Adria In-flight Magazine April, May 2010 by Adria Airways

VAŠ BREZPLAČNI IZVOD - YOUR PERSONAL COPY

Adria Airways In-Flight Magazine april, maj - April, May 2009

Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji Grand Hotels in Slovenia

Igor Coretti–Kuret Bukarešta • Bucharest Grand hotel Rogaška Grand hotel Toplice Kempinski Palace Portorož

Tri krasne • Three Valleys Laibach Knapovske marionete • Marionettes from a Mining Town Pohištvo poželenja • Furniture of Dreams

Slovenski gorski vodniki • Mountain Guides in Slovenia Bangladeš • Bangladesh

Vsebina/Contents 28

Adrijin potnik / Adria Passenger

Igor Coretti–Kuret Igor Coretti–Kuret Petra Kern

Bukarešta / Bucharest

Hitro, divje in strastno Fast, Wild & Passionate Domen Pal

Janez Pukšič

GrÁnd hotÉli v Sloveniji / Grand Hotels in Slovenia

Prostor, kjer mednarodni duh nekaj velja

A Place Where the International Spirit Really Means Something Meta Krese

Adria Airways In-Flight Magazine Revija Adria Airways In-Flight Magazine je namenjena potnikom na poletih z Adrio Airways. Adria In-flight Magazine is complimentary on Adria Airways flights.

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Izdajatelj/Published: Adria Airways, Slovenski letalski prevoznik, d.d. Adria Airways The Airline of Slovenia Kuzmičeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana Uredništvo / Editorial: Barbara Mihevc Bukovec Tel / Phone + 386 1 369 1290 E- mail: barbara.bukovec@adria.si Urednica / Edited by: Meta Krese Oglaševanje / Advertising: Alenka Dvoršak Tel / Phone + 386 1 369 1259 E- mail: alenka.dvorsak@adria.si Oblikovanje in AD /Design and AD: LUKS Studio Prevod /Translated by: Amidas Lektorja /Language editing: Vera Samohod, Steve Diskin Fotoliti /Lithography: Schwarz d.o.o. Tisk /Printed by: Schwarz d.o.o. ISSN 1318-0789 Mnenja, izražena v tej publikaciji, so zgolj mnenja avtorjev ali intervjuvancev in ne odsevajo nujno stališč Adrie Airways. Razmnoževanje brez pisnega dovoljenja je prepovedano. Izdajatelj ne prevzema nikakršne odgovornosti za nenaročeno gradivo. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors or persons interviewed only and do not necessarily reflect the views of Adria Airways. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited. The publ isher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Kempinski Palace Portorož

Grand hotel Rogaška

Grand hotel Toplice

Razkošje zajtrkov Splendour of Breakfasts

Ko te boža preteklost The Caress of the Past

Zgodovina, ki te pritegne The Attraction of History

Tri krasne Three Valleys Andrej Blatnik

Laibach

Gregor Bulc

Manipulacija manipulacije Manipulation of the Manipulation

Knapovske marionete

Marionettes from a Minning Town Andrej Blatnik

Slovenska obrt / Crafts in Slovenia

Jana Valenčič

Pohištvo poželenja Furniture of Dreams

Slovenski gorski vodniki Mountain Guides in Slovenia Urban Golob

Brezplačen izvod /Your personal copy

Plavajoče šole v Bangladešu / Floating Schools in Bangladesh

Koliko je šest krat šest? Six Sixes?

Tadej Žnidarčič

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{ Adria Airways }

Prodajno-potniški servis na Letališču Jožeta Pučnika v Ljubljani Besedilo: Barbara M. Bukovec

Fotografije: Borut Kranjc

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etenje z letali ni več nekaj posebnega in romantičnega, kakor je bilo nekoč, ampak je postalo industrija, usmerjena v široko potrošnjo. Posledično tudi Adria Airways beleži vse večje število prepeljanih potnikov; v zadnjih letih je še zlasti močno naraslo, rekordno rast pa je doseglo v letu 2008. To čutimo vsak dan prav vsi zaposleni v Adrii, nekatere službe pa so seveda še prav posebej izpostavljene. Ena izmed takih je Prodajno-potniški servis na Letališču Jožeta Pučnika v Ljubljani. Kadar gre vse po planu, kakor se reče v besednjaku operativcev, je pravzaprav niti ne opazimo; v primeru odpovedi letov, zamud ali potnikov s posebnimi željami pa se izkaže za nepogrešljivo. Prodajno-potniški servis je bil ustanovljen z namenom, da bi nudil pomoč potnikom, ki se nahajajo v potniškem terminalu tik pred odletom ali takoj po pristanku. Svoje prostore ima v odhodnem delu potniškega

terminala ljubljanskega letališča. Nebojša Kokošar, ki je vodja Prodajnopotniškega servisa ali krajše PPS in dela v Adrii že več kot tri desetletja, pove, da je servis del sektorja Zemeljska operativa in nabava in je pravzaprav sestavljen iz treh služb: Prodaje letalskih vozovnic, Potniškega servisa v odhodu, pogovorno imenovanega tudi »Welcome služba«, in Potniškega servisa v prihodu, tj. službe Izgubljeno/najdeno (Lost & Found). Kadar promet na Letališču Jožeta Pučnika v Ljubljani poteka nemoteno, so glavne naloge PPS: prodaja letalskih vozovnic, pomoč potnikom pri spremembah letov oz. rerutacijah in posebnih potrebah ter iskanje izgubljene prtljage in sprejemanje prijav pri poškodovani prtljagi. PPS ima na ljubljanskem letališču, ki je Adrijino matično letališče, še eno pomembno nalogo: pomaga osebju naših partnerjev na ostalih letališčih, kamor letijo Adrijina letala, in torej služi kot nekakšen »help desk« agentom, ki oskrbujejo naše potnike zunaj matičnega letališča.

