Idrija Lace Festival 2014

It is time again for the lace makers to take over the streets of Idrija, Slovenia. This weekend (20.06. - 22.06.2014) the annual Lace Festival will take place again.

If you have the chance you should definitely take a trip to this charming old Slovenian town. The weekend will be full of events and the thread used for lace making will be carefully intertwined with rich technical heritage mostly related to half of a millennium of mercury mining and many local culinary delights.

If that is still not enough to get your attention, you can also enjoy relaxing walks in nature just a stone-throw away from the city.

If you are into history, a visit to the Anthony’s mining shaft (a definite highlight) and the town's museum within the Gewerkenegg castle are a must.

You should check out the official web page for the full programme of the 2014 Idrija Lace Festival.

Choose Idrija as a destination for this weekend's trip and have a great time! After the weekend is over, you will definitely want to visit the area again and again...

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Timelapse video presentation of Slovenia

This is another great piece of work from the hands of a very talented team of multimedia artists at Vizualist. Enjoy the ride!

If you have not done it already, it is time to put Slovenia on the top of your travel list.

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Terra Magica

A few days ago I stumbled upon a documentary teaser well worth sharing. It is about something everyone should experience by himself: Slovenian wine.
There are just so many excellent winemakers in Slovenia but mainly due to small production most of them are completely unknown to the global market.

If you ask me, it is just one more reason for spending your next vacation exploring Slovenia. Yo can drop me a line if you need some local advice somewhere along the way.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the video in the comments below.

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Bled and Slovenia promo video

Another great video presentation of Slovenia has been released a while ago. Since I like it a lot I decided to share it with you.

This video mainly focuses on lake Bled and popular activities in the nearby area. Some other beautiful Slovenian destinations are also included in the presentation.

If you like this one, you should probably also check out a few similar videos about Slovenia I posted a while ago.

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Idrija Lace Festival 2013

Every year in the middle of June the Slovenian town of Idrija becomes the center of the lace world for a few days. This year's lace festival is going to be the 32nd in a row. It will be taking place from 14th to 16th of June 2013.

The main event of this annual festival is the national competition in lace making. Every year it is especially nice to see many youngsters competing for the prestigious title alongside seasoned veterans.

There are also many other interesting things going on besides the competition. For instance there is a lace fair with loads of different lace products, but also materials and patterns used for actual lace making.

Even if lace products are not your thing, there are many alternatives to keep you occupied. Every evening of the festival there will be local bands performing late into the night on the central town square.
Locals also take care that no visitor leaves with an empty stomach. There are many local specialties to choose from. One that should definitely deserve your attention is called žlikrofi. Žlikrofi are small boiled dumplings (similar to ravioli) filled with potatoes, onions, lards and seasoned with local spices, offered as a side or main dish. Simply delicious!

For the nature lovers there is a hiking trail waiting in every direction. You will probably encounter some of the vast variety of wildlife species roaming through the nearby forests. Unspoiled nature can actually be found everywhere in the surrounding rolling hills.

A lot could also be said about the rich technical heritage this town has to offer but I will write about that in a separate post. There is another recently made video about the town of Idrija and the surrounding area included within Geopark Idrija worth checking out.

If you are in (or near) Slovenia, you should start planning your visit as soon as possible. If you need any local advice you are welcome to contact me - there are many opportunities to stray away from the beaten path.

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Geopark Idrija promotional video

I am proud to present a promotional video about the town of Idrija and its surroundings. It is the part of Slovenia I call home.

These valleys and hills have a lot to offer, but are still visited by very few foreign tourists and travelers. I hope this video will help turn things around.

If you are after some off the beaten track tips about the area, you are always welcome to drop me a line.

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Portugal, the beauty of simplicity

As it is evident from the promotional clip below there is a lot more to Portugal besides Lisbon. A local I spoke to, even described Lisbon as overrated and extremely pricey compared to other parts of the country. Especially the northern part of it is supposed to be really beautiful.

I will definitely not take his word for it and rather go check it out on my own. Considering I really liked Lisbon I think chances are I would also like the rest of the country. Portugal, I will definitely be back for more!

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Which airline hobbits fly?

Obviously it is Air New Zealand! This video commercial is just one of many similar tries by New Zealand to attract more tourists with the help of popular Lord of the rings and Hobbit movies.

What’s the best way to get to Middle-earth? Fly, you fools, fly!

That is just one of cool quotes used in a video commercial for Air New Zealand. The video presents An Unexpected Safety Briefing in the most entertaining way.

Besides a good looking elf-eared attendant also many dwarves, orcs, hobbits, elves, wizards and Sauron himself can be seen on board a Boeing 777 on their way to Middle-earth. Tolkien's great-grandsons, Hobbit‘s Fili the Dwarf and even movie director Peter Jackson all appear in the commercial. Oh, and let us not forget the Gollum. Enjoy!

There is also a behind the scenes video available here.

