Land of dreams

From the plateaus and mountains of Kyrgyzstan to Slovenia... In this episode we sit down to talk to Aigul Hakimova in Ljubljana! She arrived here 23 years ago to study anthropology. Today she helps other foreigners seeking international protection. She says solving the housing and language issues of refugees and migrants are key for better integration. Listen in to find out more about Kyrgyzstan,...

Bobby was born in Sweden, but today you can find him up in the Slovenian mountains. Together with his wife he takes care of the mountain hut at Žavcarjev Vrh – voted by hikers as the best mountain hut in Slovenia for 2024! So how did he end up doing this job and why is life better in Slovenia compared to Sweden? We visited Bobby up in his mountain hut, where he also showed us around and talked abo...

Enjoy life, worry less, is Catia's advice. Catia is a Brazilian from Sao Paolo. She now lives in Velenje, which she says has accepted her with open arms. Catia has been in Slovenia for 18 years now. She came because of love and decided to stay in Slovenia despite a later divorce... To find out why she decided to stay and hear about some of the differences between life in Brazil and Slovenia, join...

Blackberries. That's what he found in the westernmost village of Slovenia. And a breathtaking view of the mountains. And peace and quiet. And a playground on which to realize his dreams, and a Slovenian lady to share it all with. But the house… he says the house found him. Meet Daniel, an American in Robidišče. Daniel's music choice: Tony Bennett - "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". You can liste...

Today we talk to a French pastry chef in Ljubljana! Naser Gashi was born and raised in Kosovo, but went to school to become a pastry chef in Paris... Life eventually brought him to Slovenia after meeting his Slovene wife in Paris. Today Naser has his own company, a long list of clients, and works seven days a week… which he says is not difficult if you like your job :) Naser's music choice: Nexhmi...

Meet Jennyfer Cantos. She comes from Zaragoza, Spain, and now lives near Domžale. She has two kids and her friends call her Jenny. She works in a bakery in Ljubljana and has recently opened a forest kindergarten with her Slovenian partner. If you're interested to find out more and hear what she has to say about the differences between Spain and Slovenia, join us for a walk in central Ljubljana......

Meet Steve Hawley, an Englishman who fell in love with a Slovene and now lives in the village of Selo near Žiri. A video artist and musician, Steve decided to move full-time to Slovenia after retiring from teaching arts in Sheffield and Manchester. Today he writes, goes for swims in the Sovra River, and says learning Slovene was key to unlocking the Slovene soul. Steve's music choice: Brina & Stri...

Meet Veronika and Mark, a Swedish couple who have decided to replace the city life with country living in the Slovenian hills. The two bought some land in the village of Čepno, near Pivka, and have started running a farm. They have chickens, pigs, cats, a tractor, some walnut and fruit trees, and lots of enthusiasm. At times the work is hard and plenty, but Veronika and Mark say this kind of lifes...

Monica was born and raised in Zimbabwe, but today she has German citizenship and lives in Slovenia. Coming from a country of mighty rivers like the Zambezi, today she lives in a house right next to the tranquil Dravinja river. Monica first came to Europe in 1982 to study in Germany. Today she and her husband own a house near Ptuj and have their own institute, helping Slovenia's youth with language...

Meet Juned Kemer, a Pakistani Slovenian better known as Johnny! He was born and raised in Pakistan, but now lives and works in Ljubljana. Last year he received his Slovenian citizenship, is fluent in Slovene, and keeps a Slovenian flag in his home. He's happy to live in a country which is peaceful, clean, unpolluted, and says everyone arriving to a new country should respect the local culture and...

Meet Jan Lagerwall, a Swede retired from the military who now lives in Slovenia. Born and raised in Stockholm he now lives in Duplek near Maribor. He came here after falling in love with Sonja, a Slovene who used to work in Sweden :) Today he spends his time reading books in Slovene, flies planes at the aeroclub in Maribor, walks at least 10km a day, and makes great sour milk and Turkish coffee. J...

Today we're at the theatre talking to a Macedonian theatre and film director who has been living in Slovenia for 6 years now. Meet Aleksandar Popovski, the Artistic Director at the Drama SNG Maribor. He calls theatre his home and a special place in which he can create other versions of the world. He praises Slovenia's audience noting its fine taste for theatre, opera, ballet, and arts in general....

