Slovakia 2008

Saturday 16 August 2008

Two strange things happened on this morning.

The taxi which Gabi had ordered the previous evening from Middlehaven Taxis did not arrive at 08.30 as planned. So we were beginning to panic, as we stood on the side of the road with our suitcases and the buses we might have caught, sailed passed us after I’d stuck out my hand. Then Gabi suddenly spotted a taxi sitting in a space on the other side of the road about 50 m away. She thought it was our taxi. This was very unusual. I ran over to the driver who was listening to his music on the car radio and told him our predicament. He was a driver for AA Taxis and he immediately agreed to take us. I was amazed because I assumed he was waiting for another fare in the house opposite. We were there in no time and I gave him an extra tip to show my gratitude. Our angels were certainly looking after us.

Then the most surprising thing happened at Middlesbrough Railway Station. I met an old colleague Stephen Rabone and his wife Frances (who taught Simon and Chris in our Primary school) travelling on the same train to Manchester. I hadn’t spoken to them for 30 years. I racked my brain trying to remember their names for ages until his first name cropped up in the conversation. We chatted enjoyably all the time, exchanging information and stories, and didn’t notice the railway stops – but Stephen – an inveterate train spotter – kept writing numbers in a little notebook as we approached each station. I knew he was a model railway fanatic but I thought train spotting had faded into oblivion. How wrong I was. A strange hobby – collecting numbers. I tried to explain it to Gabi later but still find it more suited to a character from a Midsomer Murders episode.

The flight to Bratislava was calm and took about 2 hours and Marta and Pavel – Gabi’s parents, were there to greet us and take us to Dubnica as soon as we arrived. We arrived at the house at about 19.30.

A tasty bowl of soup greeted us and after sorting ourselves out, I went to bed early in Tibor’s room whilst he stayed in his new apartment somewhere in the town. How kind of him. We celebrated our arrival with a glass of old Scottish Sobranie whisky.

Sunday ( Nederla) 17th August 2008

We ate a delightful breakfast and lovely lunch about 1pm.

Later we attended Mass at St Jacob’s (only 2 minutes away) at 6 pm and as Gabi left to speak to Vierka whom she had spotted at Mass, I met Andrej in church who told me that baby Tereska had been born recently by caesarean two weeks early than the planned date of arrival in order to avoid any complications.

So Andrej invited us both to the hospital to see Peta and the baby that night – however after consulting Peta the plan was changed because she was very tired. So Gaby was quite pleased and dashed home to see if her Aunt Vierka was there.

So we went home and I met the lovely Vierka, younger sister to Marta, who was visiting her sister.

She suffers with an ear problem similar to mine and with lots of sign language we shared our experiences. She has two children, one boy, who is on holiday with his father in China at present and a tall blonde daughter, who is just recovering from a head injury caused by a fall. We talked about Peta’s baby girl Tereska - born recently and meeting Andrej with his new car – VW Polo. He’s in a new job with a new car which pays him petrol money - so he’s happier.

Monday (Pondelok ) 18th August 2008:

Middlesbrough Football Club are 6th in Premier League according to SME newspaper after one game. Dobre!

Breakfast is: ham, home-grown tomatoes and peppers cheese, boiled egg. I sit in a special place and am served like a king. Tibor goes to work.


About 09.00 we set off for the High Tatras on a very busy highway and stop to visit a WW2 partisan burial cemetery near Martin.

Orava Castle from 13.00 to 15.15 is very interesting and I take many photographs and we stop to eat and drink.

Gabi is inspired by the fashionable dresses she sees in one of the castle rooms and suggests we get make a postcard outside the castle on the way down. I am the one in the ball.

A view from the top

17.30 we arrive at the Hutnik Hotel in the High Tatras region - very tired. It is surprising how tired you can get just sitting in the back seat while someone else does the driving.
They sell postcards at the hotel and we buy a few. I discover my camera battery is signalling low after only a day or two and I forgot to pack my battery-charger. I will have to go steady.

