15903

Slovenia: Birthday Hike to Prelaz Ljubelj

Happy Birthday Nada! For her x-th birtday, Bronco and me took her to a wonderful hike to a mountain pass Prelaz Ljubelj. Cheers!

Nada and Bronco.

We successfully reached our cold destination - Garmin Connect.

#hiking #mountains #Karawanks #CatahoulaLeopardDog

15900

Slovenia: Gradiška Tura and Plaz

Today we decided to drive to the warmer place of Slovenia, to Primorska. Nada decided to conquer Gradiška Tura, 793 m, on via ferrata, while Bronco and me hiked to the top. We waited for Nada at the top so that we could continue our hike together. Our next destination was a small hill called Plaz, 528 m, and from there we returned back to the valley.

Bronco just below the peak.

Summit of Gradiška Tura offers a nice view to Vipava valley.

Model Bronco.

Nada joined us, after she climbed the via ferrata.

 

On a hill called Plaz we had a lunch break and we found a geocache.

Nada and Bronco.

 

On our way back to the valley - Garmin Connect.

Geocache found:

- Plaz, GC9GM96, that received a visit by trackable item "Bicycle Geocoin", TB6P7HF

#hiking #mountains #CatahoulaLeopardDog #geocaching

15896

Slovenia: 2nd Traditional Neighbourhood Gathering on Prelaz Ljubelj

It took us more than a year to organise another neighbourhood gathering and today, we finally made it. A little past 16h we started hiking with sleds towards Koča na Ljubelju mountain hut, 1370 m, where we were served with apéritifs, coldcuts and beer and that was a great recipe, that we didn't go back home for a while. This year, the descent was quicker, since we had the sleds with us.

Previous gathering: 1st - 2020 - 14853

Start of the hike.

People from 5 houses.

Time for the first break.

We made it above the fog.

 

Finally the hut and someone is still there.

 

No words needed.

After 2 hours we were ready to go back - Garmin Connect.

Nada on track.

#neighbourhood #hiking #sledding #Karawanks #food

15893

Slovenia: Building the Sledding Hut

Sledding is a popular and very traditional sport in our village and this year we decided to place a hut near our track. The works are ongoing and the enthusiasts are working as they can. With the work, we also have a beer or two in the evening. 

Tanja doesn't like dogs, unless...

In the hands of the teacher.

 

Buddies Tuši and Bronco.

Enough of working for the day.

#sledding #community

15892

Slovenia: Sveti Miklavž and a day in the Spa

Sveti Miklavž is a church in Tuhinj valley and before entering the spa, Nada and me hiked to the hill where it stands - Garmin Connect. Archaeologists exploring the church's in­terior in 2000 discovered that the existing church stands on foundations of two older churches. The foundations of one church date back to the 13th century and the foundations of the second one go back to the 5th or 6th century - to the Late Antiquity. Archaeologists unravelled that the older church was built in the Romanesque style and the youngest one in Gothic style. The present Gothic church was remodelled and expanded between 1721 and 1730. You can find a nice flyer about it HERE.

I took Bronco to a morning walk to Kršiše (Garmin Connect) and then he stayed at home, guarding it.

Ottoman invasions lead to the building of fortifications, which protected what was most valuable and meant the most to people - their churches.

 

St. Nicolas' Church on Gora, perched on top of a hill 757m high above the Tuhinjska dolina valley, is one of the churches where today you can still see almost entirely how such fortifications looked.

 

The church on Gora reminds one of a house. The bell tower stands detached from the simple main church building with small windows. When you enter the church, which is imbued with a patina of the past Ottoman threat, you can immediate­ly sense the presence of the old master painters who creat­ed these allegorical images with nothing but a brush in their hands. Today these are exceptionally valuable pieces of our heritage.

That's us.

View to the valley.

Through the gate and back to the valley.

 

Our course was set to down.

 

On our way back home we stopped for a pizza in Pizzeria Orli. We totally recommend it, especially since they use a special yeast for the dough.

#hiking #Kamnik-SavinjaAlps #CatahoulaLeopardDog #pizza #spa

15886

Slovenia: Dinner for St. Martin's Day

Saint Martin's Day is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours and is celebrated in the liturgical year on 11 November. Since the celebration in Slovenia lasts the whole week, we celebrated it 2 days later with some delicious food and wine in Karavla 297.

 

Duck liver mousse and pumpkin soup.

 

Duck and a dessert accompanied with the wine.

#food

15879

Slovenia: Skočniki

The unspoiled nature of Beli potok valley hides a wild beauty of Skočniki waterfall, a 35-meters high waterfall that elegantly falls down the moss-overgrown abyss and today Nada, Bronco and me visited them. We prolonged our trip to Ingo's hut and then we returned back to our starting point.

 

Nada, Tuši and Bronco on our way to the waterfalls.

Our first selfie.

 

Approaching our destination.

Only Bronco's tail wanted to be on the photo.

 

Finding first geocache.

At the Hunter's hut.

 

Amazing Skočniki waterfalls and our Bronco.

 

It is quite difficult to approach the waterfall and make good photos.

 

Time to say goodbye to Skočniki and move on around the Vršič hill.

Lost below the mountains, but only for a while.

 

Small lake on our way.

Monument to the mountain climbers and Finžgar's chapel.

View from the Ingo's hut, where we had a beer.

Last part of our hike was along the Sava river back to our starting point - Garmin Connect.

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable item "Bicycle Geocoin", TB6P7HF):

- Skocniki, GC1WGRG, where I dropped off trackable item "Finnish Flag Micro Geocoin", TB9N8D5

- Bikeway Tarvis- Jesenice 18, GC8BYEH

- Bikeway Tarvis- Jesenice 19, GC8BYEP

- Bikeway Tarvis- Jesenice 20, GC8BYEZ

#hiking #mountains #waterfalls #JulianAlps #CatahoulaLeopardDog #geocaching