Feeling vaguely horsey, (could I get addicted to that sweet smell of the hay?) we continued on towards Piran. Piran is part of the 40 ks of coastline that Slovenia has, tucked in as it is between Croatia and Italy.
First we went to a lookout so that I could appreciate the salt fields of Soline. There is a huge expanse of salt fields, although the original fields covered 850 hectares (photos don't do it justice) The salt produced is marketed as having numerous healing powers - and is still produced using the ancient techniques, by solinars who continue to wear the wooden footwear and use the old techniques of the ancient workers. The salt works were owned by noble families and churches (those rich churches!), and the saltworkers (solinars) were just tenants on the land. Production was at its most productive under the Venetian Republic, and following the collapse of that powerful force, the Hapsburgs controlled the salt fields.
Salt was important back in the days when you were 'paid your worth in salt' - it was the currency of the time. And for those wondering how it works, the sea water sits in enclosed fields, evaporation does its thing in the hot sun, leaving the salt crystals. Simplistic explanation, sorry, but that is the essence.
(this sign says 'salt is the sea which was not able to return to the sky).
Leaving the salty area, Petra parked the van (with prowess in such a small space, with me standing doing the bloke hand signals), and we took the lift down to the transfer bus.
Piran is another of those fabulous town centres with no cars. Although, discussing this point later on in the evening, the positives of this may be outweighed by the negatives if you happen to live in the old town (think supermarket shopping with two small children, in the summer, perhaps add a little rain - got the visual?).
First impressions - the pastel colours are beautiful.
Petra was just what i enjoy in a guide, and had all sorts of stories about the details on the buildings. The square is dedicated to Guiseppe Tartini, the celebrated grand violin virtuoso and composer. He fell in love with a young girl and married her (what's with all these men and their young girls?) BUT a bishop was also in love with her and accused Tartini of kidnapping her and making her marry him, and with a death threat on his life, he fled, taking refuge in a monastery where he heard the sound of a violin for the first time. He was an obsessive man, and determined to master the instrument - which clearly he did (otherwise what would be the point of the trg (square) in his honour). His most famous composition is Sonata 4 'The Devils' Thrill' which, so the story goes, the devil came to him in a dream to try to bribe him, wanting to win his soul, and Tartini asked him to play the violin - he played the most beautiful music which Tartini then tried to replicate when he woke. And what of his young bride, I asked? Nothing said Petra. She was just a bit player in this theatre.
The beautiful grey building is the municipality chambers - central city administration - but if you check up above the door, there sits the lion, the symbol of the Venetians. Each city conquered by the Venetians has the lion somewhere on a building - and if the lion holds an open book (as it does here) the city was taken peacefully - if the book is closed, then lives were lost with a resistance. I love these little details! And you dear reader will have to learn to love them too..).
Look at this beautiful baroque building, one of the oldest in the square.
The story behind the markings on this building were that the wealthy man who owned it (again, middle aged) had a mistress, and one not from his own class (whooah!). He travelled a lot with his work (maybe a merchant) and when he was gone, the townspeople gossiped and suggested to the young woman that there were other women - so the merchant put this symbol on the front of the house which says 'let them talk'. We all need one of those..
We let ourselves wander aimlessly and get lost in the network of alleys, and then sat with a glass of local wine and a platter of melon and prsut (prosciutto). My absolute favourite meal.
Driving back I was lucky enough to experience a motorway traffic jam - which meant that we returned to Ljubljana in the middle of Taste of Slovenia - just in time for
cevapcici - and then with another new friend, drank a Hugo in one of the many many bars on the banks of the Ljubljanica River. Perfect day.
First we went to a lookout so that I could appreciate the salt fields of Soline. There is a huge expanse of salt fields, although the original fields covered 850 hectares (photos don't do it justice) The salt produced is marketed as having numerous healing powers - and is still produced using the ancient techniques, by solinars who continue to wear the wooden footwear and use the old techniques of the ancient workers. The salt works were owned by noble families and churches (those rich churches!), and the saltworkers (solinars) were just tenants on the land. Production was at its most productive under the Venetian Republic, and following the collapse of that powerful force, the Hapsburgs controlled the salt fields.
Salt was important back in the days when you were 'paid your worth in salt' - it was the currency of the time. And for those wondering how it works, the sea water sits in enclosed fields, evaporation does its thing in the hot sun, leaving the salt crystals. Simplistic explanation, sorry, but that is the essence.
Leaving the salty area, Petra parked the van (with prowess in such a small space, with me standing doing the bloke hand signals), and we took the lift down to the transfer bus.
First impressions - the pastel colours are beautiful.
Petra was just what i enjoy in a guide, and had all sorts of stories about the details on the buildings. The square is dedicated to Guiseppe Tartini, the celebrated grand violin virtuoso and composer. He fell in love with a young girl and married her (what's with all these men and their young girls?) BUT a bishop was also in love with her and accused Tartini of kidnapping her and making her marry him, and with a death threat on his life, he fled, taking refuge in a monastery where he heard the sound of a violin for the first time. He was an obsessive man, and determined to master the instrument - which clearly he did (otherwise what would be the point of the trg (square) in his honour). His most famous composition is Sonata 4 'The Devils' Thrill' which, so the story goes, the devil came to him in a dream to try to bribe him, wanting to win his soul, and Tartini asked him to play the violin - he played the most beautiful music which Tartini then tried to replicate when he woke. And what of his young bride, I asked? Nothing said Petra. She was just a bit player in this theatre.
The beautiful grey building is the municipality chambers - central city administration - but if you check up above the door, there sits the lion, the symbol of the Venetians. Each city conquered by the Venetians has the lion somewhere on a building - and if the lion holds an open book (as it does here) the city was taken peacefully - if the book is closed, then lives were lost with a resistance. I love these little details! And you dear reader will have to learn to love them too..).
Look at this beautiful baroque building, one of the oldest in the square.
The story behind the markings on this building were that the wealthy man who owned it (again, middle aged) had a mistress, and one not from his own class (whooah!). He travelled a lot with his work (maybe a merchant) and when he was gone, the townspeople gossiped and suggested to the young woman that there were other women - so the merchant put this symbol on the front of the house which says 'let them talk'. We all need one of those..
We let ourselves wander aimlessly and get lost in the network of alleys, and then sat with a glass of local wine and a platter of melon and prsut (prosciutto). My absolute favourite meal.
Driving back I was lucky enough to experience a motorway traffic jam - which meant that we returned to Ljubljana in the middle of Taste of Slovenia - just in time for
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