Tuši

Tuši's blog

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

12767

Slovenia, Croatia: Weekly hike: Kržišče, Goodbye Natalia, Welcome Šibenik


Our sport and cultural society ŠKD Indijanci went on a twenty-fifth morning hike (33st overall). We started from Ambružar to peak called Kržišče, 1658 m. For descent we picked the track that went over Kriška planina, 1480 m, to our starting point.

Attendees: Tuši, Vlado, Grega and Rok with Krvavec transmitter behind us

View to the valley

 
On our way we spotted the car of our co-worker Suzana and we left her a note saying "Thanks for tea and croissants. We will come again."

ŠKD Indijanci - Outdoor Recreation #33

My CS guest Natalia was already awake and after the breakfast we went to a short scenic ride through Kropa (with ancient tradition in metalworking) and over Jamnik to Ljubljana, where I dropped her off. We had great 3 days together.

New tyres, brake fluid, oil, filters... She is ready for season 2014.

 
View from Jamnik with a church dedicated to Saints Primus and Felician

CouchSurfers Tuši and Natalia

Goodbye Natalia

After work the long riding from Ljubljana to Šibenik began. I picked up Nada and we rode through White Carniola to Croatia and there we passed cities Duga Resa, Josipdol, Jezerane, Žuta Lokva, Otočac, Gospić, Gračac, Obrovac, Benkovac, Biograd na Moru, Pakoštane, Vodice and then we arrived to Šibenik. There we went to the Camp Solaris and looked for my neighbours. We quickly found them, beer was already waiting for us and we decided to stay with them for 3 nights.

Riding with Nada on Blue Horse with navigational skills of Jože through Gospić

Following Laško van to our destination, Šibenik

Map of the Beach Resort Solaris

555 kilometres

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

12766

Slovenia: Vintgar Gorge and Waterfall Peričnik with CS Natalia


My day with my CS guest should start in the afternoon, but it started in the morning. Natalia called me and informed me, that she was stopped by police, hitch-hiking in the wrong place and that she forgot her documents at my place and If I can talk to the officers, that she is actually just my guest. After a short talk with the policeman he said they will try to figure out something not to give her a fine (what is here to figure out, just don't write anything). The story ends with happy ending, no fine for Bulgarian girl, without papers, hitch-hiking in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Thanks to the policeman for choosing the reasonable way!

Since we were back on schedule in the afternoon, I picked Natalia up in Bled and we went to see a couple of beautiful places in Gorenjska (Upper Carniola).

View from Bled castle, where our meeting place was

For our first destination I chose a beautiful gorge called Blejski Vintgar (Vintgar Gorge or Bled Gorge), unfortunately I found the information on the internet, that it was closed due to glaze ice consequences from February. Still we decided to take a look there. We were lucky, because the renovation work was almost done and we just ignored some warning signs and we entered the gorge.

No comprende

 

 
Short description of the gorge from (http://www.vintgar.si/): The Radovna river cuts the Vintgar gorge deep between the hills of Hom and Boršt. The gorge is flanked by steep slopes overgrown with beech forests. It was discovered in 1891 by Mr. Jakob Žumer, mayor of Gorje, and Mr. Benedikt Lergetporer, a cartographer and photographer from Bled. Both were amazed by the beauty and the mysterious character of the natural attraction. Local people, however, have always viewed the gorge with awe and respect. In 1893 the gorge was opened to the public. Constructing a secured tourist trail through the wild gorge was a demanding and an extremely dangerous task. The roar of the fettered Radovna river echoes along the 1.600 meter long gorge, full or small waterfalls, rapids and erosion potholes where the river briefly slows down its pace. Trails, narrow passages and bridges lead a visitor to the end of the gorge, which is marked by the magnificent, 16 meter high waterfall Šum, the highest fluvial waterfall in Slovenia. 

Waterfall Šum

Railway bridge crossing the Radovna river

Looking for a goldfish

We continued towards Waterfall Peričnik, one of the most stunning and well known in Slovenia. Its waters drop 16 metres down to the first ridge from where it then descends 52 metres down the bottom waterfall. In winter both waterfalls turn into innumerable icicles and floes in delicate shades of blue and green.

