Slovakia 2006

SLOVAKIA 2006

Thursday, 10th August
Manchester Airport

By a strange coincidence, we stood directly behind Jill, mother-in-law of my nephew Ian , who works in the British Embassy in Bratislava, as we queued to book our flight and baggage at Manchester Airport. After introducing myself and Gaby, we spent the next few hours sitting and chatting with Jill en route to Bratislava and she kindly bought us tea and cakes in the lounge.

Ian happened to be picking up Jill in Bratislava and got the shock of his life when he saw me. He arranged to meet up with us later in the week.

Friday, 11th August 2006

I cannot believe that I am sitting here in Slovakia where everyone has flexiglass fitted to their tables and desks but perhaps just the Blasko family apparently.

I saw an enormous basement this morning fitted out with cupboards, equipment of all sorts, much stored food such as mushrooms and dried fruit and bikes of all shapes and sizes.


I was invited to choose whichever bike I wanted before my biking trip to nearby Nemsova where there was a wonderful open market which seemed to stretch through the whole town. We were entertained by a group of accomplished singers who sang and played Slovak music in a cafe where we had parked the bikes. A strange and wonderful example of Slovakian culture where the sunny weather set the scene for a lovely day.



We met the local parish priest from Dubnica as we were looking at the goats and pigs and geese on a smallholding filled with rubbish, who recognized Gabika and chatted to me about Glasgow Rangers. He thought it was Catholic. I had to put him wise.





The Parish Church of St James or St Jacobi

The town is like Medjugorje in many ways and the people attend Mass in droves.

The Church of St James ( St Jacobi) was packed last night for Mass and Adoration until 8pm.

We met Peta ( Gabriela's friend-also an English teacher in a nearby town) and her husband-to-be Andrej-a computer designer and his friend Majo who is setting up a lighting shop in the town.

The town is filled with trees of all kinds.

Where there is a space, people plant trees and the occasional supermarket.

Plants proliferate. Spaces in town sometimes look as though no one is working on them and a half finished roundabout litters the main road.


A narrow metal bridge crosses the river Vah at one point alongside the railway bridge­– and cars, bikes and pedestrians have to compete with each other to get to the other side – everyone is polite except for the occasional car driver who never acknowledges those who give way.

Yesterday we met Zuzka at the local Chemists – a beautiful friend of Gaby´s – still unmarried. So get yourself over here everyone!

Saturday 12th August 2006

The Wedding of Peta and Andrej

The Wedding of Peta and Andrej took place today in St James Church (St Jacob) at 1 pm and all morning we were preoccupied with ensuring that we looked OK for the occasion. So Gaby spent ages turning up my trousers by cutting and sewing the hem and she wore a lovely pink dress with a belt made from beads and sandal type orange high heeled shoes.

She looked lovely and chatted amiably and confidently to all her friends in the square outside the church as the local band played Slovakian music of the oompa oompa type

It was a well planned affair with beautiful Peta weeping on cue at the sentimental moments and smiling engagingly at all and sundry in her wonderful pale pink Lord of The Rings dress.

The music from Braveheart opened and closed the delightful ceremony in a wonderful old church dating back to the 17th Century.

Afterwards the wedding guests family had a meal and church guests drifted off home. No pub drinking session here. We had a beautiful fish and potato dinner made by Marta Blasková, mother and cook in this friendly home in Dubnica.

Visit to Granny Gitka

Rain fell after lunch but we decided to walk to a nearby village Prejta to see Gabys grandmother babka Margrita (Gitka) who plied us with crisps, popcorn and chocolate as she chatted to Gabika.
Her dog Caesar lunged and leapt all over us as he saw us and her pig kept next door scoffed his supper as we watched.

Below is a picture hanging in the small room which says
Peace to this House.

But perhaps the most surprising thing about the walk was the discovery of lovely roofed cottages sitting in beautifully tended allotment gardens along the way: where we in the UK have sheds - often with tin roofs - they have real cottages as if made from gingerbread – as though from a book of fairy tales.



Then we came upon a wonderfully set of wooden Stations of the Cross of a pill box type which dotted the hill where pilgrims and parishioners pray during Lent and September. I thought of Medjugorge again and was convinced that Our Lady could have chosen to appear here if she so desired.




It rained more heavily as we walked back and our feet were soaked from the puddles – lying in holes made by tanks from World War 2 which lined the worn track to the village. Gitka's small village Lieskovec was demolished by the Germans in 1941 to make way for a large ammunition factory and a monument was erected as a memorial to its sad fate.

