MMM Stories

Si sapis, sis apis – if you are wise, be like a bee, says a Latin proverb that Slovenians follow almost unconsciously every day. However, it often seems that we focus only on one aspect of bee behaviour - diligence and docility, the main attributes of the indigenous Carniolan honey bee, which was classified as a separate subspecies in the zoological classification of honey bees as far back as 1879. After almost 150 years, has the time come to adapt this definition (and our own mindset) and focus on qualities that move away from the concept of humility and modesty? To proudly raise our heads and proclaim that the Carniolan honey bee – just like us – is committed, determined, adaptable and, above all, resilient? Isn't it time we internalized another virtue of the Carniolan honey bee – its excellent sense of orientation – and set off on a new path?

When you next cut past the Drama Theatre and slip onto Igriška Street, pause for a moment. Feel the pulse of this residential lane that somehow is and isn’t part of Ljubljana’s city centre – equal parts historic charm and contemporary urban energy. Then turn left and step inside Dapper. Before you wonder why raw denim garments, a curated selection of natural or low-intervention wines, boutique cured meats and a lively 80s soundtrack coexist in the same space, meet the man behind it all: Primož Stayer, the owner of the small but seriously characterful boutique Dapper. After a few sentences, you’ll see it clearly – the red thread tying Dapper together is Primož himself.

If we were to tell you that there was a shop where they steered clear of the fast pace and mindless consumerism of the modern, individual-oriented world and preferred to cultivate and nurture a community rooted in the Slovenian soil, its customs, authentic flavours and sincere stories, would you believe us? Stop for a moment at the door of the Flavour Classroom (Učilna okusov), step through it and get transported from tradition into the future and see it with your own two eyes (and feel it with all your other senses).

Life sometimes truly seems like a fairy tale in this place, with the mist rising above the green wetlands and birdsong embellishing the dewy mornings. It was here, on the outskirts of the fairytale-esque marsh in Črna vas, that Miha Pupis and Urša Kunz found their sleeping queen some two decades ago.