Author: ellen

Lake Bled, which is situated in northwest Slovenia at the foot of the Julian Alps, is one of Slovenia’s most picturesque natural wonders. The mineral-rich emerald green waters surround a small island with a baroque church and café specializing in the art of potica baking. 

After a twisty ride up and over Vršič Pass, we reached the waterfront where we boarded a small, motorless, wooden boat called a pletna, rowed by a local. We admired the lake’s unmeasurable beauty and tranquility. Once we arrived at the island about 10 minutes later, we ascended 99 steps to the café to bake our very own poticas. A local woman taught us how to make the traditional Slovenian dessert by first showing us the steps in the process and then setting us free and helping out us when needed.

First, we each floured a space on the wooden table, took a pre-portioned piece of dough, and formed it into a rectangular shape. We then rolled it out thin with a rolling pin until the proper size and thickness was reached. Next, we took a few heaping spoonfuls of walnut filling and spread it evenly on the dough. Then, we sprinkled finely chopped walnuts on top and attempted to roll the dough and filling as perfectly as our instructor had.

Somehow, mine stayed together and ended up fitting inside the mold. But if the rolls were too long, the extra length was sliced off made into little potica cookies. Before placing the rolled dough inside the mold, we spread a generous amount of melted butter inside to prevent the potica from sticking. We then gently placed the dough into the mold and punched a few holes into it before it was put in the oven.

While we waited for our potica, each of us was offered a refreshing glass of elderflower water with a walnut and tarragon potica sample. The walnut version, which is the most common, was slightly sweet and seemed to be the favorite out of the two. The savory tarragon slice was a bit unusual, but good in its own way. Next, we then walked to the church, toured the interior, and we each rang the bell and made a silent wish. Before long, the church was swarming with tourists so we exited the building and walked near the water, admiring the lake’s beauty and hoping to spot a swan.

About an hour later, our miniature poticas were ready. They tasted incredibly delicious and paired perfectly with a latte, conveniently available at the café inside the store. Now that we each have our own mold, we can share this traditional dish with our family and friends. Maybe one of us will get around to baking every one of the 80 varieties!

-Jolee

Jolee Keplinger, a sophomore, is majoring in mass communication with a minor in sustainability. Her hobbies include blogging, cooking, and anything involving art. She’s known as a foodie so it’s no surprise that her cultural presentation topic is Slovene cuisine.

I’m currently sitting in a Starbucks in Denver, Colorado, trying to pretend that my sugar-laden drink is anything close to the deliciously flavorful cappuccinos I consumed daily while in Slovenia. The atmosphere is sorely lacking without the quiet energy of the city-streets, with no bicyclists or accordion players in sight. To put it simply— it just isn’t the same.

Before seeing the abroad application posters last fall, I didn’t even know Slovenia was a place on this planet. I had no concept of the unique role that literature and language play in its culture, no way of knowing its ever-shifting place in history, no understanding of the wild adventures that we would soon embark upon in-country.

Our very first day in Ljubljana was a mixture of wonder and disorientation. As much as the beautiful city excited me, I felt fearful of the newness of the language and busy atmosphere. I was terrified to even attempt conversation in Slovene, and was content to stay inside without exploring on my own. 

Here is where experiential education swooped in to push me out of my comfort zone and forced me to expand my horizons.

After two mandatory exploration days (fondly referred to as “Ljubljana Is Your Teacher” days where we picked destinations around the city in search of new information and the best cuisine) and many days traveling around as a group to visit speakers and new sights, we began referring to Ljubljana as home. And it’s true! It felt like home. I began to order food in Slovene and even had short conversations with servers and shopkeepers. I spent many hours wandering the narrow streets without fear of getting lost because everything began to feel familiar.