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Soča river valley video presentation

Another video promoting (in my opinion) the most beautiful part of Slovenia has recently been released. It focuses on Soča river valley. The Emerald river really is something special and definitely deserves your attention.

Enjoy the video and feel free to ask any questions about the area that might pop up. I will gladly help you out with some local advice.

I have posted about different sports activities in these parts before - it is a perfect place for trying out various adrenaline packed activities. You can check out a post about kayaking and there is also another one about my ziplining adventure in the area.

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Kar Češ Brass Band performing in Segovia, Spain

Performing in a fascinating Spanish city of Segovia was part of FEMUKA 2012 street jazz festival program. It was a great concert - the crowd really loved it.

This is a short video of Kar ČeŠ Brass Band from Slovenia, playing Round one - a piece originally performed by Youngblood Brass Band.

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Sponsored Video: Explore an exotic island for free

Have you ever dreamed of visiting an exotic tropical island with your family or group of best friends? Of course you have... but when you woke up there was probably some bitter aftertaste left from realizing you didn't have a sufficient budget for actually doing such a thing.
Now is your chance to do it for FREE with a little help from TomTom!

Do you want to know more? Well here is the deal:
TomTom is searching for five families or groups of friends to spend two weeks on a tropical island and earn 10,000 euros for mapping it. TomTom's Map Paradise Project will help create five new navigable maps for: Fiji, St. Lucia, Mauritius, Cape Verde, and the Seychelles.

For even more information you will just have to take a look at the exciting video above. Trust me, you won't regret it!

As you might already know, TomTom is a renowned manufacturer of automotive navigation systems. At the moment they are doing this campaign you (and your friends) can also benefit from. Their maps already cover most of the globe but some tropical islands are obviously still missing.
You can help them do it and earn 10,000 euros in the process. Oh, let us not forget - they will also cover most of travel and accommodation expenses for you and your friends.
Could this just be a dream job, a dream vacation and an adventure of your lifetime all in one? If lady Luck is on your side, it just might be...

If you worry about all the technical details you might not know for doing this mapping thing, you don't need to worry. A TomTom expert representative will provide all the information you might need.

This could easily be the adventure of your lifetime! Don't let it slip past you!

To apply, go to http://www.tomtom.com/summer.

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Sponsored Video: See the world for free!

Have you ever wanted to embark on a travel adventure around the world but never had enough money to actually do it? Is this dream still alive somewhere deep inside of you?
Now is the time to get moving and win a trip that will take you to more than 14 countries, where you will have a chance to experience different cultures of all of them. If you are wondering what you have to do to qualify for this FREE trip to 4 continents just keep reading.

SPAR (a renowned multinational supermarket chain) has recently started an exciting online competition titled See the world with SPAR. SPAR is offering one winner from each of the six participating countries the role of a SPAR Reporter. SPAR Reporters travel the world, discovering local experiences in over fourteen countries whilst sharing their adventures with us online.

So what do you have to do to qualify? It is quite simple...

First you have to create an application video. This video can be anything you want it to be. Just make sure that your submission is something that others will want to share online and is fun to watch for all ages.

Once your application video is linked to your SEE THE WORLD WITH SPAR account, their system starts measuring how it performs on the internet. Each view, tweet, share, comment and like generated by your video is rewarded with a certain amount of social points. Besides scoring via the popular social networks. The more online interaction your video creates, the more social points you'll be rewarded. A complete list explaining ways to score social points can be found on the official page of the See the world with SPAR competition.

You have time until 18th of May 2012 to gather as many social points as possible. I suggest you don't waste another minute and start filming that application video.
I wish you all good luck!

This is a sponsored post but as always, all opinions and enthusiasm are my own.

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A day in the city

This is another post about the Slovenian capital - the city of Ljubljana. A fellow photographer (Pavel Gregorič) has recently completed a really cool Time-lapse photo project titled: Time lapse - A day in the city.

Let me explain this technique in case some of you are not familiar with it...
Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique where the frequency at which individual film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than that which will be used to play the sequence back. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster - we could say it appears to be lapsing.
It is just the opposite of high speed photography with which in photo sequence time appears to be moving slower when it is played at normal speed.

There were almost half a million photos taken during the whole length of the project (7850 of them were used in this film). Some photos have obviously been post processed and effects as tilt shifting have been used for the best effect.
Some photo sequences were even taken from a hot-air balloon, which definitely adds to the overall effect.

If you are out of ideas for your next photo project, you better take a look at this video. Also if you are searching for your next vacation destination or a weekend getaway - this presentation alone might just be enough to make Ljubljana (and Slovenia) the destination of your choice.

I hope you enjoy the video. Since this is just a short promo I suggest you stay tuned for the real thing when it is published.

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Lyrical Minutes in the City of Ljubljana

As I have already mentioned in my previous post, according to Lonely Planet Slovenia was voted amongst top 10 world travel destinations for the upcoming year.

