Sense of adventure
INSPIRED ADVENTURES
Slovenia
A Photographer’s
Dream
Waking up in the cosy warmth of a campervan and hopping straight out for the 20-minute hike up to the Ojstrica viewpoint over Lake Bled, made a refreshing change from driving, bleary-eyed through the darkness of night to get here. Mind you, Slovenia’s compact size means you wouldn’t have far to drive anyway. As the beautiful Karavank Mountains, fresh with a recent dusting of snow, revealed themselves through the soft, milky twilight of dawn and the peaks glistened alongside the lights of the island church, I was already in position and ready to shoot. Wedged between the Alps and Adriatic with just a total area of 20,273 sq kms, this also meant I could spend the morning photographing alpine lakes and snowcapped mountains in the breathtaking Triglav National Park, then the sunset and dusk on the Adriatic Coast after a 90-minute drive from Bled. And all this at the end of November when the days are short! The diversity of Slovenia’s landscape is unsurpassed, and for photography this provides an infinite array of subjects from towering mountain peaks, verdant valleys, lakes, and waterfalls to vast forests, sunny vineyards, undulating green hills riddled with caves, to the sparking Adriatic Sea. Not to mention cities and towns with ornate architecture influenced, not only by its own Slavic culture, but by the cultures of surrounding nations such as the Venetians and Austro-Hungarians. Add to that a castle or church strategically placed in almost every view, and it’s easy to see why Slovenia is a truly special place. My day ended at sunset and dusk, photographing the gorgeous church of Saint George from a viewpoint further along the coast. It sits on an elevated position overlooking the beautiful Venetian town of Piran, which in turn sits on a spit of land jutting out into Piran harbour. As the church lights were switched on, and the twilight ensued, I snapped my final photos before the harmonious balance between the artificial light of the church and the soft waning twilight of the last light from the sun disappeared for another night.
Heading off to my campsite, I thought to myself, “If I were tasked with taking every great photography subject and putting them into one small area, then I’d need look no further than Slovenia.”
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Ahead of us lied yet another spectacular journey to Lofoten by motorhome. It was early April – the first time we had ever visited the place at this time of year. Over the course of our trip, we discovered that this was definitely the right decision to make. As the Northern Lights brightened the dark evening skies and the beaming sunshine greeted us during the days, we enjoyed by far the finest travelling experience in the somewhat bleak yet mythical environment. Visiting Lofoten in early spring means not only seeing the snow-covered ground and mountain peaks and feeling a chill in the air, but also enjoying blue skies and roads empty of tourists. Our last time here was in August, when the grass was green, the sea almost swimmable and the hiking trails featured a number of tourists, who were still frequenting the area. If you would like to visit Lofoten when the number of visitors is at its lowest, you need to get here in early spring or late autumn. The peak tourist season is in the middle of summer, when the area showcases its highlights and the local businesses stay open for visitors. During the 200-km trip from Å in the south to Svolvaer in the north, one can find everything from the tiny picturesque fishing villages to broad, sweeping beaches. Here you can experience spectacular hiking whilst also spotting eagles sailing high in the sky, all that combined with peaceful coffee breaks enjoyed on a dock or extraordinary culinary experiences taken under the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. Anyone who appreciates the nature, the sea, exquisite cuisine and a tranquil environment has to visit this place at least once in their lifetime. The best and easiest way to explore Lofoten is by car and if you, like us, have a motorhome, it will give you a wonderful perspective and plenty of opportunities to spend the night in the most stunningly beautiful places. During our week at Lofoten, we not only returned to a few of our favourite spots, we also discovered some new destinations. We visited the glass blower in Vikten, went on a fishing trip and took long walks along the beach. Our motorhome was parked just a few metres from the water in Kabelvåg, which is where we experienced a Northern Lights display for the first time. On one of the days, we stopped outside Reine and simply soaked in the view while looking for ospreys high in the sky. We believe that one of the benefits of traveling by a motorhome is being able to cook and eat meals prepared from the local ingredients and then enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area. Some days, we drove long stretches by crossing bridges, traversing alongside massive fjords, and smelling the slightly pungent odour of thousands of cod fish pieces hanged out to dry in the sun. Fishing boats waiting to head out to the sea would rest side by side in rows at small fishing hovels, while the seagulls produced their unmistakable screeches in wait for their meal of scraps. Those days filled us with joy and happiness. However, there are still many more places to visit, and once we left Lofoten, we were already longing to go back.