This progression only continued as we made our way through the Croatian cities of Zagreb, Zadar, and Rab, and in the smaller Slovenian towns of Celje, Bled, Bovec, and Piran. As a group, we learned to ask the right questions to find the lesser-known treasures in each place that we visited. We navigated local markets, fought over who found the most delicious (and best priced) gelato, and talked to locals to learn about how much they loved their corner of the world. While our class in the spring gave us a background understanding of Slovenia and its culture, it was only through our in-country explorations that we developed a true understanding of what it means to be Slovenian.

The concept of what it means to be a “global citizen” is something that we discussed leading up to the abroad. In order to better understand this idea, we developed our own working definition of global citizenship. As of February 2, 2017, Global Citizenship (to us) meant this:

“Taking responsibility to value and work towards justice through selflessness and love. A global citizen understands interconnectedness by embracing diversity.”

As Principians, we wanted our definition to represent principle, integrity, humility, cultural awareness, and love. We made it our mission to demonstrate global citizenship throughout our abroad experience—and in reflecting on the trip, I am certain that we succeeded in doing so.

As the abroad comes to an end, I can now say with confidence that I know Slovenia. When I say this, it is in recognition that what I know now is still only a small glimpse of its story. I have interacted with some of its most beloved authors, tasted its traditional cuisine, hiked through its mountains, marveled at its lakes and gorges, relaxed on its beaches, and wandered its winding city streets. I have studied Slovenia’s history, dipped my toes into its world of translation and publishing, discovered the importance of tradition, and seen the intermingling of languages and cultures unique to the former Yugoslav region. Through this experience, I have become a better global citizen. What more could I have asked for?

~Brooke

Brooke Engel is a sophomore at Principia double majoring in studio art and creative writing, with a minor in mass communication. Her Slovenian cultural research centered on Mt. Triglav National Park and Slovenes’ general love for the outdoors.

Today found our group atop Slovenia’s mountains in the Julian Alps, admiring nature as well as historical remains. 

After an orientation at the World War I museum in Kobarid (Caporetto), we took a 20-minute bus ride on an alarmingly narrow road to the position of the Italians’ third line in that war. We then trekked behind Jaka, our local guide. I examined the trail beneath my tennis shoes, imagining the weary steps of Italian soldiers during WWI. This area, the Soča Front (better known in U.S. history books as the Isonzo Front), was fiercely fought over after Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary.

The eerie fortifications and trenches were reconstructed in 2000. We learned about the functions of different rooms, such as ammunition storage, officers quarters, or a shelter tucked away 30 meters of solid rock below the artillery fire. In the eerie blackness, I once again attempted to picture the agonizing life of a soldier, to no avail. Maybe it is better for the death and destruction long ago to remain incomprehensible.

The path we walked actually represents the end of the senselessness I tried so hard to grasp. It’s part of the Walk of Peace, a trail that follows the River Soča and remnants of one of the bloodiest fronts during World War I. It serves to commemorate the soldiers on all sides that lost their lives, in addition to advocating the end of all wars and appreciation of unspoiled nature. Admiring the blue mountaintops, rolling hills, and quaint villages below, it was not hard to buy into its message.

With the help of our guide, we could identify the battle lines that were drawn about 100 years ago. Despite 11 intense battles launched by the Italians, these lines did not budge a millimeter. It wasn’t until Austro-Hungary launched a major offensive with their allies, the Germans, that they overtook the entire region . . . only to be driven out by the Italians later when the Austro-Hungarian empire fell.

What I really gained from this expedition is that the Slovenians (living mostly in the Austrian-Hungarian borders) were really caught in the middle of the monstrosity of World War I. And the effects of the war on the people of its valleys were almost worse than the war itself. Yet, who knows if Slovenia would be its own nation today if history hadn’t played out the way it did? I cannot say, but I do know that I felt honored to walk along the Walk of Peace, leaving with the mountains and a little more peace in my own heart.

Mesa Goebel is a global studies major with a focus in peace and conflict. She studied the Kurent Festival, a lively celebration of fertility and the coming of spring with mythological roots. She loves nature, outdoor recreation, and traveling!