Včasih pa letenje ne poteka po planu. Vzroki za to so najpogosteje slabo vreme, omejitve na letališčih in v zračnem prostoru, kamor so naša letala namenjena, lahko pa zaradi tehnične okvare določen let zamuja ali je v skrajni sili celo odpovedan. Takrat zavlada med sicer dobro izšolanimi profesionalci za kratek čas pravo obsedno stanje. To pomeni, da je potrebno delati hitro, učinkovito in usklajeno. Potniki morajo biti preusmerjeni na druge lete in letališča, v primeru zamud jim organizirajo in ponudijo pijačo in hrano, v skrajnih primerih tudi prenočitev, v kolikor je njihov prvi naslednji polet šele naslednji dan. Takrat mora vsa ekipa

rativnem planu med vsemi tremi službami. Za koordinacijo vseh služb znotraj ene izmene skrbi predstavnik Adrie na letališču (Duty Officer) in je odgovoren za delo celotne izmene. Službo predstavnikov sestavlja 5 zaposlenih, ki so prisotni na letališču 24 ur, in sicer z menjavanjem dnevne in nočne izmene. Povedali smo že, da je PPS tisti, ki skrbi za potnike, naloga predstavnikov na letališču pa je koordinacija dela med letališkimi službami in službami Adrie Airways (posadkami, Oddelkom podpore letenja, Oddelkom oskrbe potnikov ...). Največ dela ima ekipa PPS v dneh, ko je promet naših letal najgostejši,

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delati kot eden in velikokrat je prav od delovanja usklajene ekipe odvisno, kakšno mnenje si bodo potniki ustvarili o letalskem prevozniku. Da lahko delo poteka tekoče, morajo vsi zaposleni v PPS obvladati kar nekaj znanja in različnih veščin. Poleg znanja jezikov in dela z računalnikom uporabljajo pri delu tudi rezervacijski sistem Amadeus, za nadzor nad stanjem posameznega leta t.i. DCS (letališki sistem za prijavo potnikov na lete) in Worldtracer, mednarodni računalniški sistem za iskanje izgubljene prtljage. V posamezni izmeni dela v polni zasedbi 8 zaposlenih, ki prihajajo v službo postopoma. Prvi del ekipe pride na delo že ob peti uri zjutraj oz. uro in pol pred prvim poletom, zadnji del ekipe potegne delo pozno v noč, medtem ko tisti, ki ta dan delajo v službi Izgubljeno/najdeno, še pričakujejo zadnje prihode letal v mednarodnem prostoru. Ekipa zaposlenih v PPS šteje 25 zaposlenih, njihovo delo pa je razporejeno po ope-

in v času dopustov, ko je precej dodatnih čarterskih letov tudi ob sobotah in nedeljah. Za vse, ki delajo in potujejo preko ljubljanskega letališča, pa občasno predstavljajo dodatne probleme tudi dela, ki jih zahteva izgradnja novih letaliških prostorov s strani upravljavca letališča, saj stara zgradba že nekaj let težko sledi vsem potrebam, ki jih je prinesla povečana rast potnikov. Delo s potniki gotovo sodi med bolj zahtevna opravila. Vsak od uslužbencev bi lahko napisal knjigo prigod in dogodivščin o svojih izkušnjah z bolj ali manj potrpežljivimi potniki. Na splošno pa velja, da so danes potniki bolj osveščeni kot nekoč in da običajno poznajo svoje pravice, zlasti tedaj, ko pride do zamud ali odpovedi letov. Osebje PPS jim v takih primerih z veseljem priskoči na pomoč, saj je njihova primarna naloga ponuditi »servis« potnikom − ta pa jih zagotovo prepriča o tem, da bodo njihova pričakovanja v zvezi z našimi storitvami izpolnjena.

{ Adria Airways }

The Passenger Sales Service at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport Text: Barbara M. Bukovec

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Photography: Borut Kranjc

lying is no longer the special romantic adventure it once was. Instead, it has become an industry designed for mass consumption. One result of this is that Adria Airways is carrying an ever increasing number of passengers. The strong growth in recent years culminated in record growth in 2008. This is something that all Adria staff are aware of on a daily basis, but naturally some of our services are particularly exposed. One of these is our Passenger Sales Service at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. When everything goes according to plan – to use the vocabulary of our operational staff – we do not even notice the PSS, but in the case of cancellations, delays or passengers with special needs, it immediately proves itself to be indispensable. The PSS was set up in order to offer assistance to those passengers who are in the passenger terminal immediately prior to takeoff or immediately after landing. Its office is located in the departures section of the passenger terminal at Ljubljana Airport. Nebojša Kokošar, the head of the PSS, has been with Adria for more than three decades. He explains that the service forms part of the Ground Operations and Purchasing department and actually consists of three services: ticket sales, passenger departures (colloquially known as the Welcome Service) and passenger arrivals, i.e. the Lost & Found service. When traffic is running smoothly at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, the main tasks of the PSS are: ticket sales, assisting passengers with changes to flights or rerouting and special needs, tracing lost baggage and dealing with damaged baggage claims. The PSS has one other important role at Ljubljana Airport, which is Adria’s home airport: that of assisting the staff of our partners at the other airports that Adria flies to. In other words it functions as a kind of help desk for the agents who look after our passengers away from our home airport. Sometimes, however, flying does not go according to plan. The most frequent reasons for this are bad weather and restrictions at the airports or in the airspace to which our aircraft are destined. Technical problems can lead to a flight being delayed or, in the worst case scenario, even cancelled. When that happens our well-trained professionals find themselves for a brief time in a state of siege. This means

