sLOVEnia

[EN] A country full of love (I mean, it literally has love in its name), and a special love for environment as we found.

Even Ljubljana sounds a bit like love (in Russian ljublju means I love). And I recognised quite a few words similar to Russian and some words even similar to Romanian (like the word frizer for example, which means hairdresser. And I had a haircut, fairly cheap in comparison to the UK).

Our first stop in Slovenia was in the Olympic Park, where you can stay overnight in your car/motorhome/van as long as you pay for parking (I think it was about €12 for 24hrs). The only downside in Slovenia is that you can’t stay overnight for free in nature like you can in France and Austria for example, you can only stay in designated parking spaces that you need to pay for.

Anyway, life is very active at the Olympic Park. Lots of early risers and very active people doing all kinds of sport. I saw for the first time an artificial ice slop for skiing. And people practicing amazing long jumps on green slops.

Next we stayed near Ljubljana, a 30 min walk distance to the city centre. A beautiful walk along the river with many nice restaurants. The actual centre is for pedestrians and cyclists only. Their recycling system is very efficient. They have electric cars transporting people for free. They have milk machines where you can bring your own bottle and buy unpasteurised, fresh milk. No, there is no cow inside the machine (that was the guide’s joke). They encourage people to drink tap water for its amazing quality and they have plenty of spots around the city we’re you can refill your bottle (for free). They have a lot of green spaces. A lot of alternative energy. In fact, they produce solar panels and trying to make them more efficient (at the moment they are only about 20% efficient). No wonder why they were voted the greenest capital in Europe in 2016!

They have amazing wine, but they don’t export too much of it, because they prefer to drink it themselves. Fair enough. Especially for a population of only 2 million people (Slovenia, not Ljubljana).

We went on a free guided tour and we have been to quite a few different similar guided tours in other cities, but honestly we have never seen so many people. We are usually one group. In Ljubljana we were nearly 200 people waiting to be divided in different groups for a guided tour of the city. Plenty of interesting and funny facts. One of them is the unofficial slogan: come to Slovenia, we will make a president out of you, or at least first lady (Melania Trump is from Slovenia).

When you’re there, try their traditional cake called Prekmurska gibanica.

Don’t know what else to say, other than: Slovenia is amazing!

[RO] O tara plina de dragoste (pana si numele tarii are cuvantul Love in mijloc), si mai ales dragoste pentru natura si ecologie.

Si numele Ljubljana suna plin de dragoste (in rusa ljublju inseamna iubesc). An recunoscut cateva cuvinte care se aseamana cu rusa si cateva chiar cu romana. Spre exemplu, frizer.

Cand am ajuns in Slovenia, am parcat in Parcul Olimpic, unde poti sta pe noapte in masina sau rulota (€12 pentru 24 ore) . Unicul dezavantaj in Slovenia este ca nu prea sunt locuri unde poti sta in Natura gratis peste noapte ca in alte tari ca Franta sau Austria.

Viata este foarte activa in Parcul Olimpic. Oamenii practica diverse sporturi de dimineata. Am vazut pentru prima data piste cu gheata artificiala de ski si piste verzi pentru a practica diverse salturi cu skiuri.

Urmatorul popas a fost langa Ljubljana, 30 min distanta de mers pe jos pana in centru. O plimbare placuta de-a lungul raului si multe restaurante simpatice. Centrul propriu zis are acces doar pentru pietoni si biciclisti. Insa exista si masini electric publice GRATIS. Sistemul lor de reciclare este foarte eficient. Ei incurajeaza consumul apei din robinet, si au multe sure in oras unde iti poti umple sticla cu apa. Au si aparate de lapte unde poti sa aduci sticla ta si sa cumperi lapte proaspat nepasteurizat. Nu, nu au vaci inauntru (gluma facuta de ghid). Au multe spatii verzi si multa energie alternativa. Au si companii care produc panele solare si incearca sa le eficientizeze (la moment eficienta e de doar aproximativ 20%). Nu e de mirare de ce au capatat titlul de cea mai verde capitala in Europa in 2016.

Am fost si la un tur ghidat gratuit (concept destul de ras pandit in Europa, e gratis, dar poti sa lasi cati bani vrei la sfarsit). E prima data cand am vazut atat de multi oameni la un tur ghidat din asta. Erau aproape 200 oameni, ne-au impartit in mai multe grupuri. De obicei in alte parti eram doar un grup! Am invatat multe lucruri interesante si amuzante. Unul din ele este sloganul neoficial: veniti in Slovenia si facem din voi presedinte, sau cel putin prima doamna (Melania Trump e din Slovenia).

Ah si au un vin foarte gustos, insa nu exporta mult pentru ca prefera sa il bea ei 

Au si un desert traditional foarte bun, se numeste Prekmurska gibanica.

Si iata cam asa, cateva impresii. Noua ne-a placut mult Slovenia.