Let's check it out

Time for a quick shower

  
You can see the waterfall from every direction, even from behind

And your next destination in next visit is... Triglav

We continued towards Dovje, where we stopped at the monument dedicated to Jakob Aljaž, a priest, who bought the top of Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain.

  
Quick lesson where Triglav is and what we visited today

My guest Natalia blended in with local flowers

We finished the day with a quick dinner and the desert similar to the one we had yesterday.

Monday, April 28, 2014

12765

Slovenia: CS Hike to Preval


After work I picked up couchsurfer Natalia in Ljubljana and we drove to my place. She dropped the luggage and we started with a planned hike, from Ljubelj to Koča na Prevalu mountain hut on Born path through the tunnels. Short history lesson reveals that the path through the tunnels enabled Baron Born easy access from the south to the north side of the mountain where he lived, however it was mainly used for hunting. There are rumours that the Baron used to meet his mistresses there.


 
Left photo: View to nearby mountains, on the left Košutica, 1968 m, and in the middle Veliki vrh, 2088 m
Right photo: The remains of the concentration sub-camp Mauthausen, the only concentration camp on Slovenian soil during WWII. The French, Polish, Russians and Yugoslavs were imprisoned there and, in impossible conditions, hollowed out a 1.5 km long tunnel through solid rock, connecting the former Yugoslavia with Austria.

Our destination was successfully conquered

On our way back home I showed Natalia how to play on a primrose. She managed to squeeze a short beep out of it. Bravo!

Afternoon hike to Koča na Prevalu mountain hut, 1311 m

My plan for the evening was a dinner in a local restaurant, but since it was closed, Natalia prepared a quick dinner from potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. I brought beers and honey-schnapps for a desert.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

12764

Slovenia: Bicyle Ride and Exhibition Of Exotic Animals


There was still no sign of rain in the morning so I quickly took my Snow White and we went cycling. Our destination was Ljubelj Pass via Austrian road and descent on Slovenian.


 
2 short stops for photo-session 

After an hour and something I reached my destination

First ride in season 2014

In the afternoon Nada and me visited the exotic animal exhibition called BIOEXO, with subtitle Poisonous Beauty. Exhibition was quite nice, although they could put signs with more information about the animals next to their cages.

 
Lizards, frogs, spiders, snakes, rabbits, skunks and more

Saturday, April 26, 2014

12763

Slovenia: TV series: Sleeper Cell


Moody weather, TV time. This time a series called Sleeper Cell.

Plot: An American undercover FBI agent is assigned to infiltrate a terrorist sleeper cell that is planning an attack in Los Angeles.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

12761

Slovenia: Weekly Hike: Bukovec


Our sport and cultural society ŠKD Indijanci went on a twenty-fourth morning hike (32st overall). We started from Kanonir, passed by farm Rezman and Močnikova planina, 1275 m, to Močnikovo sedlo (saddle), where we took the unmarked track towards our destination, Bukovec, 1506 m. The descent took us back to Močnikovo sedlo and planina Dol back to Kanonir, where the car was waiting to take us to work.

Another early start

Močnikova planina, 1275 m

Just below the peak

Tuši and Rok only this time on the peak called Bukovec

ŠKD Indijanci - Outdoor Recreation #32

Sunday, April 20, 2014

12757

Slovenia: Happy Easter with Movies Reservoir Dogs and Red Lights


Happy Easter

The weather was bad the whole weekend, therefore I decided to watch two movies, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Red Lights with Robert De Niro, Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver.

 
Plot for movie Reservoir Dogs: After a simple jewelery heist goes terribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Plot for movie Red Lights: Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away.

Trailer for the movie Reservoir Dogs, 1992

Trailer for the movie Red Lights, 2012

Thursday, April 17, 2014

12754

Slovenia: Food, Rummy and Food


At work we used our lunch time to visit the restaurant Simpl je jest, where Chef Rajko prepared the Lamb.

Our lunch

After work Nada and me decided to bake a bread with pork rinds, in Slovenia called ocvirkovca. We used mainly buckwheat for the dough.

 
Dough was ready to meet the oven 

 
While the bread was in the oven, we played a couple of rounds of Rummy. In the end the bread was delicious, maybe a bit over-baked.