Our EVS flat is situated on the main square of Škofja Loka, so we are always aware about everything what happens there. On that day I looked from the window of our kitchen because of loud music, laugh and voices outside. At the square I saw about 20 guys in yellow t-shirts surrounding one guy who was trying to dance with any girl he could, the dance was simple but as I understood because of the music, it was something traditional Slovenian (Polka). So I was sitting on the windowsill and stared at them, at one point they noticed me and started to ask to go downstairs to dance. My first intention was not to go, but then I changed my mind just to do an opposite thing to my wish.

Downstairs I was explained that he was going to get married in one week, but now he has to do this funny actions because his friends gave him a task to do it.

P.S. We saw 5 “fantovščina”, 1 “dekliščina” (girl’s party) and two weddings in Škofja Loka on 18th of May. :-)

I wanted to see Kurents the most and I wasn’t disappointed. They had very impressive costumes from real wool. In general carnival was quite good but a bit long :) and the weather was extremely cold. So our team made a conclusion that it’s cool to see this Ptuj Carnival but this experience can be only once in a lifetime. :)

Here is my video of this event, I hope it can give you an impression of that day.

Kranj is situated just about 12 km from Škofja Loka, and it’s the main town in Gorenjska region. However some Škofja Lokars don’t like Kranj as it often happens among neighbors. :) Kranj is also well-known by its tunnels under the town, which were made during the Second World War in a case to save civil population of bombarding.

Silvia and me took a tour there with a Slovenian group and a guide. Tunnels were long, dark and a bit wet, but the last “room” was quite interesting. We appeared to be in one small place, the guide closed the door and turn on the sound of bombarding. I felt like in a movie about the war, from time to time the light in the room disappeared, I think I even got some formication at one moment. I was thinking about my grandmother and her stories because she experienced bombarding in the reality.

I also made a small sightseeing tour “Footsteps of France Prešeren”. I was the only one foreigner in the group and when the guide was talking to me in English I had a feeling that I was kind of VIP. We saw some buildings where France Prešeren spent his life. The poet had a not easy life as usually poets have, and also in the end of his life he was a bit addicted to the alcohol.

In that day I confirmed the veracity of the saying “The world is too small” one more time… accidentally I met a guy who was singing for us in Bled. Me and three other EVS were doing our video project, and we asked one unknown Slovenian guy to sing for us, he chose the Slovenian anthem which was written by… France Prešeren! The guy recognized me too and he said that he had already seen our video of him. He was so curious about it, so he went to Krek hotel (where we had a training) and asked about us and National agency, then they sent him the video, which according to his words he liked. :) The video.

The national Slovenian anthem is pretty interesting finding for those who want to understand Slovenians as a nation. The name of the anthem is “Zdravljica” which you can translate as “A Toast”, the shape of each verse reminds a wineglass. :) Well, you are free to make your own conclusions.

In English:

In the end of the day, by chance, we met our friends – “people from Medvode”, we decided to spend some time with them drinking hot Medica (really cool one).

I stayed in Slovenia during this winter holidays. But as I like places I haven’t seen before I was very glad to travel to Zagreb! The plan was to go there with Matjaž’s friends (6 guys and 2 girls). But girls decided to come to Zagreb one day later. So on the Croatian border we had a situation like six Slovenian guys over 30 years old and one Ukrainian girl are crossing the border in one big van for spending New Year night in Zagreb. The situation seemed a bit funny if you are aware of the reputation of Ukrainian girls in Slovenia… :-/

Zagreb
I just liked Zagreb. During the 31st of December the weather was sunny, the town was overcrowded and it seemed that there was more fun in Zagreb than in Ljubljana.

We walked all day long, I saw almost everything that I planned to see. I would like to mention some facts about Zagreb and Croatia that I didn’t know before:

• the tie (Kravata) was invented by Croats;
• the symbol of Zagreb is the heart;
• there is one pharmacy (close to the Stone Gate) which has been constantly working since XIV century;
• the grandson of Dante Alighieri used to work in this pharmacy;
• food portions at the restaurants are so big – it would be better to order just one kind of meal;
• there is Richard Bere in one “artistic” flat in Zagreb. It’s a huge plush bear with whom I spent two nights.

New Year night
Almost all “members of our New Year team” decided to stay in the flat. Only Matjaž, Cene and me went to the main square of Zagreb to celebrate New Year there. Of course we left the flat a bit late and of course we were in a hurry all the way. In the tram we met one nice Croatian couple from Pula (now I only remember the name of the girl – Petra). We continued our “trip” with them… but we didn’t reach the square until midnight despite the fact that we even ran. He-he, I remember that we opened champagne in the middle of one street close to the city center.

After all we came to the main square – Trg bana Jelačiča where was playing an old famous Croatian “punk” band – Prljavo Kazaliste (Dirty Theater).

During the 1st of January the weather was really nasty, Zagreb was empty… and the best idea which crossed our minds was to go to the cemetery, which is quite popular among tourists. I can say that this graveyard reminded me museum under the open sky… so if you have a possibility – go there and have a look. :)

I have to say a little bit about this family in Lipica. They have 8 adult children and these “children” made plenty of their own children. So for St. Nicola’s Eve there were like 20-30 of us in one house. I couldn’t understand what went on, I just saw the fear on kids faces, they were screaming and gathering together on a big real печь (an old countryside devise for heating the house). They were waiting for Beasts who would come to punish those who behaved bad during the year… Beasts appeared… About 8 men in good fabulous costumes made pretty cool performance for kids: they acted like they wanted to hit kids or to take them to the hell. Some of kids were crying, some were sitting on their parent’s knees and they even didn’t want to look at the Beasts (so much they were scared). But then children started to pray and asked St. Nicola to come to kick away Beasts… The end was happy. But it seems that some of those kids are still sure that everything was real. Watch the video by Silvia Prieto.

Then we went to Stara Loka where usually Beasts passed by during this magical evening and tried to hit some gapers. Some kids were really praying on their knees (my biggest impression of the night) in front of the Beast – so they didn’t touch them. You can feel this cool atmosphere by watching the video which was done by previous EVS (Marie Sergent).

This year everything was the same, except of the fact that Silvia and me got a very hard hit by a whip on ours legs from one Beast. And as I was explained later it meant that we had made some sins last year, otherwise we wouldn’t get any hits. Matjaž didn’t get any (lucky b…)