[A SLOVENIAN ADVENTURE] 10 Things To Do In Slovenia (willingly or not) Pt2

6. Take a wine tour in Bizeljsko

So, we're already on to part two of our '10 Things To Do In Slovenia' feature, and if you're still with me then my powers of persuasion must be working and by now you'll be thinking of a trip to Slovenia? Right? Well, if you need a little more persuading than what better way than to entice you with glass half full...of wine! Forget Germany, forget Spain (but maybe not France because that would be sacrilege), Slovenia's got its very own wine regions and some pretty kick ass scenery to boot. So get ofF that mountain and head east down to sunny Bizeljsko in the Lower Sava Valley. Of course there's always The Drava Valley and The Littoral regions, but if your friend's family own a vineyard, why would you go anywhere else?! 

I was lucky enough to have my own personal tour around the Berkovic estate, by Sarah who, even being the youngest of the family and holding preference over studying Chinese than learning about wine, knew a phenomenal amount about the production. Later I was taken to 'la casa de Berkovic' - where the magic happens. Over a dinner of srnji golaž (deer goulash) I was given an introduction to the art of wine making (and luckily, wine tasting) by Mr Berkovic himself, and the next generation of Berkovic wine makers, Saha and her boyfriend Jacob. A wine tour is a 'must do' on your Slovenian escapade, and I'm sure you'll take to such an activity very willingly. If you do, be sure to look up the Berkovic's!

7. Marvel the rustic beauty of Štanjel

I feel asleep in the car and I awoke to the sight of the towering walled village of Štanjel. Groggily stumbling up the hill, my mood started to brighten as the beauty of this place started to resonate with me. Narrow sloping streets lined with terraced stone houses featuring dilapidated windows of long vacated homes, creeping with vines, wild flowers and crumbling paint work. Almost completely deserted, this is is one of those jem's you just don't read about in a guidebook. Aptly referred to as the 'jewel of the Karst region', Štanjel was originally settled in Roman times and later fortified to defend against the Ottoman raids. A few centuries later along came the Counts von Cobenzl who built the adjacent castle, followed again by Italian habitation in the 1920's when local architect Max Fabiani was commissioned to create a garden on the outskirts of  Enrico Ferrari's elegant villa. If you're heading on down to the coast, make sure you stop off in this pretty little town. 

8. Uncover hidden springs & falls

If you marvelled at Bled, you'll be blown away by the dazzling sight of its source. The Radovna River which thrashes through gorges, rushes over waterfalls and cuts into the mountainside on it's way down to that emerald-green pool, is something of a spectacle in itself. If you're keen to get back up into those mountains, take a trip up to Vintgar Gorge (only 3.5 km from Bled) and walk the 1600m of rock-hugging wooden paths, galleries and bridges that hang, at time precariously, over seemingly bottomless crystal pools though which the Radovna flows smoothly before cascading over the Šum, Slovenia's highest river fall. And if you're still hungry for more powerful displays of nature, try Savica Waterfall, one of Lake Bohinj's primary inflows. This awe-inspiring fall is complimented, again, by its beautiful setting: a gushing 51m of water cutting vertically through the Komarča rockface, feeding a beautiful expanse of crystal clear emerald green water. Just watch out for that 20 minute up hill climb!

9. Get active on the Soča

I'm not one for launching myself willingly into ice cold water but I have to say, despite the loss of feeling in my limbs, getting active on the River Soča was one of the highlights of my trip. You can do this by way of kayak, raft or even canyoning. Our group chose rafting, which cost only €30 per person for a two hour escapade. As it was mid August, the rapids were only at a level 1-3, but it was still pretty thrilling nonetheless, and great for first-timers (like me!). The company gave a great introduction, showing us the ropes and even stopped at points for us to jump off seven metre high rocks into the 13°C water (brrr is an understatement). I haven't any pictures of the actual rafting experience - there was no way my 7D was coming with me, so you'll have to *insert imagination here* for this one. So, willingly or not, I urge thee to raft the Soča! You won't regret it!

