Ljubljana

Ljubljana

The Wife tells me she’s in Ljubljana, visiting her ancestral homeland, and that she’s eating a lot of wild meat, like stag. Here’s a shot of some beef carpaccio over buckwheat mush that she had yesterday.



If anyone here has been to the tiny country of Slovenia, she’s open to suggestion. Honestly, is there really a country of Slovenia, or is she just bullshitting me? She said it's near Italy, but I can't find it on a map.

Waaay back in the day, I did my college semester abroad in what was then Yugoslavia, including spending time in Ljubljana (city of bridges). Back when it was part of Yugoslavia, there were a lot of tensions, because Slovenia was relatively wealthy - far more so than the other nations of Yugoslavia (although Croatia was a close second). Macedonia and Kosovo (the latter not a nation, but a region of Serbia) were jealous.
Although she pretends to be Italian, Lidia Bastianich is from the area around Trieste, which has been under Italian rule off and on, but is really part of Slovenia.
So, if you're in Croatia, take a left and you'll have to go through Slovenia before you get to Italy.
And make sure your wife visits Lake Bled. Plitvice isn't far, too.

nr706 wrote:Although she pretends to be Italian, Lidia Bastianich is from the area around Trieste, which has been under Italian rule off and on, but is really part of Slovenia.

Funny. When The Wife tries to explain where Slovenia is, she says it's "practically Italy." So near; so far.

I think Bled is actually in the plans.

if she crosses the border, tell her to check out the fabulous old town of Cividale, the boozy, strudel-like local specialty, to try a Gubana, and this outstanding little trattoria, just a couple of miles from the Italy/Slovenia line:



I hear that they're starting to produce some good Friuli-style wines in Slovenia.

We were in Slovenia a couple years ago and it happens to be one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. It's very mountainous and looks much like Switzerland. Lake Bled is a glacial lake and popular tourist area, similar to Lake Tahoe. It's a memorable area. At one time, parts of Slovenia were Italian and some coastal towns have a beautiful Venetian look. Piran and Isola are worth the drive. Restaurant Ribik, in Secca near Piran is right on the sea and serves terrific seafood.

I have to agree with the previous posters that Slovenia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe.

Unfortunately it's been over 10 years since I was last there - so I can't recommend a particular place.
But another area to look into is heading north-east from Ljubljana towards Maribor over Celje. At that point you start getting into the Hops growing area of Slovenia... It becomes more Austrian/German influenced than Italian...

I'm looking forward to hearing the stories of her trip!

Hi,

To find Slovenia, you will find it has an Austrian border, too. It's proximity to Austria got it quickly out of the war with Serbia. The Austrians said any '"accidental" flyover to their space was a declaration of war. I have been to Ljubljana a number of times, often arriving from Zagreb.

Once, I was departing Moscow the next day for Ljubljana. I was having dinner with friends who liked to make clever jokes. I kept saying Ljubljana, they'd looked at me odd inquiring, "Why are you going to Lubyanka?" Lubyanka was the KGB prison. Given that the joke was coming from someone known to be KGB, it seemed especially funny (or scary).

In the region you are in, there are two favorite foods: lamb cooked on spit often sold by the kilo in restaurants. The other favorite are the seafood restaurants with fish and scampi fresh from Adriatic. My favorite meal: Scampi Buzara, which are crawfish cooked in a tomato-garlic-cognac sauce that is to die for. If I was by myself, I would get an order of Scampi Buzara and a green salad. If I was with others, I would get the scampi buzara as an appetizer, then select a fish to be grilled over live coals finished with a brushing of oil and garlic and a green salad.



I use every spoon and scrap of bread to get every bit of the sauce. It is so wonderful.

The last time I was Zagreb with my Dad, we had a huge argument over where to eat. He favors lamb, I wanted by Scampi Buzara. I lost. I am still a bit mad about that.

In this part of the world, a typical dessert is crepes filled with rosehip jam. Plus the usual Balkan foods of Cevapcici, roasted peppers in lots of stuff, baklava, ect.

