Photographing the Provinces of Slovenia, 2006

Country Doors, 2006
Slovenia, Cerklje Na Gorenjskem Province (Obcina) Worldwide Photo Project – Slovenia

May 12, 2006
Predosilje, Slovenia

The day started off in Kranj and ended up in Dol, and then we headed to Predosilje to sleep. We had a great day, just rolling down roads, visiting one obcina after another, totaling 14 in all today: Kranj (photos of town and of a pretty girl), Sencur, Cerklje, Komenda, Kamnik, Domzale, Menges, Trsin, Lukovica, Moravce, Zagorska Dolina, Litija, Smartno and Dol. We had a great meal at an out-of-the-way gostilna.

*Man Scolds Horse, 2006 Slovenia, Komenda Province (Obcina)*

*New Architecture, 2006 Slovenia, Kamnik Province (Obcina) Contrast in new and old architecture.*

*Church In Twilight, 2006 Slovenia, Loski Potok Province (Obcina)*

May 16, 2006
Ribnica, Slovenia

The highlight of the day photographically was taking photographs of small creatures, bees, insects, and snails, in forests of incredible flowers and foliage. It was a step into another world. I wrote, upon leaving Sezana:

I could spend a lifetime photographing Insects in flowers But alas, I am relegated to at most, Hours
Mostly it’s only Minutes that have time for me
I am caught between Flight and trying to be Free

*Snail On Grass Stalk, 2006 Slovenia, Piran Province (Obcina)*

We drove on to Hrpeje-Kozina, where there were even more incredible flowers and insects – to the extent that I was amazed. I feel as if my consciousness has been expanded a full level. My daughter Lani kept trying to get me to look at things and I would ignore her, as I was concentrating on something else. But then I looked and she showed me wonderful tiny snails. (I try to get her out with me to look at things to expand her consciousness too.) The pink, violet, white flowers there were just simply astounding up close with their inhabitants flying and crawling around.

*Poised Foot, 2006 Slovenia, Izola Province (Obcina)*

We went on to Koper, which was lovely, with flagstone on the streets in the old quarter. We went on to Izola, where I took photographs laying down with the camera an inch off the ground.

Finally, we went to Piran – I say finally as it is the last coastal town and the most westerly – which was wonderful, a real picturesque place, and a surprise for me that Slovenia even had such a place. Lani, my son Ian and I went for a dip in the Adriatic Sea.

We went through Postojna to Pivka, then Ilirska Bistrica, then passed through Cerknica to reach the rest of the day’s obcinas, Loska Dolina, Bloke, Sodrazica and finally, in the growing twilight, Loski Potok, not the least fantastic. Loski Potok appealed to me a great deal, as it was far removed from other places with only one access road. It seemed a world apart. (See photo “Church in Twilight” above.)

*Old Woman Roasting Giant Marshmallows, 2006 Slovenia, Trnovska Vas Province (Obcina) Worldwide Photo Project – Slovenia*

May 5, 2006
Maribor, Slovenia

Ptuj, 2006
Slovenia, Ptuj Province (Obcina)

Today was a wonderful day. We went to 17 new obcina. (‘Obcina’ is equivalent to ‘municipality.’ Obcina are the administrative divisions that Slovenia reports to the International Standards Organization as its subnational territories. In 2003, there were 193 in all!)

I think I liked Ptuj as a city and the woman “roasting giant marshmallows” as a photographic best for the day.