Kayaking on Soča river

Since I tried kayaking for the first time (I posted about it here) I could not get it out of my head. I decided to take the first chance and try some white water kayaking.

I have tasted just enough of it to know I should approach this challenge with caution. As you can probably imagine kayaking over some serious rapids is a completely different thing compared to doing some simple paddling on still water.

Fortunately some of my friends take this sport pretty seriously and are already quite experienced in it. As luck would have it they had already planned a weekend adventure on Soča river and have invited me to join them. I did not hesitate for a bit and was more then happy to seize the opportunity.

I wrote about the beauty of Soča river valley before - you can check out this post about zip-lining in the area.

This time we stayed in a nice camping site in the village of Čezsoča just next to Bovec (Prijon Camping). It is a small camping site frequented by kayakers. It is possible to buy and rent kayaking equipment on site and they also offer guided tours and even personal lessons.

The Soča river flows by just next to the camping site which makes it a great spot for starting a kayaking adventure. However it is worth checking the water levels before choosing this spot. Keep in mind that at some times the river can be too shallow in some areas.
This part of the river might not prove to be all that interesting for seasoned kayakers but for me it was perfect. A little bit of warming up was just the thing I needed but I guess it would be virtually impossible to be bored with such scenery around. At times it felt like I could just sit in the boat and admire surreal colors of the river and mountain peaks rising high above.

Of course I could only enjoy the scenery for a while. Soon enough I had to try some advanced maneuvers.
As every beginner I at first had problems with keeping the kayak in the exact direction I wanted. After some time I got a pretty good feel of the boat trying to turn away from the intended heading. This meant I could make little corrections and keep good direction.

Of course there were other challenges as well. Using counter-currents generated behind every larger rock proved to be quite a challenge. This maneuver can be quite useful for gaining valuable time to access the situation further downstream and to catch a breath if you need it.

I guess I was entering those counter-currents quite OK, but getting out of them was a totally different thing. I kept doing something wrong and my kayak kept capsizing almost every time I was entering a stronger current.
Since I did not master an Eskimo roll yet (I explained this maneuver in a post about my first kayaking experience), this took quite some time. My kayak obviously got filled with water every time and I had to push it ashore and get all the water out.

It took us quite a few hours to complete our run. Soča river is divided into a few sections and level of difficulty is increasing further downstream you go. Knowing your capabilities and the river is vital for doing this. Since some people are obviously very brave (and stupid) there are a few casualties every year.
We chose our stretch according to our capabilities and fully enjoyed throughout the whole experience. I guess my "chaperones" did not have so much fun as I did, but they definitely seemed happy just to be there and take in the beauty of the whole area.

We decided that doing two runs a day should be just the thing we needed. We were right and had also some energy left for late night partying.
It was a great weekend in gorgeous surroundings and I would be more than happy to do it again some time. Special thanks goes to three great guys - Tine, Tine and Dejan who invited me to join them and even let me use some of their equipment.

I obviously did not take my camera along for the ride and could only snatch a few photos from the shore at the end of one of our runs. Anyway I hope you get the idea of the beauty of this area and get to see it in person someday.

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Wordless Wednesday: Kayak lineup

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Introduction to Kayaking

A few weeks ago a friend of mine invited me to join him on a Kayaking introduction course. He was one of the organizers of this event taking place at a regional park near the Slovenian town of Idrija.

The place is called Idrijska Bela and it has been a popular local summer getaway destination for ages. A narrow road from the town of Idrija follows the Idrijca river upstream to the point where a stream called Belca joins it.

On your way to this public natural swimming spot where you also pass by the interesting Divje jezero. This "Wild lake" (as it translates into English) is remarkably deep. Actually the depths of this lake still remain undiscovered.
The lake is also the source of the shortest river in Slovenia (only 55 meters or 180 ft long).