The journey back was lightened by our songs from musicals Seven Brides and Joseph as we waved umbrellas and danced in rhythm – and when the words failed us, we hummed instead. Even the Grand Old Duke Of York was chanted. We surprised a couple of cyclists with our noise and I was amazed at the dexterity of those bikers who were able to balance a brolly and ride effectively at the same time. Cycling is common here – by young and old alike – and many have roller blades to shorten journeys on the flat lanes around the town – also used by motor vehicles.

Sunday 13th August 2006

Pruske - Castle - Restaurant - Nova Dubnica

Mass 9:30 – Lunch of chicken and rice + arguments about castles and the church's age and where to go for visits etc .

This house is very well-planned and I found that Mr Pavel Blasko built it himself with others and it took just over 5 years. He is a great planner and shows great foresight with original ideas in the construction of walls, shelves and cupboards - although his wife Marta claims it was her idea to design the shelves around the kitchen. He has a large book of the town history and we discovered the origins of the church to be early 12th C with the main structure to be 17th C. The richer landlords were predominant in the construction and preservation of the building and the statue of Our Lady which sits high above the altar has miracles attached to it. Gaby now has the idea of doing a website about it - featuring its predominant statues and history. It would be nice.

We set off in the family Skoda today – with our extremely fit guide for the day - Mr Pavel Blasko (Tato) who was determined to show us everything by driving to the nearby mountains in slight drizzle and climbing the steep, slippery rocks attached to a local castle.



Pavel was way ahead of us as we paused (for breath) to view the magnificent valley below. An incomplete hotel lies near the castle and a very well-built one supplied us with beer and fruit +cream sundae. But there were few tourists here – although it looked ideally suited to German or Czechs.




We also viewed a local church in Pruske which was closed but inside could be viewed from behind a metal gate and was truly impressive - sporting large statues, paintings and elaborate columns and frescoes.





We later walked around a Russian type town square in Nova Dubnica, where Gaby teaches, and saw an old aeroplane restaurant sitting in the square. Trees lined the square and people walked underneath the covered walkways to view the shops and some sat in bar areas and chatted.

Standing at the bus stop that Gaby has to catch every evening from school - sometimes quite late.

Reading Pravda at breakfast table just to prove I am here.

We also saw a new church about a year old, which was built in the round modern style with the lovely polished benches around the altar -no sign of baroque paintings and frescoes here -it reminded me of the Cathedral in Middlesbrough.


We thought that the oompa oompa band was due to play in the castle area of Dubnica later in the evening but found that it had been cancelled without any apologies to the general public.
We walked around the park before returning to 22/47. Then we fell asleep like babies

Monday 14th August

Trencin

We decided to visit Trencin castle today and caught the crowded bus in the centre of town. The people do not queue here – they crowd around like bees to a honeypot – and it is every man for himself. People press against you and cough in your face without apology. Then when the bus appears to be completely full – more people arrive to ensure that everyone is squashed up against each other so that those standing have to be very skilful to be able to operate their mobile phones – which are very predominant here also.



We reached Trencin in 15 minutes - glad to escape from the throng – checked the train times back to Dubnica – Gaby is as thorough as her father - sat on a park bench and then walked to the castle which dominates the town.

The view is magnificent from the top (330m above sea level) and the river Vah can be seen running through the valley - and the railway, roads, houses and buildings look so small as to be unreal.

A new football ground seems spectacularly green and sits near a sports complex with open air swimming pools. It is truly a magnificent sight for many miles around.


Some of the paintings on display – children painted with parent’s faces

Hungry, we returned in a baking train to Dubnica and enjoyed a lovely meal of chicken and and potatoes with herbs and cakes and tea (I brought teabags).

Biking to Prejta

We rested before cycling to nearby Prejta to see an anxious parent called Ludmila who wants her son Simon to receive extra English lessons before his new term begins. She was reassured by Gaby, who was extremely professional and showed her gentle, friendly, warm nature with Simon, who even gave me a small zladopany axe pencil as a souvenir of the occasion.The house appeared to be new with smooth granite steps to the upstairs quarters and I was politely received by the grandparents who lived there also - who were attending to their garden - as so many did. I had seen a very old lady stooping in her garden earlier and could tell that she'd done this all her life.

Biking is very common here because the roads are not really as congested perhaps and I marvel at the expert way that some can balance bags and brandish umbrellas whilst pedalling in the pouring rain.