This week in "Land of Dreams" we meet Colleen Leminski, a free-spirited Canadian looking to set down roots in Slovenia. Colleen describes herself as a nomad who speaks three languages, an avid dancer, and a person who loves discovering different places… And one of those places is her current place of residence, Slovenska Bistrica. She loves the castle vegetable market, the surroundings, and the co...

Henry Soldevilla is from the Philippines but has been living in Slovenia for more than 40 years now. He arrived here as a professional dancer when it was still Yugoslavia. He spent most of his life in Portorož and now that he's in pension he decided to move to Ljubljana which he says is more vibrant. In all these years he still hasn't been back to the Philippines, but says he has found his "land o...

Luigi has spent most of his past 5 years on the streets playing music to complete strangers. He comes from Peru and calls himself the "Ukulele Traveler". But Luigi doesn't travel as much as he used to... After meeting a Slovenian girl Luigi is now raising a family in Maribor. However, despite settling down Luigi still plays in the streets, and would like to continue composing music for himself and...

This week in Land of Dreams we visit the »Land of Bees« thanks to Caio and Leticia from Brazil! They both work at the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where they research bees and take care of the faculty's own apiary in Pivola. So, what are the differences between bees in Slovenia and Brazil, what's it like to live in Slovenia, and what do they miss from back home…? Their music choice: C...

This week in Land of Dreams we're by the Ljubljanica River talking to Jonas Sonnenschein, a German living in Ljubljana. Jonas came to Ljubljana after meeting his Slovene wife in Sweden. Today he's a father of two, loves the outdoors, and works for an NGO dealing with sustainability. He says Slovenes feel connected to nature and don't lag behind northern Europe regarding environmental issues. We al...

Jauko is a Dutchman with a house in the Karst region. He says if you want to integrate somewhere, knowing the region's history is important. Jauko spends half his time in Holland and the other half in Slovenia, where he helps his neighbours and offers tours along the Isonzo battlefields through local guides. He loves the silence and star-covered skies in Sela na Krasu, and is happy to be creating...

Meet Mel Hitchcocks, an Englishwoman running a school in Slovenia. Mel is the principal of the British International School of Ljubljana. After living in Egypt, Mongolia, and Russia, Mel shares the challenges of adapting to new locations. She says she's happy to be in Slovenia now. She praises Slovenia's education system, and loves its castles, history, and nature... Mel's music choice: Queen - "R...

Singing makes you feel happy, helps you spread beauty and connect with others. In today's show we visit the Ljubljana International Vocal Ensemble to talk to its founder Juan Zuleta, a Colombian living in Slovenia. Juan is a musician, a singer, and conductor, who has been living in Ljubljana for three years now. He says Slovenia is beautiful, but is also a closed society which does not understand...

Paula is happy to be in Slovenia. She likes her job, gets to talk to interesting people and travel without traveling. The world comes to Paula… at the hostel where she works;) Paula came to Slovenia from Poland after meeting her »special Slovene man«. She now helps run a hostel in the Karst region together with her brother-in-law. People come and go, but she feels good where she is. Compared to Po...

This week we talk about coffee and being a barista with a young American who came to Slovenia because of a Slovenian girl. Meet Chris Russell, originally from Montana, USA, presently living in Maribor. After falling in love he decided to sell everything and fly across the ocean. It was his first time in Europe, and today he says he loves living in Maribor and doesn't see himself leaving any time s...

Meet Riitta from Finland! Slovenia crossed her path when she met a Slovenian during her studies. The feeling when she decided to come live in Slovenia was both exciting and scary at the same time. It's been around 15 years since then and today Riitta lives in Ljubljana, has a family and is a mother of two, has a successful career in business economics, and loves the mountains. Join us for a walk i...

Meet Emre Edebali, a young man from Izmir, Turkey, who ended up in Velenje! Emre first came to Velenje to work as a volunteer. Today he works on several other projects, is enrolled in a Master's study in Nova Gorica, but still lives in Velenje. He advocates that all young people spend a year abroad in order to have the experience of stepping out of their comfort zone. Emre says that compared to Tu...

This week's Land of Dreams comes from inside a school gym and we get to meet Svetlana Oletič, a PE teacher and volleyball coach in Mala Nedelja. Svetlana, a former professional volleyball player herself, came to Slovenia from Ukraine 29 years ago. Today her »prleščina« dialect is perfect, she’s an active member of the local community, enjoys writing, but also helps Ukrainians fleeing the war. She...