Following are the links to the installments of the travelogue, "Baylor Family Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste 2019."
(Pre-trip: The 12 Days of Slovenia & Trieste)
Showing posts with label Lake Bled. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lake Bled. Show all posts
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Link compendium for Baylor Family Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste 2019.
Following are the links to the installments of the travelogue, "Baylor Family Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste 2019."
(Pre-trip: The 12 Days of Slovenia & Trieste)
Sunday, December 01, 2019
Baylor Family Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste 2019, Chapter 15: Stunning views of Lake Bled from the Bled Castle heights.
Last time I reviewed Gostilna Pri Planincu, a great pub and eatery in Bled.
On Sunday afternoon at around 2:00 p.m., the view from our hotel room window turned gloriously blue for one of the only times during our stay in Bled.
Fifteen minutes later it was spitting snow. That's the mountains for you.
The "wellness" Hotel Astoria Bled rests on a hillside, and it's a five minute walk downhill to Lake Bled. To get to Castle Bled, perched majestically on the rocky bluff overlooking the lake, it's only a half-mile or so -- straight uphill. Off we went, first passing through the outer edges of this tidy and prosperous town. One hostel owner must be a football fan.
Further along was a rustic bar touting Laško, which along with Union comprises Slovenia's "Big Two National Lagers."
The hike was steep but mercifully short.
In varying forms, Bled Castle has been in existence for 1,000 years.
BLED CASTLE – according to written sources, the oldest castle in Slovenia, first mentioned in a 1011 donation deed as castellum Veldes. Perched atop a steep cliff rising 130 metres above the glacial Lake Bled is a symbol of Bled and Slovenia – Bled Castle. The image of the castle forming a dramatic backdrop to the romantic island and the church on it has earned the resort worldwide recognition through the centuries. Castle terraces offer spectacular views of the lake and the island, down the Dežela area with Lesce and Radovljica and over to the mountain ranges of the Karavanke and the Julian Alps.
From the castle ramparts the view was suitably breathtaking.
Those who go up, must eventually come down, which proved very fast.
First the castle in Ljubljana, then the one in Bled. Another was yet to come in Trieste -- well, a hilltop fortress at least. The trip hadn't been intended to be the Baylor Euro Castle Tour, but there you have it.
On Monday morning,we were off to Italy.
Baylor Family Croatia, Slovenia and Trieste 2019, Chapter 14: Gostilna Pri Planincu, recommended for drinking and dining while visiting Lake Bled.
Last time came a look at the Christmas market in Bled.
The Slovenian word "gostilna" (restaurant) derives from "gost," or guest.
The Gostilna is the nearest place you can think of to an English country inn, a large but very homely venue, predominantly serving food but also offering rustic pub-like elements that invite a longer stay or an evening visit purely for a pint or two. Originally these began through landlords inviting guests around to taste their local food and wine. In the countryside these venues offer a home away from home, roaring fires, hearty food and shelter from harsh weather. In addition to that Slovenia takes a break from the usual sullen Slavic service and in a Gostilna you can expect to be treated like a host treats a guest at their house.
A gostilna might be any restaurant, although these days the imperatives of culinary arts, gastronomy and tourism have led to the development of an appellation of authenticity, "Gostilna Slovenija." This is a designation that must be earned.
Each carefully selected gostilna must meet a certain criteria, including strong family connections that have passed through generations, and use locally sourced ingredients to produce traditional dishes paired with Slovenian wines. They must also maintain strong ties to their local communities. A gostilna provides a central place for spending time with family and friends, celebrations and other social occasions, where food is often the focal point. All gostilnas carrying this trademark will represent a collection of highly acclaimed businesses that all strive to uphold their Slovenian heritage and promote Slovenian gastronomy to a wider audience. Slovenia has over three thousand restaurants, many of which are gostilnas.
Presumably far fewer than 3,000 will qualify to be placed on the "Gostilna Slovenija" list, and in all honesty, I've just now become aware of its existence.
I also don't know whether Gostilna Pri Planincu in Bled has met the standards for inclusion. Perhaps not, considering that a pizzeria under the same management operates on the second floor, and pizza is Italian, not Slovenian. We didn't go to this atmospheric gostilna (founded in 1903) for pizza, but to enjoy outstanding regional meals, beers and ambiance. I loved it.
