Mine & Wine, Sea & Salt
Door: Iris
07 Oktober 2016 | Slovenië, Izola
I left Kobarid with mixed feelings. The first stop I made on my way South was the Franja Partisan Hospital. This is a unique place, a reminder of WWII, but not just a reminder: it is an inspiring place, where people helped people from all nationalities, in difficult circumstances, where people cooperated to make life better for each other, where life's were won, …and unfortunately some were also lost due to severe injuries, or deathly deceases .
Hidden partisan hospitals were a specialty of Slovenian resistance movement during the 2nd World War. Franja, named after the physician Dr. Franja Bojc Bidovec, a woman who ran the hospital, is one of the rare preserved hospitals of this kind. First wounded people were brought to the difficultly accessible gorge of Pasica in December 1943. The transport of the wounded was happening by night and besides this the wounded were also blindfolded so that they couldn't betray the hospital. The hospital had its own armed and efficient defence squad. The gorge was attacked twice, however the hospital was never discovered and the last injured people left in May 1945. It has been opened for visitors in 1946 already.
I have no particular interest in WW history but this place became one of the highlights of my trip so far. It is amazing how they transported the wounded to this place that was so difficult to reach, how they even placed certain stones at certain places so that they knew which ones were save to step on in the dark so they would not make any noise because of falling stones, how they would play musical instruments, sing songs, take care of each other and keep up the spirit in these hard times, and especially, how well-organized they were.
Walking away from the hospital, with the Kobarid - experience still under my skin, I wondered: would someone like Hitler have been different if he would have had another background, or met other people in his life, or somebody would have had the right conversation with him…I don't think so.. But…as of which point do you need to give up on someone? How do you know if they can change or not? If they "behave like" an asshole or "are" an asshole? How do you know if you need to run or fight? And how do you fight people like this? How do you live with them?
Over the years, questions like these, however mostly on smaller levels than the Hitler-case :-), have become almost an obsession for me. It s like I am on a quest to find the answer on how to turn bad into good, simply put…Can you make an egocentric person less egocentric? And how? ... I m afraid I may never find the answers to my questions…
After a coffee, I drove on to Idrija, where I spent the night. Idrija is a town of lost glory, you can feel it immediately and see it on the, what once were, glorious buildings…Idrija had it s time when mercury was won out of the mines. Today still, every day, they need to pump the water out of the old mine tunnels as otherwise the town would collapse. I descended over a 100 meters below the surface into the old hallways of the mine. Again, I have no particular interest in mercury or mines, but I found this one of the most impressive tours I ever did. The mines were still operating during the time of ex-Yogoslavia. It is the European Commission that decided they had to be closed down, because working conditions were terrible and mercury is poisonous when it comes into the blood stream, by inhaling it. As alcohol seems to have a positive affect on this, most men working in the mine became alcoholics, bringing their home made bottles with a mixture of pure alcohol, tea and water, to work. After the mines were shut down, the glory days were over…However the region is beautifully green, and in my opinion, has a lot of potential..Only, I sadly, had the impression, the locals did not see it that way anymore…as if they had given up..
The next day I left to the Vipava wine region, dotted with local little wineries all over :-). There is almost not one house/farm that does not make its own wine. Unfortunately, I was driving... so no tastings for me…I stayed overnight in Stanjel, where I did taste 1 glass, and felt like a princess there, as it is upon a hill, overlooking the whole wine region, and surrounded by thick, fortified walls and a bombastic garden, designed by a famous architect, which makes a really nice walk.
And then finally…I arrived at the sea. My favorite place, where I stayed 3 nights, is called Izola, which used to be (and still is a bit) a fishermen's village but now is home to countless sailing ships and famous for its regatta's. The first day, I got up early and ran east, to Koper, a seaside town, close to the Italian Trieste, which felt really promising when I arrived, but then left me sit on my expectations…and I had to run the 7km back to Izola...So, the next morning I rented a bicycle and went west, direction of Kroatia, towards Piran and Portorose. The salt planes past Portorose are beautiful, bordering the sea, and home to nice birds. Portorose itself could not enchant me, and Piran was nice, but it were mainly the bike trail itself, which used to be an old railroad, and the area between Piran and Izola, called Strunjan, that I fell in love with. That is, except for the chocolate/salt bars they sell at the salt pans near Portorose. It sounds crazy but it is a great combination: salty chocolate…such fascinating taste that I finished my bar even before I finished my short visit.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and so I found myself driving inland, wondering why I had decided to leave the coast, as I loved it there..I ended up only driving 12 km away (:-)), and found myself enjoying a glass wine in a winery on a hilltop, overlooking the vineyards, the sea and the Trieste-bay..what a view, for only 25 euro/per night and 1 euro per glass of delicious home-made wine. They even had little, basic, but beautiful houses in the vineyard, for rent, in joyful colors and with authentic furniture.
