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oil that drips from a car engine whose bestdays are long gone, and that back then I wascompelled to use all the diplomacy at mydisposal to assure my mother-in-law thatI found its flavour “interesting”. It may nothave been love at first sight but having oncefound a place in my heart, that is where it hasremained. Some types of salad, starting withlamb’s lettuce, are in my opinion at their verybest when served with pumpkin-seed oil.There are many more nice things I couldsay about Štajerska. Not least about itsthermal spas. I found myself visiting one ofthese because of chronic neck problems fromwhich I had suffered for years, and suddenly itbecame clear to me why people love going tospas – an activity about which I had previouslybeen known to speak rather disdainfully. TheRomans, ancient hedonists par excellence,knew all about spas. Apparently the wealthycitizens of Poetovium, a town on the Dravathat was the predecessor of present-day Ptuj,were accustomed to the luxury of thermalwaters nearly 2,000 years ago. According to anarticle I read some years ago, if I remember itcorrectly, while bathing at the spa they wouldtreat themselves to “dormouse lollipops” –There are many more nice thingsI could say about Štajerska.roast dormice (of the edible variety) stuck onskewers, drenched in honey and sprinkledwith sesame seeds.These days the charming town of Ptuj offersa sweet speciality of another kind: at the Daysof Poetry and Wine Festival in late August youhave the opportunity to listen, as the namesuggests, to poetry. You may think that yourpores are entirely impenetrable to poetry,but that first part of the festival’s name is areference to a remedy that can unexpectedlycause them to open. I speak from personalexperience. Regarding the golf courses thathave established themselves on some ofŠtajerska’s gentler hills, I have nothing to say.At least not for the time being. But I have thisold friend who, every time we speak, talkswith such infectious enthusiasm about howwonderful it is to hit a golf ball and watch tosee whether it will go in the right direction,that I find myself listening with interest, andI am starting to think that perhaps one day Ishould try it for myself... •Štajerska | 45