Into the Alps, roast pork and potatoes, a couple of local cheese dishes and a rolled cinnamon cake

After breakfast we loaded up into three vans to head into the mountains.  Our trip was slightly delayed due to rain but we were still off by 9:00.  I think I mentioned this country is very small which means travel times are relatively short.  We exited the city into the countryside in short order and started our accent into the mountains. The final part of our journey was on gravel roads.  By the time we got to the top, the rain had ended but the meadows were still quite wet and there was a definite chill in the air.  

We arrived in the highlands of Velika Planina in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps in time to walk around the grass and rock covered hills before lunch.  This area serves as summer pasture for cows but we were a bit too early to see any since the temperatures were still dipping too low in the evenings.  Low wooden housed dotted the landscape.  Because of the remnants of the rain, a fog covered the landscape obstructing the view of the mountain tops.

Our lunch host was an octogenarian cow herder who made a special trip up for us.  She invited us into her cozy summer home for a family style meal of breads, cheeses, peaches, nuts, and a buckwheat dish that is native to the areas.  It was quite lovely and gave us an opportunity to see into one of the houses.  The food was prepared in a wood burning stove which heated the home to a degree.  The walls were covered in photos and artwork from her granddaughter.  She happily posed for photos.

After lunch we piled back into our vans to descend into the alpine valley of Logan.  We stopped in Luca to visit a woodworking shop. The woodworker was just recovering from an illness so we did not get to see a demonstration of his craft, but the shelves were lined with his work.  Several of us bought some of his work to remind of of our visit.  

Next we strolled the charming streets, somplete with a succulent garden planted in old shoes.  A vending machine that included yoghurt provided an afternoon snack to many of us before we drove to the Hotel Plesnik.  Our rooms included balconies that over looked a beautiful meadow with mountains in the distance.  Some took advantage of the spa facilities in the basement before we headed to dinner down the road.  Dinner was a family style affair offering local specialties including turkey schnitzel , roast pork, potatoes and a couple of dishes made from the local cheese.  It was all quite lovely.

Tomorrow more exploring in the mountains