Mass at St Jacob's

We returned to attend Mass at St Jacob and afterwards prayed the rosary, peace rosary, and Divine Mercy Chaplet in the cemetery. I suggested beans on toast for supper and enjoyed Marta's cakes as well. I flicked through TV channels and ended up watching an animal rescue programe from USA called SPCA. We soon became tired and went to bed.

Tuesday 15th August

Teplice

We set off to catch the train from Dubnica Station where the waiting room reminded me of an old Eastern European film and where many people gather knowing they have a long wait for connections. The train steps are quite high compared to ours and it requires considerable skill to negotiate them entering and leaving the carriage. The train took us to another station where we waited another half hour before meandering through lovely countryside to Trencianske Teplice. The strange thing about the journey was the way the train crossed a main road without a barrier as though it was a local tram on tram lines.

Teplice is a pretty spa town–filled with older tourists and a lovely park where we sat watching the ducks in the rain on the only available dry bench.

The Meal

So we decided to look for a meal and found a lovely restaurant in the village which supplied us with a meal – wine, meal for two and desserts for about 15 pounds or 820 sk (crowns) 55 sk = 1 pound ( Gaby looks nice in pink.)

We looked into the local church before catching the train home – reversing our earlier journey and got to Mass at 6.30 and afterwards sat in the cemetery and said a few prayers before watching TV.

Karaoke Stars - (A Stars in their Eyes - copy)

Stars on karaoke – where I voted for Ivanka who sang first - easily the best voice and prettiest performer. We had tea, I think , and biscuits. I wonder if she made it to the final.

Wednesday 16th August

Gaby hates going out here and had to force herself go for food today. But she does like shopping she says. The temperature has dropped a little and the hot summer seems to be fading. She does tidy up the place well and thumps the pillows and duvets as she makes each bed each day without a murmur. In fact she seems to enjoy work. She loves order in her life – although she doesn't have it yet – but is also willing to be spontaneous in her choice of activity. She looks natural on her bike and has a lovely way with people. The words I know to date :

Dobry den...dobru noc...dobry vecer...pokoj domu tomuto...dovidenia...ahoj...ako

She says it is quite warm outside today but she said that yesterday. 11.23. She likes earrings and tried an enormous dangly pair which I made no comment about - so I think she will change them - just for me. She is going to make me a copy of the oompa oompa music so that I can use it on the slideshow.

Shopping at Billa ..

..was pleasant and the weather is actually quite warm. We brought bread, buns, beans mushrooms, tuna, prawns etc and brought back two bags full. We checked for rice in the well-stocked and well designed cupboards of the kitchen and although they do not have a wok – the large pan seems adequate for tomorrows meal, which I hope to prepare.

The sun is out and we are going biking – somewhere different I said. I am listening to slovak pop music as I write this. We may go to Gaby‘s school later and the church in Nova Dubnica.

If I was to attempt to explain the differences between our lives and theirs, I would be tempted to say that the people here work harder – tending to their vegetable gardens and fruit - that they do not appear to be on benefit or behave in a yobbish manner. They are essentially reserved and polite – greeeting each other in a neighbourly fashion and keeping to their own areas until it's time for harvesting where many neighbours help each other to collect in all the produce farmed.

The Scouting and Camping Book

I photographed an old childrens book – packed with scouting and camping advice - from the communist era and was fascinated by the faces of Lenin and Stalin included as part of the foreword of the book.

We later looked for a camera and Gaby bought me a watch strap because my camera appears to have stopped focussing properly after I fell on the stairs going up to use it on the book.

Biking to Bolesov

It was quite sunny after 6.30 Mass and we rode quite a distance to Bolesov and to a small airport where parachutists practise at weekends and people enjoy the spectacle. I sang there and back and frightened all the workers in the cornfield. I saw a bunch of lads playing hockey outside.

When we came back I insisted on cocoa and ate toast I think. We then watched Microcosmos a French Film production – with magnified moving pictures of ants, beetles, moths, caterpillars, plants, wasps and fell asleep.



Thursday 17th August

The Castle in Dubnica

Every morning the town is awakened by church bells and at 8 and 9 o clock a musical box melody resounds across the town like the village from the TV cult drama series The Prisoner, which Patrick McGoohan starred in in the fifties. Strange indeed. I thought it was a relic from the communist era but apparently it began in the year 2000 and comes from the castle or manor house nearby.

School in Nova Dubnica

We rode to Gaby‘s school in Nova Dubnica and stayed to sort out the text books which had been ordered earlier last term. Afterwards we put up curtains and rode home to cook Chinese stir-fry. The rice was too wet and it was too hot for some. Tibor was not pleased.

