For our one week "ski" holiday, this year, we set out to explore the much-less-visited part of Slovenia; it's eastern side. We began in Kozjanski Park, a preserve bordering Croatia. Within the park lay some of Slovenia's most forgotten castles. One of these ended up being one of the more unique experiences that we have had in the former Yugoslavia. The man living in and tending to the castle has been there for more than 40 years. His quarters are beautifully kept and decorated whilst the vast majority of the castle is left in various states of disrepair and decay. He continues to wait for further state funding. Meanwhile, he has claimed the vast wine cellar and, clearly, loves to interact with the sporadic visitors that show up at the castle gate. Exiting the park at its north, we spent some time at one of our favorites: the Olimia Spa. Then, it was off to Celje, an ancient town with a castle on the hill overlooking it. From there, it was lively Maribor, the capital of Slovenia's wine country and nearby Ptuj, a gem of a medieval town. While in Ptuj we saw that the town was gearing up for their Carnival Festival. The parade was to take place in a couple of days. With little consideration, we knew that we had to extend our trip an extra day, being sure to return to Ptuj for the parade. Following a short visit to the hot springs in Lendava, we returned to Ptuj for what was another of the best cultural experiences that we have had in this region. This specific celebration of Carnival was an endless procession of villages dressed in demon costumes made of wool whilst onlookers shook bells. The procession seemed endless but was endlessly captivating. We'll let some of our photos do the talking...
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