Sunday 24 November 2013

Coastal Slovenia - small but perfectly formed


I seem to have spent a lot of time talking about Slovenia recently. But, as I said in my last post, it is a country that gets under your skin. The last few weeks have been busy ones, with a work trip to Rome, a lot of networking, and a whole lots of shining up the CV. We have even gone as far as to start up our own teaching websites in order to best sell ourselves to the European market. We must get back there, and the closer to Slovenia the better.

So, why the obsession? We have been to beautiful places before and not had a desperate need to up sticks and move there. Rather than one big draw, it seems like there are a whole lots of small things that add up to something rather unique in Slovenia.

To get to Slovenia from Morocco we flew into Milan Bergamo and rented a car. It is about 400km along highways which should make it easier than it is. Driving in Italy, where everyone thinks they are a racing driver makes highways more stressful even than back home in Morocco. A four hour journey takes it out of you, especially when you get lost in Trieste's remarkably ugly industrial zone, in the dark, just 20 km away from your destination. Leaving the hulking shapes of factories and warehouses behind, it is calming to cross a barely noticeable border into Slovenia, where you are instantly in peaceful, rural surroundings and small spread-out, dimly-lit villages.

For our first night we were staying in Marezige, a tiny town in the hills overlooking the industrial port of Koper. Arriving late on a Sunday, very tired and somewhat irritable, we were dreading the prospect of having to make the inevitable journey down the hill and into Koper to find somewhere to eat. There was little sign of life in any of the villages we had passed through on the way up. We got to Marezige and passed a vineyard, instantly making things look more positive. Then, rounding a bend we came upon a small restaurant, twinkling with fairy lights and looking very much open.

For our first experience of Slovenian hospitality, we probably couldn't have done much better. We were met by a broadly smiling waitress who led us to a cosy table. We sipped cold beers while studying the enormous menu. European cuisine is always a pleasure after living in Morocco, but this menu was fabulous. Nick opted for the highly taboo ham cooked in red wine sauce, and I went for the lighter option of pork on pork with the mixed grill. 

 

Slovenia produces up to 90 million litres of wine a year, yet exports very little of it. Slovenians love wine and drink nearly all of it before it can leave the country. They sell it by the litre. We ordered a litre of white produced just down the road. This arrived with a free aperitif for me. This was not going to be a quick meal.

The food arrived. One thing I have learned from this trip, the Slovenians have big appetites. The portions are enormous. From main meals to cream cakes, you will not be finishing your plate. When in doubt share.

A whole lot of pork and a portion of profiteroles later, we were just about ready to roll ourselves down the hill to Casa Oasa where we were staying, but not before trying one of the many digestifs at the back of the menu. The aperitif had been lovely, so we had high hopes. If there is one thing I would recommend avoiding when visiting Slovenia, it is the tasting of random spirits. Instead, just spray a can of hairspray quite liberally into the air and then walk through the resulting cloud. This way you at least avoid the extreme chemical burn going all the way down to the stomach. We found we needed to leave quite quickly after that, so paid the remarkably cheap 40 Euro bill and stumbled home.

http://www.casaoasa.com/

Taking a break from stumbling home.
  The next day started somewhat delicately. The hangover a lot bigger than we had intended. The plan for the day was to go and have brunch in Piran, Slovenia's prettiest town, before driving up the country to Lake Bled. Dating back to the Napoleonic Wars, Piran has a distinctly Venetian feel. Beautiful cobbled alleyways, colourful and ornate architecture, and a wonderful CafĂ© culture. However, unlike it's grander more touristy counterpart across the Adriatic, Piran has crystal clear water, is free from stagnant lagoon smells, and has coffee that doesn't cost 6 Euros. 
 






Hairspray spirits the night before aren't the most motivational ingredient to add to a day, so we explored a lot less than planned, and spent a large part of the morning eating. Just in case we didn't reach our P.I.G (pork intake goal) the day before, we started the day with a ham and cheese sandwich and coffee on the waterfront. We took a short walk along the promenade, round a church or two and then down a few narrow alleys. It was here that we stumbled across our next hidden gem of a restaurant.

Tempted by the seafood but still a little full, we decided to share the seafood platter for one, washed down with delicious grapefruit beer. When the food arrived I had to suppress a gasp of surprise and with a hint of panic at the bill, and confirmed what we had ordered. The 11 Euro seafood platter for one. This thing was enormous. Fried potatoes, fried fish, deep fried calamari rings, grilled calamari, and our personal favourite, and something of a revelation to us, calamari stuffed with cheese and ham. We shared one and were still unable to finish. Something a little unheard of when it comes to seafood. The couple on the next table ordered two, after having appetizers. I did mention people in Slovenia have big appetites.


 


Very full and somewhat over indulged, we had completed our coastal stage of the Slovenia trip. Now for the 173km journey that would take us from the bottom to the top of the small but beautiful country.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Fingers and everything else crossed you are able to get a job close by there!
Love Val xxx