Holidays with Kids – Terme Čatež

June 3, 2024May 31, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

A nice activity (or holidays) for people of all ages is to visit one of Slovenia’s natural thermal spas and health resorts – terme or toplice. The warm water coming from hot springs is rich in minerals, which has a positive effects on the mind and body.

Some terme are known for their “special water”.

Rogaška Slatina is known for the magnesium in the water, which help and prevent many diseases.
Radenci is known for its bubbling water (CO₂), which strengthens the immune system and help with regeneration.
Terme 3000 has unfiltered black thermal water, which is one of the warmest water and it’s good for the skin and helps with pain.
Lendava has paraffin thermal water, which is like an elixir of youth.

Obviously, all the terme welcome guests of all ages, but I think that some are more family friendly than others. Currently, as a mother of three kids, under the age of 8, I think that my favorite spot is Terme Čatež. We went there three times already.

Private apartment house
The first time, we rent a private apartment house. It was during summer, so walking to the pools was not an issue. And we only had two kids at that time, so any “normal” accommodation would do. The apartment house had all the utilities that we needed. But we had to cook for ourselves (it is cheaper, but still a little hassle for me). We had access to the pools, twice per day, which is plenty.

Hotel Čatež
The second time, we booked two double rooms (because my parents came to visit). There was a “special promotion”, 2 children can stay for free (with one extra bed). Which was perfect, so one kid stayed with my parents, and two stayed with us (the baby was sharing our bed). And we choose with polpenzion (half-board), which means that breakfast and dinner was included. YAY, no need to cook 😎

Hotel Toplice
The third time – which is my “extended May holidays” this year, and my parents also came visit (YAY 🥰). We booked one double room and one suite. The suite could accommodate three extra beds – that’s a winner for me because it can fit 5 people. We choose the same “special promotion” as last time, so we didn’t have to worry about meals!

Summer and Winter Thermal Riviera
Here’s a some reasons why Terme Čatež is my currently favorite.

The Winter Thermal Riviera is connected to the Hotel Čatež and Hotel Toplice – that means that we don’t need to walk outside to swim.
Both Riviera has enough age-appropriated pools and waterslides that would entertain my kids for the whole day.
Although we constantly supervise all children, there are a many lifeguards – so that’s a plus.

On a side note, I booked myself a Thai massage and my therapist, Nok, was so strong… During the treatment, my only thought was that I was actually paying for all the suffering… 😂 I have to say that I felt “broken” for a few hours, but the benefits were still worth it.

We’ve also been to Terme Olimia, which is further, but very nice. Lots of “side” activities to do. Good for romantic couple, as well as family. We went during autumn, so we didn’t see the outside pools complex. And more details in another post (not sure when though) 🤣

Slovenia might be a small country, but there are many beautiful places to visit and a lot of interesting activities to do. What do you like best about Slovenia? Have you ever been to any terme, which one is your favorite and why? Do share your experience with me!

MINFOS in Tržič

May 20, 2024May 15, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

Last weekend, we went to MINFOS, an international exposition of minerals, fossils and environment. Every year, it takes place in Tržič during the second weekend of May. I actually haven’t been there since becoming a parent (because it’s crowded and “fragile” – but I will definitively bring them once they are older).

Part 1 – Galerija paviljon NOB

First, we stopped at the Galerija paviljon NOB, which is next to the post office. A nice lady from the Tina Mezek Zlatarna šolo showed us around.

The Skriti dragulji Slovenije (Hidden Gems of Slovenia), which is an exhibition of jewelries make from (precious) “rocks”. Because there are no “jewelry grade gemstones” in Slovenia, but a lot of “microscopic gemstones in rocks”, such as ruby and even diamonds!

Centuries ago, people thought to have found “diamonds” in Cerknica, but they were actually quartz crystals. They are often referred as Cerkniški diamanti (Cerknica diamonds) 😆

The Živeti s kristali (Living with crystals) is a nice series of photos and exhibitions of crystals and minerals from the prirodoslovni muzej. There was even an activity where you can “find gold” by panning earth from the Drava and Mura river (the only spot where “gold” can be found in Slovenia). We tried our luck and actually found some flakes as a souvenir! 😁

Part 2 – Dvorana BPT

After, we went to the “main” event, which was held in the renovated BPT hall.

