lairdandjonelle

.Monday morning we left Ljubljana for Novak Lodge kind of near Novo Mesto.  We were met by Boris and Miriam Novak, who drove us to our week’s visit with them.  We went first to Scopkja Loko, a beautiful medieval town where we took a tour from a lovely young man who, in addition to being a licensed tour guide, is a lawyer (take note Chris et al, if you need extra income).  On to another beautiful old town to visit a honey bread factory — which while edible, is mostly made into highly decorated cookies that are keepsakes.  They showed us one piece that was 65 years old, first bought by a boy for a girl he was interested in; they were married for over 50 years.   Upstairs from the factory (really just a bakery), we had  a terrific typical Slovenian meal.  Oh, so yummy!  Then almost to the other side of the country to Lake Bled, where we were rowed (well, actually it was the boat we were in that was rowed, not us) out to the island in the middle of this breathtaking glacial lake to a church and tower.  I climbed up the (fairly steep) hill to the church, but wasn’t pain free enough to climb the 99 steps to the top of the tower.  But I rang the church bell and was assured good luck would follow me.  Back down, rowed back and we come back another long drive to Novak Lodge.  Pulled up, walked inside and it was like being home.  What a wonderful old building that had been Boris’ family’s fishing lodge and is now  considered to be the best restaurant in Slovenia.  Really.  So warm and inviting, the Novaks welcomed us in and showed us our rustically charming rooms.  Dinner last night gave us an amazing taste of what will be this week — one of my life’s greatest food joys!  What Miriam does is make simple food with the best ingredients she can find or source.  She knows the diets of the cows and pigs that  make it to their table, she forages in the forest for mushrooms, nettles, greens of all sorts and they grow their own vegetables.  What she cooks is the absolute best of what is available that day.  She cooks with love and joy and you feel it in every bite.  And, oh, the wines they pour!  Slovenians have been making wine for thousands of years and it shows.

Today, after scrumptious breakfast, we go off  to visit a Cistercian monastery where a famous monk-healer lived and worked with all the plants in the region.  I bought creams and tinctures and oils and clay to fix my back.  We went for lunch in a castle and talk about a magnificent meal — OMG!  Started out with a small ball of deer pate, served with three kinds of bread, a tiny quarter of a quail’s egg and a wild apple that wasn’t as big as a grape.  Beautiful, beautiful presentation and the table gleamed with silver, crystal and white.  White roses for decorations.   Next the soup course, pumpkin on one side of the bowl and zuchinni soup on the other side, married with pumpkin oil drizzle and seeds.  entree was pork, with the fat crackled like the best chicharones, fresh young peapods and something else that escapes me in this moment.  Dessert was hazelnut cake with apple ice cream with cinnamon.  I’d never had apple ice cream.  IT IS SO DELICIOUS!  And again, the wines were fabulous.

Home and nap.  Then workshop with Judyth before dinner.  How could we eat after that lunch, you ask.  And we did, too, but then we had trout carpaccio with foraged greens and we knew we could eat.  There are two women in our total group who are taking cooking classes and they helped prepare our dinner.  Next came salt-crusted trout served with boiled potatoes and nettles.  Fresh horseradish cream.  You have not had potatoes like Slovenian potatoes unless you’ve been here — delish!  I skipped dessert, apple strudel because I finally had had enough food and wine for the day.  Dinner finished about 9:45 — much later than is usual for me, but that seems to be the pattern here in Slovenia, I was eating much later in Ljubljana. too.  Luckily, tomorrow is a stay-at-the-lodge day.  Time to recoup, time for a couple of classes.     Everyone, get your reservations to Slovenia!

Had a lovely day yesterday.  Met Linda Durham, from Santa Fe, one of the three of us for the writing workshop — she’s going to be in Slovenia for a month.  We had late coffee at my place on the river (because I didn’t wake up until late morning — along with other things I find I forgot, like my back belt, I also forgot the NoJetLag, both missed greatly), then walked up the street to the funicular up to the castle.  Not much castle left, but it has become a cultural, arts, etc center for Ljubljana residents and a museum, which we didn’t see.  Ambled back to Macek, where we parted, she to go to her hotel to write and me to go upstairs to go back to sleep.  We met again for wine, then dinner.  We had black wine by the river and then went back to the restaurant I had been to last night, where we had orange wine — white wine made in the way of red wine, quite wonderful.  Another meal, the same thing I had the night before because I loved it so much.  Yummmm.  I think I might be able to live on carpaccio.  And the occasional donut, of course.  It was such a lovely day, beautiful autumn day, soft evening.  We’re in the pedestrian zone, no cars, people walk along the river, sit at outside bars and coffee shops, drink and laugh, such pleasure being apart of it just by being.  And what a pleasure meeting Linda!  She’s here working on her memoir manuscript.  I’m here to finalize my book of poetry that will be published, I hope, by Christmas.  Please, feel free to get your orders in for Christmas — or New Years — presents now!

