Gabrovka, Slovenia
by Larry Zaletel
Through the breaks in the clouds we begin to see the mountains slowly pass beneath us as we first glimpse the villages and green valleys of Slovenia below. “There may be a vintage when you arrive,” my cousin had exclaimed on the telephone before we left home. I am really looking forward to picking grapes with my family. However upon our arrival in Slovenia my wife and I learn that the grapes were picked the day before as the grapes and weather conditions were favorable. It is mid September and abnormally warm for this time of year.
The Village
It is an awakening visiting the country of my family’s heritage. There is much to see and learn, understanding about the village and adjusting to the differences in customs, the diversity of rural life and the outlook on life in general. This is an opportunity to observe and live village life on a daily basis.
We are in the village of Gabrovka two kilometers down a narrow winding road from Zagradec, Slovenia. It is located amidst the mountains of the province of Dolenjska, nine kms from Ivancna Gorica and 30 kms southeast of Ljubljana. It is a small village with about 23 families; a pastoral community of green rolling hills surrounded by farms and dotted with abundant forest. Although the age of the village is uncertain the small village church of Saints Primus and Felician up the hill from the house where we are residing dates back to the 16th century.
The current family home is situated just behind where the old homestead was located until it was demolished in 2009. Unoccupied since the 1990s it had deteriorated as time and the elements wreaked havoc on the stone, brick, and limestone walls. Its mortared walls were crumbling to the point that they were becoming a hazard. Built sometime in the early 1800s the old homestead was where my grandfather was born. He left his home as a young man to journey across the ocean to America and settled in Cleveland, Ohio.
Morning in the Village
I faintly hear the sounds of a rooster crowing somewhere in the valley and also ringing faintly in the distance is the sound of church bells from the Church of the Assumption in Zagradec. The sunlight begins to invade the room and my slumber is shattered by the heavy gong of the bells of Saint Primoz. Added to this myriad of sounds a tractor heads out to the fields just beyond the village edge.
It is a warm Saturday morning and we venture up the street to explore the village. Around the corner a very old house with rickety wooden stairs and front porch is to be torn down and replaced by a new home. Many of the homes date back over a hundred years and are made of stone and mortar. They represent the history of the village; others relatively new are built of orange stone tile whose exterior is covered with a white cement coating. The newer homes are brighter on the inside, spacious and with larger windows. Many are built on the weekends by the families themselves with the assistance of friends and take years to complete. The land is kept in the family and passed down through the generations. There is also a farmhouse or two complete with barns, cows and chickens. We pass a woman sweeping and cleaning outside around her home. She glances up and looks at our unfamiliar faces seeing the outsiders who have invaded the village. We slowly walk by and say “Dobro jutro” (good morning); she smiles faintly and continues her sweeping. Across the street another woman is digging in her flower box that is attached to the railing of the house.
My cousin is out and invites up onto the terrace for a visit. The terrace provides a good view of the village below and out into the distance overlooking the valley is Zagradec. He returns shortly with Cvicek wine a Dolenjska favorite. It is a dry red wine and somewhat sour. Cvicek is synonymous with Dolenjska and is just about unknown outside of Slovenia.
Later we reach the top of the hill overlooking the village. There before us is a panoramic view of the church, farms and homes of Gabrovka visible beneath us. Beyond, the fields are being tended and in the distance on the opposite side of the valley the tree covered mountains overlook Zagradec. The trees are just starting to turn colors into their autumnal hues of orange, gold, and red. Horses are quietly grazing in the fields and the occasional sounds of cows mooing can also be heard.
Farming
Much of the arable land in the village is farmed and tractors can be heard moving down the lanes during the early morning and evening hours. I am told that farming is not profitable enough to provide a good living in Slovenia. Therefore most people have mixed farms which mean that they also have day jobs so the farm work is done in the evenings and weekends. Now at the end of the growing season the villagers harvest the remaining vegetables of tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage etc. They are busy clearing the land, turning it over, and putting it to sleep for the winter. The plots of land some neatly plowed ready for the winter’s cold winds, some planted with winter crops like rye and others lay fallow rejuvenating themselves for a future crop. In the fall the villagers’s cut wood from their forest, and store it for the upcoming winter. The grape vineyards having been picked are mostly bare.
Groceries
Good fresh bread does not last long in Slovenia due to the lack of preservatives so frequent trips to the market are required. To obtain groceries and bread we drive to Ivancna Gorica, a city complete with a small train station. The rail line connects Ljubljana and Novo Mesto and is used by passengers. Ivancna Gorica has a population of about 14,000 people and grocery stores of Mercator, Tus, and Hofer. Hofer is the Slovenian version of Aldi. The Mercator soon is our favorite. It is somewhat larger than the others and has a better selection of groceries. We obtain certain staples that should last us for the duration and learn quickly the differences between grocery stores in Slovenia and the United States. The cuts of meat are not the same so we must make due and improvise. It has been a long time since we ate brown eggs (jajce). We were able to purchase some in the Mercator and they were good. But the best and tastiest were provided by some of the neighbors in the village. They have thick shells and rich yellow yolks. We enjoy them for breakfast in the morning and they are delicious with ham (sunka). One day we have a taste for hotdogs or wieners and they have a variety with pork, beef, and some with horsemeat. However they are just not the same, but their homemade sausage is tastier.