Some historical fact: BPT was established in 1885, as a cotton spinning and weaving mill.
Due to the lack of power, it built its first hydropower plant in 1902. By 1934, it had 4, which are located along the stream of Mošenik (Tržiška Bistrica). The textile factory has closed down in 2004, but the hydropower plants are still in use for the production of green energy.

Some personal collections were exhibited. There were many little stands, selling minerals and fossils from all around the World (as I mentioned, MINFOS is an international fair). You could find raw and processed minerals, some were made into jewelries of all sort.

One of my favorite “made in Slovenia” (beside cookies) is Idrijska cipka (Idrija lace) made into a piece of jewelry. On my very first visit to Slovenia, I remember visiting Idrija and getting myself a nice pair of earrings, a bracelet and a broch. This time, during MINFOS, I got myself a necklace with nice crystals. Totally surprised and happy 🥰.

It was a very nice day out. If you are around Tržič, you can also go hiking in Dovžanova Soteska for its geological path. Also, since we are talking about minerals and such. We also found geodes in our big “backyard” 🤣.

Day Trip – Planica, Zelenci & Lake Jasna

May 6, 2024May 3, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / 4 Comments

During school holidays, many popular touristic hotspots, such as Ljubljana, Bled or Piran can be extremely crowded. But we wanted to go somewhere with the kids, because… well it’s holidays! So, we decided to head to the north-west of Slovenia – Kranjska Gora.

Planica

Also known as Dolina pod Poncami (the valley under the Ponce mountains), Planica is most famous and renown for its winter sport: ski jumping! For anyone who follows the Slovenian Ski jumping team, or any teams, should know that the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Finals is held in Planica. If you want to watch it live, you need to book your tickets in advance, because se prodajo kot vroče žemlje (they sell like hot cakes).

We went off “hot” season, but there’s also many activities to do in summer. You can walk up the top of the ski flying hill for fun. If you like adrenaline, you can also zipline down the hill (the steepest one in the World).

Inside the Planica Nordic Center, there’s a wind tunnel and also a snow field for cross-country skiing. Or you can just walk around and admire the beautiful view. When we went, it was so hot and sunny, so don’t forget sunscreen and a hat!

Zelenci

Located in Podkoren, Zelenci is a natural reserve, consisting of swamps. The main point of interest is a tiny, but amazingly emerald lake – that’s where the name “Zelenci” comes from.

The lake is so clean that you can see the bottom and fishes. If you observe attentively, you can even see cold spring water bubbling up. An interesting characteristic of the Zelenci is that the water temperature is constantly at 6°C – that means that it never freezes!

It’s a short walking trail, but totally worth the stop!

Lake Jasna

On the way to the Vršič Pass, you will see the beautiful Lake Jasna. A great spot to spend the day. You can walk around and take pictures or swim and sunbathe.

Pišnica is a mountain stream, with clear and very cold water, even in the summer, it has about 5-10°C, because of its glacial origin. It is divided into Mala Pišnica and Velika Pišnica, which comes together at the artificial Lake Jasna.

After a whole day of activities, we wanted to go eat at my favorite Chinese restaurant Happy Garden, but they were closed on Monday. Then we tried Ribnik žeje, where the seafood is excellent – but to no avail, they were also closed…

Then luck strikes, and we discovered a little gem: Gostilna Sonja. I usually don’t like to eat outdoors, but they had a lovely terrace and the weather was just right. We ate pizza, calamari, home salad and kid menu. The food was delicious and very affordable!

I’ve been to many places in Slovenia, but rarely have time to actually write about them. As I tend to focus more on Slovene 😅, but taking a little break is always good!

The Taste of Slovenia – Potica

March 28, 2024April 9, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / 6 Comments

Many festivities, such as Easter, Christmas and New Year, wouldn’t be the same without Potica – a well-known traditional pastry from Slovenia, made of walnuts. The name potica comes from the verb poviti, which means to wrap.

