What to see in Slovenia

Every time before I travel to a new country I try to do as much research as possible and it's never easy to find all the useful information together in one place. I usually combine reading a guidebook with browsing through different tags on Instagram and then google places I'd like to visit separately.

If you are planning a trip to Slovenia I hope you will find my information useful.

We stayed in Ljubljana for the whole trip and it was perfect as the city is centrally located and you can easily drive from there to the sea or to the mountains (the time it normally takes to cross London from North to South).

Ljubljana - the capital, one day is enough to explore the central part with highlights being Ljubljana castle offering gorgeous views of the city (we didn't go in) and city centre with all the lovely markets. In terms of restaurants, we were recommended by locals to try Druga Violina and it didn't disappoint - hearty Slovenian dishes at reasonable prices. Slovenska Hisa is another nice place for a drink and/or snack.

If you want to enjoy another rooftop view of Ljubljana and to see Ljubljana Castle from the other side I highly recommend going to Neboticknik - Skyscraper for a drink.

First days of our stay were foggy in mornings and sunny later in the day - the mist and the sun created those gorgeous colours at sunset!

Lake Bled is an absolutely magical place and is definitely must see in Slovenia. It seems very touristy at first but it's very easy to find spots without people. The little church on Bled island is a popular wedding location. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.

On the way from lake Bled we made a quick stop in Radovljica, a small town with houses dating from the 15-16th centuries.

Predjama castle (below left) was built within a cave and was first mentioned in the 13th century. 

Piran, a lovely seaside town was another highlight of the trip. 

For the view below climb the bell tower of St George's church.

I loved that most of the churches in Slovenia are built on hilltops. Church of St Primoz has one of the most beautiful locations high up in the mountains with more mountains as a backdrop. I was hoping to see it on a misty day but we got sun instead. Maybe that's a good reason to come back?

We also visited Plansarsko Lake (Zgornje Jerezersko) that was partly frozen but so far no snow for us this year. Still hoping it might snow in London!

Beautiful Dordogne Valley Part 1

A few weeks ago when it was still warm and sunny I had an opportunity to explore Dordogne valley - an area in south-western France most known for medieval castles, historic villages and beautiful landscapes. I have been to many other regions of France before but I was truly amazed how unique and untouched by modern architecture this area is!

The first village that I visited, Collonges-la-Rouge is the only village in Dordogne valley that is entirely built with red sandstone.

Curemonte, it's castles and cows :)

The village of Carennac was occupied from the Gallo-Roman period and early Middle Ages. Many buildings were destroyed during the Hundred Years war but some have survived from as early as 11th century!

Rocamadour is probably one of the most visited villages in the region as it has been an important pilgrimage destination for centuries. The village also has a beautiful setting climbing up a cliff side. Flights of steps ascend from the lower town to the churches, built half-way up the cliff. The pilgrimage church of Notre Dame contains a wooden Black Madonna that became famous for its healing powers and soon became a popular stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela.

I have so many photos from this trip that I had to divide them into 2 posts! Second post to follow very soon.

Grape Harvest with Ruinart in Champagne

Last week I was delighted to spend a couple of days with Ruinart to learn more about their champagne production.

Ruinart was founded in 1729 and is the first established champagne house!

The trip has started with a visit to La Cristal Room Baccarat, a museum and a restaurant ran by a Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin.

The french designer Philippe Starck has transformed the former dining room of art patron Marie-Laure de Noailles, who used to occupy the townhouse, into a restaurant.

We had some time to see the ball room and enjoy the amazing Baccarat glassware that is on display in the museum. Then we enjoyed excellent dinner in a truly beautiful setting – just imagine a combination of sparkling crystal chandeliers, big mirrors and exposed brick walls.

I had a few minutes to walk around Le Marais where we stayed before leaving for Reims to learn everything about champagne.

We walked along the vineyards and learned that each bottle of champagne contains 1,4 kg of grapes! It was an amazing experience to take part in grapes harvest and actually pick the grapes with my own hands!

Maison Ruinart (Ruinart house) where the magic happens.

Later in the afternoon we continued with a few workshops and then visited Unesco protected cellars.

Next day in the morning I had a few minutes for a quick walk around Reims and a speedy visit to Reims Cathedral.

Salt & Chocolate discoveries in Anglesey

This week I spent a day on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales learning about the process of making new Green & Black's thin dark sea salt chocolate bars.

We woke up early in the morning to go for a quick walk around the town of Beaumaris where we were staying. 

Beaumaris Castle

We've started our tour of Halen Mon, the Anglesey sea salt company looking at the pipe that brings the water from the sea. That water comes already naturally filtered by a mussel bed and a sandbank.

The salt water is then gently heated in a vacuum so it boils at low temperature.

Crystallisation tanks

When the crystals are formed, they are rinsed and harvested by hand.

After seeing the whole process of salt production, we moved to a chocolate workshop with Brandt Maybury, Green & Black's taste specialist.

Later in the afternoon we returned back to Beaumaris to visit a colurful Green & Black's van that is curently travelling around the country.

We finished with a chocolate and wine pairing session that really helped to enjoy the different flavours of the chocolate. Hope I will have a chance to go back to Anglesey to explore more!