A Reluctant Pupil

Mass was at 6.30 and afterwards we prayed in Adoration until 8 – we strolled home and read the Teachers Book Little Bugs Two. It made things clear.


Friday 18th August

We cycled to school today quite early-facing a strong headwind and Gaby cleaned chairs whilst I mounted posters. It is a nice school where the Head Teacher's husband makes the desks and she paints the walls – amazing really. A private school with paying pupils aged from 6-11 who follow a complete curriculum of Maths, Science, Slovak, English, History, Geography, P.E., Music and School Clubs with voluntary German. I was invited to teach English there any time in the future for a few weeks. Afterwards we biked home in the heat and rested before Mass at 6.30 - cemetery for just one prayer.

Tesco

We set off for Billa but met Rado, Peta and Andrej s friend - who took us to Tesco in his 36 year old Lada and told us he was off to the Tatras to go mushrooming. He is an ideal person for Gaby – tall, funny and a friend of all. Tesco was enormous and I bought the Economist and looked at the digital cameras – one Olympus was £127 and I think it was 5 mgpxl.

Afterwards we sat on the kerb outside because Gaby had spotted the family Skoda parked in the car park area and it was obvious that her brother Tibor was inside. She phoned him to warn him. He arrived a few minutes later with his girlfriend and dropped us off at the football ground. We walked home and met Tibor surprisingly at the door of the house after having dropped off his girl.


Saturday 19th August:

Washing day!

In the morning Gaby washed in the basement and rode the machine like a true cowgirl.

What a carry-on !

The small machine stands in a large washroom below the house and when it spins, because it stands on a sloping floor designed to drain the water into the centre – its vibrations move it along the floor and the rubber hosepipes are in danger of being pulled away from the wall. So Gaby had to sit on it to stop it from moving. It was quite a sight – because she decided at first to lie on it face down. The noise and the kicking legs combined to make it a rather funny scene. I couldn‘t resist taking a picture.

Piestany Spa Town

Today we spent an afternoon in Piestany with nephew Ian; and Allie and mother Jill, and kids, Annabel and William - where we ate a delicious meal in a restaurant overlooking a paddling pool for very hot visitors – very impressive.


We took a train home and baked again for an hour as we stared at the scenery. Actually we were so tired that Gaby fell asleep facing two handsome Slovak boys who would have gone to war in the past she said. I read a US newspaper – The Herald and Tribune – well written.

Doors Bar in Dubnica

We were later invited to Peta + Andrej‘s flat in the high flats area. They have a top floor view of the sky and hills. Before that we drank in the only pub that looks English – A theme pub called Doors. We had beer and very hot chocolate. Andrej chatted about his computer job as industrial designer as Peta mingled with friends. He promised to send me a picture of the enormous mushroom which Rado found in the Tatras on my email.

Sunday 20 August

Songs in Square

The musical box is driving me mad - every bloody hour – it wakes everyone up at eight and repeats itself every hour like a incessant metronome. It invades ones privacy - determined to rule every tourist. – and make them get up. I have decided that it really is a relic of communist brainwashing designed to brainwash people into happiness .

Gaby's parents came home from their trip to the Benelux countries and we were told about a musical performance which we saw in the square where a lady and man entertained a large crowd with songs from the past. We took a small movie of it.

Slideshow of the Benelux Countries

After a superb meal of chicken and rice and salad we watched the slideshow of the trip to the Benelux countries by Pavel and Marta – the European mini town looked impressive and the large spherical museums in Brussels. Gaby made me cocoa as I am writing this.

I think we visited Zuzka this day in the evening because it was her name day – a special day for Eastern Europeans - and Gaby took her a small gift and card and made me sign it. She lives in a downstairs flat which she is leaving soon to go to another, which is nearer her place of work. She actually comes from Bratislava, is devoted to her family and is very knowledgeable about healthcare in England.

Monday 21 August

Bratislava - Flight Home to UK

Fortunately, Pavel – Gaby’s father – was free to take us to the Railway Station and an Express train on a line direct to Bratislava 100 miles away . Gaby even bought first class tickets for the journey which were three times the price of the normal train – at – wait for it - £3.50. We enjoyed the air-conditioning and arrived early for the bus to the Airport. We then scoffed buns and food made by Marta her mother – a lovely gentle woman with very attractive eyes. I hated leaving and insisted on Gaby giving me a hug before I left and she stood at the perimeter fence and waited for my plane to lift off before she left for home. I hope I return.

Bratislava Airport

The End