10. Seek out Salt in Sečovlje 

It seems the end is night for our Slovenian mini-guide, but last but not least, in at no.10 is the salty pans of Sečovlje. Sounds rather boring, yes, but I bet you don't know how salt is made? Huh? Didn't think so. Laying on an expanse of brackish land on Slovenia's (very short) coastline, just a ten minute drive from Portorož, the area has now been cornered off as a nature park. It's tranquil yet somewhat eerily barren panorama holds numerous deserted, crumbling stone houses, randomly dotted across the pancake-flat landscape, bar one little house in which a man waits to guide you through the Muzej Solinarstva. The Museum of Salt-Making (regarded by the government as a cultural monument of national importance, don't you know) pays tribute to a time when the area and activity of salt production was one of the most lucrative money-makers in Europe. So not only will a visit promise you beautiful vistas and reflective photographic delights (cut late afternoon sun and shadows on the water), you'll also learn something about that essential, everyday cooking ingredient. Just a shame its such a long walk from the car...

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Well that's about it for Wandering Thread's Slovenia travel recommendations and I hope it has not just convinced you to put this marvelous little country on your list of places to visit, but inspired you to take a chance, climb a mountain, jump off a rock (into water, obviously) and experience something new.

As always, post your comments, questions and suggestions below! And for more Wandering Places, click here. 

[A SLOVENIAN ADVENTURE] 10 Things To Do In Slovenia (willingly or not) Pt1

So it's finally arrived, 'the Slovenian post' you've all been waiting for (hopefully), and it comes shaped as The Top 5 Things to do in Slovenia (according to Wandering Threads). WARNING: this is going to be a long one so I've split it into 2 parts. Now before we go any further let me warn those of you who prefer to 'people watch' from quaint little cafes and sunbathe your holidays away (I.do.not.blame.you), Slovenia is not a country where you can't say "No. No thanks, not for me." Uh-uh. 

I experienced this first hand whilst being made to climb the sheer face of a mountain side (sans harness), jump 7 metres off a rock into a 13°C river and force fed globules of fat in the form of meat in cream sauce with dumplings (x1000). No, Slovenia is not a place where you can 'just sit that one out', because if you do you will miss out on, well, everything. I learnt this the hard way from my seemingly superhuman Slovenian tour guides, Matevž and Sarah who regularly climb mountains for kicks. So, like it or lump it, in true traveller spirit (but maybe not so much 'wanderer' spirit...) you've got to dig out those hiking boots, train up those calves, wave goodbye to any notion of putting your feet up, and get ready to activate (!), if you want to experience the real wonders of Slovenia.
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1. Wander the streets of Ljubljana

What better way to ease yourself into your Slovenian sojourn than to flex those legs on a stroll around one of Europe's most picturesque, pint-sized cities. Yes it's the capital, but you won't find traffic jams and honking horns here. In fact, Ljubljana is so laid back that the only thing you have to listen for is the chiming of bicycle bells from behind you as you stop to take your 100th photo of the day. If you're feeling fit, take a walk up the hill to Ljubljana Castle and watch the sun set over the terracotta rooftops of the Old Town. And if you're visiting in summertime you can even watch a movie, al fresco, under the stars, in the scenic setting of the castle courtyard (Click here for details)!

2. Swim in Lake Bled

Ahh Lake Bled. A tranquil alpine oasis of emerald-green, bordered by pine covered mountains, towered over by Bled Castle and home to the infamous Bled Island church. This is the definition of picture-postcard beauty, if it's not raining that is. Time to get active (whilst still easing into things...), strip down, and dive into that crystal clear pool. Don't worry its not totally freezing, best if you just let you boyfriend push you in, in an almost voluntarily manner. I wasn't so lucky, and I wasn't so warm either. If you're not into swimming (but like I said, you shouldn't be saying NO!), take a boat out onto the lake, give those arm muscles a work out, and row over to the island for a better view of those beautiful surroundings. NB: yes you will be visiting those peaks in the background later, and I don't just mean by car...