For this post we will jump back in time for a moment to the city of Zadar.

Zadar is one of multiple little pockets of history within Croatia. The old part of the city has a medieval wall around it, which was originally built for defense from enemies. As a result of the wall, and the general size of the city and streets, most cars and buses are not allowed within. This meant we needed to get out of our comfy seats on the bus and hoist our luggage the 200 or so yards to the hostel. Thankfully, I packed light.

The next morning, we took a tour of the city with another fantastic and enthusiastic guide, Sime. We learned that the city was originally settled by the Illyrians more than 2,000 years ago. At one end of the city we were able to see three different pieces of wall; the innermost wall was the original built by the Illyrians when the city was established; the furthest wall out was the one that surrounds the city today, built in the 13th century; and the middle section was a tower built somewhere in the middle. We were also able to see a church built in the 5th century that now has a cute souvenir shop inside that sells local art and jewelry.

Later in the afternoon, we attended a graduate world literature class at the University of Zadar. The class had also read the English translation of A Castle in Romagna originally written by Igor Stiks and translated by Tomislav Kuzmanović and Russell Scott Valentino, which is a short novel that we had read in preparation for the abroad. It is also a novel that happened to be co-translated by the professor of the class, Tomislav. As a joint class we discussed the novel from our two different perspectives. We talked about why we thought the novel has been chosen to be republished by Amazon Crossing (Amazon’s translation branch) and what themes made it attractive to a global audience. We discussed the themes of hopping between time periods, war, and forbidden love, and how these would be attractive to readers on the global market. One local student voiced her opinion that she was tired of the Croatia constantly being connected to war in their literature because she feels it does not accurately reflect the current state of of the country.

In the end, it was a great discussion with a lot learned on both sides. It was exciting to talk about the book with other students with a completely different view on the topic, as well as one of the translators of the novel itself. Thank you for hopping back in time with me to a discussion about a novel that hops around in time.

Sami Corbitt is a junior English major with a focus in creative writing and a minor in dance. Her cultural studies presentation was on caves and karst in Slovenia. 

Our group awoke this morning and waved a nostalgic goodbye to Zadar, particularly the cute and sleepy old town, which is a peninsula on Croatia’s coast. It didn’t take us long to embrace our new destination: the quaint island of Rab. Although from our approach in the ferry it looked like a deserted, dry landmass surrounded by deep blue and clear waters, it’s actually a popular tourist destination that’s rich with history.

A walking tour lead by our guide, Minka, educated us about this Croatian paradise. Much of the architecture preserved in Rab today is from the late Middle Ages or later (1400s). It became a part of the Venetian State in 1409 and served as a main port. In medieval times, Rab Town’s population was around 8,000, a contrast to today’s little over 2,000. Later, Rab was part of the Austro-Hungarian Embpire, and many of its inhabitants actually left for Italy when Yugoslavia was awarded the island in 1921. 

An incredible fun fact about the city of Rab: there are three main streets followed by twelve minor streets. The twelve streets stand for the twelve months of the year; furthermore, each street has 365 cobblestones to signify the 365 days in a year! Talk about a master city planner.

The United States actually has a connection to the island. American actress Wallis Simpson married English King Edward VIII and visited the island in 1936. Due to his choice to marry a commoner, he had to abdicate the throne. But there remains a plaque on Rab to honor their famous visit.

Regarding the touristy aspect of the island, we found that its delicious restaurants and beautiful waterfront are phenomenal. Our group had a particularly bonding moment on the beach in the early afternoon. We made our way down to the water. After a little sunbathing and cautiously dipping our toes into the tide, several members of our group decided it was time for a swim. Upon wading knee-deep, however, we found plunging in was much more easier said than done. Minka had warned us: the Adriatic does not heat up in the summer at the same rate as the air. The height of the bathing season is in July. You can imagine it’s pretty frigid now, in late May.

