Visit to the Rotary club of Martjanci
5th June 2025 – 8th June 2025
The first visit by members of the St. Marylebone Rotary club London to the Rotary club of Martjanci Slovenia.
Co-President Carole Harris, Li Ping, immediate Past President and Marius Rebek, President Elect with past President, Peter Schweiger, his wife Angelica and John Bartlett, Li Ping’s significant other, made up the party that went to Slovenia from Thursday 5th June 2025 to Monday 8th June.
All thanks go to Marius Rebek who organised a brilliant weekend for us. It was action packed. I am so glad that I keep a diary of what happened each day. Angelica and I had travelled by Swiss and had to change at Zürich airport. We were not amused by the very long walks along the terminal buildings and the shuttle train that joined for two. In Ljubljana the shuttle Mini bus dropped us at the Occidental hotel which Angelica did not like the look of because it was so big and pretentious, compared to the Heritage Hotel where we had stayed a fortnight before.
Thank goodness for the WhatsApp which made it easy to communicate with Marius and the others so that we could all meet up at a restaurant called BREG. We could sit in our shirt sleeves by a canal. A very charming waitress called Andrea brought some schnapps that she said her father had made.
The next day after breakfast, we had a walking tour of Ljubljana the capital, and went up the Funicular to the castle. Such spectacular views and a film about the history in 5D. Yes it included water splashes and our chairs shaking.
It was a lot calmer when we cruised on the river hearing about it from our guide. At lunch I had my favourite meal. A chocolate pancake.
In the Museum we had Eva to tell us lots from earliest times to modern history. Marius sported a Young Pioneer scarf and hat.
At dinner time Marius guided us quite a long way to a restaurant with a court yard where we shared a large sea bass with vegetables for dinner. Of course we had lots of conversation as well. Great fellowship.
On Saturday morning, we were driven by minibus that Marius had hired it from a medical firm called Renee and I sat in front with a driver called Isador who was a physiotherapist. After a couple of hours, we came to an extraordinary monastery in a valley that was quite isolated. It covered a huge area originally and some of the buildings were being restored. It only housed 12 monks.
Nearby was a restaurant built in 1476 where we had lunch.
Afterwards, we drove on to our hotel, which had thermal springs and a one pool with hot black water.
In the evening we were met by Renate, the president of Martjanci Rotary club and her members.
Angelica and I accepted a lift in an 80-year-old American Jeep. It gave us quite a thrill to be bounced around at 35 miles an hour.
Quite difficult to climb in and out at the restaurant of one of the members. He was remarkable for all the different skills that he had. Not only making wine but also using his farm with pigs and goats to make ham and cheese. He also had a sawmill and had built beautiful furniture. We ate too much for comfort because the food was so good. The banner has storks and we saw real ones.
Sunday was action packed. Martjanci Rotarians collected us in their cars and drove us first to the Shoemaker Museum, next to a big modern shoe factory. The museum was in a two room thatched cottage. One living room for the shoemaker’s family and the other the workshop. The hand process was explained by an experienced shoemaker who sported a big apron.
Our next stop was at a place selling local produce, predominantly pumpkin. Seeds, spreads, and oils. We bought some pumpkin oil with chilli. They gave us amazing cake with 12 layers that we had coffee with. It was hot there and we then went on to a viewing tower built to demonstrate the Slovenian steel industry. A lift took us us to the top from where we could see into Croatia, Austria and Hungary.
From there we went on to an orchid nursery that mainly produced one type called Moth, but in numerous colours.
I learnt that vanilla is a variety of orchid and we enjoyed a vanilla ice cream there.
Lunch was at a courtyard with a veranda. I felt too full to do justice to the various dishes and salads offered to us. Some more delicious layered cake and ice cream, sitting at a long table chatting to local Rotarians in English.
Edith drove us to Lendavski castle where there was an exhibition of paintings by Dahli and Dix. They did not impress me, but up in the attic was a display of bronzes made by students learning the
technique. They would make one for them selves and leave a copy to exhibit. Saw one made by an English man – David Foster.
Returned to our grand spa hotel and went swimming in the 50 meter pool and then wallowing in the thermal black water with Marius, Carole and Li ping. More fellowship.
On Monday we were driven a couple of hours to Zagreb airport in Croatia. The flight was good until we landed at Heathrow where the plane was delayed nearly half an hour finding a dock.
Overall we had a wonderful weekend, thanks to Marius, and would recommend a repeat.
Yours in Rotary
Peter Schweiger