that they have to work rapidly and efficiently. Passengers need to be diverted to other flights and airports; in the case of delays we organise complimentary drinks and food, and, in extreme cases, overnight accommodation, if the next available flight is not until the following day. On such occasions the entire team has to work as one, and very often the opinion that passengers form about a given airline depends on the actions of a coordinated team. In order to be able to do their jobs probably, all PSS staff require a considerable range of skills. Apart from language skills and IT skills,

shifts. If it is the PSS’s job to look after passengers, it is the task of the Duty Officers at the airport to coordinate the work of the airport services and Adria Airways staff (crews, the flight operations centre, the passenger care service, etc.) The PSS team is busiest on days when Adria traffic is densest, while during the holiday season there are also quite a few extra charter flights on Saturdays and Sundays. Everyone who works in or travels via Ljubljana Airport occasionally has to face additional problems caused by construction work: the airport operator is currently in the process of build-

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their work involves using the Amadeus booking system, a departure control system (DCS) to monitor the status of individual flights, and WorldTracer, an international system for tracing lost baggage. A single shift involves a total of 8 staff, who arrive at work in stages. The first part of the team clocks on at 5.00 a.m., an hour and a half before the first flight, while the last part of the team works late into the night, when those whose turn it is to run the Lost & Found service wait for the last international arrivals. The PSS employs a team of 25, whose work is divided between all three services according to the plan of operations. The coordination of all the services during a given shift is the responsibility of Adria’s Duty Officer, who is responsible for the work of the entire shift. There are 5 Duty Officers, one of whom is always present in the airport – 24 hours a day – alternating day and night

ing new terminal facilities, since the old structure has for some years now been struggling to cope with the growth in passenger numbers. Working with passengers is without a doubt one of the more demanding jobs there is. Every member of staff could write a book based on his or her experiences dealing with patient and not-so-patient passengers. It is, however, generally the case that passengers today are better informed than ever, and are usually aware of their rights, especially when it comes to flight delays or cancellations. In such cases PSS staff are happy to come to their aid, since their primary task is to offer a level of service to passengers that will show them that we are capable of meeting their expectations.

Grand Hotels in Slovenia

Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji ( 38 )

Besedilo: Meta Krese

Fotografije: Branko Čeak, Nataša Mandelj

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

Prostor, kjer mednarodni duh nekaj velja ( 40 )

»Tukaj se brati živahen Talijan s krepkim sinom ogerske puste, tamkaj se sprehajata brata Slovenec in Horvat v prijaznem pogovoru i pri slovesu

si podasta roke z žalostnim sercom. Nemec se druži z Nemcem, le Turčin čepi samoten na zemlji ter se raduje nad zapaljenem čibukom. Okretna Zagrebkinja igra lopto po trati, krotka Ljubljančanka jo od strani gleda

ter se ji posmehuje. Živahna Talijanka poskakuje veno mer z enega stolca na drugega, kakor da bi nikjer ne bilo obstati, ponosna Madjarka se drži neprestano svojega zaročnika in mladež vseh narodov se goni v igri sem ter tje po prijetnem perivoji.«

esede, objavljene v glasilu Novice gospodarske, obertnijske in narodske davnega leta 1860, so v hotelih Grand hotel Rogaška, Grand hotel Toplice in Kempinski Palace Portorož sedanjost. »Zakaj pa mislite, da smo v tem poslu?« me vpraša uslužbenec hotela Kempinski Palace Portorož. »S hotelirstvom se ukvarjamo zato, ker imamo radi internacionalni duh. To je lepota hotelskega življenja. Tu se mešajo vsi narodi.« Verjamem mu. Rojen je v Peruju, študiral je v Evropi, kje vse po svetu je služboval, nisem uspela niti slediti. Res je, da so vsi trije gránd hotéli − hoteli s tradicijo − najbolje in najudobneje urejeni, ampak tisti prav posebni, tako mični pridih

jim daje ta raznolikost gostov. Kje drugje se lahko pri zajtrku spoznaš s slovaško družino, ki je izkoristila mamine poslovne sestanke v Ljubljani in jih združila z razpuščenimi trenutki v hotelu za druge družinske člane? Kje drugje lahko opazuješ znanega poslovneža, ki raje zajtrkuje v hotelu kot pa le nekaj sto metrov stran sam v svoji vili? In kje drugje lahko spiješ čaj z grško srbskima zakoncema s posvojenim potepuškim psom, ki se je povsem navadil poležavanja na hotelskih zofah? In pravzaprav kje drugje kot v gránd hotélu bo hotelska gospodinja ob takem pogledu zgolj skomignila z rameni in dejala: »Bomo že očistili.«

Grand Hotels in Slovenia

A Place Where the International Spirit Really Means Something Here the lively Italian fraternises with the sturdy son of the Hungarian wastes, there a Slovene and a Croat – brother Slavs – stroll together in pleasant conversation and, when they bid each other farewell, shake hands with a sorrowful heart. German consorts with German, and only the Turk squats alone on the ground and delights in his chibouk. An athletic young lady

from Zagreb plays with a ball on the lawn, watched by a placid young lady from Ljubljana, who mocks her. A vivacious Italian lady jumps constantly from one chair to the next, as though unable to sit still; a proud Hungarian keeps a constant hold of her betrothed, and the young people of all nations disport themselves back and forth across this pleasant park.