If you are still wondering how this small European country could be on such a list, you might get a hint from this video. Locals are really trying hard to promote this country and lots of travellers appreciate the effort.
If you have a personal experience from a trip to Slovenia, please share your thoughts. I always find it interesting to read about how visitors from abroad see my home country.

Recently I have stumbled upon a video of a summer surprise event in the Slovenian capital - city of Ljubljana. It is one of those videos that make you wish you were there to see it in person.

I must say every year there are more events and festivals worth attending in Slovenia. Most of those still happen in Ljubljana during the summer months but there are quite a few also elsewhere and during other seasons.

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Move, Eat, Learn

Have you lately felt like the effects of a travel bug bite might be wearing off? I haven't, but if you have, you should relax for a moment, take a deep breath, make yourself comfortable and watch this short film (part one of a series of three).

I am pretty sure, when you are done, you will feel the urge to pack your bags and go somewhere... and I don't mean the toilet!

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

A few words about this project from the authors:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime.

move, eat, learn

These films were commissioned by STA Travel Australia and all music is composed and performed by Kelsey James. The Soundtrack is available on iTunes.
I am pretty sure the author can expect a bunch of downloads!

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Jump to Portoroz!

Slovenia - a small country in the centre of Europe is still waiting to be discovered. It is squeezed among Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia and a visitor can easily feel the influence of every one of them at least in food and architecture. If you haven't considered Slovenia as your next vacation destination before, now is the perfect time to do it.
Every year more and more people discover it and trust me on this one - you want to visit before the crowds start flowing in.

This interesting video caught my attention the other day... it is promoting tourism in Slovenia's coastal region. The video is focusing on the town of Portoroz and its surroundings. It is a great collage of interesting activities this town has to offer. The country as a whole has much more in store for you.

In my opinion great diversity is definitely one of Slovenia's strongest points.

The title of this video is "Jump to Portoroz!" It is fun to watch and a song provided by a local musician called Magnifico gives a great vibe to it.

If you want to learn more about Slovenia, I suggest you visit The Official Travel Guide by Slovenian Tourist Board. There you can find all the relevant info about things to do and places worth visiting in this little gem of a country.

Have you ever wished for a personal vacation advisor? Now is your chance!
You can use this opportunity to ask me a thing or two about Slovenia in the comments section. I'll be glad to help.

You should also not forget to share this with your friends, still looking for this year's vacation destination (you can do it easily with a click on one of the buttons bellow this post).

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How to pack a travel bag?

Everyone who has done his part of travelling knows a thing or two about packing. If nothing else - almost everyone hates it.
After some time, packing becomes a routine and is at least not as stressful anymore as the first couple of times.
I usually use travel checklists (there are a few useful examples on the link) for different types of trips. This saves me lots of time and lots of nerves.

Even with a checklist my travel bag or suitcase always seems to be just a bit too small.
This has become even more critical since all the low cost airlines started charging for every piece of luggage besides one piece of hand-luggage.

Sounds familiar? Are you also annoyed with this? Bear with me, there might be a way to make your life just a bit easier...

I found this guy on YouTube the other day and he really knows how to do his packing. Just lean back and enjoy the show!
I think we can all learn a thing or two from him.

There are a few universal pointers about packing, everyone should follow when boarding a plane:

• pack your luggage more efficiently (see the above video for practical demonstration),


• wear some clothes through the boarding gate ("onion philosophy"),


• use the WC after the security check to fill an empty bottle with drinkable water (where this is possible).

If you have some additional tips or thoughts on the subject, feel free to comment. We can all learn from each other.

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African thunderstorm in Slovenia

As you might have already guessed, not much has been going on lately. At least concerning me and my travels.
The only fun thing I did lately was a rock concert I attended last weekend. Kind of sad isn't it?

Quite a few people I know are planning some kind of travel adventures. As it seems, Africa seems to be the destination of choice at this moment. I would also be happy to do it but there are just so many things waiting for my attention... unfortunately some of them are already seriously behind schedule. I guess this means travel will just have to wait for some time. At least those more distant destinations.

Next week I am hoping to be free from work for a few days. I just might seize the opportunity and at least go for a one- or two-day trip. Somewhere nearby probably. Let us just wait and see.

In Slovenia the weather in April is usually changing all the time. It can go from warm sunshine to heavy rain and back for ten times in a single day. As a consequence it is quite hard to plan any weather dependent activities even a couple of days in advance.

All these things - music, Africa and thunderstorms remind me of a song I just can't get tired of listening to. That is why I decided to post this video for a change.
The song is titled Africa and is performed by Perpetuum Jazzile, a jazz choir from Slovenia. They are really, really good.
Two separate Youtube videos of their performance of "Africa" had more than 9.2 million views combined since first publishing in May 2009. Since there are only 2 million Slovenians, I suppose some other folks must have liked it too.

Those of you who haven't seen this thing yet... well, I suggest you pump up the volume, lean back for a few minutes and just enjoy the performance.

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Wordless Wednesday: I say Jump!

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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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