The Kayaking event was a part of series of sports events taking place in this beautiful setting almost every summer weekend. As such it was also free of charge.
When we heard about this M. and I were both very excited about it as it was going to be our first kayaking experience.

We expected to see a serious crowd trying to seize this opportunity but it was not so bad. Actually there were quite a few spaces left for random passers-by. This kayaking preschool as organizers called it, was divided into a few rounds - each taking one hour.

The part of Idrijca river where the event took place is dammed, so the water was pretty calm. This meant instructors could come up with different games to make things interesting. At the same time each of those games included various exercises aimed to help us develop a better feel for our kayaks.

We both did quite well but at the same time we also began to understand how much effort we would have to invest before being able to tackle some serious rapids. Some things were quite hard to do even on still water. We could only imagine how it would feel on some white water rapids.

At the end of our course we also got to try an Eskimo roll. This is the act of righting a capsized kayak by use of body motion and/or a paddle.
It does not just look hard - it actually is. I guess I do not have to point out no one of us succeeded without at least a little bit of help from our trusty instructor.

Fortunately the Eskimo roll is not the only way of freeing yourself from a capsized kayak. You can also simply swim out of it and drag your kayak to the shore. By doing this it gets filled with water. Emptying it usually requires quite a bit of effort.

Some of us had the privilege of trying it a couple of times.

All in all it was another great day spent in the beautiful nature. We were really glad we took part in the event and got a taste of kayaking. We actually liked it so much, we are thinking of trying it in a little bit more serious environment.
Luckily in Slovenia one can find some of the best rivers for this sport. The only problem is, I would never dare to attempt it without some professional guidance...

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Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly goes Ziplining

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Zipline Slovenia - A shot of adrenaline

Soča river valley in Slovenia is one of top European destinations for adrenaline addicts, water-sports enthusiasts and nature lovers.

The place literally looks like out of a fairytale and obviously I am not the only one who noticed it. A part of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was filmed in the town of Bovec. They filmed the climax of the battle at Beruna's Bridge there.

This place has been a popular destination for water sports like rafting and kayaking for decades. There are also other activities worth looking at when visiting the area. Canyoning and paragliding are definitely two of them and recently also zip-line has joined this already very interesting array of choices.

I have already tried some of those things before and really liked them. This time I decided to try this new thing simply called - Zipline Slovenia.

Zip-lining (also known as a flying fox, aerial ropeslide or Tyrolean slide) consists of a pulley suspended on a cable spanning between two high points. Simply put - gravity helps you travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by attaching to (and hanging from) the freely moving pulley.

This particular zip-line adventure starts with a scenic drive up the mountainside in an ex-military 4x4 car (TAM-110). Even views from the back of the car are spectacular and as such just the right introduction for the things to come.
First you get all the necessary equipment and after a quick training course the real thing begins...

The 2.4 kilometers long zip-line is divided in four sections - approximately 500 meters each. After every slide there is a short - few minute walk to the start of the next line. The path is quite steep in some parts so do not forget to bring comfortable trekking shoes.
The estimated top speed of the fastest line is over 60km/h and the cables are set 130-200 meters above the ground, each providing stunning views of the Soča river valley.

Personally I liked the one going through tree canopies best. Tree branches flying past gave an impression of even greater speed.
Throughout the whole experience the two instructors kept a close eye on individual participants giving us tips and precise instructions regarding safety and appropriate aerodynamic positions on each of the rides.

Everything from arranging this 3 hour adventure to the actual rides on the lines was done very professionally and I can only recommend it. Despite the natural environment this "adventure park" is set in, the whole thing felt surprisingly safe and controlled all the way through.

If you are having second thoughts about doing this because of a mild fear of heights - trust me, you do not need to worry about a thing. I actually think you will enjoy this zip-line the most if you are not completely comfortable with heights and exercises involving yourself hanging from a wire while flying super fast from one hill to another.
A scream echoing from the mountains now and then will only add to the whole experience.

