A few, exciting details discovered in Slovenia

 

While visiting a country, one learns numerous new things which are interesting but, often, too small to share separately. Here are a few that I collected during my last trip to Slovenia. They are all inspiring: excellent reminders of the differences and similarities shared among neighbouring people, as well as examples of human creativity and achievement.

1. An ingenious way of mooring the fishing boats

 

I was walking by the corniche of Izola when I spotted a small fishing boat hanging from two poles above the water. At first glance, I thought it was under repairs; apparently, though, this is an indigenous – and ingenious – way of mooring, frequently encountered throughout Istria, where the coastal line is coarse, the weather is often harsh, with strong gales and high tides, and the cost of building quays is prohibitive for the local, small settlements. With few available options, the fishermen of the area conceived the idea of planting two poles into the land and hoisting their boats from there for storage and protection.

The laced coasts of my home country are mostly peaceful, and, throughout the centuries, fishermen have always found with ease a safe spot for their property. Given the geographical proximity between Greece and Slovenia, I would expect to find there the same serenity, so the local mooring practices caught me by surprise. Once more, I realised that I was projecting what I knew as “norm” onto an unknown land and, although this is a common fallacy, it is, ultimately, the root of most misunderstandings and disputes. Hence, the little, hanging boat became more than just a cute detail: it turned into a reminder of the bias with which we often travel, and the effort we should continuously make to keep seeing through the eyes of a stranger.

2. Recycling practices

 

While in Slovenia, I was hosted in Koper and Ljubljana, in the respective family homes of a friend. In both houses, a sophisticated recycling system was used, with several bins and bags, the overall arrangement being so complicated that, during my short stays, I did not manage to learn how to effectively follow the rules. I was impressed – and a bit confused – until I saw the bins used downtown Ljubljana, and I realised how advanced Slovenia is on this front.

Since 2008, Ljubljana introduced the first underground trash containers, initially as a means towards gaining additional public space and clearing the city from odours and unpleasant sights. Today, there are 65 such containers that include five types of bins, while the quality of the overall management, a set of clear rules, the law-obedient nature of the Slovenians, and the risk of high fines turned Ljubljana into the first zero-waste capital in the world.

The five types of bins are as follows: green (for glass), yellow (for packaging), blue (for paper), black (for residual waste), and brown (for organic waste). The green, yellow, and blue ones are open for all to use, but the black and brown ones (for residual and organic waste respectively) are meant only for the residents, who pay for the waste management services. The covers of these two kinds of bins can be opened only by a special identification card, for which every resident pays a monthly fee and allows a fixed number of disposals, while every additional bag is extra charged. No wonder Ljubljana has achieved so much in a short time!

3. The famous Idrija Lace

 

In the centre of Slovenia, somewhere between the Alps and Karst, there is the town of Idrija, known for its mercury mines and its exquisite, bobbin-crafted lace. Lacemaking in Idrija can be traced to the 17^th century and was used by the wives of the miners as an additional source of income. Over the years, it was further developed and finetuned through the establishment of relevant schools, the ongoing use of traditional designs, and the introduction of the seven bobbins in the 19th century by the native Ivanka Ferjančič.

 

Following the tradition: a design, printed on a paper, is pinned on a pillow and, with the help of numerous pins and seven bobbins, a high-quality white thread is crossed and twisted to duplicate the pattern into a lace. This lace will later decorate towels, jewellery, dresses, accessories, or any other item the creativity of the Idrija women can fathom. Since my description gives little credit to the craft, I add here the link to a YouTube video where the technique is beautifully demonstrated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmVfhxNO72k.

 

4. Salt

 

Despite its short coastline (less than 50 km), Slovenia has two salt pans around Piran town, the largest being the Sečovlje Salina Landscape Park (1,600 acres) which, since the 13^th century, produces salt using the traditional methods and tools. As such, the local product maintains the exceptional taste and all the health benefits associated with high-quality salt. The brand “Piranske Soline”, going under the motto “Salt is the sea that could not return to the sky,” can be found in every town and city, offering a large variety of salt-based products one must definitely taste and buy when in Slovenia.

 

Unfortunately, I did not have the time to explore the salt pans and the park’s biodiversity. Interestingly enough, though, my visit there took place after a short trip to Messologgi in Greece, which is similarly famous for its salt and the biodiversity of its lagoon. Despite the quality of the Greek products, it is impressive that they are not equally promoted, and cannot be found in such an abundance as the ones from Piran. It is impossible to leave Slovenia without, at least, being aware of Piranske Soline, while tourists in Greece are rarely familiar with the Greek salt – which is a pity.

 

5. The painted beehives

Beekeeping is a well-known practice in all the Mediterranean; yet, it is only in Slovenia that I encountered the unique habit of painting the front panel of the beehive with colourful stories inspired by biblical or folk tales. The art is known as panjska končnica, dates to the mid-18^th century, and is mostly found in northern Slovenia. The painters were artists (professional or self-taught), using natural pigments and flax oil (to ensure the drawings would last). The oldest known painted wooden panel dates to 1758, and, over time, more than 600 themes and stories have been presented. The craft is not only unique but fascinatingly joyful as well – and comes in sharp contrast to the somewhat serious disposition of the Slovenians.

 

Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou.

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