The village of Velike Bloke lies in the middle of a vast karst plateau Bloke, a remote and wild place in the heart of Slovenia. Lying above 700 m ASL Bloke plateau remains wild and untamed. There is almost no place for agriculture, and deep forests are home to huge beasts, inclunding brown bears, wolves … Read more
So, in late February we visited Planina karst field and river Unica running through it – and we saw something strange in the bed of the river. Could this be something, we were asking ourselves, maybe an ancient boat? What is that? Luckily, we weren’t asking just ourselves, but some professionals too. They were interested, … Read more
So we have an update on them strange circles and pottery shards! 😊 The big guns from the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts looked into our photos and came up with a preliminary verdict: 1. The circles are (almost surely) mushroom-made fairy rings. As you can see in the GIF … Read more
(***UPDATE Aug 3*** – after the experts of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts looked into all this, there are some preliminary conclusions: the rings are (almost surely) mushroom-made fairy rings, and the pottery shards are Roman! Read more here.) Well, then … When we were forced to leave the … Read more
These are the ruins of the castle of Kalec (also Steinberg, Štemberk), near Zagorje in Upper Pivka valley, Slovenia. Built by the Stemberg family in 1622, it had two wings and a central round tower – the only thing that still stands. Castle Kalec – ‘Steinperg’, Štemberg – in all its former glory. A litograph … Read more
In the late 19th century a physician dr. Karel Bleiweis argued for a specialized psychiatric hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A ‘Narrenhaus‘, a ‘lunatic asylum’. As the general attitude to the ‘crazies’ and ‘lunatics’ improved, and with emerging push for the more humane and institutionalized psychiatric care, the efforts of dr. Bleiweis payed off: an ex … Read more
New Fužine district in Ljubljana were constructed from 1977 to 1988 and remain the largest housing project in Slovenia, sprawling on 61 hectares, a home for almost 20.000 people. New Fužine are the most densely populated area in Slovenia, with over 38.500 inhabitants per square kilometre. View across the apartment blocks towards the Ljubljana centre. … Read more
The Praia do amado – Lovers beach – south of Lisbon and west of Faro, Portugal, is a surfers paradise. The long sandy beach faces due west, into the Atlatic winds. While the beach is family friendly, there are some strange surfers rituals going on. Kite aerial photos, shot with Nikon 1 J1 on a … Read more
Island of Pag, Croatia, has the longest coast of all the islands in the Adriatic. Belonging to the Northern Dalmatia archipelago, it lies just across the Velebit channel, its eastern coast facing the furious Bora wind that comes crashing down the mountain. Winds on Pag are steady, perfect for flying kites – and for generating … Read more
This is the Trnovo parish church in Crna vas, Ljubljana Marshes landscape park, Slovenia, dedicated to Saint Michael – known as the Church of St. Michael in the Marsh: It was designed and built by the famous Slovene architect Jože Plecnik in the late thirties and consecrated in 1940. This little architectural gem is unique … Read more