Tuesday ( Uterok) 19 August 2008

I rose about 06.30 and after a shave and shower watched the young people exercising on the play area below, prayed the Peace Rosary, read a story from Sherlock Holmes and wrote 3 postcards to Fr Dan, Fr Chris and Anita. We plan to sit in a ski lift today so we ate breakfast at 08.30. There was cereal, tea, buns, (which make lots of crumbs) cheese, ham, peppers etc etc etc.

Vysoke Tatras was jam packed with visitors and after waiting a while to see how fast the long queue moved; we decided to catch a train with thousands of other tourists, to another ski lift area which was just a wooden bench in mid-air WAH WAH!! It stopped!! I clung to the rail in front and pretended to be calm but inside I was praying for it to move. Eventually it did and the journey continued. The scenery was fantastic UZASNE!! My words have improved. But the best part was getting off the moving bench at the arrival point up the mountain. The bench keeps moving and you have to slip the bar up in unison and jump off whilst it is still moving. It’s quite funny to see everyone run away from the moving bench after sitting still for so long.

We had quite a wait before we returned in the ski lift bench because a young family needed to stop the lift in order to ensure their child was positioned safely before the journey.
But the ski lift is obviously temperamental and does not like to be stopped. In fact it hates to be stopped and it took a few men many journeys up and down ladders to ensure it moved at all.
After many stops and starts, it finally began to move. When our turn came to sit on the bench, we thought we knew how to do it without any panic but the movement away from the platform into the air is so sudden, and the need to bring the raised iron bar down as a barrier is so necessary, that it is impossible not to feel anxious and we let out whoops as we soared into the sky. Mama mia!

The weather was kind to us all day and after viewing and strolling around the beautiful lake below, we called into a supermarket after the train journey and walked home to Hutnik 2 and on the way to the hotel we passed the memorial stone to the famous writer Franz Kafka.



During the evening meal I swapped part of my chicken with Gabi to avoid eating the mayonnaise sauce - then we watched the Olympics Divers on TV.

Wednesday ( Streda) August 18th 2008

After a long drive where we were diverted south because of a traffic jam caused by wood falling from a trailer (we discovered later) and we stopped to fill up on petrol after waiting for a tanker to empty its contents first.

Then we set off to enjoy rafting along a river running between Poland and Slovakia. Our guide was particularly experienced, relaxed and friendly with a wonderful turn of phrase which had our raft laughing and replying with humorous banter along the whole stretch of the river.

All of these jokes however, sailed over my head.

You have no idea how much of an outcast you feel when all around you are enjoying themselves. You actually become depressed. It must be a group psychology thing: Amid beautiful scenery, laughing companions warmed by vodka passed from friend to friend, relative to relative sat a miserable, poker-faced Englishman surrounded by a babble of meaningless words interspersed with outbreaks of uproarious laughter. A case of paranoia.?

But the scenery was Uzasne ! Spectacular ! Pekne! Which made up for the lack of understanding, felt momentarily as we gently paddled along.

Uzasne !!

A photographer stood on a bank towards the end of our journey and snapped us in our raft and we were able to buy copies of these later when we landed from a boy on roller blades. How’s that for today’s digital technology??

In the small resort of Pieniny, I thrilled to sight and sounds of horses and traps taking visitors around and to the sound of a small musical group belting out folk melodies which older people sang to as they drank refreshments.

Folk Group performing in café

But the day was not over yet. After stopping at a viewpoint overlooking two beautiful valleys, we continued on to Lubovna Open air Museum and Castle whose grounds contained a village of old wooden buildings with fascinating interiors crammed with furniture, artefacts and tools of various trades and crafts – all genuine cottages transported from various regions in Slovakia.
Uzasne!!!


The small church dedicated to St Michael



The interior of the church

Cottage interior


A typical cottage of the period with a sunflower garden

Wedding table - one bowl+4 spoons Death in the cottage

But we had more to come. Ahead, lay the magnificent castle.


