Brežice Slovenia family history to Ljubljana
We started off with a delicious breakfast at the tourist farm (see day 1) followed by a cooking class on pogača, a local bread. Mornings here are very leisure and since it is the off season we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
Unfortunately, this is our last day here and they were such wonderful hosts.
We then left Semic and the Bela Krajina region to head off to our next destination. We drove through the countryside to Sodji Vrh, a small town where a third great-grandparent was from. We didn’t see any familiar names in the cemetery, but it was a beautiful ride and neat to see families out picking grapes or even roasting a pig.
Next we headed off to Brežice, which is close to Spodnja Pohanca, where John Kovachich (my great-great-grandfather) listed as his birthplace. We went to the large Brežice cemetery with hopes of finding any Kovacic graves.
We sure did! At least eight!
I have more research to do to see how they would be related, if so, but I would think the chances are somewhat good. We noticed that at each cemetery, there are multiple globes with candles inside, flowers (real and fake), and other niceties.
Families must be close by to keep them so maintained. At night, the lights glow with red and orange over each spot. This was the last cemetery of the trip for a total of six cemetery visits.
Brežice Kava
We lucked out with a sweet little cafe in Brežice and got some cake for lunch again, plus espressos (top notch espresso). We walked by the town’s castle for a quick break from driving.
Ljubljana
We then continued to Ljubljana and toured the historic area, passing by the main square, Prešernov trg, and the castle. It was a beautiful city, but we both tend to find large cities overwhelming especially with so many tourists. I did luck out with a new jacket from a “kilo store.” I was on the lookout for a thrift store and actually found one. You pay for clothes by the kilo—lol.
We really didn’t spend a lot of time in Ljubljana. One could probably dedicate a whole vacation to this one city. It is claimed to be the most beautiful city in the world and it was quite beautiful. It seemed like there were visitors there from all around the world and most people seemed quite friendly.
Avsenik Polka House
After that, we made the drive to the Avsenik house in Begunje na Gorenjskem and had a wonderful dinner there of the “Shepherd’s lunch” while listening to polka music from a wedding reception.
Since there was going to be an all night wedding party, they placed us across the street so we wouldn’t be too disturbed by the music. Sure enough the party didn’t cut out til the early morning. I wasn’t bothersome and it was nice to see such a friendly gathering.
For Tomorrow
We are leaving this area tomorrow and heading off to Bovec. But before heading off we will be doing some hiking, exploring a castle, and visiting Lake Bled. Until tomorrow, keep exploring.
Interesting note: They don’t put a sheet on the beds. Just a straight-up blanket.
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Day 2 – Semič Slovenia Family Heritage: Tracing Roots Through Museums, Mountains, and Hidden Gems