Since this is the longest and the most spectacular zip-line in this part of Europe, it can get pretty crowded. Booking ahead of time is highly recommended. Visit Zipline Slovenia on their webpage for additional information.
If you find yourself strolling through the center of Bovec, you can also visit Aktivni Planet tourist agency. They will provide all the information you may need. They speak perfect English.

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Instagram - Sidebar plugin for your blog

If you are an iPhone or an Android phone user, you probably already know Instagram. If not, you really should get to know it now.
For quite some time this app was reserved for iPhone users only but when it also became available for Android it really got popular. Since lately it also has all the cool features on both platforms. Look for it on Google Play - it is free.

Below is a simple example of a photo with one of many available filters applied in Instagram. It is really easy to get great results with this tool.

It is one of my favorite mobile apps. Since it produces really great photos I thought of implementing it into Travel Photo Blogging for a while now. So when I found this SnapWidget that does just that, I simply had to fit it somewhere inside my sidebar.

It is easy to customize and I think it looks great. You can check it out in the bottom part of the right column of this blog under the title Our Instagram Feed.

You can also check out our Instagram feed on this link or search for us under the username travel_pb.

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Connecting Slovenian Salt-pans

Jogging has been gaining on popularity in the recent years. As a consequence there are more and more running events held every year all over the globe. Slovenia is no exception. I have been writing about one such event before - it is called Night's 10 and it is held annually in Bled, Slovenia.

Since Winter is not a very friendly season for sports like jogging in Slovenia everybody is in anticipation of Spring. This year temperatures have been quite high for a while now and quite a few running events were already held. These events can be a great motivation to get moving again and forget all about the cold winter.

We participated in one such event a few weeks ago. Connecting the salt-pans event (Povežimo soline) was held on the Slovenian coast on a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday in March. It was amongst the first such events in 2012 in Slovenia and also a great beginning of running season for many participants.
As the name suggests the idea of the event is to connect two salt-pans on the Slovenian Adriatic coast by running from Sečovlje salt pans to Strunjan salt pans. The finish line was 9.5 kilometers away from the starting point. The route was mostly set on level terrain and even went through a tunnel.

This time I was not participating. I only offered my driving services to the other part of the team. Even though I had to wait for our running enthusiasts for almost 2 hours I was not bored for a moment. Beautiful surroundings offered great photo opportunities I was more then glad to seize. Even the church tower of the charming city of Piran was visible in the distance. Amongst other interesting sights there was also a group representing salt pan workers. They prepared a bag of freshly harvested local salt for every participant.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

If you are looking for an excuse to visit Slovenia, you can easily participate in one of many running events held throughout the country. Here is a list of this year's upcoming running events in Slovenia. The site is in Slovenian, but since it is basically a list of names, places and dates I think you will be able to get all the info you need.

The only thing you should keep in mind is the usual requirement to register in a particular event months before it actually takes place.

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Mobile report from a ski day trip

This post is mostly about trying new things, so if you are curious what's new with me, you should keep reading.

Those of you who regularly follow this blog have probably noticed a lack of live reporting. Hopefully this has come to an end. Well, at least I can't blame the lack of technical equipment for not publishing live anymore.
Until just recently this excuse was OK due to an outdated mobile phone I had been using. Since it has started to show signs of mutiny I have been thinking about giving in and retiring it.
The same day I got a replacement, the old phone's charger went to phone heaven - talk about perfect timing... Lucky me, I guess.

So this is a test post using my new Android gadget from snow covered slopes of Slovenia. I know it is a bit late for ski season opening, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I chose one of nearby Slovenian ski resorts for this event and since it was an ordinary work day, slopes were relatively empty.
The weather was nice and in the end it was a great day altogether. Check out the photo if you won't take my word for it.

With the ski season officially opened, it is now time to get ready for our annual ski holiday in Italian Dolomites. I can hardly wait!