We managed to brace ourselves and and enjoy the refreshingly crisp ocean. A pair of goggles enabled us to examine the sea life below, including fish, mussels, and sea urchins. Then we all lay out on a dock, much like a group of sunning seals. 

Rab holds a special place in many of our hearts, not only because of its beauty, but as a setting of a novel we read during the spring semester. A Castle in Romagna by Igor Štiks (translated by Tomislav Kuzmanović and Russell Scott Valentino) tells the story of a boy growing up on the island. His father was Italian and Tito’s break with Stalin in in 1948 meant the Italian families were no longer welcome. Ironically, the main character falls for the daughter of the new police chief in Rab. In the end, (spoiler alert), when the couple cannot be together, the daughter throws herself from the tallest and most beautiful tower of Rab to her death. It was a morbid but interesting connection to see that very tower when we visited the island. 

Although we were sad to leave the next morning, we are grateful to be blessed by Rab’s beauty and history. Back to our home base of Ljubljana!

~Mesa

Mesa Goebel is a global studies major with a focus in peace and conflict. She studied the Kurent Festival, a lively celebration of fertility and the coming of spring with mythological roots. She loves nature, outdoor recreation, and traveling!

Our first Saturday was spent in the “city/town” of Celje visiting the museum in the Princely Palace, a pedagogical tree house, and the Celje castle. During this visit, we learned all about the counts of Celje, their history, their lives, their castles, and we spent some time with our hosts: forest manager Boštjan Hren and his family–Alenka, Oskar, and Erazem; as well as professor and translator Jason Blake and his family–Alenka and Nina.

After an hour-long drive we met our hosts at in the cafe at Hotel Evropa where many of us drank the famous Turkish coffee before headingto Pokrajinski Muzej. At the museum, we toured the castle/palace where the counts of Celje used to live. The most recent castle was built on top of an old Roman road and fortifications of the city of Celeia. During Roman rule, the structure was used as barracks and for military protection. Signs of Roman heating and sewage systems are on display in a below-ground exhibition of Roman ruins found and left in situ. At one point our tour group was standing in what had been the moat. As proof, the castle ruins show three ground floors because each time it was rebuilt (three distinct times after conquests by such enemies as Attila the Hun) the ground floor was built higher and higher because of the rising water level. (After our museum visit our hosts showed us the new Celje information center, where more Roman ruins are displayed in situ in the city center. They were discovered in 2015 when the town was upgrading a pedestrian area.)

During medieval times, the castle and its walls sported marble representative of the Roman era. Marble statues were displayed in the house as a form of decoration. During the tour, we each got to put on the helmet of a knight, which was heavy, and hold a shield and sword. Overall, there were 18 counts of Celje, and their skulls (carbon dated for identification purposes) can be found in this museum in an eerie gallery.

This, however, was not the only castle owned by the counts of Celje. They owned 250 other castles, and we got to visit another one, the Celje castle. It’s more of a ruin–a fortified castle more than a palace–and you can see the whole town from the top of the Frederick Tower. It is an amazing view. During our exploration of the Celje castle, we were told two stories about the counts: one of Frederick and Veronica, and the other of Barbara and the end of the line of the counts of Celje.

Barbara, daughter of one of the counts, was queen of three countries. She was married to the Roman emperor Sigsimund of Luxembourg at the age of thirteen and thus became the Empress. Later, she was also crowned queen of Bohemia, Germany, and Hungary. She gave birth to only one child, Elizabeth, who in turn gave birth to children whose descendants can be traced up to the Queen of England. Barbara showcased high intelligence as she spoke seven languages and managed different estates; she once lent money to her husband when he was in trouble. 