So, I guess I’ve avoided enough and must get to packing.  Laird packed my suitcase so tight with everything I insisted I take that there is no wiggle room.  So I’ll have to be as neat about repacking.  Of course I brought all the wrong clothes! Or at least not enough of summer clothes and too many of colder.  Maybe when we get to our eventual destination it will be cooler and I will be happy I brought them.  Sure hope so.  As will everyone else who will see me in the same two pairs of pants and t-shirts if it doesn’t get cooler.

If you haven’t already thought you wanted to come to Slovenia, google it — it is a lovely, lovely place to be!  Happily yours, jm

What a gorgeous place!  Got here after getting up on Wed a.m. in ABQ at about 4:30, no hot water in the hotel for a shower, what the hell is THAT about???  I sure hope they comp my room (which was really lovely and big, but the lack of hot water is a no-go).  Flying to DFW, the Philly before leaping off the continent to fly for another 8 hours to Venice.  I won’t get to see Venice on this trip, but seeing it flying in  I know I want to come back.  Waiting 2+ hours before shuttle is due, boring as hell, the airport is being renovated, so nothing beautiful to look at while waiting.  Shuttle came, we were off a full bus of Slovenians and me, they slept, I looked at the countryside.  Of course, so lovely, Italian villas, vineyards everywhere, then Slovenia, mountains, green forests.  I was so miserable, back and legs hurting like hell, neck screaming, Iwanted to sleep so badly.  We get to Ljubljana, some soviet “inspired” buildings on the outskirts, but into the center, the charm circle — and boy is it charmed!  My shuttle driver helped me find my way in the pedestrian area, brought me to my hotel/hostel on the river.  Room is huge, but the bed is a BIG problem.  Modern, wooden shelf frame all around with mattress laid in.  I can get into the bed, but it is HELL trying to get out of it!  I’m going to be black and blue in the morning, I know, also probably whiplash, as I will have to climb out numerous times in the night, pay back for lots of water and two glasses of wine..  Nice nap, shower (finally!), dressed and go out the side door and see this interesting restaurant right outside.  I decide to eat there, white tableclothes, sparkling wine glasses, etc.  I choose outside, so they set me up there.  I said oh, my, carpacchio (sp?), and look, baked octopus — waiter says, let me suggest wines, I say whatever you think and I had a MAGNIFICENTLY DELICIOUS dinner.  For only a little over 36 euros.  Big tip, certainly. The waiter helped me through my assortment of universal and European plug conversions and damned if they effing don’t fit!  These plugs are too inset into the wall to let my universal plug plug in.  Shit!  Can only hope it will be better when I move to the Hotel Slon on Saturday and can charge everything.

Short walk up the street by the river before coming back, getting ready for bed.  My room is right over the street so it’s going to be pretty noisy — get out the earplugs I never travel without.  Need them even if my sweetie Laird isn’t traveling with me.

Start planning your trip to Slovenia — you’re gonna love it!  Tiredly yours, jm

I’m off tomorrow for Slovenia, going to a writing workshop with my friend Judyth Hill, with culinary sidelights with her partner Kris Rudolph. A couple of days early in Ljubljana, which I have now learned to spell, before we all meet. But Linda Durham, also from Santa Fe, is also early, so we have plans for drinks or dinner or whatnot. Never been to Slovenia, never been to Italy, so looking forward to it all. Fly into Venice, take shuttle to Ljubljana and get to see some of the countryside. Alas, I thought I had two days in Venice on the way back, but only overnight. Bummer. Do get to walk around Trieste one day, though, so that will be Italy. And I’m staying at an agritourism place on my one night in Venice. I might try to get to something of the watery part of Venice, depends on how tired I am.
Still packing — only the second time, so I’m doing pretty good, if a bit late at it since I’m going down to ABQ tonight for early flight tomorrow. Starting to get excited! jm