Busy Bee Traveler

07/06/2024

Zelenci Nature Preserve just outside Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

07/06/2024

Today's trivia...
The word 'donna' comes from Latin's 'domina', meaning 'mistress of the house', which has a clear root in 'domus'. 'Donna' is another eroded form; try saying 'domina' really fast lots of times to see how linguistic erosion turned the middle syllable 'min' into a double 'n'.
In medieval times, 'donna' was a term of respect, equivalent to 'noblewoman', while 'femmina' was the general term used for 'woman', derived from the Latin term for breastfeeding. In Sicilian, 'fimmina' is still used for 'woman', but in standard Italian, 'femmina' is usually only used to mean 'female' in the sense of biological gender, for example to distinguish the s*x of animals. 'Donna' is the default word for 'woman'.
The reason for this is probably because standard Italian has its roots in the courtly love poetry of the likes of Dante. When scholars were trying to choose one of Italy's many dialects to become its standard language, they were drawn to Florentine because they thought that the many great literary works in Florentine had ennobled this dialect. Dante and co. liked to refer to their muses as 'donne' as a way of praising them. In Dante's Commedia for example, 'femmina' is used far less than 'donna' and only ever in Hell and Purgatory - it is strongly linked to the woman's flesh identity rather than her mind or soul. In standard Italian, 'femmina' still has a slightly derogatory sense - so for example you might hear an Italian man disgruntled with his romantic life complain that he has met plenty of 'femmine' but few 'donne'.

https://www.thelocal.it/20160414/the-strange-history-behind-five-everyday-italian-words

07/06/2024

A few favorites from June 3rd!

07/06/2024

That afternoon we drove about 10 minutes up the road to see the Zelenci Wetlands Nature Reserve. We turned up into a valley, and had discovered their winter sports training park, Planica.

07/06/2024

Morning rainy walk and sunny afternoon visit to Lake Jasna on the way to Vrsic Pass.

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

Rain cleared out and the mountains came back into view, so we took the short drive up the “Russian Road” to Vršič Pass. It’s 1611 meters above sea level with 50 hairpin turns, and has some boggling views. This is the crazy road the Red Bull pony bike riders rode down! Built in 1915-1916 by Russian prisoners of war, a Russian chapel stands in memory of those lost in an avalanche building the road. Here’s a great blog “Toads and Rivers” link from a couple that has lots of great information. https://roads-and-rivers.com/en/vrsic-pass-slovenia/

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

Interesting overview of medieval weapons!

100 ways to die in the middle ages

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

06/06/2024

05/06/2024

On the way back from Lake Bled, we took the scenic route back through Triglav National Park. Such pretty farms and countryside, with hardly any cars! Then a Slovenian feast for lunch (with lots of leftovers for lunch the next day) at Kotnik Hotel Restaurant in Kranjska, followed by a long nap and another walk. We had late dinner next door at Ostarija, which was fantastic. They offer huge group meals served on a long charcuterie style food trough!

04/06/2024

Since it was a clear and pretty Sunday, we decided to go to Lake Bled and Bled Castle so we could see the mountains along the way. Wow!! There are bike/hike trails everywhere that run parallel to the main roads and people were out enjoying the day. We arrived at Bled Castle parking at the base of the hill to find parking was free and free shuttle vans up to the top. When we alighted our van we realized why - they were have a Renaissance type fair going on! Perfect!!

04/06/2024

Watching people take the chair lifts up and then riding the toboggan run down the hill from our balcony. And crazy people biking up that hill to zoom back down!

04/06/2024

We awoke to an amazing day and decided on brunch at Lacni Kekek, that has a great patio right next to the chair lifts. Their homemade lavender lemonade (with wodka) was sooo good, along with fresh-squeezed orange juice, freshly made bread, eggs Benedict and poached eggs. What a fabulous meal enjoying watching the cows and sheep drift across the ski slope. Then back to Vila Pavlina to load up for our day trip.

03/06/2024

The pony bikers had headed up the mountain for their race, so we set out to explore our new town for 4 nights. Kranjska Gora is a scenic little ski town with tons of restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and shops centrally located in about five blocks. I bet it’s really rocking during ski season and the summer!

03/06/2024

We got lucky with this awesome apartment rental at Vila Pavlina in Kranjska Gora! Located in the middle of all the action, right next to the ski slopes with a small herd of Simmental cattle, a flock of sheep, some goats and a horse drifting back and forth across the grassy slope. The quality and details in the construction of the building is impressive, as well as the creative decorating with antique and local crafts. Highly recommend Vila Pavlina and they have various size apartments! http://vilapavlina.com

03/06/2024

02/06/2024

02/06/2024

It was Saturday around 11:30 a.m. when we arrived in Kranjska Gora to cars parked everywhere, and people riding little bikes all around town. What in the world?? We soon found it was the 10th Annual Red Bull “Goni Pony” event. There were 1600 people signed up to ride their little pony bikes (20” wheel), in retro garb down from Slovenian’s highest road crossing, the Vršič Pass, which is 1,611 meters high with 24 serpentines coming down with 800 meters of height difference.
When we arrived, the pubs and bars and restaurants were bursting with partying Europeans dressed in fun to funky, with a few T-Rex’s thrown in. We found our Vila Pavlina apartment was across the street from party central for the event at Hotel Klompas. The music and loudspeakers were thumping, and bikers zooming everywhere. We made our way to Figo for lunch and to figure this event out, which started at 3.

02/06/2024

We drove from the Italian Dolomites to our 2nd destination yesterday, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, a gorgeous ski town in the Julien Alps close to the border of Italy and Austria. It was a chilly rainy day, but the scenery was still awesome for our 2.5-hour drive. Cloud-draped mountains, rushing rivers, gushing waterfalls, spring wildflowers, and a plethora of interesting building styles kept me snapping pictures along the way. The narrow and sometimes one-lane roads can be treacherous, with switchbacks and constant curves. Plus crazy motorcyclists, bikers and seemingly suicidal European drivers that aren’t scared to pass, no matter the danger. In some of the ancient villages, the roads are only one-lane wide (originally horse and carriage roads), so drivers have to decide who’s going to stop to let the other pass. Throughout mountain regions in Europe, their tunnels are impressive feats of engineering.

31/05/2024

Rain, rain, go away!!! Awoke to pouring rain for our last day in the Dolomites. Clouds and no mountains to be seen and nothing open. Finally got out and took a walk around the lake, piped into the church and then back to the apartment for mimosas and a nap.

31/05/2024

31/05/2024

31/05/2024

We rounded out the day with a walk down to the lake and a drink at Bucintoro, their great lakeside bar and restaurant. The lake color is AMAZING! There are so many gorgeous wildflowers blooming, and we had Italian wildflower books in our apartment for me to identify them.

31/05/2024

Yesterday we had lunch in Auronzo, then did a 2-hour driving loop to Cortina d’Ampezzo where the next Winter Olympics will be held. It was a ghost town! Spring season begins the first few weeks of June in the mountains, and sadly, most everything was closed still.