Gostilna Pri Planincu was our choice for Sunday dinner, a last meal in Bled, after climbing up and back from Bled Castle.
Roughly translated, the name means the “Mountaineer’s Restaurant.” Situated less than one hundred yards from our hotel, we'd noticed Gostilna Pri Planincu on Saturday afternoon, post-Christmas market lunch and pre-hot tub. We popped inside for beers. The place was packed, so we found two barstools and enjoyed draft Union Pivos -- and the witty repartee of the English-speaking bartender.
You'll notice that someone has a predilection for license plates and motorcycles, and these decorate the front room. The rear seating area is pleasingly rustic, as we learned on Sunday when we returned to eat and found an almost empty gostilna. After all, the weekend was over.
There was a regional meat and cheese board.
Heavenly garlic soup.
Pork cutlets beneath our respective gravies.
And for something different, a draft craft lager, Komunajzer Broz.
Komunajzer beers bear an explanation.
Josip, Broz, Tito and Jovanka Sold as Beer, by By Jasminka Mitkovska (Total Slovenia News)
"We managed what Tito failed to do" is Komunajzer's slogan.
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and a Slovenian microbrewery is reaping the benefits of branding some of its beers after some characters of the past. The socialist era may be long gone, but Novo Mesto microbrewery Komunajzer has been annoying plenty of people while experiencing a decent uptick in sales after naming his beers Josip, Broz, Tito and Jovanka, famous names in the region, all tied of course to the former Yugoslav leader and his wife.
Diana went back to our room to begin packing, and I stayed for a nightcap with a second witty bartender in as many nights.
He sold me two beers for takeaway: Bernard, from Czechia, a tasty pilsner.
Stuffed with prime gostilna fare, we readied for the trip to Trieste on Monday morning.
But first, in the installment to come, recounting the Sunday walk to Bled Castle.
12 Days of Slovenia & Trieste (Part 8): The Kingdom of the Zlatorog.
This digression is launched by memories of a beer from Slovenia called Laško Zlatorog
However it never occurred to me to learn what "zlatorog" means, so in order to explain, observe that Bled in Slovenia, where we're spent the weekend, lies just a few miles from Triglav National Park which Lonely Planet describes:
Triglav National Park (Triglavski Narodni Park; commonly abbreviated as TNP), with an area of 840 sq km (over 4% of Slovenian territory), is one of the largest national reserves in Europe. It is a pristine, visually spectacular world of rocky mountains – the centrepiece of which is Mt Triglav (2864m), the country's highest peak – as well as river gorges, ravines, lakes, canyons, caves, rivers, waterfalls, forests and Alpine meadows.
Hence, the Zlatorog, or Golden Horn.
Enter the Kingdom of the Zlatorog
One of Slovenia’s best-known legends tells of a golden-horned chamois who reigned over the Julian Alps. Enter his kingdom and search for his greatest treasures, which lie hidden in Triglav National Park and its surroundings.
Wikipedia summarizes the story of the Zlatorog, as recorded in 1868 by the writer Karl Deschmann.
Goldhorn's golden horns were the key to a treasure hidden in the mountains around Triglav. A young and brave hunter from the Trenta Valley fell in love with a beautiful girl and managed to win her heart by bringing her beautiful flowers. However, one day, a rich merchant from Venice came by and tried to gain her attention by giving her golden jewelery and dancing with her. As the hunter approached the girl, she mocked him. The hunter was desperate and left. Persuaded by another hunter, called the green hunter, who was said to have brought about the fate of several honest boys, he decided to go that very night to find Goldhorn and claim his treasure. In the morning, they found the animal, shot it, and pursued it. The dying animal dragged itself onto a narrow, rocky ledge. Suddenly the boy saw on a dangerous trail the most beautiful and healing flowers. The green hunter forced him on to catch the Goldhorn before it ate the magic Triglav flowers that grew from its blood, but it was too late. The Goldhorn had already eaten one and the flower gave it tremendous life power. It ran towards the hunter, who being blinded by the bliss of its golden horns, lost balance and fell from the mountain. The river Soča brought his corpse to the vale.
I'll let you know if we found one -- the mythological white chamois buck, not the beer; I'm fairly confident of the ubiquity of the latter.
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