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Google celebrates Plečnik's 140th birthday

As you probably know, Google occasionally changes the logo on their webpage (www.google.com). These logos celebrating various important events are also known as Google Doodles. Recently there was an interesting one named "Blacked out logo" - Google's way of protesting against SOPA.

Global issues are usually addressed on their main site but logos of local (national) Google pages also change from time to time. Today for the first time a Slovenian Doodle was published. It celebrates the 140th birthday of Jože Plečnik an architect famous for completing many architectural projects in Vienna, Prague and Ljubljana (the place of his birth).


Today's Google Doodle represents his work in the city center of Ljubljana - The Triple Bridge. If you have seen it, you know what I am talking about. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you do it before tourists flood this charming city completely.

To see the doodle on Google site you will probably have to open the page www.google.si instead of your local version (or be physically located in Slovenia).
As you have probably guessed, the .si stands for Slovenia.

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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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Slovenia voted top 8 travel destination

At the end of every year Lonely Planet's top destinations for the coming year are published. A few weeks ago they announced their top picks for 2012. This year Reykjavik was voted the most popular city and Iceland the most popular country in the world. Since those two places got by far the most votes, it might be the right time to tweak my travel list a bit.

I was surprised (and pleased at the same time) to also find Slovenia in the Readers’ Choice: Top 10 countries category. With 6% of all votes my home country took 8th place. Both USA and Mexico were behind.

I think this is a great result and hope it will help promoting this great country. In my opinion it has been off the average traveller's radar for too long.


If you want to read the whole article, it is available on the Lonely Planet website.

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From Summer to Winter in a Flash

This year summer just did not want to end here in Slovenia. I liked this fact very much and tried to take it in as much as possible.
I was still swimming in the Adriatic Sea at the beginning of October and had a great warm weekend on Slovenian coast. The initial plan was to visit Skocjan Caves - an UNESCO heritage site, but since weather was simply too perfect to spend the day underground, M. and I unanimously decided to head for the charming Slovenian coast town of Piran. We figured any of the gloomy winter days will be just fine for exploring the caves.
In the end we had a great day enjoying the warm sun and fresh local sea food.


Both of the places mentioned Piran and Skocjan Caves are well worth visiting and deserve a separate post each.

We were glad we decided the way we did. Even more so after a few days, when temperatures dropped for 15 degrees in one afternoon. Another few days later snow covered most mountains higher than 1.000 meters above sea level.

Now every morning temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius and winter is definitely knocking on the doors, or as my favourite author keeps saying - Winter is coming. Well actually at the end of last week, it looked as if it has arrived already - there was snow everywhere.


The interesting thing is, even nature looks like it didn't realise this yet. Leaves are still green on most of trees. Last week's snow was breaking trees all over the place because leaves didn't even turn to autumn colours, let alone started to fall off.
If we weren't picking apples just the other day, I would think autumn is an imaginary time of year that happens only in fairytales.

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Wordless Wednesday: Canoeing at Lake Bled

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Erasmus Knights' Tournament 2011

Are you a fan of medieval times? Have you always wanted to participate in a Knights' Tournament? Well... now is your chance!

The traditional Erasmus Knights' Tournament will take place this weekend on 16th and 17th of July in front of Predjama Castle near Postojna, Slovenia.
It is a perfect setting for such an event.


Even George R.R. Martin - author of the bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire liked the place. During a recent visit to Predjama Castle he stated that he might include the castle in the series.
If by any chance, you are not familiar with this epic series, the first season (A Game of Thrones) has just been aired on HBO.

If you decide to go, amongst other things you will have a chance to witness a castle siege, a performance by flag throwers, burning of a witch, knights' blessing, demonstration of the skills of archers, swordsmen and horsemen, group combats, combat for a banner and much more.
You will also have a chance to participate in a medieval market and a genuine medieval feast.

Detailed information about the event is available here (click the "more" link below the text).

