martes, 26 de abril de 2011

Good to know!

Easter Time II: Sitges

Although the weather was awful, we decided to spend the day visiting Sitges. We had a great time and, as Darko said, it's going to be something we'll remember forever!













lunes, 25 de abril de 2011

Our new place

We have found our apartment in Ljubljana! Here some pics from the rentals website. I'll upload  new photos when we'll be there and our home will be re-decorate.... just to make a "before-after" game =)










domingo, 24 de abril de 2011

Easter Time

Pie makers!

We started packing

Organizing  all the stuff

Enjoying last days of Bicing

Street Show

Time for love 
Nice weather


Eating Macaron

The Pirhi Experience

Here our handmade Pirhi for the Ester of 2011!



My Totoro Pirhi
Darko's Pirhi self-portrait: football brain....





viernes, 22 de abril de 2011

Easter: Spain vs. Slovenia


How does Slovenia celebrate Easter? From my point of view slovenian people are more religious than spanish... we could say that it's a traditional country, just 10,1% of the population is non-believer. 
Like every holiday in the world, in Easter, it's all about food. What shocked me the most was that they eat horseradish with smoked ham and bread, and this have an special symbolism connected with the Passion of Christ.
They also paint empty eggs (pirhi) with beautiful colors, symbolizing Christ's drops of blood. Two years ago me and Darko painted our own Pirhi egg for Easter and it looked more like Mr Potato than a drop blood...





There's something else with pirhi, it's a really craft work, the artisans drill the egg to make beautiful and delicate drawings. Amazing!


It's also traditional in Slovenia the lectovo srce, heart shaped ginger bread with love verses written. But in Easter, they change the hearts for the bunnies. It's funny and nice, but I prefer the traditional chocolate "mona" from Barcelona! Also they eat the fomous potica (if you still don't know what  the hell I'm talking about, visit this old post)



What about here?
In Spain we also mix the festivity with the lunch. We lean more for the sweet taste: torrijas, pestiños, bunyols... but my favourite is the mona, in the past time, the mona was a sweet bread with a boiled painted egg embedded, but nowadays it has become a cake with a chocolate figure on the top, and that's really an art! all the good bakeries in town have a competition to make the most spectacular mona, but usually the Escribà pastry in Barcelona is the winner. Just check the chocolate sculpture they made a few years ago (down in the pic). The mona holiday is just celebrated in Cataunya and Valencia now, they don't have it anymore in the rest of Spain.

The Traditional mona


The 21st century mona


But there's something that makes spanish Easter different from any other in Europe: the processions. Specially in the south, people live the Semana Santa with passion and emotion. I must say that in that part of the country people are more religious and traditional, but almost every city in Spain (but in Catalunya) has his own procession where thousands of locals and foreigns follow the procesión all the way through the streets. Just some lucky men can carry the religious icons and symbols of their faith, and as far as I know, women are not allow to take part of the main ritual. Anyway, there's something magic and I can't find the words to explain the feeling of respect, solemnity and even fear that this tradition radiates. I must confess I'm not friend with that kind of fanaticism, but I have to recognize that is something impressive.








So, what do you prefer? Slovenia or Spain?

We are planning to repeat the pirhi experience and paint our Easter eggs. I will report soon! Enjoy the holidays!

miércoles, 20 de abril de 2011

Things I've been doing these days

I've been missing a few days. But I'm back with a report of the things I've been enjoying these days.




Walking in the old town.


 Slovenian class & breakfast in a hidden coffee in Gotico.



Visit to the antique market


 Kevin Johansen Concert


 ...we also watched a little bit of football at the concert....


 The artist Liniers was illustrating the songs




I worked in my "garden" and enjoyed the sun.

My first carrot!!

L
 On Sunday I painted a present for Darko (who came back on Monday from Slovenia)