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3. Capture Piran in 'The Golden Hour'

Whether its with a camera, a pencil, a box of paints or simply your mind's eye, you must visit Piran and capture its enchanting atmosphere. Not only am I absolutely insisting you visit this wondrous little gem of Venetian Gothic architecture, cobbled streets and scenic vistas, I am urging you to visit on a late summer's afternoon (aka The Golden Hour for those photographers out there). So get yourself a homemade ice cream (only 1 € from the chirpy Italian fellow by the harbour!), a cool glass of Union beer (not to be mistakenly pronounced 'onion' like one repeated offender I know) and while away  those afternoon hours before picking up your weapon of choice and heading off through the narrow passages to create a masterpiece.
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4. Climb a mountain

Yes, you saw it coming, the mother of all exertions, the polar opposite of 'desirable holiday activities' (well, for me anyway): it's the mountain trek. I literally could not think of something I want to do less on a two week holiday in the sun, but nevertheless I always seem to find myself on top of one. No joke. Last year, before you could say 'tallest mountain range in the world' I was 3200m up in the Himalayas on a three day trek, three months later I was trekking up a mountain in Laos and now, once again I find myself on top of another bloody mountain. Why this keeps happening to me I'm not sure, I don't even like trekking! 

Needless to say, my superhuman Slovenian friends do this regularly for fun. Apparently Peca (2125m), as pictured here, is 'like a walk in the park' to most Slovenians, and so, it seems, is climbing the sheer face of said mountain without a safety harness (cue a lifetime of British safety standards). Matt (red t-shirt above), who climbed Triglav (2864m), Slovenia's tallest mountain when he was just 7 years old, somewhat under exaggerated our climb, referring to it as a 'half day trek'. Yeh, right. Anyway, enough of the moaning, just go and climb a mountain. If I can do it, so can you. I have to say the views were pretty awesome and the the exercise definitely burned off some of the 60,000 calories Matt's grandmother forced upon us the night before. Which brings me to no.5...

5. Gobble authentic Slovenian grub

Whether it's at a traditional restaurant like Rupa in Bohinju (pictured above) or some good ol' home cooking, you can't complete your trip to Slovenia without hunkering down on some good, hearty Slovenian cuisine. Expect to pile on the calories, this ain't no Sainsbury's 'Be Good To Yourself' range, and if you're a vegetarian, well, you may as well just get back on a plane home. Expect a whole lot of meat, gallons of cream, more butter than your arteries can handle and enough carbs to make a super model cry - no wonder Slovenians climb mountains! Needless to say I couldn't get enough of it (and I'm still paying for it now). I had great home cooked food thrust upon me daily in an endless menu of delights. To name but a few: ražnjiči (grilled, skewered cubes of meat), čevapčiči (minced beef or pork seasoned, rolled and grilled) filana paprika with pire krompir (stuffed pepper with mashed potatoes), potica (nut roll) and last but certainly not least, the mouthwatering srnji golaž (deer goulash).

So, thinking of taking a trip to Slovenia, or do you need more convincing? Stay tuned for Part 2!

[ WANDERING THREADS ON VACATION ] Slovenia 2nd-16th August 2012

1. Lake Bled beautifulplacestovisit.com 2. Ljubjanica River by Lonely Planet 3. Julian Alps by Lonely Planet  4. St George Hill by Lonely Planet 4.  5. Rock Mountain Stone Castle by getintravel.com

They say that a vacation 'is having nothing to do and all day to do it in', but I'm not sure that entirely applies when you've got a 7D, a country full of towering castles, beautiful Balkan coastline, medieval towns and mountains worthy of the Sound of Music. If you hadn't guessed already from the title, I'm off on vacation to Slovenia for the next two weeks, personally guided by an expert countryman (and lady!) who I had the pleasure to meet in China during my big Asian Adventure last year. 'Just another day in the life of Wandering Threads' I hear you sigh, well sort of. I'm stressing the term 'vacation' as I'll actually be laptop free for this one, so if you like what you see already, make sure you check back in in a couple of weeks for a Slovenian overload on Wandering Threads. 