Regards,

Koper Slovenia is a beautiful little port city, with a bunch of wonderful seafood restos right down on the waterfront. You can't hardly miss there. Trieste is only about an hour north on a good highway—a really interesting city, with what they claim to be the best gelati in Europe. (Actually, it IS pretty good!) There is a stupendously good resto in Trieste, whose owner makes his own wine. Can't remember the name at the moment, but I most certainly could re-discover it.

One of the very very best Slovenian wines is their Barbera: very true to type, refreshing, and, if you can find a rustic local one, it'll take you back to your grandfather's vino!

Geo

David Hammond wrote:Honestly, is there really a country of Slovenia, or is she just bullshitting me? She said it's near Italy, but I can't find it on a map.

Here is Slovenia & Ljubljana on a map.

Before I purchased a house and travelled much more than I do now, Slovenia and Croatia were near the top of my to-go list. They still are, if only for their slight exoticness, mixed cultures and beauty. I look forward to hearing any reports of anyone's travels here.

If I get ambitious, I'll go down to the basement and dig out and scan some of my own Ektachrome slides (remember slides?) of a snowball fight I had on the Fourth of July near the top of Triglav, in the Julian Alps, just northwest of Ljubljana. Hmmm .... ambitious .... me .... naaahhh

I was there a couple of times, but that was about 10 years ago, so I can't recomend anytign specific.

2 stories

when I arrived the first time, the taxi from the airport hit a wild boar. the taxi driver moved my bag into the front of the cab and tossed the not-quite-dead boar into the trunk, presumably to eat later. didn't offer me any...


I went to a resteraunt and the waiter was telling me about what they had - he said "we have pork, beer, lamb, pony, chicken, duck" I said "pony?" he said "yes, I say right? is little horse, no? pony?" anyway, tried pony, a little dry but not bad.


the city has a lot of italian influences, very pretty. there is (was) a nice farmers market on saturday morning in the center of the old city, if I remember correctly.

globetrotter wrote:I went to a resteraunt and the waiter was telling me about what they had - he said "we have pork, beer, lamb, pony, chicken, duck" I said "pony?" he said "yes, I say right? is little horse, no? pony?" anyway, tried pony, a little dry but not bad.

The Wife said she had a chance to eat horse the first night there. She passed. Unbelievable. I've never visited a restaurant with equine menu selections, but when I do, I'm going for it.

globetrotter wrote:I said "pony?" he said "yes, I say right? is little horse, no? pony?" anyway, tried pony, a little dry but not bad.

You ate a pony?!? I suppose you've eaten puppy, too?

aschie30 wrote:

globetrotter wrote:I said "pony?" he said "yes, I say right? is little horse, no? pony?" anyway, tried pony, a little dry but not bad.

You ate a pony?!? I suppose you've eaten puppy, too?

yup, and a real cute little turtle named archibald.

oh, but not the whole pony, that would have been a bit much. just a small part.

David Hammond wrote:The Wife said she had a chance to eat horse the first night there. She passed. Unbelievable. I've never visited a restaurant with equine menu selections, but when I do, I'm going for it.

David, I'd be willing to bet that you have already eaten horse- when you had a really cheap steak-frites during your student days in France. All the university dining halls and little cafe's served horse steak. I found out after the fact, but it was good, so, I didn't care.

As for Slovenian specialties, they seem to have quite a few good smoked sausages. Rene G posted on some made at Azman Market in Cleveland, and there is always potica, the nut roll that's a little more substantial than a strudel.

I hope Carolyn has a wonderful trip!

David Hammond wrote:
The Wife said she had a chance to eat horse the first night there. She passed. Unbelievable. I've never visited a restaurant with equine menu selections, but when I do, I'm going for it.

Been to Slovenia many times. My family hails from this little Austro-Hungarian Alpine country. Trieste is indeed a city ceded to Italy by Slovenia, under terms the Armistice that ended WW I.

The wife and I have had many fine meals in Slovenia, and horse has been on our menu more than once. It's delicious.

I'll bet when a citizen from Viet Nam visits Slovenia it's quite the dog and pony show at dinnertime!