hese words, published back in 1860 in the Commercial, Trade and National News, apply just as well to the present at the Grand Hotel Rogaška, the Grand Hotel Toplice and the Kempinski Palace Portorož. “Why do you think we are in this business?” is the question put to me by an employee of the Kempinski Palace Portorož. “We are in the hotel business because we love the international spirit. That is the beauty of hotel life. All nations mingle together here.” I believe him. Born in Peru, he studied in Europe, and I lost track of how many different countries he has worked in. It is true that all three are grand hotels, hotels with tradition, the most luxurious and the most comfortable, but it is really the diversity of their guests that give them their special and enormously attractive air. Where else can you meet at breakfast a family from Slovakia who have taken advantage of mother’s business meetings in Ljubljana and combined them with moments of relaxation in a hotel for the other members of the family? Where else can you observe a well-known businessman who would rather take his breakfast in the hotel than alone in his own villa just a few hundred metres away? And where else can you drink tea with a Greek-Serbian couple and their adopted stray dog, who sprawls across hotel sofas as though to the manner born. And, in fact, where else but in a grand hotel would the manager merely shrug her shoulders at the sight and say: “We’ll give it a clean later.”

{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji } Kempinski Palace Portorož

Razkošje zajtrkov

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»Z

ajtrk je do dvanajstih,« zaslišimo, ko se že nekoliko utrujeni, pravzaprav prijetno utrujeni, vlečemo iz enega razkošnega salona v drugega. Kakšen balzam za naša ušesa. Daleč od tega, da bi bil naš namen povleči spanec globoko v dan, končno smo v hotelu Kempinski Palace Portorož zato, da ga spoznamo. Naše veselje je skupno, razlogi različni. Nataša in Branko ponavadi izkoristita jutranjo svetlobo za fotografiranje in ta je vse prevečkrat mamljiva do ure, ko se zajtrkovalnice zaprejo ali pa so mize že pogrnjene za kosilo. Vzrok za mojo radost tiči v samem prostoru. V Kempinskem se jutra enostavno mora preživeti v Kristalni dvorani. V svečani dvorani, ki je ravno prav slovesna, da je vzdušje še udobno, kot se za zajtrkovanje pač spodobi. In tako pijem cappuccino 'v majhni skodelici, prosim', le kdo ve, katerega že to jutro. Razkošje, da si lahko sama pri zajtrku izberem meni ljubo kavo, presega presenečenje, ko na nočni omarici zagledam drobno knjižico, ki gostom za dober spanec ponuja devet različnih blazin. Zares se je ustrašim, saj ne vem, če se zares želim ukvarjati še s tem. Že tako se mi zdi, da je treba v življenju sprejemati preveč odločitev, pa naj se s to ubada raje kdo drug, ki se na te stvari pač spozna. Kava, predvsem jutranja, to je nekaj drugega. Poskušam delati. Natakarji ne vihajo nosu, ker sem s seboj privlekla prenosnik, brez besed mi le uredijo prostor na mizi. Idealne razmere za delo, zares pa opazujem kaplje, ki polzijo po oknu. Slaba volja zaradi dežja? Nejevolja, ker je odpadel sprehod do Pirana? Ne, v Hotelu Palace tudi približno ne. V palači, ki je veljala ob odprtju leta 1910 za najlepši in tudi največji hotel ob Jadranu, no, takoj za Excelsiorjem v Benetkah, in je pritegnila v Portorož svetovljansko družbo iz cele avstroogrske monarhije, zdaj pa so jo po tolikih letih popolnoma obnovili, ti tudi dež ne more do živega. Hotelski prostori so obdržali šarm starih palač, skoraj pravljično prostornost, strokovnjaki hotelov Kempinski so dodali še svoj slog, ki nas prijetno razvaja in … In vse to začutimo že pri skodelici jutranje kave.

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{ Grand Hotels in Slovenia }

{ Grand Hotels in Slovenia } Kempinski Palace Portorož

Splendour of Breakfasts

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reaKFast Is serVed untIl MIdday, we hear, as already slightly tired, pleasantly weary actually, we drag ourselves from one sumptuous reception room to another. That is music to our ears. Not, of course, that it is our intention to lie in half the morning: after all we are at the Kempinski Palace Portorož in order to get to know it. Our happiness is shared, although for different reasons. Nataša and Branko usually take advantage of the morning light to take photographs, and all too often they are unable to tear themselves away until the breakfast rooms are closed or the tables are already being laid for lunch. The reason for my happiness lay in my surroundings. At the Kempinski you simply have to spend mornings in the Crystal Hall: this formal hall, which is just solemn enough for the atmosphere to be still comfortable, as it should be one is having breakfast. And so I drink cappuccino “in a small cup please”, and who knows what this morning will bring. The luxury of being able to choose my favourite coffee at breakfast even surpasses the surprise I felt when I spotted the booklet on my bedside table offering guests a choice of nine different pillows to ensure they get a good night’s sleep. Actually it alarmed me, because I don’t know if I really want to get into that. There are already too many decisions to make in life: let someone else who knows about such things worry about it. But coffee, especially morning coffee, that is another matter. I try to work. The waiters do not turn up their noses because I have brought a laptop with me, and without a word they clear a space for it on the table. Ideal conditions for working, and then I notice the raindrops sliding down the window. Am I in a bad mood because of the rain? Upset because the walk to Piran is off? Not when I am at the Kempinski Palace, not even remotely. When you are staying at this hotel, which when it opened in 1910 was the most beautiful hotel on the Adriatic and also the biggest, not counting the Excelsior in Venice, which drew cosmopolitan society from all over the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Portorož, and which has now, after so many years, been fully restored, not even the rain can upset you. The hotel’s rooms have retained the charm of old palaces and are almost unbelievably spacious. Hotel experts Kempinski have added their own style, which pampers us pleasantly... And we can sense all this even over a cup of coffee in the morning.

