I've been in touch with some of the Zrimsek's of Slovenia.  In December, 2001 I was traveling to Germany on business and took an extra weekend to visit with my new extended family members.

I'd like to introduce you all to Bostjan and Sasa (pronounced Sasha) Zrimsek.

They were wonderful hosts for to me when I visit Slovenia.

Many of you may not know exactly where Slovenia is so I'll show you:

As you can see, Slovenia is bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.  Slovenia was once part of Yugoslovia - a detailed history of its achievement of independence can be found by clinking here.

Did you know - In Slovenia the last name Zrimsek is properly pronounced Zrimshek.

We spent an entire day seeing the sights of the country.  I was amazed at the various terrain that could be seen, from dense forests to alpine peaks.

The last few pictures are of a unique natural phenomena of the intermittent Lake Cerknica .  This lake is the largest in Slovenia and it is nearby Cerknica where Bostjan and Sasa live.  It is a lake for half the year, one in which you can fish and, in winter, skate on the frozen surface. It starts to disappear in spring and leaves behind a polje (field), where farmers cut hay through the summer.  It is also know as a Karst lake.  Karst is an area of irregular limestone in which erosion has produced fissures, sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns.  Via these passages water flows filling or draining the lake based on seasonal conditions.

The next sight I'd like to share with you is that of Predjama castle.  This is truly one the the most unique sights I have ever seen.  It is on par with Stonehenge for individuality.

This place literally hangs in the middle of a 123 meter cliff – a four story structure almost arrogant in its simplicity, but unconquered and uncompromising. Although the current building dates from the end of the 16^th century, a castle has stood on this site since the year 1201.  The Castle is the only representative of cave castles in Slovenia. Its basic features were formed in the 12th and 13th centuries, but the Renaissance gave it the final stamp with the construction of the imposing Kobenz gate tower. The legend of the famous robber baron Erazem Lueger, who met his violent death here, is deeply impressed in Slovene folklore.  During the 15th Century Erazem was a maverick knight who had a personal feud with the Emperor.  During this time he became Slovenia's version of Robin Hood by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.  He retreated to this castle and its caves and passages. He improved the cave by building a crude castle in it, using parts of the cave walls and levels as an integral part of the structure. This fortress was laid siege for a year, and Erazem was finally killed when a servant tipped off the enemy to the location of his latrine and gave a signal for the cannonball that blew off his head.

During my second trip to Slovenia, in April 2002, I saw more great sights.  Bled being one of the most interesting.  Follow the hyperlink to read about the regions history.

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We hiked from the side of the lake to the castle.  The mountain is almost straight up and it was quite a climb but, once on top, well worth the effort for the great view.

Slovenia, as you can see from the map, has a small costal area on the Adriatic that is referred to as Sea Side.  The light house pictured, is at the western-most point of the coast.

From that point, looking west, you can see Italy on the left and Croatia on the right.