Hard Top wrote:Hi Austin,
Just clocked your location.
Would just like to say that Slovenia is absolutely Z country.
I have been traveling between Amsterdam and Koper for business for the last four years.
I love driving down the A1 and always marvel at the Crni Kal Viaduct, what is it, about 100 meters high?
Up here in the north we are still complaining about a few cm's of snow, I have driven on the A1 in proper snow.
It is one of your Countryman's fault that I got the Z bug as my good friend Ales takes me out in his Z and we do the tourist trips, Izola, Portoroz, Piran, Postojna Caves.
Love the Country, the people, the food, Lasko pivo (not so keen on Union pivo or vino Koper)
HT
Hehe.
Yes, Slovenia is roadster friendly.
(If you keep your speed a little over the limit and enjoy the views).
I hope you don't practice Amsterdam-Koper on weekly basis. :S
Yes, Crni Kal viaduct is allmost 100 m tall.
http://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viadukt_%C4%8Crni_Kal
Allthough, I would recommend taking B road from or to Slovenia coast. Empty roads, beware of police radars right after the villages though - especially in summer (motorcycle hunt), views, freedom. Many very interesting eating deatinations in between. Also, highly recommended - Kras area. That is about 30 minute drive from the coast and my personal favorite place for driving/roadstering and eating.
Tell your friend Ales to take you on a round tour over Kras! It's a must!
Call me, I'll be glad to come along!
Yes, snow is allways a problem for our road service. Somehow, it allways "surprise" them.
But we are used to it. Even without a quattro.
As far as the beer goes - well, for me, it's Guinness or Heineken. Lasko vs. Union is a national thingie. I prefer Union.
Vino Koper is to huge to produce extra quality. As said, tell your friend Ales to take you on a tour over Kras, or, if you are a wine person, Goriska Brda - Kristancic, Klinec, etc are the names that will blow your mouth with pure wine pleasure.
Hope to meet you one day!
Best wishes,
Austin
Hard Top wrote:Hi Austin,
Another thing I like about Slovenia is the humor.
I remember when the new tunnel at Ljubljana was opened and shortly after part of the ceiling came down on a (should not laugh) German registration car. (Very slight damage)
Turned out a British company was responsible for the roof construction.
One of your news papers said that they had found the company responsible and posted a photo of Rodney and Delboy. priceless!!
I sent Ales a mail this week with a link to this forum so I am hoping he joins.
Back on the Vino thing, I have sampled excellent wine from Batic (spelling?) which region is this from?
Back on the Pivo thing, I agree on the Guinness, Heineken is ok but prefer Becks and in Holland I drink "Hertog Jan" (translated, Duke Jan)
Might one day take a trip down your way with the Z.
Have done it twice with a colleague in a Volvo XC90, took us approx. 14 hours.
Have a good weekend,
HT.
Batic (pronounced: batich) is an excellent choice.
It's from gorica region (town Nova Gorica is just few kilometers away).
http://www.batic.si/eng/
It's on the border of Kras region - at the end of Vipavska dolina (Vipava valley). Where the beautifull roads start/are...
This region has plenty, so called, wineroads, which offer plenty wine cellars, vineyards, touristfarms (domestic food and wine), and so on. So, lot's of wine tasting/eating/sleeping possible. Don't drink and drive though.
Hard Top wrote:Hi Austin, dobar dan,
London? Try Amsterdam!
Here they are talking about charging us for using the motorways, little black box GPS thing in the car.
Slovenia stopped the toll booths on the motorways, do we all live in the same European Community?
Obviously not, as we are still smoking in the Pub, as an example!
I hate the Euro and some one should nuke Brussels, oh, hang on, to close to where I live!!!
Anyway, Dutch Government has just imploded, so we will have to wait and see what happens, not that I am aloud to vote, as I have a British Passport, and there is me thinking that I was European!
Ok, rant over.
Love the photos, the ones taken near the port (Luka) not Koper I think?
Your friends Z has a Ljubljana registration plate.
Cheers, HT.
Amsterdam/Holland still awaits us. I would like to take my whole family on a roadtrip with RV to Holland - when the tulips blossom.
But since we have a newborn in family, this will have to wait for a year.
I love London!
Don't be fooled though - the same thingie - GPS boxes for using motorways will be used in a few years time in Slovenia also.
The toll boots really were removed a few years ago - when the vinjete system took place (not all). I still think the vinjete is the best solution, even though it's not fair for those who use our roads only a week or two.
It's similar concept as in Austria. Motorways - vinjete, tunnels - toll.
Yes, I question myself the same question many times (Do we live in the same EU?), especially when it comes to sallaries and taxes to be paid. Taxes in Slovenia are pretty high - in year 2007, according to Forbes, the most taxed country:
http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/03/forbes ... peed=25000 .
Life expenses are almost european, where's on the other hand - the sallaries are not. And this is a huge problem. Average sallary is about a 1000€/month (netto).
When you look at the brutto figures (for a 1k€ netto), that means about 1570€ brutto for employer... (GDP in 2009 was arround 29.500 USD).
It is sad, that our government (no matter whether left or right - exchanging every 4 years) only applies EU laws/directions as suits them best momentarily ("smoking law" - you mentioned it allready).
This could turn into long debate, I could go on for hours, best in a pub over a pint or two.
Yes, the photos on the old peer were taken less then a mile away from Luka Koper - in a small town Ankaran, where a friend of mine owns a weekend flat. The shots were taken early in the morning, after a long sleepless night (poker, talking, drinking).
Boys night out.
And yes, you're right - the plates on the silver twin are from LJubljana region.
I live 25 km NW from LJubljana, so I should have KRanj plates, but mine are personalized plates - and so I can have any region in front. I have chosen GOrica.
Take care!
Austin