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji } Grand hotel Rogaška

Ko te boža

preteklost ( 48 )

riljubljena hotelska anekdota pravi, da je priletna grofica razlagala vsakomur, za katerega se ji je le zdelo vredno, da mu nakloni svojo dragoceno pozornost, kako je sama direktorica hotela peljala njenega psa Pierina na sprehod v najbolj nemogočem vremenu. »Zakaj pa ne?« direktorica kratko komentira duhovito zgodbico. V moji glavi se takoj zavrti film: sneg, nečimrna grofica (no, mogoče ji delam krivico), ki ji ni do tega, da bi si zmočila čeveljce, kaj šele nožice, okrog nje hotelsko osebje, ki ima drugega dela vrh glave in ne ve, kako naj stlačijo v svoj urnik še sprehod, ter direktorica, ki odločno prime pasji povodec v roke in se z olajšanjem poda na pot. Tako se lahko vsaj brez slabe vesti za nekaj časa umakne pred skrbmi, ki si jih človek nakoplje na glavo, ko sprejme vodenje gránd hotéla. Pa to še zdaleč ni edina zgodba, ki kroži med poznavalci, uslužbenci, gosti ali pa zgolj ljubitelji Grand hotela Rogaška, nekoč Zdraviliškega doma. Že resničnih dogodkov je dovolj za obširno monografijo. In vodstvo hotela jo je skupaj s sodelavci Zgodovinskega arhiva Slovenije tudi izdalo. Dovolj je že samo pogled na svečano Kristalno dvorano, in to celo za tiste, ki jim manjka vsaka domišljijska sila, in že si v preteklosti, nekaj stoletij nazaj, ko je mondena družba hodila k vrelcem po zdravje in po vse tisto, kar je takrat sodilo k temu. Zavrtiš se na tradicionalnem Aninem plesu, o katerem so v zdraviliškem časniku junija 1880 takole zapisali: »Anin ples nas vedno spomni, da je sezona na vrhuncu. Tako je tudi letos. Če so za ostale naše plese značilne enostavne toalete in dovolj prostora na plesišču, je Anin ples nekaj povsem drugega. Živahno dogajanje, toalete vseh barv in oblik, pričeske, nakit, posut z briljanti, dragim kamenjem in biseri, šopki iz bogatih slatinskih in tržaških rastlinjakov – vse to se razkazuje našim očem.« Z lahkoto se prestaviš še nekaj desetletij nazaj, v prvo polovico 19. stoletja, prav tako na Anin ples, ko še ni bilo veličastnih hotelskih objektov in so številni udeleženci v svojih kočijah nestrpno čakali na prve takte svečane poloneze. Ampak razkošna preteklost je v Grand hotelu Rogaška zgolj zato, da nas samo še malce poboža. Hotel, ki so ga nazadnje prenovili leta 2003, je popolnoma prilagojen našemu razvajenemu načinu življenja, ki ga želimo imeti, kadar pobegnemo od česarkoli že. S psom ali brez njega.

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{ Grand Hotels in Slovenia }

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Grand Hotel Rogaška

The Caress of the Past

popular hotel anecdote tells how an elderly countess used to explain to everyone whom she deemed worthy of her valuable attention how the hotel manager herself used to take her dog Pierino for his walk in the most inclement weather. “Why not?” is the manager’s brief comment on this amusing story. A film immediately starts playing in my head: snow, a vain countess (or perhaps I am being unfair to her) who does not wish to get her dainty shoes wet, let alone her dainty feet, around her the hotel staff, who are already rushed off their feet and wondering how they are supposed to fit dog-walking into their busy schedule, and then the manager, acting with decision, takes the dog’s lead and sets off with a relieved look on her face. At least this way she can escape for a while – with a clear conscience – from all the worries and responsibilities that have been her daily bread since she accepted the challenge of managing a grand hotel.

This, however, is far from being the only story that circulates among the connoisseurs, employees, guests or merely admirers of the Grand Hotel Rogaška, formerly the stately Zdraviliški Dom spa building. The true stories alone would provide enough material for an extensive monograph – and in fact the hotel management, in collaboration with the staff of the National Historical Archives, have already published one. A mere glimpse into the Crystal Hall is enough, even for those with no powers of imagination, to send you back into the past, to the time when the members of fashionable society visited spas for their health – and all the other diversions that such a visit included. For example dancing at the traditional Anna’s Ball, commemorated in the following manner by the spa’s own newspaper in June 1880: Anna’s Ball always reminds us that the season is at its peak. So it is again this year. If our other dances are characterised by simple costumes and sufficient room on the dance-floor, Anna’s Ball is something entirely different. Animation and excitement, gowns of every colour and form, elegant coiffures, the sparkle of diamonds, precious stones and pearls, flowers from the hothouses of Slatina and Trieste – all this is displayed before our eyes. It is easy enough to travel back a few more decades, to the first half of the 19th century – we are at Anna’s Ball once again, but the magnificent hotel buildings have not yet been built and many of the ball-goers eagerly await the first bars of a solemn polonaise in the comfort of their own carriages. But the sumptuous past only exists at the Grand Hotel Rogaška in order to caress us a little longer. Since its most recent renovation in 2003, the hotel is perfectly adapted to the pampered modern lifestyle that we desire whenever we manage to escape from whatever it is we are escaping from. With or without a dog.

