European Tour Sep 08

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Logarska Dolina - T K Perk

Awoke really early and struggled to go back to sleep, Clare also couldn’t sleep, and decided to turn the bathroom light on so she could read a book, the only problem was that she had to round the wrong way in bed so she could get the light. All this meant, when I did wake, I was welcomed with a pair of feet! Apparently she did this so she wouldn’t waken me!
This morning was somewhat overcast and misty. The original plan had been to walk up Matkov Kot to Matkov škaf, which is a snow tub, not totally sure what one of these is, but it all revolves around snow melt water scouring out a hole which can measure 20m x 20m. However we shall not find out today as the weather really doesn’t look promising. A drive out looked favourite, but where to. I fancied going to Ptuj (pronounced ptoy) which is an old town in the east of Slovenia, but some 2.5 hours away. When our hostess found out, she didn’t think it wise, well we think that’s what she was trying to intimate. In the end she suggested going to see the flower gardens at Mozirje, about 45 min’s away. So that is what we decided to do.
We arrived at the gardens as a coach party of elderly people arrived, but that was about all the people there were. We paid our entrance fee (all the kiosks, entrance places seem to be staffed by young people, all of whom speak excellent English and make you feel really welcome, although we have been confused for Dutch people on more than one occasion!) and were met by a very cheeky Weasel (no not daughter Marie, but a real live furry thing). It kept whizzing in front of our path and disappearing into the long grass, before getting up on its’ hind legs and looking at us before scurrying off again.
The gardens were different, there were formal border plantings, as well as large displays of pumpkins and squashes, all sponsored by local growers or companies. It’s difficult to describe, but there were large figures of pigs surrounded by pumpkins, a figure of a man on a bicycle, also surrounded with pumpkins, everywhere you looked there were pumpkins.
There were also many Sunflowers in the borders and along the paths and waterways, but when you looked close, they were Sunflower stems in lemonade bottles which in turn were in bottle crates.
In the middle of the garden was a large tall structure, a Slovene version of a pagoda, made from wood and about five stories high. The views of the surrounding country side as well as the pumpkins0 were well worth the climb to the top.
Throughout the garden there were examples of ethnic building and craft work-shops. We were able to see a watermill which was used making flower, a lumber shed, with large band saws and sewing machine.
The buildings and their contents gave a feel of how the workers lived until the early part of the 20th century. Sadly many of the original buildings from the Upper Savinja Valley were destroyed by the departing Germans at the close of the WW2 as retribution to the local population for supporting the partisans.
After this visit it was time to return towards home, by now the sun had come out and it was a really nice day, not too hot, but pleasantly warm and sunny. We went back to a town called Nazarje (Nazareth) and had planned to drive directly to Gornji Grad and then to Luče via the mountain pass through Podvolovljek. Almost immediately our plans were scuppered as the road was closed in Nazarje. We followed what we took to be the diversion, but we soon were in the countryside and no signs to say where we were going. However it was a really interesting route, we found harvested hop fields, hay drying in the traditional hay barns plus dozens of Hooded Crows, even in Scotland we hadn’t seen quite so many.
Fortunately we found our way eventually to Gornji Grad and then onto the road which would take us to the Podvolovljek turning. We over shot and took the next one by accident, which rapidly lost any hint of tarmac and pot-holes and water ruts which would have been at home on a Salisbury Plain Tank Track, the only difference being we were on a 1:3 gradient hill! The car was very brave, and made it back onto the original road, but we were pointing the wrong way with no way to turn round, so back we went down the hill until we found a turning place.
The rest of the journey back was uneventful but well worth it. It was yet another gorgeous upper alpine valley with meadows and forestry everywhere.
As we hadn’t had a drink, we stopped for the now obligatory brew, this time in Robanov Kot, the third of the valleys around Solčava. Slightly shorter than the other two, it was no less beautiful, especially with a cup of tea, the remains of last night’s pizza and Jamaica Ginger cake (brought from UK).
Back to food again, supper here at TK Perk (TK stands for Tourist Farm) is an adventure. As mentioned earlier the food is rustic and you’re never quite sure what is coming next. This evening we started our odyssey with a runner bean, bacon and mutton soup, with bread, which was fine, exceedingly filling. But what next? Well this time it was Plums wrapped in dough and steamed with a plum flavoured yoghurt. As usual it was extremely filling, but you’re never quite sure whether you’ve reached the end of a course or the meal. Fortunately this evening, that was indeed the end.
After supper, to show we had been to the gardens, we shared our photos with our hostess, Nea. It was a great time of sharing in our equally stumbling Slovenian and English. We learnt about her children and sister, plus the furniture we were using throughout the house had been made by her son and husband in their own sawmills. The farm has been open for guests for about 14 years.
Also the infamous dog (who had returned safely from our earlier travels) was called Luna.
Tomorrow we believe she may be taking or showing us where to go for a walk, or something like that!

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Photos

Majerski Gardens
Water Mill

Majerski Gardens
Newly built Slovene Barn

Majerski Gardens
Pumpkin display, the vegetables not Clare

Majerski Gardens
More pumpkins