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- Jul 28, 2024, 11:47 PM
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 292 m
SloveniaObčina OrmožSvetinje46°28’12” N 16°10’29” E
Day 7 - Max arrives. As do the rains.

23:30
We both sleep well, and wake in good time. Max is arriving today, and we spend a fairly frantic hour or so tidying and cleaning up around the cottage. Not that it’s a tip or anything, but, you know - parents. We’re unclear from which station Max is departing Bled, and to which station she will arrive. We’re unsure whether she’ll change stations, or whether it’s a direct train. We have worked through this line of questioning via WhatsApp, and are still clueless. Max sends us an update. “On the train. Destination vague.”
Further updates happen. Max has been advised to head for Mursk Sobota, about 30km to the North of us. It transpires her train passes through Ormoz and Ljutomer on its way to Mursk Sobota though, so we arrange to pick up her at Ivankopji at 12:15. The train’s a touch late getting in, but she emerges, triumphantly, onto the platform. As a reward, we take her to meet our new friends at Puklavec Malek. We have a glass of wine each, sitting under the vines, looking over the stunning Jeruzalem valley. I take Max inside for a tasting. She’s bowled over by a couple of the reds they offer. We start writing down an order for some bottles, which rapidly turns into 3 cases. Max and Kirsten are heading from here up to Poland, where apparently buying anything except syrupy, sweet wine is a trial.
Back at the cottage, there are several afternoon naps. The heat is pretty stifling today - 34C and steamy. When we wake, the sky has clouded over. Petr, at Puklavec, warned us that storms were due in tonight. As I sit under the shade of the vines, the breeze noticeably stiffens. I hear the first hint of rumbling thunder a couple of valleys over from us, and the sky darkens. When the rains come, they are heavy, fat rains. Beautiful, big raindrops. There are relatively few lightning strikes, but the thunder continues for hours. The vines serve as a decent umbrella when the rain is light, but this heavy rain is flooding through the leaves. We shelter inside, and spend a delightful evening nattering away, drinking some of the wine Max bought earlier. Kirsten knocks up a quick salad from the veg garden, and I cooked a steak, and some local bratwurst type sausages. So simple, but so tasty. The rain continues, unabated. Around 22:30, Max declares she’s ready for bed. Kirsten and I do not disagree…Read more