Spring is approaching and you can feel and see that! Last Sunday it was a lovely sunny day and Bine and I decided to go for a drive. We do that more often, especially if the temperature is not yet very pleasant because the sun is always nice and warm behind the glass ;). We enjoy the surroundings and chat about anything and everything in the meantime.

On the road from Žužemberk to Trebnje there is a hill on the left side called Lisec and we ended up there. A large part of this hill is built with many wine cottages, or as we call them here: Zidanice. Most are quite small and are generally only used as a »weekend house« when people come to take care of the vineyard or to relax in nature. The owners usually also live somewhere nearby. But there are also several larger houses that are permanently inhabited. The hill is not very high but high enough to have a really nice view.

Bine recalled an old colleague who also owns a wine cottage there and who had once told him to call when he was in the area. So now he decided to do just that. The colleague responded very nicely and said he would come over right away because he also lived only a few kilometers away. We had to search for a little while but soon the house in question was found and the colleague was already waiting for us  He told us he built the house all by himself, about 20 years ago. The bottom was built out of bricks, just like Bine built our cellar and the top of the house with normal building blocks. The balcony of the house is made of old wine barrel planks that are somewhat convex. A very nice idea.

The cottage was tastefully decorated with all kinds of old objects. Inside was a lamp made of a cartwheel.

He also made a cupboard for the wine glasses from an old, wooden »Brenta« (basket to put on your back to carry grapes from the vineyard).

Outside, against the facade, was an old wine press and there was an old wooden hame (neck collar) that they used for an ox. Oxen were used here to work the land. In our village Gradenc they even had oxen up until about thirty years ago.

Of course, there was also a wine cellar and naturally, Bine had to taste the different types of wines, all from the vineyard of the colleague. Obviously, he had the regional wine »Cviček« but also a white wine and a red wine, called »Modra Frankinja« (blue Frankinja). That’s what the grape variety is called. I don’t drink myself but I did score a bottle of wine to make my mum happy ;).

I always like to taste that atmosphere and the view is of course more than worth it. It was clear that day and you could see as far as the Kamnik Alps with their snowy peaks. Magnificent!

The fruit trees were already in bud and the daffodils were in full bloom. The spring fever crept up at full speed :). I can not wait!