In the meantime, as well as perusing past posts, you can keep up to date with my Slovenian wanderings by following me on Twitter, Facebook and of course, the WanderGram (thanks iPod Touch).

[ POSTCARDS FROM CHINA ] Canal Town Illustrations

 

 

In aid of China's current 11 gold lead at the London Olympics (still rooting for you Team GB!!), I thought we'd give them a bit of a shout out with these intricately illustrated postcards I picked up whilst visiting the tiny, highly picturesque village of Xidi (西递), Anhui province, last October. Long time in posting, I'm well aware, but scanning gets a little difficult during a life on the road... I don't possess the ability to read Mandarin so I can't be certain which towns the artworks represent but they certainly bring to mind the charming canal town of Tongli (同里) which lies in Wujiang county, just outside the more well known city of Suzhou (苏州). Which postcard is your favourite? 

Want to see my own photographs from the Huizhou Villages of Xidi and Hongcun (宏村)? Go visit the Huizhou set on my Flickr page. You can also see more images from my wanderings around China on Flickr by clicking here, or more posts on Wandering Threads about China by clicking here. 

[ ON FILM ] The Painted House at Latitude Festival 2012

I'm very excited to share with you this culmination of events from The Painted House at Latitude Festival 2012. Shot by Lahla Smart of Design Tap, this charming little film documents some of the workshops and exhibits of the festival's now three year running fashion strand, over the course of the 13th-15th July 2012 weekend. With voice overs by Curator Imogen Eveson and Set Designer Samara Tompsett, the concept and future hopes for the space are explained whilst focusing upon some of the weekends top contributors, including, of course, Wandering Threads! 

We'd all love to hear what you think, so please share your comments below!

Visit these sites and support friends of WT's!

designtap.org

imogeneveson.co.uk

samaratompsettstudio.com

thepaintedhouse.co.uk

[ WANDERGRAMING LATITUDE ] More From The Painted House

More Wandergrams for you to peruse, this time hailing from this weekends wanderings at Latitude Festival in Suffolk. You may have already seen the previous illustration by Rosie McGuinness, and if you've read the earlier interview with The Painted House's founders Imogen and Samara, you'll probably understand the significance of the above pictured candy floss trees and dishevelled house, if not you can read more about it here.

Of course, you can always follow my recent wanderings on Instagram, but here are a few snaps from my own showcase at The Painted House, Rag & Bow's Vintage Workshop and Imogen's Graduate Design Salons. Enjoy!

[ AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK AGAIN ] Homecoming

I've seen the Taj Mahal at sunset, slept under the stars in the Thar Desert and floated down the Ganges and the Keralan Backwaters. I've climbed 3200m into the Himalayas, flown over Mt. Everest, walked The Great Wall of China (and come down it on a slide). I've marvelled at the Terracotta Warriors and The Forbidden City, felt unnerved in Tiananmen Square, gotten lost in translation in Shanghai and eaten numerous unidentified oddities. I've slept in wooden shacks in remote villages with no electricity, bartered with tribes for textiles at night markets, trekked through paddy fields and streams so pure you'd wonder if pollution ever existed, tubed along the Mekong and swung into crystal clear waterfalls. I've wandered through the ruins of Imperial citadels in Huế, slurped down steaming bowls of Phở in Hanoi, kayaked around Ha Long Bay, crawled through Viet Cong tunnels and sunned myself on the shores of Phú Quốc. I've been dumbstruck by the Khmer Rouge atrocities around Phnom Penh, blown away by Angkor Wat and turfed off a bamboo train in Battambang. I've snacked on street stalls in Bangkok and been sunburnt in Koh Tao. I've witnessed Chinese New Year with a bang, seen a giant lion dance in Penang and a man walk through fire in Ubud. I've dived 32m into a WW2 Shipwreck in Bali, swam with turtles (and away from giant trigger fish) in the Gili Islands and stalked sharks in Malaysia. I've walked the Harbour Bridge and felt the sea breeze by the Sydney Opera House.
 
