Big Blog Exchange competition

As you are probably aware there are countless contests going on on the internet each and every day. It you are a regular visitor you might have also noticed that I do not participate all that often (or at least I do not bother you - my faithful readers with it). This time I am going to make an exception.

I recently found out about an amazing contest going on and I filled my application form in straight away! It seems this is a perfect opportunity for me to travel again and also for you to follow me (through my blog) on this great travel adventure. This is where you come in and make it all possible for me.

So prettyprettypretty please, just click on the "VOTE FOR ME" banner above and it will take you to the BBE page where you will have to insert your e-mail and press 'vote'. You will receive an email with confirmation link you have to click, so your vote could be confirmed. You can use multiple e-mail addresses to cast multiple votes!
You have an exclusive chance to make me very happy with just a few clicks. I promise to blog extensively about the travel adventure if I make it to the top 16 finalists.

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Wordless Wednesday: Magnificent Monte Pelmo

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Village of Vojsko in winter

I have posted various cross-country skiing photos from the highest lying village of Slovenian Primorska region (i.e. Slovenian Littoral) before - you can check out my previous post if you are interested.

Vojsko is a small village near the town of Idrija and since it lies more than 1.000 meters above sea level it usually gets loads of snow. This winter is no exception.

On my way to the cross-country skiing center I always pass by the church in the little village. The other day I made a short stop and took a few photos. Although some snow has already melted, there was still about a meter and a half of it left. In my book that is still a hardcore winter. Since in the past decades they often had to deal with more than twice the amount of this year's snow, some locals might disagree with me.

I will let you check out these photos and judge for yourself.

Regardless of all problems snowy winter brings along, I always love to visit Vojsko plateau. Nature is so beautiful around these parts and there is a great variety of wildlife preserved for a visitor to admire. Among other things this also makes it an excellent destination for photo hunting... but that is a different story for another post.

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Cross-country skiing class

Winter has been quite generous with snow so far in Slovenia and it looks like we are getting some more this week. Snow usually brings along some trouble but it also enables us snow sports enthusiasts to have lots of fun.

I have been lucky enough to spend quite a few really nice and fun days on skis so far this season and I do not intend to stop just yet.
Apart from alpine skiing I also like to go cross-country skiing from time to time. Last weekend I had a great opportunity to improve my skills at a training course. It was led by a friend of mine, so I knew pretty well what to expect.

We chose a great location - Vojsko cross-country skiing center. It is located near the town of Idrija in Slovenia (you can check out its location here). I posted about this great activity before - you can check out what I wrote about a great day I spent cross-country skiing on this same location roughly 3 years ago (you should probably click on the link if you like this post).

We were a group of eight and considering there were some first-timers amongst us, we all did great. We started with some warm-up exercises and continued with an introduction to skate skiing. After more than three hours of improving ours skills and doing quite a few kilometers of skating through a section of available tracks, we enjoyed a brief break.

Weather was quite nice. Apart from a foggy morning we had a nice and sunny day. Snow was still on trees, providing an idyllic setting for spending a day in the nature.

The afternoon was reserved for a cross-country trek. We changed from skate to classic style skis and ventured off the track into the forest. Wading through nearly meter and a half of snow wearing only boots would be almost impossible, but with skis on, it was quite easy.
It took us around two hours to do a ten kilometer track. Views and natural beauty were just breathtaking. Almost every one of us preferred this part to our morning skating exercises. There were however a few who had trouble with deep snow - I guess being overweight does not actually help with this activity.

Since we really enjoyed this day, we will try to repeat it as soon as possible. I also intend to go on a bit more serious cross country trek as soon as possible.

If you ever find yourself in Slovenia and would like to try a winter activity like this, do not hesitate. If you need an advice or help in organizing such an event feel free to contact me through email or simply leave a comment on this post. I will gladly help you out.

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Wordless Wednesday: Tiled spring in Sintra

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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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Legend of the Rooster of Barcelos

Rooster of Barcelos (Galo de Barcelos) is one of the most common Portuguese emblems. It can be found all over the country and Lisbon is no exception.

As the legend goes, this story unfolded in the city of Barcelos (it is located in northwestern part of Portugal) a long time ago.

Once upon the time silver had been stolen from a landowner in Barcelos. Everyone was looking for the criminal who had committed the crime. One day, a man from neighboring Galicia turned up and became suspect. The man swore that he was merely passing through Barcelos on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to complete a promise he had made.

In spite of everything, the authorities arrested the Galician and found him guilty of theft. This was a serious charge for which a guilty verdict meant certain death, so they condemned him to death by hanging. The man asked his guards to take him in front of the judge who had condemned him. The authorities honored his request and took him to the house of the magistrate, who was holding a banquet with some friends. Feeling vulnerable in a strange village and knowing what his sorry fate might be, the Galician pointed to a roasted cock on top of the banquet table and exclaimed, "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." The judge pushed aside his plate because he decided to not eat the rooster. But still, the judge ignored the Galician's appeal.

But, as the pilgrim was hanged, the cockerel jumped up and crowed. Realizing his mistake, the judge rushed to the gallows and found that the pilgrim had miraculously survived due to a loose knot. He was released immediately.

According to the legend, the pilgrim returned many years later to carve the Crucifix to the Lord of the Rooster (Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo) which is now housed in the Museu Arqueologico in Barcelos.

Ever since, the Barcelos Cockerel has been a symbol of faith, justice and good fortune as well as the country of Portugal.

As is the case with many legends this one also has many variations but the main part of the story is very similar in all of them.

Today one can find the famous rooster in many varieties. Walking around Lisbon you will get a feeling it particularly likes to hang out in various souvenir shops.

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