This Unimagined Life

Tag: Piran

Back to Piran

I’m working in the Events Department at Casnik Finance and a major part of what they do is organize all sorts of conferences and forums in the financial sector. I had the good fortune to attend a financial conference last week in Portoroz, Slovenia which is a coastal town right next to Piran which I posted about previously. Now, since I can’t understand Slovene and this particular conference was in Slovene I was instructed to go enjoy the day sightseeing and maybe visit the Hotel Spa. What a rough job I have! The next conference on Marketing will be in English though and I look forward to being able to attend some of those forums.

I enjoyed lunch at the hotel with my colleagues and then departed with my camera and walked along the coast to meet with the old, charming town of Piran once again. This time I had a a few hours to really explore. Its very small but this is perfect because you can really take your time to see every detail and not feel like you have to rush through and see everything in one day.

I have always loved old things and the prospect of finding some relic from the past, a treasure, or a secret passageway. I’m a huge fan of books like The Davinci Code and The Celestine Prophecy; movies like National Treasure and The Goonies; and antique stores and attics in old houses. It brings my imagination to life and I get excited thinking about times past and the evidence of people who once stood in the same place as me or opened the same door. I should’ve been an archaeologist! Piran had a few secrets to discover…

I’m beginning to really enjoy site-seeing alone. It’s nice to be able to take my time and stop to take a photo (which still takes me a little while since I take the same picture multiple times in different settings). But every once in awhile there is a moment when you see something and wish you had someone to turn to and share their reaction. There are also times that it would be handy to have someone there to give you a boost so you can see further over a window ledge. The picture below was from a building that was being gutted on the inside. You can see that below where the floor would have been they have uncovered the top part of an archway. I was absolutely dying to see what was further inside. I circled the building for a better view but found none. I pulled myself up on the window gate as high as I could but still couldn’t see. I debated climbing up onto the window ledge but in the end decided that would be a bit disrespectful…or maybe I just didn’t have the guts.

I reached the top of the hill at the edge of town and followed the defensive wall back downhill to the beach. There set into the hill I discovered an arched opening that had been boarded up. Some of the boards had been torn off so of course I couldn’t resist seeing what was inside…

Now, don’t you want to know where that staircase leads?! I wish I was a bit more of a delinquent because I really wanted to tear down the boards and go through the tunnel. Instead I walked back up the hill to try and figure out where the staircase ended. The position in which it would seem to be there was a boarded up building sitting on top. Another dead end, I circled the building multiple times looking for a way to sneak inside but once again the responsible side of me took over with the thought of being arrested while on a work conference because I was trying to sneak into an old building that may contain a secret staircase with a passageway to the beach.

Maybe one day when I’m wealthy I will buy an old house in a little village in Europe somewhere and proceed to rip up the floor and dig underground until I find something!

Some side notes from this trip: I had a great time getting to know my colleagues better. We enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner together and then had a night out at a bar in Piran. On day two I woke up to a thunderstorm that continued all day with cold and rain. So, I enjoyed an amazing 60-minute traditional Thai Massage at the spa and then headed back home after lunch. All in all I would say my first work trip was a complete success!

May 21, 2012
The Slovenian Coast – Strunjan to Piran

So far my experience with people here is that pretty much everyone is extremely friendly and helpful. This includes Slovenians and other foreigners from all different countries. At the couchsurfing meeting i went to this week I met Anne. Originally from France, Anne has lived in Ljubljana for the past 6 months by way of Brussels. She moved here to work and so will be staying for a few years if not permanently. We met for coffee one morning and had a great conversation that led into politics at some point. Not usually my favorite topic but it was very interesting to hear the point of view of a non-American. Anne was kind enough to invite me for coffee at her place Saturday morning and a ride along to the coastal towns of Strunjan and Piran.

I rode a bike over to her place in the morning and it was fun to see an actual residence since my apartment is more of a temporary living space and decorated pretty sparsely. Her apartment (or should I say flat?) was really comfortable and stylish. Lots of bright pops of color everywhere and nice furnishings. She had a sunny patio where we had some tea and coffee while we waited for her friend Majca to join us. Majca is Slovene and so we had a great tour guide for the trip. She also proved to be just as friendly as everyone else I’ve encountered. I have been completely amazed at the fluency in which both Anne and Majca speak English and it makes me really regretful that I never mastered another language. I really wish it was something that was stressed in education in the US.

Anyway, let’s get to the point… the beach! By car the coast is about 90 minutes although it seemed much faster to me. We arrived and parked in a village called Strunjan and first walked over to the Salt Flats. They don’t produce much salt here anymore because its not the most efficient way. But it was interesting to look at and I’m told they still produce some although its expensive to purchase.

From there we walked/hiked along the hilly coastline toward Piran.

I saw quite a few houses that I wouldn't mind living in!

Majca knew about a shortcut which was a much nicer walk than along the road.

It took us down a sunny dirt path lined by a stone wall that must have been there for hundreds of years.

I can't believe how green it is here!

Every once in awhile the path would wind toward the ocean and we'd get a glimpse of the emerald-turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea.

Eventually we came to a road overlooking Piran and the Adriatic Sea.

Slovenia is full of bright bursts of color around every corner.

Majca and Anne stop for a photo as we find our way through the cobblestone streets to the town center.

Some of the alleyways were so narrow that you felt like you were indoors until you looked up and saw the sky.

We made it through the maze of streets and walkways, down the hill to the town center.

After surveying the menus of the numerous waterfront seafood restaurants we chose one and quickly ordered this local grapefruit beer. Very refreshing and not too sweet.

I was so hungry and excited to eat that I forgot to take a photo beforehand. We had mussels in a delicous butter-wine sauce, pomme frites for dipping and a seafood salad with squid and shrimp. Everything was fresh and very tasty!

I think I look like I'm enjoying myself in this photo. 😉

May 7, 2012