22 June 2019, Saturday
I woke up late as I didn’t sleep well last night. The bed was not very comfortable and of all things, I miss my long pillow. I have the lower bunk bed which had a curtain that you could pull across the bed for privacy, but it was kinda flimsy so it kept dropping down throughout the night until in the end I just left it on the floor. And then when I came into the room at about 12 a.m. the wusses as usual had switched off all the lights and I thought everyone was already in bed so I locked the room door but at about 2.45 a.m. I heard someone fiddling with the door so I had to wake up and open the door, and then since I was already awake I had to go to the loo as I had a bit too much beer so it was altogether quite a restless night which is why I woke up late.
So my friend Ms. Impatience was already not very pleased with the delay. It was quite a gloomy morning with the rain threatening to come down on us with relish, but I was in such a rush to organise myself in the morning that I didn’t pack any rain related clothing.
And of course, it rained. Poured and poured right when we reached Škofja Loka, a town about 40 minutes away by bus. Ms. Impatience was of course well prepared with a light coat and umbrella, and eager to brace the rain. I, on the other hand, wanted to wait until the rain stopped for a bit. In the end I had to give in to Ms. Impatience and brace the rain and cold winds.
Škofja Loka is really a very interesting town. The first mention of the town dates back to the year 973, when German emperor Oton the Second gave the territory of Loka as a present to Abraham the bishop of Freising in Bavaria. However, the territory of Loka mentioned in that deed of donation was not Škofja Loka but a part of the town, now known as Stara Loka. In the Middle Ages the locality of Loka was starting to spread around the confluence of 2 rivers, which gave the town its name - the word “Loka” stands for grassland by the river. Later on, the bishops of Freising named the administrative and economic centre of the town Škofja Loka.
Škofja Loka was first mentioned as a market town in 1248 and as a town in 1274. The town was enclosed by town walls with 5 towers and gates. It included the Upper Square (Plac) and Lower Square (Lontrg). There was a bad earthquake that happened in 1511 which badly damaged the town, and it had to be rebuilt by bishop Filip. Traditionally, the inhabitants of the town and its surroundings were mainly tradesmen, which united into trade unions or guilds at the end of the Middle Ages. Only townspeople were allowed to trade inside the town walls. From about 1511 after the town was rebuilt, the image of Škofja Loka has not changed, so the town is known as the best preserved medieval town in Slovenia ❤️.
One legend that is prevalent in this town is as follows: one day Bishop Abraham of Freising, Bavaria was riding to Poljanska dolina valley when he was suddenly attacked by a bear. His black servant shot the bear with his bow and arrow and saved the bishop’s life. In gratitude the bishop promised the black man that he would become famous and that many future generations will remember him. Today the image of a black man with a crown and earrings is portrayed in the Škofja Loka coat or arms.
In the rain, first we went to the tourist information centre to get a map and some insights as to the points of interest. Then, to the Homan House, which is a civil manor house, comprised of 3 buildings. After the 1511 earthquake, the house was restored in the Gothic architectural style with some renaissance elements. There were some frescoes on the wall outside, probably from the 16th century.
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