Automobile
During our visit our rental car a red Fiat with Croatian license plates was parked in the front of the family home. It appears that a local villager called a family member because they thought that the property was sold and that the new occupants had moved in. We were glad that the villagers were watchful and observant. However news does move fast in a small village.
Other Observations
A truck visits the villages regularly with necessities for those who can’t go to the market or store. The truck can be heard from a distance because over the loudspeaker system they play a Slovenian polka, “Moj Ocka Ima Konjicka Dva” (My Father has Two Horses).
I also notice that in the village the world moves slower and life is unhurried and quieter. Although we are out of the mainstream we keep up with the news of the world through the facilities of the library in Ivancna Gorica. Yet surprisingly over the space of our visit the world continues and nothing really changes much. We were sad to hear on Thursday 9/29/2011 that Lojze Slak, one of Slovenia’s most popular folk music accordionists had passed away overnight. Later in the evening there were numerous programs on the television and on the radio in his memory and Radio Straka 94.6 also played Lojze Slak music in his memory.
Ljubljana Food and Wine Walking Tour
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If You Go:
About the author:
Larry Zaletel is a freelance travel writer, an avid, dedicated traveler, and recurring visitor to Europe. He writes about the various people and places that he has met and have visited during his travels.
All photographs are by Larry Zaletel:
Tractor in the village of Gabrovka
Overlooking the village of Zagradec from the village of Gabrovka
Grocery Truck in Gabrovka
Maribor, Slovenia border crossing between Austria and Slovenia
Cannes needs little introduction having achieved such film fame both Mickey Mouse and the Pink Panther themselves have left their hand prints in cement along its coastal promenade. Beach restaurants crowd the sands, taking possession of waterfront for their patrons and leaving but small tailings for the public. From the heights of its old castle can be seen the Cheshire Cat-smiling beach grinning out to sea. A sea filled with yachts to make a mariner drool and a beehive of business. Amid the watercraft run ferries to the nearby Lerin Islands, each isle staking its own claim to fame.
The largest, Ile Ste. Marguerite, holds the fortress, Fort Royal, and prison where the famed Man in the Iron Mask was held. Trails, museums and restaurants abound for the pleasure of tourists. We chose the smaller but no less interesting Ile St. Honorat where Cistercian monks have returned to a monastic life dating back to the 15th century. The church tower, rising high above waving palm trees, is readily visible from the coastal trail and overlooks the older remains of a fortified monastery jutting daringly into the very seas from which marauders came for plunder. The trail is dotted with chapels and legacies of war, though the contemporary peacefulness of the place makes turmoil seem so alien.
Mougins is, at first, unassuming until you learn the real medieval town is perched above the main road. It is a relatively short but steep climb to the jewel that draws tourists in their numbers. A less frequent bus travels the route if time and your patience permit. Most famed for its highly rated restaurants and the annual week-long Gourmet Festival it is equally appealing for its twisting narrow streets, plazas, galleries and studios. It appears as if the town has grown out of the hill itself as buildings rise and fall like protruding tree roots. The church bell chimed above us and echoed through the streets. Narrow lanes framed camera-ready shots. Life hums here.
Tagging along with my wife and daughter I had little chance of avoiding perfumeries but more significantly the International Museum of Perfume. Even the limited range of my sniffer was awakened in this three level marvel which seemed to fit into the town like a piece from a jig saw. Everything you wanted to known about perfume is there. History, interactive aroma displays, a world of perfume containers from elegant to humorous and movies had us leaving more than two hours within its walls. When we emerged it was in another part of the town near a bronze statue of a parfumeur and a plaza with a spectacular view over the Mediterranean, incorporating Mougins and Cannes.
Sintra, Portugal
Once I pay for my ticket at the ticket office housed in a trailer, I follow the signs and go through the turnstile. I walk past some workers manning a zip line that allows them to bring up wood planks and other constructions materials from down below for restoration work at the castle. I follow the signs along the path.
nce I reach the battlements, I can see undulating land disappearing in the distance beyond the stone walls. The Portuguese flag and the Moorish banner flutter in the cool winter breeze. It felt damp and cold in the shade but warm –too warm to wear a jacket- out in the sun. The turrets and keep glowed in the afternoon light, in sharp contrast with the darkness created by the dense vegetation below.
