Where to go next?

The first of May is approaching fast. This means a new opportunity for a short vacation.

April 27th, 1st and 2nd of May are all national holidays in Slovenia. That means a couple days off from our everyday jobs. 27th of April falls on a Sunday this year and unfortunately in Slovenia we are not so lucky to get a free day on the next Monday.
However, 1st and 2nd of May fall on Thursday and Friday. Together with the following weekend they add up to four free days in a row.

Like always, I see this as an opportunity for a short trip. Together with M. we were going through our options the other day. Well, here are this year's contestants for our Spring trip...

1. Party trip to Rovinj, Croatia
A group of friends from my college days visit this place by the Adriatic Sea every year. It is a great opportunity for us to get together once in a while and also to see if we can still party as we did in our college days. With that bunch of guys, having a good time is a guarantee!



2. Fishing trip to Pasman, Croatia
Like a couple of times before, another group of friends is going fishing. And with this I mean some hardcore fishing - all through the night, every night. This might seem unpleasant, but actually it is quite relaxing. That is if the weather isn't too cold, too rainy or too windy. The part I like most is the menu - grilled sea bass (locals call it brancin), fresh out of the sea. Everyday!



3. Camping trip to Cinque Terre, Italy
We have been to Tuscany quite a few times so far and we like it very much. One of the places nearby, which are still on our to-visit-list is Cinque Terre (those Five lands are actually in the region of Liguria, just next to Tuscany). Our plan is to find a camping site near by and go there on day hiking trips. The only thing that is a bit tricky is the weather. It can still get a bit too cold for camping in the first days of May. Also in case of bad weather, hiking isn't all that fun.
On the other hand once near Tuscany, I am sure we couldn't get bored despite bad weather. In Florence and Pisa you can always find a hidden place to explore regardless of weather.
A visit of some relatives of mine, living just next to Pisa, is also a must when going there.



4. Trip to London, UK
Since the last time I have been to UK, I have been missing the taste of a proper ale.
I don't consider myself much of a beer enthusiast, but I think a traditional British ale tastes much better compared to ordinary lagers. I will not even begin to count other things London has to offer.
It is the only one of these locations we would have to fly to, but with quite a few low-fare airlines flying there, the trip itself isn't all that expensive.
Unfortunately everything else in London is.



5. Some other option, we haven't thought about just yet
I am pretty sure at least a couple more options will come up before we make the final decision.

Since we have been to all those places before, I have posted a photo of each one of them. I think you'll agree it is not an easy decision to make.

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Time for some Brass Music

Since there is not much happening in the area of travel at this moment, I have decided to post a video of Kar Ces Brass Band. They were playing live at a birthday party I went to a couple of weeks ago.


I have already mentioned this in my previous post.

This is the first time I am posting a video. Quality isn't really something to brag about, but sound is the thing that matters in this one. Apologies to those who were expecting a photo in this photo blog.

Enjoy a special version of a song called Djurdev dan by Goran Bregovic, performed by Kar Ces Brass Band!

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Birthday party in a hunting lodge

Usually I don't write much about different parties but this time I'll make an exception.


Last weekend M. and I were invited to a birthday party. It was a party like any other, with drinking, eating and socializing on the schedule. The only thing that was a bit out of ordinary was the location.


The event happened in a hunting lodge near the town of Cerknica (Slovenia). The building is situated in the middle of a forest, with a forest road leading to it.

It was freezing cold. Fortunately there was lots of chopped firewood waiting to be burned. In spite of the cold we had a great time. I dare to say our present helped at least a bit.

The first part of the present was a bottle of Absinthe Supreme to keep us warm. It is made by a former coworker of mine and also sold on the internet (check out the link).


The second present was a band. A real brass band of eight eager musicians, one of which is my younger brother (he plays the tuba). They are called Kar Češ Brass Band and play all sorts of music. Mostly they are inspired by Balkan and New Orleans street jazz rhythms. They rocked the place!

You can see them in action on the three photos above. I might even post a movie of them playing at this party in one of the following posts.

Well, actually I don't know about that. After all, this is a photo blog...
What do you think?

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Ski performance - Civetta 2008

Every time I went skiing to Dolomites I have posted my ski performance stats from the official Dolomiti Superski site.

I can't see why should it be any different this time.


However there is one inaccuracy in that summary. Something is missing in the "Present season until yesterday" item. It's the 145 kilometers of slopes we did in December in Trevalli that's missing. You can check out that report here.

On the list of slopes we did this year there is also Gran Risa. This is the place of Alta Badia FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom race.


5+1 ski ticket allows you to go anywhere you want inside the wast Dolomiti Superski area for a day. This year we visited La Villa for the first time.

I must say Gran Risa slope is really something. It is quite steep but you can find many steeper slopes in the neighborhood. The combination of the steepness and length of this slope is what's really impressive. It just goes on and on...
If you do it in one piece and relatively fast I am sure you too will feel the pressure in your eardrums building up and your thighs should be burning quite nicely when you reach the end (that's if you're not the Terminator). Apart from that a sweaty drop or two should also come dripping from under your helmet.

It is something you should definitely try. Only then you can start to understand what those World Cup participants are doing on daily basis.

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