Unexpectedly Slovenia

New Year 2007!!! A few days in Slovenia, me and Veronica with friends Walter, Federica, Lorenzo, Annalisa, Simone, Chiara... Mirko, Paolo and Alberto... I think it's the first time I've called them that since I've known the dear ones... Mash, Trikes and Monci!!! For Slovenia the end of 2007 coincided with the opening of new horizons, and the tearing down of the borders that divided it from Europe. Setting off from home, crossing the Veneto and Friuli, we arrived comfortably in Ljubljana, and to my eyes it turned out to be an unexpectedly interesting region to which, wrongly, I had never turned my gaze and my interest until now. I have to give Veronica the credit for my getting here... The first impression was of a nation that had prepared very well for entry into Europe... order, cleanliness, new and beautiful roads, as well as truly very friendly people.

We really used up the five days available to the last breath... we denied ourselves almost nothing, as far as was possible for us. Ljubljana, a small central-European city, is probably not among the most beautiful cities I have ever seen... but enclosed as it is in a small space it wins you over with the strong colours of its buildings, the river that cuts it in two, the castle that dominates it from the top of the hill, Christmas markets, little shops, casinos and... good food!! My goodness, what a surprise Slovenian cuisine was and... what feasts!! The soups and mushroom creams... finger-licking good, and the meat cooked impeccably... they did not make us miss the flavours of Italian cuisine! Ljubljana, moreover, being geographically the heart of the country too, is an excellent starting point for visiting the whole national territory... probably no bigger than my Emilia Romagna.

The day skiing at Kranjska Gora was a fun interlude and allowed us to reach almost the Austrian border, crossing dense forests in the shade of the snowy mountains. The magic of some places, however, I will not easily forget. The placid little village of Bled, on the shores of the lake of the same name, is a pearl enclosed among the Slovenian hills. Coming off the motorway that leads from Ljubljana to Austria, Veronica and I headed down to this destination not knowing what to expect but... what more could you ask for than a day with a clear sky, the sun high above us, a blue lake, calm waters, a little island... a flight of white marble steps and a little church in the middle of the water, paths all around for long walks, rowing boats, squirrels, swans and... the usual romantic castle on the banks of a steep rocky wall and from there... being able to command the surrounding horizon.

I don't dare imagine how it must be in spring... Having found a small guest house for the night, the next day we headed for the Postojna caves; I don't remember how long it has been since I went into a cave... I was too little the last time... but you can be so little or, alas..., grown adults by now, yet the wonders that nature manages to give us always leave us open-mouthed!! Often the wonders of man leave you open-mouthed too... I have always had a passion for castles, they remind me of romantic times, honour, ladies and knights!! A short distance from Postojna is Predjama... you can't believe it... but how is it possible that someone could even imagine building a castle right there? Right in the middle of a mountain? Set into the rock?? Well yes... not only was it imagined... but someone actually built it... and what can I say...

once again open-mouthed, imagining the fierce battles, the conquest of a castle seemingly impregnable, whose imposing bulk is disarming and inside, identifying for a moment with the lords of that time, the feeling of protection is absolute... torture chambers, knights' rooms, dungeons, towers, secret passages... magical!!! Often, I first of all, when we want to escape we look far beyond our own borders... in this case Slovenia is the memory of a lovely New Year spent with friends and the confirmation that just a few kilometres from home, you can make unexpected discoveries!