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji } Grand hotel Toplice

Zgodovina, ki te pritegne

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edim ob bazenu in sprejemam težko odločitev. Naj skočim? Hm, voda ima 22ºC in to se mi ne zdi prav privlačna temperatura za namakanje. Mogoče malce kasneje. Pred mano se odpira razgled na Blejski grad, in če se čisto malo obrnem proti levi, vidim še Blejski otok v celoti; na levi pristajajo verzirane race, tako da čim dalj časa drsijo po gladini. Če se malce potrudim, lahko v belih pikah tam na drugi strani jezera celo razločim labode. Premišljujem o zgodovini hotela. Impresivna je. Od leta 1818, ko so našli topla vrelca – na hladnem Gorenjskem imajo nekoliko drugačen odnos do toplote kot v bolj južnih krajih –, pa tja do leta 1931, ko je nova lastnica Jula Molnar povečala in modernizirala stari hotel in ga preimenovala v Grand hotel Toplice, se je od časa do časa zgodilo resda kaj posebnega. No, tudi kakšen kralj se je tu in tam oglasil pri njih. Ampak od tridesetih let prejšnjega stoletja pa do danes si znameniti ali pa zgolj posebni gostje kar podajajo kljuko. Četudi preskočimo vse politike in diplomate, nam ostanejo še vedno številni gostje, ki jih velja omeniti. Recimo kipar Ivan Meštrović, operni pevec basist Fjodor Šaljapin, filmska igralka Ita Rina … Ali pa celotna hokejska reprezentanca Čehoslovaške, ki jo je leta 1932 povabila gospa Jula Molnar, ko je organizirala meddržavno hokejsko tekmo na zaledenelem jezeru pred svojim hotelom. Svetovni prvaki

iz Čehoslovaške so jugoslovanske hokejiste naravnost zmleli. Rezultat je bil 24 : 0, ampak zabavali so se vsi: hotelski gostje in številni domačini. Med 2. svetovno vojno so si v prijetnem hotelskem okolju uredile svoj sedež nemške okupatorske oblasti, spomladi 1944 so v hotel nameščali ranjene nemške vojake, v maju 1945 takoj po osvoboditvi so vanj za krajši čas nastanili partizanske ranjence. Pa Pablo Neruda, Matej Bor, Peter Handke, Arthur Miller, Ignazio Silone … Agatha Christie (»samo na čaju,« pove direktorica) …, če pri naštevanju ostanem le pri literatih. Prava gneča spoštljivih imen. Zaradi razgleda? Priznam, ta je popoln. Zaradi domiselne arhitekture, restavrirane hotelske opreme iz tridesetih let, zbirke slik, ki se je ne bi sramovala nobena nacionalna galerija? Vse je čudovito. Zares pa prepričajo ljudje. Suvereno osebje, ki je spoštljivo do svojega hotela in zato tudi do gostov. Dovolj neodločnosti! Zaplavam. Le koliko bazenov na tem svetu ima vsako jutro popolnoma svežo vodo?! Zajeta vrelca sta ravno dovolj močna, da vsako noč napolnita bazen, ki ga zvečer spraznijo. In temu naj bi se odrekla?!

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{ Grand Hotels in Slovenia }

{ Grand Hotels in Slovenia } Grand Hotel Toplice

The Attraction

of History

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sIt By the sIde oF the pool tryInG to MaKe up My MInd. Should I jump in? Hmm, the temperature of the water is 22°C, and that does not seem quite attractive enough for a soaking. Perhaps a little later. In front of me spreads a view of Bled Castle. If I turn slightly to the left I can see Bled Island in its entirety. Some ducks are landing on the lake with practised skill, skating as far as possible across its surface. With a little effort I can recognise those white dots over there on the other side of the lake as swans. I think about the history of the hotel. It is impressive. The period between 1818, when the thermal springs were discovered – in cold Gorenjska they have a slightly different attitude to warmth than in more southerly climes, and 1931, when the new owner Jula Molnar enlarged and modernised the old hotel and renamed it the Grand Hotel Toplice, was certainly marked by the occasional special event. Kings and other royalty would stay here from time to time. But from the 1930s to the present, there has been a con-

stant stream of eminent or merely special guests. Even excluding all the politicians and diplomats, we are still left with plenty of guests worth mentioning. For example the sculptor Ivan Meštrović, the opera singer Feodor Chaliapin, the film star Ita Rina. Or the entire Czechoslovakian ice hockey team, invited in 1932 by Jula Molnar, when she organised an international ice hockey match on the frozen lake in front of her hotel. The world champions from Czechoslovakia made mincemeat of the Yugoslav side. The result was 24-0, but everyone had a good time: the hotel guests and the numerous locals. During the Second World War the German occupying forces set up their headquarters in the pleasant atmosphere of the hotel. In the spring of 1944 wounded German soldiers were billeted in the hotel, and in May 1945, immediately after the liberation, it was brieﬂy used to house wounded partisans. And then there was Pablo Neruda, Matej Bor, Peter Handke, Arthur Miller, Ignazio Silone… Agatha Christie (only for tea, says the hotel manager)… to mention only guests from the world of literature. A mass of eminent names. Did they come here for the view? I admit that it is perfect. Or for the imaginative architecture, the lovingly restored fittings from the 1930s, an art collection that any national gallery would be proud of? It is all wonderful. The real clincher, however, are the people. An outstanding staff who respect their hotel and thus also their guests. Enough indecisiveness. I’m going for a swim. How many swimming pools in the world have completely fresh water every morning? The two captive springs are just powerful enough to fill the pool every night, after it is emptied in the evening. And I was going to pass this up!