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Another successful running event held in Bled

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts I also visited this year's Night's 10 running event in Bled, Slovenia. This year participation was limited to 2011 runners.
More info is available directly on the Night's 10 official website which unfortunately is only partially translated into English.


We had a great time and since I didn't take part in the event, I had time to shoot some photos. Some runners took the run dead seriously and tried to break the record. Others just focused on having a great time.

Every contestant received a headlamp and it resulted in a moving light-show around the lake.


For the above photo I used a delayed flash effect. That is why that headlamp left such an interesting trace and also some of the runners look a bit like ghosts.

This year many runners came from abroad. I also spotted quite a large group of Brits posing for a group photo at the start line. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves.


Organization was excellent once again. This is thanks to Knights of Good Running (this is a translation from Slovenian language - "Vitezi Dobrega Teka", which also means "Knights of Good Appetite").
They are a great group, which everyone can join. Check out their website. Unfortunately it is only in Slovene, but Google Translate can help you out for sure.

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Night's 10 in Bled

Bled is a charming small town at the edge of Lake Bled in the northern part of Slovenia. Bled is usually referred to as the number one tourist attraction of this European country. It is a place where President Tito had his summer residence back in the days of Yugoslavia.


Even nowadays visitors are fascinated by the beauty of the whole area. There is a picturesque island in the middle of the lake with a church on it. An old castle overlooking the lake from a steep cliff directly above the lake and Alps in the background also add to the special atmosphere.

Every year on a Saturday around the 10th of July there is an interesting event held at the Lake Bled. It is called the Night's 10 (or Nočna 10ka in Slovene). It is a 10 kilometer night run around the lake. This year it is taking place on Saturday the 9th of July, at 10 PM.


Unfortunately for you, it is already too late for applying. Applications have been closed a while ago. However that is no reason not to participate. You visit the event to cheer for runners and to enjoy the atmosphere - there will definitely be live music and partying long into the night.

I will also be there - this year just as a part of a support team. If anyone plans to be there... well, let me know and we might get a chance to enjoy a beer and a local delicacy - Bled cream cake, together.

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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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Idrija Lace Festival 2011

Summer is the time for festivals and when it comes to this Slovenia is no different. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood this weekend, you should visit the 30th Idrija Lace Festival. It is an ethnological, cultural, educational and entertaining event. This year it is taking place from Friday June 17th till Sunday June 19th.

Idrija is a small town in the western part of Slovenia. It has over 500 years of history heavily related with mining of cinnabar ore, from which 13 percent of world's mercury was produced. It was the second oldest and biggest mercury mine in the world that had closed in 1995 due to commercial, geological and ecological reasons.
Technical heritage from that time is well preserved and a visitor can take a close look at many interesting technical achievements from the half of millennium of history. Besides the mine museum and the largest preserved water wheel in Europe, one of the highlights is definitely Anthony’s Shaft - the oldest part of the Idrija Mine which belongs to the oldest preserved entrances into any mine throughout the world.

This weekend is the perfect time to visit Idrija. Besides many permanent exhibitions the town literally breathes the lacemaking tradition during the annual festival.

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Football and Web Traffic go together well

As I predicted in my previous post the last football match Slovenia played in South Africa had a similar effect on web traffic as the previous two. Almost every web page and blog publishing Slovenia related content experienced a substantial increase of traffic in recent days.


On the graph screenshot from Google Trends you can see three peaks representing number of Google searches people did last month.
The first peak is on the day of the match between Slovenia and Algeria, the second Slovenia vs. USA and the third Slovenia vs. England.

Unfortunately Slovenian national team didn't make it to the next round and this meant the end of increased web exposure for Slovenia. I am pretty sure the upcoming 2010 FIBA Basketball World Championship in Turkey will hardly have a similar effect.

A couple of days ago the World Cup came to an end and it is a vuvuzela free time again. Congratulations Spain!

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