Basically, potica is made from wrapping a dough filled with filling 🤣. Then bake in a potičnik, a round baking pan with a hole in the middle.

Each family usually have their “own recipe”, which is traditionally passed down from mother to daughters.

In our house, my mother-in-law is in charge of this important task.

There are many variations of the recipes, also with different filling. Such as hazelnut, tarragon, apple, chocolate, raisins, poppy seeds, even coconuts…

But we bake the original version, with walnuts. And this is the recipe that we use (and it’s delicious!)

Dough (Testo)

50 dg or 500 g flour (moka)
15 dg or 150 g margarine
5 dg or 50 g sugar (sladkor)
2 whole eggs (jajce)
2 egg yolks (rumenjak)
salt (sol)
4 spoons lukewarm milk (mleko)
3 dg or 30 g of yeast (kvas)

Filling (Nadev)

30 dg or 300 grams of ground walnuts (oreh)
125 ml milk
(zest of lemon)
25 dg or 250 g sugar
rum
8 g vanilla sugar (vanilin sladkor)
cinnamon (cimet)
whipped 2 eggs white (beljakov sneg)

Extra

1 egg yolk (to coat)
powder sugar (to sprinkle)

(Somehow, “old recipe” likes to use decagram and deciliter instead of gram and milliliter.)

In my mother-in-law’s booklet, the instructions are very simple 😂 – because she’s like a pro:

Knead (zamesiti) the dough and let it rest (počivati) for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
Roll out (razvaljajti) the dough, spread (namazati) the filling, roll it (zvijati) in the baking pan. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Coat (namazati) the potica with egg yolk and pierce (prebosti) it many times with a toothpick.
Bake (peči) it for about 1 hour, let the baking pan cold down before taking it out. Sprinkle (potresati, posuti) with powder sugar.

For a more detailed version.

Prepare the dough: let the yeast to rise in lukewarm milk and add a spoon of sugar. Make a hole in the middle of the flour. Add in all ingredients and mix it. Knead for about 15 minutes. Let it rest for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
Prepare the filling: mix everything together and add the whipped eggs white at the end.
Dust some flour. Roll out the dough to about 0.5cm thick. Spread the filling evenly. Roll it and put in the baking pan. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Coat it with egg yolk. Pierce it many times with a toothpick.
Bake it for about 1 hour, let the baking pan cold down before taking it out. Sprinkle with powder sugar.

I rarely write about food on my blog, but through a recipe, we can also learn some vocabulary. And Easter is just around the corner. Potica is an important (and delicious part) of the tradition. So if you don’t have your potica yet, hurry up – bake it or go buy it 😜!

Discover more Slovene “lessons” that might interest you: Slovene Numbers & Numerals, Slovene Nouns & Pronouns, Slovene Verbs, Slovene Adjectives, Slovene Syntax, Slovenian Idioms, Slovene Adverbs.

Discover Slovenian Facts #006

March 18, 2024March 18, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

Hello everyone,

the other evening, after putting two kids out of three to sleep (because my youngest just doesn’t sleep when it’s time yet…). And the show “Milijonar” was on Planet TV.

The question being asked was

“Katero je izvirno slovensko ime za mesec junij?“
(What is the original Slovenian name for the month of June?)

Possible answer: prosinec, mali traven, veliki traven or rožnik.

I knew that the months in Slovene had “old names” (that pretty much no one uses anymore). But I never paid close attention to it (so, here’s my chance!).

The correct answer is rožnik.

Of course, the original Slovenian names of each month has their own meaning, and they are often connected with farming, nature, forests and agriculture.

Januar is prosinec, like proso (millet) or prositi (to ask, to beg). During this period, it used to be famine, so having millet was a sign of prosperity.
Februar is svečan, comes from sveča (candle), made of ice or wax. Both are possible during the dark and cold days of February.
Marec is sušec, like sušiti (to dry). During this time, the earth is absorbing the water from the melting snow, and “drying” the field.
April is mali traven, like “little grass”. It is related to the little greenery in the fields and meadows.
Maj is veliki traven, like “big grass”. It means that the grass is starting to grow.
Junij is rožnik, like rože (flowers). As the fields and meodows are filled with flowers.
Julij is mali srpan, like “little sickle”, because it marks the start of harvest, and the sickle was used.
Avgust is veliki srpan, like “big sickle”, now is the time for the big harvest.
September is kimavec, comes from kimati (to nod). It refers to fruit tree’s branches that are “nodding” under the weight of its ripen fruits.
Oktober is vinotok, like vino (wine). It marks the time when “wine” goes into the barrel during harvest.
November is listopad, like list pade (the leaf falls).
December is gruden, comes from gruda (lump of soil). During this period, the soil in the field freezes and turns into lumps.