Marta guarding the cannon

Wooden baby chair + Penny farthing bike Superbly decorated cabinet

St Michael’s Chapel Mysterious Well

Thursday ( Vyrstok) 19 August 2008

Breakfast at 08.55 of toast, butter, jam and cereal + coffees and we head for Spisky hrad and Levoca. I learn the words posta, dobre, ovce = sheep.

Spis castle was unguided and all the better for me. There were many stairs and steps and lovely young families with well-behaved babies and toddlers, who show intelligent interest in objects around them. We watched a female potter at work and bought two mugs later for about 270 skk.

Onward to Levoca !!



Levoca Town Hall

I found Levoca lovely. I loved the buildings and the small square. I loved the shops also. There we entered a lovely, unique church which is used regularly and the altars displayed are magnificent. The main altar is the tallest in Europe. I saw a young couple listening to an English recorded description of the church and began to chat with them – but they were not English – as I suspected – they were Dutch and came from Middleburg in Holland. I told them of my niece Jane and her Dutch husband Arno who lived in Haarlem and now have three kids.

English people are certainly in short supply in Slovakia – but that’s not a bad thing really. I met an Australian in the Vysoke Tatry region who was desperate to talk his own language and made me listen for ages as he told me a corny joke about the Sound of Music film. I’ve forgotten the joke already. I’m lucky I have Gabi.

As we left the town and prepared to leave in the car after having an ice cream in an outdoor café, a young girl approached the open rear doors of the car and said 5sk. We were able to post 12 postcards in Levoca for 23sk each. I bought a lotto ticket as well which is to be drawn on Sunday and a small pot angel from the local religious shop for Ann.

What a nice day this was.

Friday ( Piatok) 22 August 2008

We journeyed to the Ice Cave region with thousands of other tourists. We wrapped up well to face the cold underground caves and were amazed at the beauty and grandeur of the place. There were lots of steps again and narrow crevices as we listened to the guide describing the different areas with their unique features. My camera’s battery was flat completely now so I used the Blasko family camera whilst they listened.



Many of the stalactites and stalagmites reminded me of Alien 1, 2, 3 and 4. It takes many years for a rock to grow 1 mm. So you can imagine how many years old the caves are – only a million.

Marta and I pause for a picture near a giant frozen jelly


UZASNE!!!

Friday was our final day at the hotel but we had not finished yet.

On the way back home it was decided to call at Rajecka Lesna – a pilgrimage town which displays a magnificent wooden Bethlehem with lots of moving figures built by Jozef Pekara . It took 15 years to complete.
It is open all year round. I was so impressed I bought a DVD for only 60 sk.



These pictures fail to do this magnificent wooden masterpiece true justice.
It has to be seen and experienced. We popped into the nearby church afterwards and then started home to Dubnica. A wonderful trip. UZASNE!!

At home in Dubnica I met Mirka for the first time – a lovely girl with lovely blue eyes which showed interest and anything I said. She is a financial advisor and is working hard to build her portfolio. She loves it and seems very capable.

Saturday, ( Sobota) 23 August 2008

As we strolled around Dubnica, Gaby’s father, Pavel arrived on his bike. He had just been to nearby Ilava where there was an annual market in town and lots to see. He said he’d pick us up in the car to enjoy the final stages. I was surprised to see Mirka driving and in no time we had arrived to enjoy the spectacle. Lots of stalls filled the square and streets around and I was anxious to buy CD of Slovak songs which I’d witnessed at the café near the rafting station resort. They called them folklore. We eventually spotted two stalls selling CD’s – one sold Peruvian music – which I love - and the other sold folklore music – which I bought after they played it for me. It was not exactly what I’d seen earlier that week but I bought it anyway – in hope. Pavel introduced me to a large flat doughnut-type delicacy which they call Langose.

Gabika, Mirka and Tato eating Langose

A lively folk group plays and dancers swirl around in Ilava

The oldest prison in the world? – 400 years old and still used.

For a short while I watch Liverpool v Middlesbrough in Gabi’s room on a silver ball. Later I join Pavel and although Boro were obviously the better team we lost 2-1 by a fluke goal in the 94th minute.