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{ Gránd hotéli v Sloveniji }

Slovenski gorski vodniki ( 82 )

e skoraj poldrugo stoletje je minilo od romantičnih časov gorskih vodnikov iz Trente. Vodniki – kot Tožbar, Pavr

in Komac – so takrat vodili po trentarskem delu Julijskih Alp v glavnem tujce. Seveda domačini niso kazali poti svojim gostom samo v tem delu slovenskih Alp, pač pa so lokalni prebivalci z vznožij gora vodili tudi v Kamniških in Savinjskih Alpah, Karavankah in seveda v Julijcih nad savsko dolino. Od tam – natančneje iz Mojstrane – je prihajal tudi Simon Pinter, ki je leta 1877 postal prvi uradni slovenski gorski vodnik z vodniško izkaznico.

Besedilo in fotografije: Urban Golob

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{ Slovenija }

laninstvo je v Sloveniji doživelo največji razmah po drugi svetovni vojni. Dediščina narodnostnega boja iz začetka 20. stoletja, ko so slovenski planinci tekmovali z nemškimi tudi v tem, kdo bo opremil več poti in postavil več planinskih koč, se je še nadgradila. Kmalu je omrežje planinskih poti v naših gorah postalo najgostejše v Evropi, ljudje so se na teh poteh počutili varne in povpraševanje po vodnikih je zato precej upadlo, tako rekoč zamrlo. Gorski vodniki so sicer bili, a v socialističnem duhu niso vodili gostov v gore za plačilo. Naziv ‘gorski vodnik’ je bil takrat pravzaprav le kot nagrada za dolgoletno alpinistično dejavnost.

Seveda gorski vodnik ne more postati kdorkoli, ampak samo zelo izkušen alpinist z dovolj dolgim stažem.

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Danes je drugače. Kot protiutež hitremu načinu življenja vse več ljudi preživlja prosti čas v naravi, v gorah. Nekateri med njimi, ki so siti gneče tudi na planinskih poteh, nimajo pa dovolj znanja, da bi se poleti ali pozimi sami podali v gorska brezpotja ali celo v alpske stene, najamejo gorskega vodnika. Tako kot v drugih državah na območju Alp je tudi v Sloveniji gorski vodnik postal pravi poklic z zahtevnim mednarodno usklajenim šolanjem. Seveda gorski vodnik ne more postati kdorkoli, ampak samo zelo izkušen alpinist z dovolj dolgim stažem. Kot člani mednarodnega združenja lahko slovenski gorski vodniki vodijo svoje goste ne samo v domačih gorah, ampak tudi po vseh gorstvih sveta. Glavna motivacija za vodnika je predvsem veselje do gorništva, plezanja in odpiranja oči za gore tistim ljudem, ki si to želijo. Kot je rekel gorski vodnik Boris Lorenčič, sicer vrhunski alpinist in dobitnik prestižne mednarodne nagrade Zlati cepin: »Navduševanje ljudi za gore in pedagoško delo je tisto, zaradi česar bi najraje počel samo to.« Slovenski gorski vodniki so doma najbolj zaposleni poleti, ko si ljudje zaželijo okusiti čar strmih sten najvišjih slovenskih gora. Ker ima Severna triglavska stena med Slovenci še posebno mesto, je vzpon po eni izmed lažjih plezalnih smeri v njej seveda zelo zaželeno dejanje.

Gore pa so zelo zanimive tudi pozimi. Takrat v njih zavlada mir, in ker so vse zavarovane poti pod debelo snežno odejo, se pokaže vsa moč narave v gorah. Mnogi se takrat ne počutijo dovolj varne in najamejo gorske vodnike. V hladnih mesecih med gosti prevladuje zanimanje za turno smučanje. Primernih terenov je v Sloveniji skoraj v izobilju – predvsem v Julijskih Alpah –, slovenskih gorskih vodnikov pa je tudi vedno več in pravzaprav dovolj, da pokrijejo vse potrebe obiskovalcev slovenskih gora. Kljub vsemu pa je nekaj vodnikov, ki vodijo tudi v tujini oziroma za tuje vodniške agencije. Več slovenskih vodnikov tako preživi zimo v znanih evropskih gorniških središčih, kot sta na primer francoski Chamonix in Zermatt v Švici. Eden izmed njih je tudi Klemen Gričar, ki več kot četrtino leta preživi v francoskih in švicarskih Alpah, občasno pa vodi tudi v Himalaji. »Povpraševanje po spomladanskih turnih smukah nad Chamonixom je res veliko in domači francoski vodniki pravzaprav ne morejo zadostiti vseh potreb,« je povedal Gričar. »Podobno velja tudi poleti za vzpone na Mont Blanc,« je še dodal. Slovenske gorske vodnike torej lahko najdemo v gorstvih vsega sveta. Še vedno pa najraje vodijo v domačih, slovenskih gorah.