The Moorish invaders began to build what is now known as the Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros) in the 8th century. Its vantage point at the top of the hill is a perfect defensive position. It’s easy to imagine the sentries marching along the walls, keeping an eye out for the Christian armies. And it is equally easy to picture the hosts of King Afonso VI swarming up the hills in 1093 in a successful attempt to take Sintra from the Moors. The fortress changed hands between Moors and Christians a few times more until Lisbon was conquered by Dom Afonso Henriques (the first king of Portugal) in 1147, when the Moors surrendered the castle to him.
The Moors were able to withstand siege with fresh water from the springs, which they channeled into the cisterns, with the grain that they stored in the silos and because the castle was impregnable. However, it was impregnable on only three sides. Its Achilles heel is the sloping woods. It’s not difficult to see how Dom Afonso was able to override their defenses and storm the fortress. The chapel of S. Pedro de Canaferrim was added to the castle after the conquest as the parish seat.
Life on Ithaka is quiet. There is no nightlife and very few buses run between the villages. Consequently, taxi drivers do a brisk business. Of the population of 2500, most are elderly and retired people. Most young people leave, preferring life in mainland cities for school and work. Those who do remain, mix agriculture with tourism, but the season is only for two months. The Ithakans want more tourism, but they hope to attract mainly a mature public who can appreciate the island’s unique history.
Teams of archaeologists have been digging around the island, looking for evidence of Homer’s Ithaka and Odysseus’ Bronze Age city. I visit the Cave of the Nymphs where a team of American archaeologists and students are busy sifting and sorting through rubble brought up from a ten meter pit. This cave is believed to be the one where Odysseus hid the gifts given to him by the Phaecians when he returned home after his long, arduous voyage. There were originally two caves in two levels, but they have been collapsed by an earthquake. The cave has two entrances, so it fits the description in The Odyssey. Homer says it was a cave dedicated to the Nymphs. The cave has been used as a religious site, so in this way it fits with the Odyssey. These excavations may help identify the location of Homer’s Ithaka.
Is Ithaka the Homeric Ithaka? German archaeologists have claimed that the island of Lefkada is really the island Homer described. Why would Odysseus have his kingdom a small island such as Ithaka?
All three temples face eastward, presumably to allow the rising sun to shine on any deity statues inside. Furthermore, they are close together on flat terrain which allows for easy comparison. Having these three large structures so close to the road as you arrive is intimidating. You almost feel like their respective deities are still inside demanding your worship and sacrifices.
The neighboring Temple of Poseidon, dating to 450 BCE, is the largest and best preserved structure on site. Thirty-six honey brown travertine columns form the peristyle. This temple reflects the transition between the Archaic and later Doric styles. Again the remains of two altars are located in front of the structure. Only the larger altar is of Greek origin; the smaller is Roman.
The Ekklesiasterion is located just inside the park fence, opposite the museum. The circular, limestone oratory was the site of democratic assembly for this city-state. This low-lying structure has 10 levels of seats.
The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is all that remains of the ancient Greek city of “Akragas”. Founded in 582 BCE, residents would construct eight temples over the next century. Of these, only five are accessible on site.
The Temple of Hera stands at the highest point of the ridge. Twenty five of its 34 honey brown calcarenite columns remain standing, making it the second best preserved temple in the park. This temple was constructed between 450 and 440 BCE.
Exit this side of the park to visit the last two temples. The first is the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri). Four of the 34 honey brown columns remain standing amidst fruit-laden olive trees. Here visitors find that Greek-style columns were not one solid cylinder. Rather they were assembled from several cylindrical drums. The end of one of these drums features a square indentation. A wooden peg may have been set in this indentation as a means of aligning and stabilizing the drums as they were stacked one upon the other. Visitors should note that some of the drums on site may have belonged to other structures at one time.
You can put the Valley of the Temples into perspective with a tour of the Archeology Museum.
Arriving at the Neapolis Archeological Park you find little evidence of any ancient structures within. Your first impression is that of a quarry. Appearances are deceiving as the park actually includes the largest Greek theatre in Sicily. This theatre is hidden from view by trees. You only discover the structure when you arrive on site. Carved out of a limestone hill in the 6th century BCE, this theatre held 15,000 spectators in 67 rows of seats. A tunnel around the periphery may have allowed people to enter and exit the theatre quickly. The upper level of the structure features a number of arches carved out of the solid rock as small “grottos”. One of these holds a small waterfall inside. Compare this Greek theatre to the nearby 3rd century CE Roman amphitheatre. The Greek theatre is semicircular and open while the Roman structure is oval and enclosed.
Leave the Museum and walk to Ortygia Island, the historic center of Syracuse, for more Greek history. Your first destination is the remains of the 6th century BCE Doric Temple of Apollo. Only two of its 42 grey limestone columns and a section of wall remain standing. This temple is in a serious state of disrepair after last having been used as a church during the Norman period almost one thousand years ago. The temple grounds are fenced off from the public.