And that was just one year.

6 flights, 29 trains, 38 boats, 58 buses and countless tuk tuks, taxis, bicycles and motorcycles later and I'm finally back on British shores.

But the adventure doesn't stop here.

Watch this space for new and exciting projects on Wandering Threads.

To see or read more about the last 14 months of my Asia trip visit me on Flickr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

 

[ THỜI TRANG NỮ ] Tribal Dress at the Vietnamese Women's Museum, Hanoi

Upon a rainy day in Hanoi, Vietnam, but a couple of months ago I ventured off to The Vietnamese Women's Museum on recommendation by a few fellow travellers who were most impressed by the exhibitions. Being a culture junkie and ethnic textile enthusiast, I found myself positively in textbook heaven upon reaching the fourth floor, dedicated entirely to 'Womens Fashion's' of Vietnam's indigenous populations.  

Having recently ventured into the depths of Laos and, previously, northern Thailand,I have a well established appreciation for the creative zeal of South East Asia's tribal minorities. In 2007 I trekked into the mountains of northern Thailand, spending a few days emersed in the fascinating culture of the Akha and Lisu groups whilst staying with them in their respective hill tribe villages. I was blown away by the abundance of dazzling embellishments, colour saturated appliqué and awesome oversized jewellery. Basically, it got me hooked.

As with many long standing indigenous cultures, handcrafted textiles, jewellery, headdresses and other such adornments are highly prized not just by the groups themselves, whose women perfect and pass on such traditional artistry from early childhood well into their adult lives, but by designer's and collectors around the world. But for the majority, who are relatively unexposed to such cultures, dedicated museum exhibitions such as this one are tremendously important. Set in place to both reach out and excite audiences, their role as an educative tool also draws attention to the fact that these diverse cultures, indigenous populations whose traditions stem back far beyond our own, are under threat from the pitfalls of the modern world.

As a designer myself I never fail to be captivated, inspired and impressed by the diversity and beauty interwoven within the wealth of techniques, patterns, motifs and styles of these tribal communities. I can't stress how important it is for us to help conserve the traditions of cultures like this all over the world, especially to the creative communities amongst us for whom these cultures can provide endless inspiration. Thus so I have put together this (super long!) post, with a few notes from the exhibition, in the hope that all of you may too be dazzled and intrigued by the beautiful handcrafted creations of these enterprising communities.

 

Fashion & Motif Art

Like many indigenous cultures around the world, a women's skills end experience are judged by the amount and quality of the textiles shes makes. Unfortunately nowadays this practice is becoming less and less important as more efficient, hard-wearing chemical dyes and sewing machines have overtaken the traditional craft of loom weaving along with the modernisation of traditional costumes to the point where they are often now only worn for ceremonial occasions.

Within the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam cotton is the most popular fabric and while natural silk is usually reserved for festive costumes and appliqué, Hmong women mostly use fabric woven from hemp, which is then dyed with indigo.

Pathen, Flower Lolo and Flower Hmong traditionally have very colourful clothing and complex sewing techniques. The Yao and Phula peoples favour embroidery; Lolo and Pupeo, appliqué; Hmong and Yao Tien, batik; Thai and Khmer, ikat, and the Muong, Tay and populations of the High Plateau prefer woven patterns. Patterns and motifs generally vary with geographical location, traditional tribal identities and local landscapes. 

 
Batik

Used by the Hmong and Yao Tien.

Designs and patterns are drawn onto fabric using melted wax. When the wax is dry the fabric is dyed several times in indigo baths then immersed in boiling water to melt the wax. The protected patterns appear as a light colour on an indigo background. This ankle length pleated skirt shown below is a typical example of traditional Hmong batik application.