Now the story of Frederick and Veronika mirrors that of Romeo and Juliet to a certain degree. Frederick was a count, child of Herman II, while Veronika was just a lowly peasant. After the death of his wife, Frederick wanted to be with Veronica but his father disapproved. Veronika got accused of witchcraft and was brought in for trial. After her escape, she lived with monks for a while and then later was captured and drowned by Herman II’s army.

The last count, Ulrich II was killed by Hungarians. He wanted to rule and made a lot contributions to the empire, but since the Hungarians didn’t want him to, he was lured to Belgrade and killed. His funeral happened on November 8 in 1556; his shield was broken in half and the rule of the counts of Celje ended. All their property was seized by the Habsburg empire–the two families had signed an agreement that if one family’s line died out, the other would inherit the other’s lands and possessions–who in turn neglected the castles and tried to erase traces of the counts from the castle.

The highlight of the day for me was the tree house in the city forest. After a twenty-minute walk from lunch followed by a twenty-minute hike up hill, we arrived on the site of the tree house. It is a beautiful place in the middle of the woods of Douglas-fir trees. We ate ice cream brought by our hosts and listened to Erazum and Oskar play clarinet and guitar. Brooke played guitar, and then Oskar showed us some break dance moves.

The day concluded with a traditional Slovenian meal at Francl, a restaurant locals take pride in, and another hour-long drive panicking about event maps due at midnight. 

All in all, it was a day of learning and fun, and we are grateful Bostjan, Jason, and their families were able to share it with us.

~Genie

Genie Nyiramana is a junior majoring in computer science. She loves photography and is capturing lots of images around Slovenia. Her cultural studies subject is Slovenian Istria, including Piran.

Before I get into Day 5 of our Slovenia trip, a quick story.

On Wednesday night, Brooke, Sami, Genie, and I all went out into the city to find dinner. Originally, we were thinking that we wanted Slovenian McDonalds, (it’s awesome, don’t knock it), but on our way there we changed our minds and decided that cevappi, a spiced sausage better known as a Balkan, not Slovenian, dish sounded better.

To get our cevappi fix, we stopped at this hole-in-the-wall place that only had a grill, a window, and some counters. The guy in the restaurant greeted us in Slovene, and we responded in the limited Slovene that we’ve learned before letting him know that we speak English. He hesitantly responded by telling us that he knew very little English. While this didn’t seem convenient, we agreed that we would just find a way to communicate and get our cevappi.

We ended up having a 20-minute conversation with this guy while he made our food. He spoke very good English, and we learned that he had been born in Serbia before moving to Budapest, and now Ljubljana. And, on top of that, the cevappi was absolutely outstanding and I plan to go back.

In a microcosmic moment, that experience represents our trip so far. Whenever a challenge arises or something seems inconvenient, our needs are met and exceeded. This country amazes me.

Today was a day that I’ve been looking forward to since the start of the trip; today, we visited the Ljubljana castle that overlooks the city. Ever since we got to Ljubljana, that castle has been staring at us from atop its perch and just inviting us to come visit.

But, before we visited the castle, we took a walking tour of Ljubljana, led by our tour guide Minka. A highlight of the walking tour was the library that we visited. I don’t remember hearing the name, but I zone out a lot. (The blog editor knows it’s the Semenska Knijzica, a Baroque library that at one time held a 1:1ratio of books to citizens of Ljbuljana.) I’m not kidding when I say that this was the coolest library I’ve ever stepped foot in. Books are already cool, but I’m telling you that this place made books seem cool

Next we moved on to the castle

While the castle was more touristy than I was expecting—there were glossy signs on every door, railings and glass windows all over the place, just stuff like that—the view from the top tower was special. As the highest point in a very not tall city, the view from the tower allows you to see one-third of the entire country of Slovenia. Landscape and rooftops stretch on for miles and miles, and there’s even a faint glimpse of Austria to the northwest and Croatia to the southwest. On a clear day you can see Mount Triglav, the country’s highest peak.