Even if it might not be information that I would use/need on a daily basis, I still think that it is very interesting to know. And it also shows parts of the cultural heritage.

Cursing in Slovene – Just for Fun

February 19, 2024February 18, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

You can discover about the Slovenian culture everywhere, even through cursing words! The art of cursing in Slovene is quite sophisticated and it shows an interesting side of the language. Although, cursing (and swearing) is not a nice thing to do, it is still a part of us…

There is also a difference between cursing words (kletvice) and swearing words (psovke).

Slovenian kletvice are usually (funny and a little childish) expressions or words used to show anger or dislike, but not directly toward someone.
On the other hand, Slovenian psovke are “mean” words, meant to insult or to humiliate someone directly, usually by using the characteristics of the word. Such as drek (poop, shit), svinja (swine – means liar), štor (tree stump – means awkward, clumsy) and the most offensive one is probably hudič (devil).

And most of the more offense curse and swear words are from the Balkans.

Tristo kosmatih (medvedov) – Three hundred furries (bears)!

“Tristo” (three hundred) seems to be a magical number in Slovene – it is used to express an extremely strong feeling or an exaggeration of something. “Kosmastih” can refer to hudičev, which are furry horned devils or to bears. It can also be used separately, “tristo kosmatih“, “tristo kosmatih medvedov” or “tristo medvedov“.

Another similar expression is tristo hudičev (three hundred devils).

Pojdi se solit – Go salt yourself!

The expression to salt means to get smarter. So, pojdi se solit is telling someone to go get smarter. Another variant is that salt is not a nice place to be, so by saying pojdi se solit, you’re cursing them to a place where they will not feel well and might suffer great pain.

Bog te nima rad – God doesn’t love you!

A lot of curse words, not just in Slovene, refers to God or church items. Bog te nima rad is used to express a dislike about something or… that God doesn’t love you, so he made you stupid.

Naj te koklja brcne – May the hen kicks you!

“Koklja” (mother hens) are believed to be more aggressive than normal chicken. And the “brcne” is a super strong kick that can send people flying. So, “naj te koklja brcne” is similar to “kick your ass”.

Naj te vrag pocitra – May the devil takes you!

This one is quite straight forward. “Vrag” is another word for devil (hudič – one of the most offensive swear word in Slovene) or Satan. So, what happens when the devil takes you? Well… you pretty much die, so it’s an equivalent to “go to hell”.

Of course, there are a lot more cursing expressions, here’s a few more:

Naj te strela udari – May lightning strikes you!
Hudič te vzemi – Let the devil takes you!
Drekec pekec – poop bake!
Jebela cesta – The road is white!
Krščen matiček – Godmother or Baptized Mother!

If you think about it, using Slovene to swear might be a good option, because it is not too offensive and Slovene is only spoken by 2.5 millions people, so if you are not in Slovenia – chance is that no one will understand it 😛 .

Have you ever heard of other Slovenian curse or swear words, if so, please do share it – so that we will all know about it if we do hear them one day!

Discover Slovenian Facts #005

February 12, 2024February 7, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / 2 Comments

Hey everyone,

there’s always something new to learn and discover about Slovene. It can be from something you read in a book, something you heard on the radio or something you watched on TV.

Well, the other day, something funny happened.

I was reading a book to my kids about saying “oprosti” (I’m sorry) and then I saw “modri prijatelji” – which I first thought meant “blue friends”.

And I was wondering where did that expression came from, clearly understanding that it meant something like “smart, nice, good friends”. So, curious little me, I went check the origin, but surprisingly, I couldn’t find anything relevant.

