The Large Ice Cave in Paradana
This cave contains permanent ice and is the finest example of a temperature inversion: the deeper you descend, the colder it becomes, while the vegetation changes around you — first deciduous trees, then conifers, and at the bottom only lichens. From the mid-19th century onwards, it was used for ice harvesting to preserve food during transport. Wrapped in spruce bark and sawdust, the ice was transported by cart and railway to Trieste, where it was used to cool fruit and vegetables en route to Egypt. The wealthiest Egyptians could even afford to buy ice for their summer cocktails. In Alexandria, the price of a pound of ice was said to equal that of a cow in Gorizia.
Avtor: Blaž Kosovel
