Slovenia – Travelling reflections

D27 Trans Europa Ljubljana – Gorizia

What a complez mess we make of the world. Gorizia is an area fought over, particularly during WW1 when the Italians were fighting against the Central Powers (Austro-Hungarians, Germany, Ottomans and Bulgaria), where it was bitter front line fighting. It switched back and fore, contested by Yugoslavia and finally ended up in Italy in 1947. The Yugoslavs created Nova Goricia instead. Today it is run as one Municipality across the border – as things should be.

It is also European City of Culture 2025. Not that you’d know it on a hot July day – like an empty Clint Eastwood cowboy film with the tumbleweed blowing down the deserted streets. Good news is a couple of gellato places were happy to help our sugar content.

The route here went over a wee mountain pass after a glorious cycle path out of Ljubljana for 10km or so. A sweeping descent to bring the smile to the brakes who were enjoying their day in the sun.

Stereotype warning if such things offend you. Slovenia was almost litter free all the way. Cross into Italy and there it is. Perhaps the Slovenians bring it here on their shopping trips.

The other judgement was a coffee stop in a town with a New Town – Ljubljana feel to it (Vrhnika) with new housing developments. Silly me, it’s of Roman origins on a strategic crossroads between the Amber Route and another one going East-West.

Tomorrow we pass South through a town we last went the West-East on the Orient Express trip. I’ll be looking for the welcoming bunting…..

Slovenia, Trans Europa

Trans Europa: Ljubljana

On a visit to the Castle we learned about the history of Slovenia. In a nutshell – Celts mugged by Romans mugged by Barbarians then Slavs. Along came the Hapsburgs and Austria-Hungarians. The WW1 (an Axis occupied territory and a battle ground with Italy. Then into Yugoslavia and coming out in 1990s.

Today the capital is melting with tourists and competitions for shade. A very compact and picturesque tourist trap centre. It proved to be an ideal rest spot – the inclination was to move slowly. If at all. Good food.

Tomorrow up and over the hills and descend into Italy.

Slovenia, Trans Europa

D26 Trans Europa Celje – Ljubljana

A day following rivers as they wound their ways through the pretty valleys – which they had probably created in the first place. I wonder if they had planned for humans to build bridges?

This trip two years ago had to be rerouted as flooding had just taken out the bridges and roads. Today’s cool in the shade and toasty in the sun/

We crossed a number of interesting structures: from an 1895 “enter at your own risk” to a wooden covered 1935. The latter opened up opportunities for the folks on the opposite side to the railway line.

The lines were happily busy with huge cargo trains with pedestrian ones taking theit chances in between.

Two great highlights and a negative. The latter was the amount of Japanese knotweed along the river bank adjacent the railway. Maybe it had been brought in originally to stabilise the embankment. That didn’t distract from the main show: the gorgeous Alpine looking scenery and the chimney stack.

360m of it – the tallest in Europe. Which of course gets you to think what is the tallest in the world – 419.6m in Kazackstan. Britain’s tallest is at Drax, some paltry 258m. Right said Fred.

The Trbovlje Chimney (Trboveljski dimnik) of the power station, built in 1976, is the tallest flue-gas stack in Europe. The 360-metre (1,180 ft) high flue-gas stack was poured in 210 days, and required 11,866 cubic metres (419,000 cu ft) of concrete and 1,079 tons of reinforcing steel. A high chimney was required for the site to ensure that emissions were removed from the deep, narrow valley under all weather conditions.

The power station shut in 2016. Of course it’s been climbed and there’s a YouTube video of two of the juggling standing on the rim. Not for me!

There’s quite a lot of old (coal) industry hidden in the valley sides, and new – including a huge and immaculate glass bottle factory dating from 1860.

Then into city heat as we enter Ljubljana and our “rest” day tomorrow.

Slovenia, Trans Europa

D25 Trans Europa Ptuj – Celje

Celje is Slovenia’s 4th largest city. Pre Roman origin and population of 38000. The Roman’s had a quite substantial settlement here, now 3m below current ground level – apparently due to continual flooding. Maybe their drainage wasn’t as good as we are led to believe?

An almost Swiss day as we climbed out of one plain and descended into another. Slovenia’s economy is varied – they’ve done well since emerging from the former Yugoslavia. The infrastructure for cycling is excellent. Everywhere is so clean. Coffee and cake is good too.

Petrol stations thus far on the trip have not noticeably been large chains – if you see any of those it’s BP with a few Shell. Electric cars are not very common. Electric bikes are. A few “SPARS”, not to be confused with Spas of which there are many. Lidl more common, some Aldi. I have to hunt for MnMs…..Smoking in public places / cafes has increased noticeably as we’ve moved through Hungary to here.

Slovenia, Trans Europa

D24 Trans Europa Moravske Toplice – Ptuj

Entering serious wine drinking territory today. Via prosperous looking villages and towns. Each village seemed to proudly present its Fire Station.

A shorter day, to spend some time in Ptuj which traces is origins back to the Romans. A military fort at a strategic crossing point of the River Drava. Today’s 18000 population rely on tourism and culture. Former European City of Culture 2012. What with that and and ploughing championships it’s all happened here.

It’s on a plain. To get there we went via Jerusalem, which was a bit surreal but offered lovely views. But no coffee as it’s a Monday. Just like home?