Some Slovenian stuff

11 Jun Some Slovenian stuff

Grow your own
They’re all at it in Slovenia! From the moment we crossed the border at Jesenice they’re all around. Vegetables. Allotments run along the side of the railway line, planted in pleasingly straight rows, so many varieties, tightly packed and at that perfect stage of bloom – out and green but not yet harvested so no untidy gaps. Every spare bit of land, sometimes a patch in the middle of a field of wheat or some other crop; back and front gardens of every house have a vegetable patch from the tiniest 2 ft square to acreage that would keep the whole of Bled in cabbages come the winter.

Language
Managed to learn the basic four: hello, goodbye, please and thank you (not the ‘and’). ‘Hello’ is particularly useful. You can walk along any old street and say “Dobre dan” to your fellow man and they are none the wiser that you’re a wee lass from Scotland who’s just shared 25% of her Slovenian with you on the first date! ‘Please’ is more demoralising. It’s out of your mouth and you have nothing to follow it up – “Prosim…… Can we have two beers” feels so feeble. Fortunately those Slovenians we have met in bars, shops and the like, speak wonderful, gentle English and love to show it off in their understated way.

Understated, however, is not how I’d describe the House Rules (all 19 of them) at the apartment where we’ve been staying. Examples:
Rule 4 Noise disturbs other guests. Night quietness is expected from 22.00 till 7.00
Rule 12 Moving furniture is NOT allowed!
Rule 17 Final cleaning is included in the cost of the room however the owner does reserve the right to charge up to 50 EUR for extreme situations.
Rule 18 Before you checkout the owner will check the situation.

Eek!

But all signed off with ‘Have a pleasant stay!’

The pitfalls of translation – don’t you just love it?

More humour in the restaurant near the gorge, offering ‘Frog legs and Trouts’ – we settled for the coffee – “Hvala” (thank you) and “Na svidenje” (Goodbye)!