After visiting the castle and finishing our walking tour of Ljubljana, Ellen set us free for the day with the only rule being that we had to be back in the hotel by sundown (she didn’t even tell us we had to follow the law [editor’s note: but she did teach the rule about no jaywalking and being smart]…best group leader of all time).

Every Friday in the city center of Ljubljana is an event called Open Kitchen. Local restaurants all come and each one gets a food stand. They’re all grouped together in one of the town squares and just cook food for whoever shows up and orders.

Although we were all free to eat wherever we wanted, I don’t think anyone chose to eat a meal that wasn’t at the Odprta Kuhna (Open Kitchen). My two meals consisted of filet mignon and potatoes (lunch), roast pork and potatoes (dinner), and double chocolate strawberry gelato (dessert) across the river at Kakao.

Ryan Eisenauer, a sophomore, remains undecided about his major. However, his hobbies include writing—particularly about sports—watching sports, playing sports, thinking about sports, hanging out with his golden retriever puppy, and bothering Ellen. Ryan enjoys sports, so his cultural presentation is on sports in Slovenia…go figure.

Now this was a jam-packed fun-filled day! We had an early start, leaving our hotel at 7:45 to head to the Postojna jama (cave), Slovenia’s number-one tourist destination. It is a cave extending many kilometers below the surface of Slovenia! Slovenia has one of the largest karst regions in the world. This has led many Slovenians to joke that Slovenia is actually twice as large as it looks on a map because it has a second floor! The Postojna jama is one of the only tourist caves in the world that has a fully functioning train running into it, and we were all very grateful for the train as it made the tour a lot less walking and a lot more enjoyable! Inside the cave, we learned about the stalactites (which grow from the ceiling), the stalagmites (which grow from the floor), and curtain formations that grow when the water slowly runs along the side of the wall. (There are even formations called spaghetti.) It was truly a wonder to behold all the incredible formations, especially knowing it takes roughly 100 years for each formation to grow just one millimeter! It was so amazing to be so far underground, where we even encountered human fish and baby dragons (two terms they use for the cave salamanders).

Next we took a 20 minute drive to Predjama Castle. This incredible castle is situated inside a cave! Once inside, you can see how the builders used the natural rock as the back wall of the castle and how effortlessly the manmade walls connect to the natural rock. We also learned about some of the people who lived inside the castle. The most famous owner, Erasmus (Erazem), holed up in the castle for over a year to avoid the army that awaited him outside. He was able to send servants out a secret passageway to get supplies. Ultimately he was betrayed by one of his servants who, when Erasmus was on the toilet, signaled to the army outside using a candle. The army then shot a cannon into the bathroom, causing it to collapse and killing Erasmus. The castle itself has an incredible view of the valley and provided a unique cultural and historical experience for us all!

Walking through caves and up castle steps helped us develop a bit of an appetite. We headed towards a traditional farm for some grub and were warmly welcomed by men and women in traditional Slovene clothing! We were also greeted traditionally by being given a piece of homemade bread which we then dipped in salt and ate. It was so fun to walk in while traditional music was being played for us live. Accordion, fiddle, and clarinet. We then sat down and were given more bread, water, and fresh apple juice! We continued to eat cabbage soup (which tasted like sauerkraut), homemade mashed potatoes, sausage, and porks slices from their family-owned pigs while the live music continued.

The Slovenes then began to perform traditional dances for us. It was so fun to hear them sing and watch them dance! Once they finished, a man came up to me and asked me to dance! I was taken for a spin, or I should say many, as I was led through one of the traditional dances. Almost all of us danced with one of the individuals we met and we all had a great time! I was sad to leave the festivities, but beyond grateful for the experience. It was a day I won’t soon forget and a memory I will keep forever!

~Sophia

Sophia Hathaway is a junior double majoring in environmental studies and global studies with a minor in sustainability. She has focused on the Carniolan bee as her Slovenian culture study and can’t wait to share with the group her findings! Be sure to stay updated on all the buzz.