Ikat

Used by the Black Thai, the Khmer and the Bahnar to create patterns with beautiful soft outlines.

Ikat is a dye technique like batik, but instead of protecting the fabric before the dyeing process, the threads are protected instead. Some threads are tied up with plant or nylon fibres to protect them from the dyeing process which is usually repeated several times to obtain a multicoloured thread that is used for the weft during weaving. In some regions chain ikat is also used.

Appliqué

Used by indigenous populations in the Nothern Mountains of Vietnam.

Small pieces of coloured fabric are sewn onto a background to create patterns. Various coloured fabrics are cut into geometrical forms and sewn on to the fabric while the threads are hidden behind appliqué. Each group specialises in its own traditional patterns such as the Hmong, who use a very elaborate technique called reverse appliqué where the top layer of fabric is cut into patterns to reveal the colour of the backing fabric.

 
HEY! What are you doing?! Don't stop here, there's more to read (and, of course, more images) regarding hill tribe jewellery, adornments and headdresses! Click the link below to keep reading! DO IT NOW!

[ YANGGE PARTY PRINTS ] Píngyáo International Photography Festival

More raving about that little (in Chinese terms) town west of Beijing? Yes, more raving. Sorry but it really was quite the town. Last post, I promise. This time I want to share with you some of my favorite ethnic inspired shots from the 2011 Píngyáo international Photography Festival, which just happened to be taking place during my visit.  

Held at various locations around the town with prints strung up everywhere from disused factories to 300 year old temple walls and parking lot gates, this festival definitely took the town by storm, swamping the streets with super keen amateur photographers brandishing an unwarranted amount of camera equipment. Let's just say unofficial sponsors Canon and Nikon certainly peaked in inadvertent exposure ratings.

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Naturally on the look out for traditional culture inspired shots, I came across two photographers who had both captured traditional villages in full swing Yangge mode. Taking place annually in lunar January each year around northern China's Shaanxi province, Yangge Party celebrates the joy of life and happiness stemming from the past years good harvest with drum and gong bearing dancers, often on stilts, paying visits to all dwellings in the area. So whilst we're welcoming in the new year with a hangover, these guys are prancing around on stilts in the most amazing, intricately embroidered costumes, faces plastered with traditional make up and crowned with fabulously decorative headpieces. I think I might try China next New Year. 

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Traditional culture aside, the PIP festival has a plethora of awesome work from every level of photographer, mostly Chinese (naturally) with a few foreigners slotted in here and there. A great atmosphere and an even better location, its definitely worth a visit if you just happen to be hanging around Shaanxi province but if you're a westerner watch out for those telephoto lenses! True to form, being one of the only non-Asians around, I was unrelentingly swarmed by super lenses and tiny children wielding note books and pleading for autographs. I think my 'type' may be somewhat of a rarity in small town China... 

The Píngyáo international Photography Festival 2012: my no.1 recommendation for any non-Asian that wants to feel like a famous person for the day. 

To read more about the UNESCO heritage town of Píngyáo check out my earlier post here and and another on paper cutting in Píngyáo here

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[ POSTCARDS FROM PINGYAO ] Shaanxi, China

Ahh, Píngyáo, that time-honored town in the heart of China's Shaanxi province, one of the few remaining, truly authentic locations you'll find left in modern day China. Píngyáo's grey-brick streets give way to meticulously carved wooden doors, behind which lay a hide a network of symmetrical dwellings, centered around impeccably landscaped courtyards, each bathed in light and exuding a sense of Taoist harmony. Film set worthy streets, once the tourist hoards have left, of course. In the five days I spent wandering its alleyways I began to develop somewhat of a love affair with this town so, naturally, I think it only right that I should share some of my snaps of this majestic place with you too. 

If you too find yourself falling in love with this wonderful town, take a look at my previous post on Píngyáo's paper cutting crafts and later post on the Pingyao International Photography Festival 2011

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