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{ Slovenski gorski vodniki }

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{ Slovenski gorski vodniki }

{ Slovenia }

Mountain Guides in Slovenia Text and Photography: Urban Golob

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lmost a century and a half has passed since the romantic era of mountain guides from the Trenta valley. In those days it was mainly foreigners who employed guides such as Tožbar, Pavr and Komac to guide them through the section of the Julian Alps around Trenta. Naturally, this was not the only part of the Slovenian Alps in which local guides offered their services to visitors. Locals from the foothills also acted as guides in the Kamnik and Savinja Alps, the Karavanke range and of course the Julian Alps above the valley of the Sava. This area – more precisely Mojstrana – was also the birthplace of Simon Pinter, who in 1877 became the first official Slovene mountain guide, complete with guide's licence. Mountaineering in Slovenia enjoyed its greatest boom after the Second World War, building on the legacy of the “ethnic struggle” from the early 20th century, when rival Slovenian and German mountaineers vied with each other to see who could equip the most climbing routes and build the most mountain huts. The network of paths in Slovenia's mountains soon became the densest in Europe. People felt safe on these paths and, as a result, demand for the services of guides waned considerably, before almost dying out entirely. There were still mountain guides but, true to the socialist spirit, they no longer guided visitors into the mountains in exchange for payment. The title of “mountain guide” was at that time actually merely a reward for long years of mountaineering activity. Today it is different. An increasing number of people are spending their free time in nature, in the mountains, as a counterbalance to the fast pace of life. Some of them, fed up with the crowds that are to be found even on mountain trails, but lacking the skills and experience to head into the mountains alone, in summer or winter, or to tackle an Alpine climb, prefer to hire a mountain guide. In Slovenia, just as in other Alpine countries, mountain guiding has become a proper profession with its own demanding training requirements coordinated at the international level. Not everyone can become a mountain guide, of course: only very experienced climbers who have served an adequate period of probation. As members of an international association, Slovenian mountain guides are not merely qualified to guide climbers in their home mountains: they can accompany them into any mountain range in the world. The main motivations of a guide are, above all, a love of mountains and climbing and the desire to open people's eyes to the mountains. Boris Lorenčič, a mountain guide who is also a renowned climber and a winner of the prestigious international Piolet d'Or award, puts it like this: “Getting people enthusiastic about mountains and teaching them what I know is what makes me wish I could do this and nothing else.” Slovenia's mountain guides are busiest in summer, when people are keen to sample the steep faces of the country's tallest mountains. Since the north face of Mount Triglav occupies a special place in the minds of

Not everyone can become a mountain guide, of course: only very experienced climbers who have served an adequate period of probation. Slovenians, an ascent along one of its easier routes is naturally something that many people are very keen to attempt. Mountains are also very interesting in winter. Peace reigns at this time of year, and since all the protected routes are under a thick blanket of snow, all the power of nature in the mountains is revealed. In these conditions, many people opt to hire a mountain guide. Visitors in the winter months are mainly interested in ski touring. There is no shortage of suitable locations in Slovenia – especially in the Julian Alps. The number of mountain guides is also increasing, and there are actually enough to cover all the needs of visitors to Slovenia's mountains. Some guides also work abroad or are employed by foreign guide agencies. A number of Slovenian guides spend the winter in famous European mountain resorts such as Chamonix in France or Zermatt in Switzerland. Klemen Gričar is one such guide. He spends a quarter of the year in the French and Swiss Alps, and also occasionally guides in the Himalayas. “There is enormous demand for ski touring above Chamonix in the springtime, and the local French guides cannot satisfy everyone,” explains Gričar. “Something similar happens in summer with ascents of Mont Blanc,” he adds. Thus we can find Slovene mountain guides in mountain ranges all over the world. But they still prefer guiding in their own mountains, at home in Slovenia.

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nogim prvopristopnikom na težje gore v Alpah prvenstveni vzpon ne bi uspel brez vodnikov. V ozadju prvih vzponov na Mont Blanc pa Matterhorn in podobne, danes najbolj razvpite gore v Evropi, so bili gorski vodniki. Takrat, v 19. stoletju, so bili prvopristopniki praviloma ugledni ljudje z debelo denarnico, ki jih je navduševal visokogorski svet, vodniki pa domačini, ki so živeli ob vznožju gora in so jih najbolje poznali. A to se ni dogajalo samo v Franciji in Švici, podobno je bilo tudi pri nas. O tem je pisal tudi Julius Kugy, ki je z domačini vodniki prvi pristopil na nekaj slovenskih vrhov in preplezal številne njihove stene. Morda najlepše delo, posvečeno domačinom, ki so za dodaten zaslužek vodili po gorah, je njegova knjiga Anton Ojcinger, življenje gorskega vodnika, v kateri opisuje znamenitega vodnika, ki je bil sicer doma iz Ovčje vasi na italijanski strani današnje meje.

any of the first climbers to conquer the more difficult mountains in the Alps would not have succeeded in their first ascents without the help of guides. In the background of the first ascents of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and similar peaks – today the most notorious mountains in Europe – were mountain guides. Back in the 19th century, “first climbers” were usually notable citizens with fat wallets and a passion for high mountains, while the guides were local men who lived at the foot of the mountains and knew them better than anyone else. It was not only in France and Switzerland that this happened: a similar situation existed in Slovenia. References to it can be found in the writings of Julius Kugy, who with the help of local guides conquered a number of Slovenia's peaks and climbed many of its most demanding faces. Perhaps the finest work dedicated to the local men who acted as mountain guides in order to earn a little extra money is his book Anton Ojcinger, the Life of a Mountain Guide, in which he describes the famous guide from Ovčja Vas (Valbruna), on the Italian side of the present-day border.