AlfredoTours

29/01/2024

Sometimes, they even organise volleyball and supping tournaments on the Ljubljanica river 😊

17/11/2023

The Autumn boat ride on the Ljubljanica river (Ljubljana, Slovenia) can be really very pleasant. Especialy if you are in a good company 😀.

20/10/2023

A mix of Habsburg order, Mediterranean languor and oriental notes, Trieste is the city of the largest square open to the sea in Europe, Piazza Unità, of the San Giusto Castle which dominates the gulf, of the seaside alleys of the Cavana area, of the Miramare Castle , a dream residence and the Molo Audace, which 'boldly' juts out into the sea defying the Bora.

21/09/2023

A very beautifull and excellent horse ride in vineyards experience with our guests from Malta. A slightly diferent way to enjoy the day.

15/09/2023

The medieval shoemaker street in Koper.

((image: Dario Stepancic)

04/09/2023

Still guarding the bridge ?

The Dragon bridge in Ljubljana;

According to local legends, when a virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails. Some local people have nicknamed this structure "mother-in-law" because of its fiery nature.

16/08/2023

𝙁𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙚 𝘼𝙪𝙜𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞. 𝗟𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗼.

Il 15 agosto segna il giorno festivo di Ferragosto.
Probabilmente in molti sanno anche che si tratta di una giornata di origine romana.

Lo sapevate però che è unica a Italiani? E che in origine non si celebrava il 15 di agosto?

Ma partiamo dall'inizio.

Il Ferragosto nasce come 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪, e viene istituito come giornata di riposo dal lungo lavoro nei campi dall'imperatore Augusto, come intuibile dal nome, nel 18 a.C.

La festività cadeva tuttavia originariamente non il 15 agosto, ma nelle 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪, ovvero il primo giorno di agosto.

La nuova festività istituita da Augusto era una chiara mossa di autopromozione da parte del primo imperatore, e di fatto apriva il più lungo periodo di riposo che prendeva diversi giorni di agosto e comprendeva, ancora prima dell'istituzione delle 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪, numerose altre festività legate proprio al raccolto e al riposo dopo le lunghe settimane precedenti, dedicate al duro lavoro nei campi.

Le 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪 si andavano infatti ad aggiungere a festività antiche come i 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢 (in onore di Giove e poi anche di Venere, celebrate il 19 agosto), i 𝘕𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 (13-15 agosto, in onore di Diana e in origine celebrati presso il lago di Nemi) e i 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 (dedicati al dio Conso, dio di granai e approvvigionamenti, celebrati il 21 agosto).

Durante le 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪, venivano disputate corse di cavalli (dalle quali derivano, semplificando molto il discorso, i palii di origine medievale e spesso ancora praticati oggi) e gli animali da lavoro come asini, muli e buoi erano agghindati con ghirlande ed esentati dal lavoro.

Anche se la festività che poi è diventata il Ferragosto non era intesa per la sola pen*sola italica, col tempo si è mantenuta solamente in Italia, anche grazie allo Stato della Chiesa.

Ed è proprio allo Stato Pontificio che si deve, infine, lo spostamento del Ferragosto al 15 del mese, che ha incorporato la giornata nelle sue festività, incorporandola con il giorno dell'Assunzione di Maria.

15/08/2023

On the edge of village Hrastovlje, among vineyards and olive trees you will spot a stone wall above which a bell tower of the church of the Holy Trinity peeks. Looking like a small, ancient fortress.

But what attracts most visitors to this little church is the famous “Dance of the death” fresco.

We spent great few hours there with our lovelly group from United States 😀.

10/08/2023

New day, new pletna boat ride to the Bled island.

Priceless 😀

14/07/2023

The castle of Miramare is one of Trieste’s most striking attractions: a romantic castle overlooking the sea, built in the mid-nineteenth century by the Habsburg Archduke Maximilian

Its name is the Italianised form of the original Miramar, derived from the Spanish “mirar el mar”, as on visiting the promontory on which it now stands, Maximilian of Hapsburg was inspired by the memory of Spanish castles on the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.

09/07/2023

The medieval marvel has been perched in the middle of a 123-metre-high cliff for more than 800 years.

Will humanity ever produce something like this again?

Really a must see.

07/07/2023

New day, new Pletna* experience 😎.

Pletna - a traditional boat called pletna. Pletna boats are made by locals and are typical of Bled. Their origins date back to 1590.

11/06/2023

Lovelly P**a

01/07/2020

The insert from “The Balkans Trilogy” tour. Legendary Mostar - an ancient times town.

28/06/2020

kayaking on the Soča river, Slovenia

photo

22/06/2020

Finnaly, Kremsnita - the famous Bled’s cake. Njammm. Enjoy!

20/06/2020

The Michelin guide says; Come. Visit Slovenia !

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/the-michelin-guide-celebrates-slovenian-gastronomy-for-the-first-time-and-promotes-sustainable-european-tourism?utm_medium=OR

For its first launch event since the beginning of the health crisis, Michelin is pleased to celebrate a brand new destination: Slovenia. Slovenia, a country that...

27/11/2019

What makes December in Slovenia so magical ?

20/03/2019

Eight million tons of plastic are thrown into the sea every year. It's our fault. Gaston Zama has been around the world to document the plastic emergency and try to raise awareness of this problem.

Otto milioni di tonnellate di plastica vengono gettate in mare ogni anno. Gaston Zama ci accompagna lungo le spiagge e sui mari di tutto il mondo, dove l’emergenza plastica ha preso il sopravvento. Un problema spesso sottovalutato che riguarda tutti noi e le nostre vite.

03/03/2019

Crispy and crunchy, kroštule are a tasty sweet which diligent hosts prepare from simple ingredients always present in their kitchens, and the recipe for these quick snacks is passed from generation to generation.

02/03/2019

In Slovenia, the Carnival season is joyous, mischievous, and colourful. The Carnival events and parades are held in many large towns and cities. There, you can see traditional Carnival characters and masks reflecting the reflecting the current state of...

http://alfredotours.com/blog/2019/03/02/carnival-costumes-herald-spring/

14/02/2019

Happy Valentine's Day 🥂

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13/02/2019

Lake BLED really took care to pleasantly surprise with it's winter fairy tale scene and unmatched beauty. More on:

https://bit.ly/2UTtaSd

24/01/2019

From 15 July to 2 September 2019, British Airways will operate a twice weekly service (Fridays and Mondays) from London Heathrow to Ljubljana Airport. British Airways.

21/01/2019

The hills between Italy and Slovenia are a green spot without distinction. Here a generation of winemakers who have learned Italian with cartoons produces an extraordinary wine: the Rebula

Read more (in Italian): https://bit.ly/2RSuyH0

18/01/2019

A journey into Slovenia's wine country

Cave networks used by medieval knights, sunlit rolling hills filled with family run vineyards and towns atop vast wine cellars – Slovenia’s landscape offers a rich cultural tapestry to explore.

17/01/2019

Slovenia is rich in gems of natural and cultural heritage. Certain gems are an important piece in the mosaic of world heritage and are under the auspices of UNESCO. The World Natural and Cultural Heritage List includes two natural and cultural sites.

09/01/2019

60 % (7 out of 12) wines are from Slovenia & Istria. Cheers !

https://bit.ly/2VEotgg

17/12/2018

Don't let this happen !

According to a recent report, the expensive delicacy may vanish from southern Europe by the end of this century.