Slovenia. But Elysee had never been to Austria so what better way to introduce that country than a visit to Vienna. How close and convenient is Vienna to Bled? Leaving shortly after 8a.m. we arrive in Vienna at 1p.m. The drive initially was through a beautiful mountainous region of tunnels, switchbacks and single lane roads, calling for a more leisurely pace than the frequent autobahn's 110mph plus driving. By 2p.m. we were settled in a very nice room on the executive floor of the Marriott on the "Ring", car parked a block away for the duration of our stay, and both of us primed for a walkabout in search of, what else, a coffee shop. We settled for the Cafe Schwarzenberg, which has all the necessary features: a strudel and pastry case, a wide assortment of newspapers in several languages, indoor/outdoor seating, old world charm with tin ceilings and tile floors, and in the evening, live piano music. We settled into the pace of many Viennese with a newspaper, coffee and strudel; being allowed without any interference, to take as much time as we wanted. The sanctity of the coffee shop is one feature of Viennese life that has not changed. Other than the Finns, Swedes and Danes, the Viennese drink more coffee per capital than any other people in the world, about 230 quarts per capita, per year. We also visited the nearby legendary Sacher Hotel but unfortunately it was closed for renovations at the time of our visit. No Sacher Torte at the Sacher for us. We did manage a beer later that evening at the Sacher Cafe, but that is not the same as the coffee shop. MUSIC. This old world capital, the center of empire, and renowned worldwide for music and arts, is never without a music venue for visitors. The stage for Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert,Strauss, Brahms and Mahler. The fall and winter months are of course the best, but even on this summer night there were many choices. Elysee made the final selection, an all Mozert concert at the Goldener Saal in the Musikverein. This is the home of Vienna's acclaimed symphony orchestra. Our concierge was able to secure excellent box seats almost on top of the percussion section. The orchestra was dressed in period costume, introducing a new female first violinist with her parents and young daughter in attendance a few boxes away. It was a totally entertaining evening, what you would want for a introduction your first night to Vienna's musical variety. Elysee later remarked over drinks at the Sacher Cafe that it would likely the highlight of our much too short visit.

THE HAYRACK: KAZOLEC

(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN SLOVENIA. AMAZON.COM)

Big Ben is England, the Eiffel Tower is France, the Statue of Liberty is the United States, and so on for other countries. What about Slovenia? It is the Kazolec, Slovenia's unique hayrack.

Seen everywhere Slovenian hayracks, Kazolecs, were taken for granted as a necessary part of farming life that occupied most of the country until recent years. It was only when artists began to paint pictures of them, that today they are seen as a national icon.

They come in several varieties: single or double stacked, with or without small roofs, all wood or later versions of concrete pillars and wood slats. Some are hung with hay, others with hay and corn. They were developed over time and out of necessity. The damp Alpine regions are not well suited for drying out hay and corn in stacks on the ground, the common method used for many centuries, and kazolecs proved versatile, functional and up to the task. A farmer would take down what he needed throughout the winter, all the while the crop somewhat protected from the harsh climate and keeping dry as in a drying rack. The racks are visible even in the capital, vestiges of when in prior times farms were much closer to the city than today. Those are now hung with advertising. If you want to make Slovenians who might be lonely and homesick living in a far away place get misty-eyed and yearn for the old country, show them a picture of a Kazolec snow-covered and hung with hay, up against an Alpine landscape .

The picture above is of a typical covered, concrete and wood, Kazolec near Bled where Elysee and I stayed for the summer. They are really seen everywhere.

SLOVENIA BEE MUSEUM-PART TWO

Excerpted from my book: Our Summer in Slovenia, Amazon.com

More on Slovenia's position in the world on bee keeping. Even today there are more than 10,000 beekeepers in Slovenia second only to Argentina, which of course is much larger and with a greater population. During the 19th century Slovenia exported entire colonies of bees to the United States to propagate its agricultural expansion across the great plains and on into California and Oregon. The sliding box hive was invented in Slovenia allowing the transport of hives from field to field and the easy removal of honeycombs. This development led to a unique Slovenian folk art the creation of elaborate hives as art pieces, two of which are shown here. A mid-19th century chinese man carving as the oriental influence was popular in Europe during that time and a more elaborate hive in the form of a church circa 1880.

It was at the market in Bled that I was introduced Medeno which is a delicious honey liqueur of about 25% alcohol. Elysee made the pun that we could get a "buzz on."

Slovenia's Bee Museum-Part One

EXAMPLE OF FOLK ART ON BEE HIVE END BOARD


(Excerpted from my book Our Summer in Slovenia Amazon.com)

Not in my wildest imaginings, no matter how many hallucinogens I might have taken, would the idea of visiting a bee museum have occurred to me. At first, I thought it was a joke. A "sting" operation on gullible tourists. "Oh, you must not miss visiting the National Bee Museum" in Radovljica, a town of about 6,000 only a ten minute drive from Bled, we were told. "oh sure, The bee museum, wouldn't want to miss that" we replied.

Well, you narrow-minded, pseudo-sophisticate, jaded world-weary traveler who thinks all that is worth seeing has been seen, sit up, take notice. If you haven't been to the Bee Museum, you just haven't been anywhere. You've miss all the buzz. Period.

Actually, the proper name is the Museum of Apiculture (no not acupuncture smart guy).After a pleasant two hours you will have gained knowledge and respect for this tireless worker, this provider of honey, wax, royal jelly and honey liquer; this exemplar of teamwork and devotion, this papal symbol, this humble insect that gives so much and asks for so little, the bee.

So, why here in Slovenia? During the 16th century buckwheat was introduced as a farm product that could be cultivated on the more fallow land of the alpine regions. Bees love buckwheat. They thrive on the flowering plant and soon "...the hills were alive with the sound of buzzing" and Slovenia became noted for its production of honey and wax, wax being especially important during that period for the fine candles it produced.

Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, who ruled over present day Slovenia,, took a special interest and appointed Anton Jansa and the Queen's master bee-guy. He set up field stations in the Karanvanke Alps, near Bled, wrote many scientific treatise on the subject and is recognized around the world today as the Father of modern bee keeping. Bee keeping became an important part of the national livelihood, culture and lore. We saw many artifacts on display in the museum, one being the craft of decorating the ends of the hive boxes with folkloric art representing scenes from everyday life and lore. Some are quite extraordinary. I have one at home, a reproduction no doubt,depicting a peasant woman at a grinding wheel with the devil sharpening her tongue as she was the village gossip.