Moder is actually a homonym, meaning that they are written the same, but have different meanings.

blue | i.e. Imam modro^4E majico^4E (I have a blue t-shirt).
wise | i.e. Govori modre^4M besede^4M (He speaks wise words).

The adjective moder, comes from the noun modrost (wisdom).

Have anything similar happened to you as well? If don’t mind, please share it with me, so that we can all have a good laugh and sleep wiser 🙂

Hearing Slovenian Dialects

January 29, 2024February 7, 2024 / AnnaInSlovenia / 2 Comments

We know that there is about 2.5 millions of Slovene speakers around the world, and most of them is located in Slovenia. We also know that Slovene has about 50 different dialects, divided through seven distinct regions:

Gorenjska
Dolenjska
Štajerska
Panonska
Koroška
Primorska
Rovtarska.

I am from the Gorenjska region and sometimes, I would say “Govorim gorenjsko” instead of “Govorim slovensko“.

Here is an interactive map of the Slovenian dialects, with the “same” text being read with different dialects (and there is a LOT of them) – I’m sure that you can find one that you can relate to!

As for me, I’ve check the places around me and I’ve recognized many words “po domače” that I actually use.

From Podljubelj (Pj), which is near the border with Austria:

bajte (hiša – house),
cajt (čas – time) and
cimer (soba – room).

From Križe (Kž), which is not far away:

hiša (dnevna soba – living room),
špampek (zibelka – cradle),
štenge (stopnice – stairs),
špajza (shramba – pantry) and
štala (hlev – stable, cowshed).

By curiosity, I choose Gornji Senik (GS), which is the closest to Hungary… and quite far from where I live. Without the written text, I’m not sure how much I would actually understand, because of the accent and the colloquial Slovene.

Let me know in the comments:

Where are you from?
Which dialect can you relate to?
Which words “po domače” do you recognize?

Understanding Slovenian Idioms #013

November 20, 2023November 19, 2023 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

A good way to improve and refine your Slovene is by understanding and using Slovenian idioms! Personally, I find it very interesting to search and discover their origins, because after all, a linguistic expression must be coming from somewhere, and it usually has to make some kind of sense as well!

Piti kot goba – To drink like a sponge
I almost got tricked in this expression, because goba has two meanings in Slovene: 1. mushroom, fungus 2. sponge (goba, gobica). So, “to drink like a sponge” means to drink a lot of water, like a sponge that can absorb and hold a big quantity of liquid!
Rdeči petelin – Red rooster
The rooster, especially used with the adjective red or fire rooster, means ogenj (fire). It can also be a symbol of fire and sun. Therefore, if you ever hear (hopefully not) “red rooster”, look for a fire and not an animal!
Biti lanski sneg – To be last year’s snow
I find this one quite funny, because it is true. It refers to something that is no longer interesting or actual. Just like the snow from last year – which has melted a long long long time ago… 😀

Understanding Slovenian Idioms #012

October 23, 2023October 22, 2023 / AnnaInSlovenia / Leave a comment

A fun and interesting way to learn “how to speak like Slovenians” is by understanding and using their idioms. You might notice that some of them also exist in a different language – which is quite amazing and always entertaining to make the connection (at least, for me)!

Biti čez les – To be over the wood
It means to be stupid or weird. I can think of a similar expression in Chinese, “木頭” (wooden head). to refer to someone that is stiff and clumsy like a piece of wood 😛 Interestingly, there is an adjective in Slovene: drven, which is synonym to neroden (clumsy, awkward).
Dobiti krila – To get wings
It means to succeed, to flourish to a higher level. It also reminds me of an expression in Chinese, “一步登天” (to reach the sky in one step), which is used to describe someone or something that suddenly reaches a very high state in one go – so, by getting wings, you can fly and reaches the sky (success) quickly!
Biti molzna krava – To be a milking cow
At first, I was thinking that it meant to be easily irritable, like “avoir une montée de lait” (to have a lactation of milk) in French-Canadian… but it actually means to be exploitable, like a cow that gives milk. The English equivalent would be “to be a cash cow” and the actual French one would be “être une vache à lait” (literally, to be a milking cow).