Back in Europe
I'm again in Europe, we can say that Africa has finished tragically for me. I dont want to enter into details, but I'm happy that we are again on the Old continent! But here in Athens in the place where Europe began, I realized that i'm not in love with Hellas anymore...
I fell in love with Slovenia,
country in which we have stayed 7 years.
the green gem, long hidden away in Central Europe.
I love Ljubljana
its capital
ljubl is the root of the word love in Slavic languages
Finding Slovenia: A Guide to Old Europe’s New Country
is an extremely interesting and detailed presentation of
Slovenia, with stunning photographs of major tourist
destinations as well as of numerous hidden treasures,
only known to locals or to one well acquainted with the
country.
The book presents an inside-outside view, exploring centuries-long favorite places like Ljubljana and Bled, but also less-known parks, trails and footpaths.
The reader learns how to share Slovenia’s love of nature in hiking, skiing, swimming, fishing, boating, climbing, outdoor dining and wineing, as well as how to stay in tourist farms, hot spring spas or historic castles.
Stanford-educated attorney Jacqueline Widmar Stewart’s new book portrays the natural and cultural history of the green gem, long hidden away in Central Europe.
With full-color photographs, maps, charts and illustrations, the 200-page hardbound book was published in Slovenia by Mladinska knjiga založba.
Interview with Jacqueline Widmar Stewart, Author
of Finding Slovenia
In a word how would you describe Slovenia?
“Stunning” - both in the beauty of the land and magnitude of its peoples’ accomplishments. My purpose in writing the book is to celebrate both.
What accomplishments?
In 1991, for the first time in its history, Slovenia became an independent nation. Just two generations ago, when my grandparents left around 1900, it was a feudalistic society.
What were your early ideas for the book - Where did it begin?
Our relatives have always taken us to the thermal baths when we visit, and I really wanted to do a guideto the thermal spas - one that would show biking areas,restaurants and amenities in the area.
What questions were you trying to answer in your research?
I asked myself “What makes this country so extraordinary? What does it have that other places don’t?” My answer became “The Essence of Slovenia” section of the book.
Your undergraduate work was in French and German, you have a master’s in French and a law degree. How did your educational background play into your research on Slovenia?
When I began studying French and German in high school, I became intrigued by foreign studies.
Once I started college, I had the chance to study Classics in Greece and really thought I’d landed in paradise. I loved marketplace - for food, commerce and ideas. My favorite poem since that time has been Ithaka by Constantine Cavafy that talks about the journey as being even moreimportant than the destination - how experiences along the way should be savored and treasured whether or not you reach your ultimate goal.
The study of French literature further broadened that view to societal dimensions - the journey of the whole group - and how the well-being of the entirety depends on the fairness and contentment of the individual.
From my first impressions onward, Slovenia has seemed to me to excel in this regard. To my eye, its egalitarianism is apparent everywhere. Slovenians care about the well-being of others: they are not happy unless you are.
To better understand how this came to be so in Slovenia, I had to study the language. Language opensa window into understanding culture. How ideas and concepts are expressed gives a sense of what peoplefeel is important and their approach to life. It’s a never-ending source of fascination for me.
The tie-in with law relates to fairness. Equal protection of the law carries special significance in Slovenia, since for so many centuries it was unavailable.
How do you communicate in Slovenia?
Anyone who studies English wants to practice. The further away from Ljubljana I go, the more opportunity I have to speak Slovenian.
How good is your Slovenian?
I can get around. In the late ‘60s, I studied it for a year at the University of Ljubljana after I had finished my master’s degree in French and before I went back to study law. In writing the book for the past few years, I have been going back frequently. Hearing it more often really helps my speaking.
In your book you talk about how Slovenia felt like home the first time you visited. Has that changed?
Life in Slovenia has modernized greatly since the ‘60s, but I don’t think that’s changed the core of Slovenian living. Cell phones and computers tend to be universal - we get cell service even hiking in the Alps - but mountain huts will still serve you whatever they can when you appear at their door, and the outdoor cafés won’t chase you away if you aren’t ordering food every second.
It’s still wonderful to have a good laugh with my cousins, and to enjoy just being together - which always involves a table full of food and wine.
Your resumé evidences a strong interest in education. In California, you started and ran an educational foundation for economically disadvantaged children.
How important is education in Slovenia?
This country prizes its education. The literacy rate is close to 100%. Traditionally, the elementary school year has includ ed a week of swim lessons at the seacoast and a week of skiing in the Alps. High school is so important that children leave their homes in the village to attend high school in the cities. At the end of high school, main streets all over Slovenia are closed to traffic and graduates literally dance in the streets. Higher education earns great respect both socially and professionally.
What about environmentalism there, noting that you’ve worked for public land acquisition in California.
My daughter says that Slovenia lives close to nature, and I think that’s a good description. The whole landscape is blanketed with woods. The farms look as though they “belong to the land,” in the words of Slovenian-American author Louis Adamic, especially the iconic kozolec - the roofed, wooden hay-drying rack.
Some people supply all the timber they need for building and heating by cleaning and selectively cutting trees from their own nearby woods.Garden-fresh is not a phrase taken lightly because gardens are everywhere. When I studied in Ljubljana, the student dorm even had its own community garden.
How did you choose the title Finding Slovenia?
Writing the book has been a journey with a wealth of experiences and acquaintances I otherwise never would have known. The process of discovering Slovenia is ongoing, and much too good to keep to myself.
Jacqueline Widmar Stewart, Author of Finding Slovenia