As time is pushing me, today, I drove further inland, to Cernika, about 40 km from Ljubljana, where I need to be this weekend to talk about the dolphins and whales that reside in Slovenian waters, and pass by the coast as well. I will be in Ljubljana till monday or Tuesday, and then I want to go and try to spot some bears in the Eastern forests near Kroatia. Let's hope they do not spot me first...
Hidden partisan hospitals were a specialty of Slovenian resistance movement during the 2nd World War. Franja, named after the physician Dr. Franja Bojc Bidovec, a woman who ran the hospital, is one of the rare preserved hospitals of this kind. First wounded people were brought to the difficultly accessible gorge of Pasica in December 1943. The transport of the wounded was happening by night and besides this the wounded were also blindfolded so that they couldn't betray the hospital. The hospital had its own armed and efficient defence squad. The gorge was attacked twice, however the hospital was never discovered and the last injured people left in May 1945. It has been opened for visitors in 1946 already.
I have no particular interest in WW history but this place became one of the highlights of my trip so far. It is amazing how they transported the wounded to this place that was so difficult to reach, how they even placed certain stones at certain places so that they knew which ones were save to step on in the dark so they would not make any noise because of falling stones, how they would play musical instruments, sing songs, take care of each other and keep up the spirit in these hard times, and especially, how well-organized they were.
Walking away from the hospital, with the Kobarid - experience still under my skin, I wondered: would someone like Hitler have been different if he would have had another background, or met other people in his life, or somebody would have had the right conversation with him…I don't think so.. But…as of which point do you need to give up on someone? How do you know if they can change or not? If they "behave like" an asshole or "are" an asshole? How do you know if you need to run or fight? And how do you fight people like this? How do you live with them?
Over the years, questions like these, however mostly on smaller levels than the Hitler-case :-), have become almost an obsession for me. It s like I am on a quest to find the answer on how to turn bad into good, simply put…Can you make an egocentric person less egocentric? And how? ... I m afraid I may never find the answers to my questions…
After a coffee, I drove on to Idrija, where I spent the night. Idrija is a town of lost glory, you can feel it immediately and see it on the, what once were, glorious buildings…Idrija had it s time when mercury was won out of the mines. Today still, every day, they need to pump the water out of the old mine tunnels as otherwise the town would collapse. I descended over a 100 meters below the surface into the old hallways of the mine. Again, I have no particular interest in mercury or mines, but I found this one of the most impressive tours I ever did. The mines were still operating during the time of ex-Yogoslavia. It is the European Commission that decided they had to be closed down, because working conditions were terrible and mercury is poisonous when it comes into the blood stream, by inhaling it. As alcohol seems to have a positive affect on this, most men working in the mine became alcoholics, bringing their home made bottles with a mixture of pure alcohol, tea and water, to work. After the mines were shut down, the glory days were over…However the region is beautifully green, and in my opinion, has a lot of potential..Only, I sadly, had the impression, the locals did not see it that way anymore…as if they had given up..
The next day I left to the Vipava wine region, dotted with local little wineries all over :-). There is almost not one house/farm that does not make its own wine. Unfortunately, I was driving... so no tastings for me…I stayed overnight in Stanjel, where I did taste 1 glass, and felt like a princess there, as it is upon a hill, overlooking the whole wine region, and surrounded by thick, fortified walls and a bombastic garden, designed by a famous architect, which makes a really nice walk.
And then finally…I arrived at the sea. My favorite place, where I stayed 3 nights, is called Izola, which used to be (and still is a bit) a fishermen's village but now is home to countless sailing ships and famous for its regatta's. The first day, I got up early and ran east, to Koper, a seaside town, close to the Italian Trieste, which felt really promising when I arrived, but then left me sit on my expectations…and I had to run the 7km back to Izola...So, the next morning I rented a bicycle and went west, direction of Kroatia, towards Piran and Portorose. The salt planes past Portorose are beautiful, bordering the sea, and home to nice birds. Portorose itself could not enchant me, and Piran was nice, but it were mainly the bike trail itself, which used to be an old railroad, and the area between Piran and Izola, called Strunjan, that I fell in love with. That is, except for the chocolate/salt bars they sell at the salt pans near Portorose. It sounds crazy but it is a great combination: salty chocolate…such fascinating taste that I finished my bar even before I finished my short visit.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and so I found myself driving inland, wondering why I had decided to leave the coast, as I loved it there..I ended up only driving 12 km away (:-)), and found myself enjoying a glass wine in a winery on a hilltop, overlooking the vineyards, the sea and the Trieste-bay..what a view, for only 25 euro/per night and 1 euro per glass of delicious home-made wine. They even had little, basic, but beautiful houses in the vineyard, for rent, in joyful colors and with authentic furniture.
As time is pushing me, today, I drove further inland, to Cernika, about 40 km from Ljubljana, where I need to be this weekend to talk about the dolphins and whales that reside in Slovenian waters, and pass by the coast as well. I will be in Ljubljana till monday or Tuesday, and then I want to go and try to spot some bears in the Eastern forests near Kroatia. Let's hope they do not spot me first...
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