In light of the VIP visit to Strmol castle organized by dr Ales Musar, the spouse of the President of Slovenia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, by the group of spouses of the ambassadors working and living in Slovenia, on October 22nd, 2024, DC Slovenia talked to 3 amazing ladies namely Milena Kudelova, Marina Milevska, and Andreea Grădinar about their impressions of this interesting day, Drago Jancar’s book that they read before the visit in their native languages and the unique Stmol castle and its surroundings;
Mrs. Milena Kudelova, The spouse of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Slovenia, Mr. Jiří K u d ě l a
– What are your impressions about the tour of Strmol Castle and its surroundings? What did you find most interesting?
I’ve been in Slovenia for a year now and almost every weekend my husband and I go to discover the beauty of Slovenian nature and local architectural monuments, but I have to say that visiting castle Strmol was one of the most impressive experiences for me. The castle is located in a beautiful location, in the middle of a perfect park with a pond, and the sensitive and generous building modifications carried out in the thirties by the Hribar family made it a pleasant and comfortable for living. In addition, Rado Hribar was a collector of antiques and art and furnished rooms for his family as well as for guests with refined taste. And because I had read the novel “Saw Her That Night” before my visit to the castle, I was very touched by the fact that I could walk through the interiors where its plot took place and have “within reach” the personal belongings of the Hribar family members who inspired Drago Jančar to write this amazing book.
– The highlight of the visit was the talk with Drago Jancar writer about his book “Saw Her That Night” – what do you think about this idea of meeting the author and visiting the environments from the book? What is your favourite part/line/message from Mr. Drago’s book?
I very much appreciate that Dr. Musar arranged a meeting with the writer Jančar. I read his novel in three days; I almost couldn’t tear myself away from it. It was very interesting for me to learn about the sources of his inspiration and his creative method. I was thrilled by his deep compassion for the fate of the two main protagonists of the novel, the Hribar couple, which is so great that it has not yet allowed him to visit Strmol Castle. I have a deep understanding for this. I was also very touched by the cruel, unjust, and completely unnecessary death of the main characters, which was caused and set in motion by such a base motive as human jealousy.
– Do you find important socializing among the expats in Slovenia, the spouses in particular? What do these meetups mean to you?
I always look forward to meeting the diplomats’ partners because I know that Dr. Musar and his team will always show us something interesting from Slovenian culture and history that we might not have discovered on our own. Such as in the case of a visit to Strmol Castle. With the invitation, I received a novel by D. Jančar, even translated into my language, Czech! Without this wonderful gift, I might not have been able to get acquainted with the work of Slovenia’s most important contemporary writer. And that would be a great shame.
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Mrs. Marina Milevska, The spouse of the Ambassador of North Macedonia to Slovenia Mr. Goran Milevski
- What are your impressions about the tour of Strmol castle and its surroundings? What did you find most interesting?
My visit to Strmol Castle was fascinating, particularly the stuffed alligator mentioned in the book. I was surprised to discover it really exists and is displayed in the castle.
- The highlight of the visit was the talk with Drago Jancar writer about his book “Saw Her That Night” – what do you think about this idea to meet the author and to visit the environments from the book? What is your favourite part/line/message from Mr. Drago’s book?
The idea of meeting the author Mr. Drago Jancar was more than excellent because we had the opportunity to ask him questions about the book “I Saw That Night” directly. Visiting the castle brought back all the emotions I felt while reading the book, which tells such a powerful story through the perspectives of five different characters. I can’t pick a specific chapter or passage because I think every part carries its own weight. As the author pointed out, a lot of the events are driven by strong emotions, and the unhappy ending reflects that.
- Do you find important socializing among the expats in Slovenia, the spouses in particular? What do these meetups mean to you?
I find these gatherings for spouses enjoyable because they provide an opportunity to get to know each other better, share experiences, and learn more about Slovenia.
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Mrs Andreea Grădinar, Minister-counsellor, Embassy of Romania in Ljubljana, The spouse of the Ambassador of Romania to Slovenia Mr. Alexandru GRĂDINAR
– What are your impressions about the tour of Strmol castle and its surroundings? What did you find most interesting?
It was my second visit of the castle, the first one being soon after having read the novel in August last year. Opposite to what one might think, knowing what to expect made me look even more forward to this visit that revealed many new interesting facts while consolidating the things that I already knew about the manor and its prominent owners.On the day of this event, I particularly remember driving through small villages, enjoying the most beautiful sun and rural scenery one could possibly imagine. I was asking myself how someone could resist falling in love with that place. I completely understood then why Veronika was so fond of Strmol and its charming surroundings.
-The highlight of the visit was the talk with Drago Jancar writer about his book “Saw Her That Night” – what do you think about this idea of meeting the author and visiting the environments from the book? What is your favourite part/line/message from Mr. Drago’s book?
I was first introduced to this novel by my dear colleague Paula Braga Šimenc. She had translated into Romanian language several Slovene authors, one of them being Drago Jančar. Needless to say, how much I adored the book and what huge impact reading it had on me. I remember coming to the office the next morning and asking Paula thousands of questions about the author and the real story that inspired him. She was again the one taking me to see Strmol for the first time. Soon after, I purchased online the last two copies that were still available in the Romanian bookshops and started borrowing them to friends that I knew were quality literature enthusiasts. This book is today in Romania sold out.
Therefore, the idea of this event seemed brilliant from the very beginning. As a diplomat myself, I knew though how much work involves preparing something close to perfection. Not a single detail was left to chance, starting with the beautiful copy of the book in our first language that we all received prior to the event, accompanied by an elegant invitation letter, continuing with the tour of Strmol castle and finally with meeting the most celebrated Slovene author, Drago Jančar. Years after publishing the book, he revealed to us the making of “I Saw Her That Night”, considered by most critics among the best texts ever written in the contemporary Slovene literature. For me, this meeting was exceptionally unique, as this novel played a significant role in my better understanding of the historical context before and during the World War II in Slovenia.
I would mention as one of my personal favourite parts in the novel the episode in which Veronika asks the German doctor to save the frog that had been hit by Leo’s car. Leaving the castle on the same driveway after the tour, I remembered this scene that portrays, in my opinion, the best Veronika Zarnik, our protagonist. I liked also the quote by Hans Christian Andersen, on the first page, “our imaginary stories, made up of reality”, which brought back memories of the six years of service in Denmark.
Following the example of the book, the event had a narrative of its own. I felt privileged and so grateful to have been part of what I consider to be one of the most successful and inspired cultural diplomacy events that really promoted Slovenia worldwide in one single day. On a personal note, I would say that many of us felt Slovenia that afternoon, like never before.
– Do you find important socializing among the expats in Slovenia, the spouses in particular? What do these meetups mean to you?
I must confess that some of my best findings in the countries where we have been posted so far were made in my capacity of an ambassador’s spouse. In Denmark, we had even an Ambassadors’ Spouses Group and sometimes we would organize the most beautiful cultural events with the support of Danish partners. An example worth mentioning is the visit to Karen Blixen’s Museum in Rungstedlund. Her house and her work inspired me and hold a special place in my heart. This applies also to Drago Jančar’s novel “I Saw Her That Night” and Strmol.
In Slovenia, we have to thank Dr Aleš Musar, the Spouse of the Slovene President, for organizing such beautiful cultural events and I do hope that this tradition will continue in the future.