PPAC: Prekmurje 7. – Pertoča and Mura

This post with a church and twin border towns separated by the river concludes this series from the northeasternmost part of Slovenia.

For the last post I have saved possibly the biggest surprise of the day, and I’m not even religious. When we entered St. Helen’s Church in Pertoča my eyebrows shot up and this is always a good sign.

Not only there is the splendid mosaic by Slovenian Jesuit Marko Ivan Rupnik, who also decorated the private chapel of Pope John Paul II. in Vatican, but there are numerous beautiful vitrage windows designed by Jože Zel. As you will see, my camera had much fun.

Just opposite the church my camera noticed something else that made its ears wiggle: a row of beautiful old doors and windows. It turned out this is where we were heading all along. It is an eco shop with products from Homestead Turman / Turmanova kmetija. I have done a special Thursday Door post with these doors already, today just a reminder.

The interior of the shop was handmade in the traditional way with mud and straw and my friend helped with that since she is friends with the owners. I love this place, they are all friends, the entire region is like that. They help each other. It’s a great way to live.

After stocking up with pumpkin seed oil, the trademark of the region without which I never return to Tuscany, and other goodies, the day, July 30th 2019, was complete and we drove my friend home to Gornja Radgona on the border with Austria.

Since it is closer this way, we drove a few km through Austria. Amore let us out just before the bridge over the Mura river so that we could cross it and return into Slovenia on foot. No border control or anything pesky like that, just a river. Gotta love the European Union.

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  Entering St. Helen’s Church in Pertoča.

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  The pointy theme continues.

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  The two ways the light comes in.

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  All windows designed by Jože Zel.

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  And this is the grand mosaic by the Jesuit Marko Ivan Rupnik.

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  Rather jaw-dropping.

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  More light and colour.

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  Possibly my favourite photo of the day. It looks like a bar.

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  On the left, “In this sign thou shalt conquer”.

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  On the right, this ear-wiggling scene.

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  Terezija Sukič 1929-2014. Not well-known but now a star on my blog.

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  A lovely ensemble.

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  Here you can see the effect of straw and mud.

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  The prettiest door in the region.

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  Turmanova kmetija, Homestead Turman, at your service.

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  My friend saw me take this photo and said: “Do you like this? It was my choice.”

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  Bad Radkersburg, the Austrian part of the twin town.

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  The bridge dividing Austria and Slovenia. Did they envisage that these circles could replace locks?

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  The Mura river, with Slovenia on the right. How did the fish get there?

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  Witch trials and electric guitar. Last photo of the day.

In this series:

• Part 1: Robert Jurak: “Welded World”, in front of Lendava Castle;
• part 2: Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Shoichi Hasegawa exhibition “East and West”, Lendava Castle;
• part 3: Permanent historical collection in Lendava Castle;
• part 4: Vinarium Tower in Lendava;
• part 5: Lendava Cultural Centre;
• part 6: Villa Moj mir on Vidov Brejg estate in Fokovci; Nuskova mineral water spring in Rogašovci;
• part 7 (this post): St. Helen’s Church in Pertoča; Bad Radkersburg in Austria and Gornja Radgona in Slovenia – twin towns divided by the Mura river.

For Photographing Public Art Challenge (PPAC) hosted by Marsha at Always Write

This day in my blogging history

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  2015: All this happened on the way to the station. Not much and maybe not all on the same day, but story is where you find it. And those who look don’t even need to invent.

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  2016: Amore’s photos on the way to work:

  You may have the Universe if I may have Italy. —Giuseppe Verdi

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  2019: Nature in the city: Botanical Gardens in Ljubljana.

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  2020: Narrow escape to Giardino dei tarocchi: This is Justice and her bowels move.

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