Here is a good idea if you plan to go to Slovenia: a medieval, well-preserved, picturesque town called Škofja Loka with a 150-year-old coffee and cake house, among other things. It goes without saying that they’ve got doors too.
On this August day, the last of my amore’s visit since he had to return to work, we went on a mega day trip that included the beautiful Soča river with the lunch at Most na Soči, a hike to the blue chapel Javorca, a visit to the cheese farm where we bought us some of that, but our first stop was the lovely old town of Škofja Loka, only 23 km from the capital Ljubljana. It was first mentioned in writing in 973, which is almost exactly one thousand years before I was born.
Today part I. of its doors, in which we descend from the castle to follow father and his memory of the oldest sweet shop in Europe. He WOULD remember something like that. It is called Homan and it’s conveniently in the centre of the town. While parents, amore and bestia were chilling in the shade of its garden, I had a 5-minute door dash in which I took all of today’s photos after the one with the cakes.
And since we continued in another direction, they haven’t even seen any of that. Don’t make their mistake.
Shutters, the style of the town.
Yes, right over here. Father is following his nose.
Here a vehicle was blocking the door but look at this facade and the love birds on the balcony.
The view from the Homan sweet shop.
Above: kremšnita, Slovenian trademark cream cake. Below: pistachio cake, never had one before. Yum.
Here is where the door dash commences.
I love these shutters even though they seem as if every night a giant comes and tries to break into each one.
I could say that I was waiting for a passer-by with matching pink on their pants.
That’s not poor post-processing. They’ve got stuff on the facade.
A lovely specimen.
More stuff up there.
The flowers and the arches and just pretty, despite the trashcan.
Seems that the town flag shares its colours with Ukraine.
One might think that we are already in Austria.
A thank you for keeping the plague out of there.
“Leave a book, take a book” mini library.
In here the supermarket is hidden. I like their motto: “I am well/good”. The same word for both in Slovenian. “Dobro” means something else elsewhere, I’ve learned (an instrument of Slovak origin but this word is the same in both languages. No, Slovak is not the same as Slovenian).
A lovely old fountain with some doors. Škofja Loka.
It’s obvious who missed me the most. ❤ Love you too, bestia.
Came for the doors, stayed for the arches. I couldn’t come up with a good reason for why I recognized the town’s name since I’ve never been to Slovenia and Skofja Loka isn’t a very big place. Checking Google maps, I realized that I once considered renting an airbnb there.
Also the cake(s) looks incredibly delicious.
Yea, I’ll get there eventually. The trick is figuring out whether or not to rent a car in Slovenia or bring bikes or hitchhike. On the one hand, I’m not a great driver of manual vehicles; on the other I don’t want to cycle the isonzo front and Russian road. I’m pretty sure that elevation might kill me…
Well, I guess a combination is in order. Add a bus or two, they get everywhere. I wouldn’t bet on hitchhking though, haven’t seen a single one in ages. But there is a good online transport offer, prevozi.org, where regular people add their requested and offered destinations to pick up passengers or hitch a ride. You must sign in to be able to see the phone numbers and make arrangements. The Isonzo front and Vršič pass (where there is the Russian chapel, you must mean this road) is probably best done with a rent-a-car.
Yes, I couldn’t recall Slovenian name for the pass. I was under the impression that that road had been built by Russian prisoners of war and was thus colloquially known as the Russian Road. Etiher way, Vršič is the one I was talking about.
When I first saw your comment, I thought you were talking about a collaboration between us if I ever get back to Italy/Slovenia haha. I would not be opposed to that.
Wow, those are all phenomenal. I of course love the one with oh, what was it, three doors, some windows and some flowers? Shutters really are prominent here.
Also, I am very sad I do not have pistachio cake. Why am I without pistachio cake?! What is become of my life?!
I love, love, love those tall shutters, and the lovely flower-filled window boxes! What a lovely 5 minute door dashscursion!
About that Pistachio cake…I laughed out loud when I saw it because it looks like it is sticking its raspberry pink tongue out me daring me to eat it! It looks really tasty too.
You always bring us to interesting places with great doors. I love the pinkish building with the frescos on it. It’s hard to tell whether they are currently being made or are old and now getting re-exposed again.
You mentioned Slovenian and Slovak aren’t the same. How many languages do you speak?
Thank you, Joanne. Indeed it’s hard to say but I have a feeling they are being restored. I know I could check, but who’s gonna make me? 😀
Well, I don’t speak Slovak (or Russian, for that matter) but if I went there I could communicate in my own language because Slavic languages are quite similar.
Let’s see: I speak Slovenian, because I was born that way, English, German (in an ungrammatical way and haven’t for a long time, getting rusty), Spanish (four years in high school, getting even more rusty for not visiting any Spanish-speaking country yet, apart from Los Angeles), Italian (actually not yet but getting there), Croatian + Serbian + Bosnian (a trio of quite similar languages that used to be united just like Yugoslavia and called Serbo-Croate).
The English speaking world is so arrogant in our expectation that everyone will speak our language and yet the VAST majority of us don’t have even one additional language 😕
Enjoyed the tour, Manja! Beautiful captures. 🙂
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Thank you, Amy, glad to hear. 🙂
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150-year-old coffee and cake house, and a visit to a cheese farm….I’m packing my bags already.
