Next-to-last Day in Robidišče - posted by Hoeh

Today actually started out with a thunderstorm at dawn, with loud cracks and lots of lightening, and a total downpour.  But by 10 or so it cleared up and became a beautiful sunny day.

This was a couple days ago when Elisabeth and Cecelia got cool suits to wear while picking soybeans.

Also a couple days ago some cool Slovenians young-ish types stopped by and hung out awhile.  They were buying yogurt, recovering from schnapps hangovers, and getting ready to be in a play this weekend.

Also the other day, Igor demonstrated making polenta the traditional way.

Don't even ask what kind of fatty ingredients might be involved in this dish.  It was, let's say, rich.

This was this morning after it cleared up.

Igor (ahead) and Luigi.  Luigi is an enigmatic character whom we can never understand, but we've eaten at his house twice, and he makes a mean pasta sauce.  He seems to be Italian, but it isn't clear. His refrain is, "No interessa me," whenever we ask him about his life or interests. Today we chopped and stacked his wood, because he has health problems. His solution is to drink 3 liters of beer daily. We know he likes us and anything I cook, and he likes when the girls sing.o

The inside of "the locale." 

elisabeth serenading Gogi the goatherd.  Gogi made the surprise announcement yesterday that he is going back to the real world, getting a job in a warehouse in Lubljana.  Cecelia must train as a goatherd in one day!

Note snow on the peaks that must have fallen during the rain storm here.

Laka noch.

Slap Kozjak

yesterday we went to the soča river and the amazing "slap kozjak." (slap means waterfall in slovene.)

the water really was this color!

then today i held the cat for awhile, as usual.

and mummy found a magic mushroom.

and we have been picking soybeans off their vines all morning.

Saturday in the big town, Sunday back at work, Monday off? post by Cyndy

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The strüklji festival in Kobarid. Our hosts had a booth all day, and told us to just go be tourists.

View from the hilltop "charnal house/church" (7,000 + entombed WWI soldiers) in Kobarid.

cute neighborhood in Kobarid

more cuteness

another valley view.  After a walk we found a place to use the internet, and felt compelled to buy coffee, tea, beer, etc. 

Then we felt obliged to try the local wines.  then we felt it was only polite to try the domestic honey liqueur.  then when we got home, we followed the lead of our host and had a glass of wine with our salad. Then, well, - suddenly it was 8:30 a.m.

our first home.

Gogi and the milking sheep.

Sundat dinner outside with Beti the weekend cook.

one path in Robidišče

Yesterday a new American wwoofer arrived. Cecelia from Washington.  she and Elisabeth have lots in common, and she has many Slovenian relatives, and a basic grasp of the language.

The view from here doesn't quit.

friday

Today was awesome. I fed the pigs. They are totally enthusiastic, their manners are incredibly, well, piggy, but it isn't my problem! 

We chopped nettles and herbs incredibly finely to use in the filling of žepki (dumplings) for tomorrow's festival.

Then we got to make them - they have goat ricotta in them too.

Then with the wheat we cleaned of weed seeds yesterday, she made flour today, and I sifted it.

Elisabeth (the Rake) worked through the frustration of figuring out printing instructions in Slovene, and actually got it to work!

Final task for the day was ironing aprons and tablecloth for the festival.  

The afternoon light inspired Elisabeth to jump off the slide.

this is our new room in the big house where the real guests stay.  We guess we passed the test or something.  People should come here.  Bed and breakfast, 25 euros! 

Now apparently we are going to a tavern somewhere! ciao for now! - the Hoeh

Robidišče

We have been told that the winter population of Robidišče is only 9 people. Here is the google earth view of the town. Many of these houses are summer residences or apartments for summer tourists. 

Things are pretty slow this time of year and generally the only people who have been coming into Igor and Paula's restaurant have been locals wanting a beer. Today though, there were about 10 guests in the hours surrounding lunch, most of them Italian (we are about a quarter mile from the italian border).

This morning we again started the morning picking mushrooms.

then we separated wheat from chaff for a long time. mummy made borsht for lunch, which they had never had! it was delicious despite the lack of dill. She also made a rhubarb pie, into which we have not yet cut. Looking forward to that.

Mostly what I can say about this place so far is that it is beautiful and the life is pretty simple, although there is always something to do!

(me herding sheep)

separating buckwheat from chaff

Slovenia!

We arrived in the tiny mountain village of Robidišče (pronounced rob-i-deesh-che) on Sunday and have been getting acquainted with the farm and our hosts Paula and Igor since then.

then we went for a hike in these mountains:

and then these goats followed us home (igor and paula have about 30 goats and 50 sheep, which we got to help milk, although we may have been more of a hinderance than a help).

then we had more potatoes and tomatoes for dinner and tried some from the bottle on the right.
left, schnapps, right, vino.
and then we went to sleep in this room:

ok well thats it for now. having a terrible time trying to blog from the ipad. but we'll do our best! we had another full day today which we started out by picking a bunch of honey mushrooms, which mummy obviously got a kick out of. also starting to get more friendly with our hosts and with the farmhand, Gogi. ok now time for beddie bye. rake out!