It has been in our plans for several years now to organise a joint trip and gathering with our relatives and ancestors from Kras, Primorska, from where most of the Slovenians in Slatina and Banja Luka originate. We always had connections with our motherland. Several times did we meet our fellow countrymen but it was always in Banja Luka. Despite their invitations and wishes to meet in Slovenia we always suppressed it into a corner. This year, we finally decided to visit our ancestors and perhaps be successful in identifying some other relatives.
The programme has been planned in detail. It was necessary to prepare it, arrange the timeframe and set off. Darko and teacher Valentina were responsible for establishing the connections.
The programme has been planned in detail. It was necessary to prepare it, arrange the timeframe and set off. Darko and teacher Valentina were responsible for establishing the connections.
38 members of our Association took the road by bus. First destination was Novo mesto where, together with the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work from Novo mesto and their secretary Branka Bukovec, we presented a bilingual book by author Ivanka Mestnik "Trip to the Blue Planet".
During the short visit to Novo mesto, pupils of the Supply Teaching Lessons of Slovenian met their peers from the Grammar School Novo mesto and together with them attended lessons and took part in joint activities.
We continued our trip towards Primorska and Kras. In Postojna, we were welcomed by members of Veterans’ Union of Primorska. We have met them many times over the years during the trip they take every year "on the path of AVNOJ". They like to stop in Banja Luka and visit us. It was them who provided a number of books in Slovenian to our library.
Postojna was our home for two days. We stayed overnight there and went for daily excursions intended for meeting the people, attending events and socialising with our fellow countrymen from Kras.
During our visit to the Kosovel Centre in Tomaj the pupils, together with their teacher Valentina Gradič, recited the poems by Srečko Kosovel, performed thanks to the teacher, in beautiful Slovenian.
Postojna was our home for two days. We stayed overnight there and went for daily excursions intended for meeting the people, attending events and socialising with our fellow countrymen from Kras.
During our visit to the Kosovel Centre in Tomaj the pupils, together with their teacher Valentina Gradič, recited the poems by Srečko Kosovel, performed thanks to the teacher, in beautiful Slovenian.
On the way, we visited Štanjel na Gorjanskom, near Komno where we attended a cultural event on the estate of a well-known Slovenian expert in Slavic languages Professor Karlo Štrekelj. The Štrekelj family has been known to many inhabitants of Banja Luka and Slatina. Especially well-known is Professor Alojz Štrekelj, teacher and holder of knowledge and ideas for the improvement of agriculture and grape growing in the territory of Slatina. The Štrekelj Centre in Gorjansko is a cultural temple nowadays. Every year, awards for literary work is presented there, recitals and gatherings of artists are organised, while a private museum of the Štrekelj family can be visited. Gorjansko is a small municipality, but culturally-speaking it is very rich. People from that area are very hospitable. They want to show the visitors everything that is connected to the past and present times. We were eager to see that too. The showed us the place of "silence", where only monuments speak of a well-known battles of the Soča River where 10,000 young soldiers lost their lives.
We attended a celebration of the Youth Association ŠUZ Komen in their cultural centre. Our young members took part in the programme. Member of our Association, Vera Papež Adamič was born and lived in Slatina, and now she lives in Ljubljana. With the assistance of our Association a monograph "From Ancestors to Descendants" was published. Her ancestors were from Kras and that it the reason why Vera did her best to find and inform descendants from the area to join our gathering. Gathering was pleasant, filled with emotions, melancholy and promises that links cannot be broken but rather strengthened.
We attended a celebration of the Youth Association ŠUZ Komen in their cultural centre. Our young members took part in the programme. Member of our Association, Vera Papež Adamič was born and lived in Slatina, and now she lives in Ljubljana. With the assistance of our Association a monograph "From Ancestors to Descendants" was published. Her ancestors were from Kras and that it the reason why Vera did her best to find and inform descendants from the area to join our gathering. Gathering was pleasant, filled with emotions, melancholy and promises that links cannot be broken but rather strengthened.
Filled with impressions we returned to spend a night in Postojna. The second day was intended for the visit to Kras sights. This time we were accompanied by president of the Union of Veterans of Primorska Bojan Pahor.
Kras, once harsh and stony, nowadays is an area rich in vineyards. It offers the travellers some good wine and well-known Kras prosciutto, as well as tourist sights. We visited the pit of Vilenica, known from a national tale and world known centre – stable Lipica.
Kras, once harsh and stony, nowadays is an area rich in vineyards. It offers the travellers some good wine and well-known Kras prosciutto, as well as tourist sights. We visited the pit of Vilenica, known from a national tale and world known centre – stable Lipica.
DOLENJA VAS
In the evening, a central event took place prepared by local community and local organization of veterans’ association, where performance was made by choir Senožeče, choir of association SCT Ljubljana, brass band Divača, pupils of school from Senožeče and members of local dancing association Srebrna. As honorary guests the members of the Association of Slovenians “Triglav” from Banja Luka took part at the event.
In the evening, a central event took place prepared by local community and local organization of veterans’ association, where performance was made by choir Senožeče, choir of association SCT Ljubljana, brass band Divača, pupils of school from Senožeče and members of local dancing association Srebrna. As honorary guests the members of the Association of Slovenians “Triglav” from Banja Luka took part at the event.
We had to skip many things and failed to see them because we, who live far from the seaside, wanted to see the Slovenian coast despite the short period of time we had available. We afforded ourselves this “fashionable cruise” in Jadran. We docked in Piran, visited the town, tasted whether the sea was still salty as it used to be, and made sure to eat well for the trip back to Banja Luka.
The three-day excursion finished. Impressions remained and we wish to thank to everyone who socialised with us during our visit. We had a good time with Aleš Selan, an official of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad, Vesna Vukšinič Žmauc from Emigrants’ Association, who always finds time for us, Meta Lokar and well-known journalist Uroš Lipuška.
Special thanks go to the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work Novo mesto, local community Gorjansko, Institute of Štreklj’s estate Gorjansko, municipality of Komen, Kosovel’s library of Sežana and Komno, Nadja Mislej Božič who was always at our service, Franko Pleško and other members of Veterans’ Association of Primorska and their president Bojan Pahor, who helped us in the planned programme and were excellent hosts.
We hope to meet all of them again soon, as early as on 23 June 2012 in Slatina at the celebration of the Slovenian Day.
Nataša Kajmaković
Special thanks go to the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work Novo mesto, local community Gorjansko, Institute of Štreklj’s estate Gorjansko, municipality of Komen, Kosovel’s library of Sežana and Komno, Nadja Mislej Božič who was always at our service, Franko Pleško and other members of Veterans’ Association of Primorska and their president Bojan Pahor, who helped us in the planned programme and were excellent hosts.
We hope to meet all of them again soon, as early as on 23 June 2012 in Slatina at the celebration of the Slovenian Day.
Nataša Kajmaković