(Lovely doors and arches).
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Always welcome, Bojana. 🙂 Thank you!
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Beautiful doors, Manja. I love those shutters!
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Thank you, Dan! I’m glad to hear. They’ve got a lovely little town there.
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Looks like a lovely day all around. Not sure about green cake but I’ll take your word on its yumminess.
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Ohh, not sure, Jan? But it’s so pretty! 🙂 Thanks, it was an excellent day indeed.
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Came for the doors, stayed for the arches. I couldn’t come up with a good reason for why I recognized the town’s name since I’ve never been to Slovenia and Skofja Loka isn’t a very big place. Checking Google maps, I realized that I once considered renting an airbnb there.
Also the cake(s) looks incredibly delicious.
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Thanks, Eric. Well, that’s a coincidence and well done for considering it. This is how the future is made. 🙂 It’s a most excellent place.
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Yea, I’ll get there eventually. The trick is figuring out whether or not to rent a car in Slovenia or bring bikes or hitchhike. On the one hand, I’m not a great driver of manual vehicles; on the other I don’t want to cycle the isonzo front and Russian road. I’m pretty sure that elevation might kill me…
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Well, I guess a combination is in order. Add a bus or two, they get everywhere. I wouldn’t bet on hitchhking though, haven’t seen a single one in ages. But there is a good online transport offer, prevozi.org, where regular people add their requested and offered destinations to pick up passengers or hitch a ride. You must sign in to be able to see the phone numbers and make arrangements. The Isonzo front and Vršič pass (where there is the Russian chapel, you must mean this road) is probably best done with a rent-a-car.
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Yes, I couldn’t recall Slovenian name for the pass. I was under the impression that that road had been built by Russian prisoners of war and was thus colloquially known as the Russian Road. Etiher way, Vršič is the one I was talking about.
When I first saw your comment, I thought you were talking about a collaboration between us if I ever get back to Italy/Slovenia haha. I would not be opposed to that.
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Ohh, sure, as much as I can help! I’m always here somewhere. 🙂
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I don’t know what we’d write about, but I’d love to drop by and say hello in person some day.
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Haha, we can figure it out. Always welcome!
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Aww, sweet loyal bestia!
Coffee and cake, always good if accompanied with doors – and without 🙂
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True that, SMSW. 🙂 I love this last picture so much! ❤
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That was a bountiful door dash in what seems to be an exquisite little town.
You make a good case for wanting to visit Slovenia 🙂
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Good to hear, Norm, thanks. But I thought you just got home! 😉
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Coffee, cake, and cheese plus those beautiful paintings on the sides of the buildings = love!
janet
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Thank you, Janet. It was a most glorious visit.
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Wow, those are all phenomenal. I of course love the one with oh, what was it, three doors, some windows and some flowers? Shutters really are prominent here.
Also, I am very sad I do not have pistachio cake. Why am I without pistachio cake?! What is become of my life?!
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Hihi, Joey, it was sweet! And moist! Thank you. Compared to Italy, in Slovenia flowers on the windows are more orderly and symmetrical.
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I see that. I really do.
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I think it must have been worth visiting for the amazing cake alone. Pistachio cake looks amazing!
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Hihi, Emma, you’re quite right. 🙂 Even though there was sooo much else worth our while.
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I love, love, love those tall shutters, and the lovely flower-filled window boxes! What a lovely 5 minute door dashscursion!
About that Pistachio cake…I laughed out loud when I saw it because it looks like it is sticking its raspberry pink tongue out me daring me to eat it! It looks really tasty too.
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Hihih, Deborah, I had another look and it really looks cheeky! 🙂 Thank you. In Slovenia things are small and you’re through quickly.
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😜🍰
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A very beautiful place and lovely doors. I must find a recipe for that traditional cake!
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Thank you, Rowena. Here is a useful site, I’m sure. 🙂 https://www.196flavors.com/croatia-kremsnita/
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Door dash. What a concept. New challenge for you: fixed time (5 min?); max number of interesting/different doors. Ready, set, go! 😉
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Ohh, I did a number of these myself already, now it’s your turn. 😉 Thanks, RX!
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You always bring us to interesting places with great doors. I love the pinkish building with the frescos on it. It’s hard to tell whether they are currently being made or are old and now getting re-exposed again.
You mentioned Slovenian and Slovak aren’t the same. How many languages do you speak?
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Thank you, Joanne. Indeed it’s hard to say but I have a feeling they are being restored. I know I could check, but who’s gonna make me? 😀
Well, I don’t speak Slovak (or Russian, for that matter) but if I went there I could communicate in my own language because Slavic languages are quite similar.
Let’s see: I speak Slovenian, because I was born that way, English, German (in an ungrammatical way and haven’t for a long time, getting rusty), Spanish (four years in high school, getting even more rusty for not visiting any Spanish-speaking country yet, apart from Los Angeles), Italian (actually not yet but getting there), Croatian + Serbian + Bosnian (a trio of quite similar languages that used to be united just like Yugoslavia and called Serbo-Croate).
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Wow – so multilingual!!
The English speaking world is so arrogant in our expectation that everyone will speak our language and yet the VAST majority of us don’t have even one additional language 😕
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Awww, Bestia ❤
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Right, Crystal? He is always on the lookout for me. ❤ ❤ ❤
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