SloveniaNation

	OmarNaber is back. The practice gained by spending time busking on the underground doesn't seem to have paid off particularly well, as "On my way" is derivative drivel which will be forgotten as soon as he's hit the last note. It's here
	From the sublime to the ridiculous. ManuElla will be showering the audience with ManuRe with the song "Blue and Red", a C&W pastiche penned by pre-school assistants using blue and red crayons. It's here
	The search is over. We have a properly good tune for 2015. Maraaya is a married two piece replete with headphones, pianoand a guest air violinist. "Here For You" is the song of the year, a rip roaring catchy pop number with a sultry gargle of a vocal. I insist that you vote for it. It should win (but it won't) . It's here
	A chronically underperforming nation, Slovenia may just have a sneaky chance of progressing in the chameleon form of Tinkara Kovac with "round and round". Capitals notwithstanding it's not that shabby, and it's here
	Dance music is the latest attempt to drag the Slovenes up the rankings. Hannah is the lady entrusted with trying to get ot the Final and she may have a chance of doing so with "Striaght into Love". Learn about it here
	Despite the seeming confidence of the Slovene nationals in this ballard, I can only think that European semi final voters will be waving Ms Eva Boto goodbye before the Final. It's poor and it's here
	I've come to the conclusion that Slovenia have all the edge of Euclid's circle. 2011 sees Maja Keuc warbling "No One", a better than average ballard especially when considering it's from Slovenia. Starts quietly, grows to full warble and it may get through to t'final, but I somehow doubt it. Learn about it here
	Trips off the tongue in 2010, with Ansambel Roka Žlindre and Kalamari singing "Narodnozabavni rock". Kalamari isn't the only fishy thing about it. It's here

The Tourist Guide says

"Slovenia knows how to charm visitors with its originality and beauty. If you experience it, you will not forget it.
The liveliness of urban experiences, interesting holiday customs in the countryside, challenging snow-covered ski slopes, exciting playfulness in casinos, mysterious occurrences in the karst caves, unusual night marches and daring sporting events all give rhythm to Slovenija".

Ljubljana

"A city by the river on which the mythological Argonauts carried the Golden Fleece, a city by a moor where the crannog dwellers once lived, a city with the rich heritage of Roman Emona, a city that was once the capital of the Province of Carniola and the capital of Napoleon’s Illyrian Provinces, a city of Renaissance, Baroque, and especially Art Nouveau facades, a city that boasts the greatest exhibition of the architecture of the master Jože Plecnik—all this is Ljubljana".

A Slovenian zoo director has been accused of serving up bear goulash at a staff picnic.
Nine workers at the Ljubljana Zoo say director Vojko Vesel allowed a friend to first shoot a number of caged bears before making the traditional Slovenian stew with their meat.
Vesel has denied the allegations saying there was "a lack of evidence" to prove he had used the brown bears as food.
The zoo-keepers have now appealed to the capital's mayor, Danica Simsic, to intervene.
They say Vesel also allowed his friend to shoot goats, a bison and wild boars.

to come

Beekeeping has been an occupation in Slovenia for more than 600 years. In the last century, swarms of Carniolian bees were exported widely across Europe as well as to other continents. In addition to its well-known breed of bees, beehive panels decorated with religious, historical, and, most frequently, humorous folk paintings are a special feature of original Slovene beekeeping.
Those big white Lipizzaner horses are said to come from Slovenia, and are bred here.

I cut my finger in a Slovenian Alpine resort...it "Bled".

I got some backchat from a WW2 German trooper there too. I said "don't give me anymore Lip,Panzer!" Christ!

Out of a list of 300, I'm afraid I recognised two. One was last year's Eurovision entry, and the other is a footballer, Zlatko Zahovic.

Janez Vajkard Valvasor harbinger of Slovenian Enlightenment, and Arkan...who wasn't

		Life expectancy	71.42 men 79.37 women
		Airports	14
		Radios	406per 1,000 people
		Internet Users	1257 per 10,000 people
		Railway Network	746 miles
		Death Penalty abolished in 1989