I am so disappointed; I race to Mass with Gabi and try to forget. Afterwards we prayed the Rosary in the cemetery and return to toast and tea. We watch Bambi and the Wooden Bethlehem DVD - which is excellent – then she plays a game on the PC until 01.00. I fall asleep.

Sunday ( Nederla) 23 rd August 2008

At 06.30, I hear footsteps leaving the house. I suspect it might be Mirka off to early Mass. I hear them returning again at 07.30 and peep out of the window to see. I was right.

I notice that I am beginning to develop a tight chest and cough as I write my diary. Was this the pain in my chest as I walked the steep steps to the castles and caves? Or was it my heart?

Slovakians who bike so readily and walk in the hills and mountains must be fitter than the car drivers of the U.K.
Gabi and I went to 11.00 Mass after my 9.00 breakfast. She wore a dress today and worried it might open because it was only tied with a belt. It was fine.

After Mass we met Peta, Andrej and the new baby Tereska - only 10 days old- who is awake all night and sleeps all day. She was asleep in a very modern pram. But Peta looked tired after her caesarean.

Mass was filled with smart, clean, presentable young families who behaved impeccably. The young, dress fashionably in modern clothes but retain their modesty too.

Confession is heard during Mass and those who haven’t had time to receive Holy Communion, go afterwards. I saw a young boy about 9 years old, standing waiting outside the Confessional box with a small printed slip of paper which looked like a prayer card of some kind. I wondered for a moment if it was his list of sins. He came out smiling.

I suppose the frequent interruptions to concentration when people leave their seats to stand near the Confessional box during a homily, are to be accepted if this is the current practice. But everyone sees who goes to Confession and no-one is fazed by it.

After Mass there was exposition of the Blessed Sacrament all day until 6 pm.

At home, I played the Peruvian Music and Gabi made me tea with two Earl Grey teabags because it tastes better.

.....and the corn is as high as an elephant's eye O what a beautiful morning O what a......

We then decided to go biking despite the grey sky and enjoyed the birds gathering on the telephone wires and the smallholding just outside Dubnica with its assorted collection of pigs, goats, geese and an ostrich – of all things!

We enjoyed their antics enormously – especially when their owner arrived to open his shed. It was feeding time and large loaves were thrown at the delighted, snorting, and squealing animals, anxious to grab the stale husks and run away with them to a private area. Most animals respected each other’s find – and young ones waited for the crumbs.

After returning with the bikes, we popped in to Adoration for half an hour and left about 5.45 pm. After Mass, Vierka came again and wished me well before she left for home.

Mirka left for Bratislava tonight and we said our goodbyes with a hug. I was surprised at how soon we had become friends – a lovely girl.

Monday ( Pondelok) 25th August 2008

Grandmother Gitka

Another fine day and we biked to the post office to post the last 3 cards. Then we biked to Prejta to see if Gitka (Gabi’s Gran) was at home. She was not. But Gabi suggested we try the large field across the main road where she thought she might be.


So we set off, amused by the antics of 3 large white turkeys on the way – as they wandered around a beautifully lawned front garden with flower beds. They will be there until Christmas I suspect.

We arrived at the large field and could see a number of women working on their patch.

In the distance, Gabi recognised her Gran and we carefully walked through the large cabbage and potato patch until finally reaching a stooped old lady wearing a headscarf, picking beans near the ground. She grabbed Gabi with delight and hugged her to her face as I took a snap.



She had three bags of beans in total – all placed at convenient points so that they could be collected and placed all in one larger cloth bag, which was then placed carefully and ingeniously around the bell of the handlebars before mounting her bike to ride home. She is 8O yrs old. She followed at a leisurely pace on her bike- crossing the busy main road to reach her home and was greeted excitedly by her very large white friendly dog, Caesar. She chased him outside and led us into her home - curtains drawn - and fed us with crisps, chocolates and tea. She laughed as I chased the flies from the bread and cheese.

Grandmother Stephania


We parked our bikes against the fence and Gaby rang the bell. The house with a beautiful well stocked garden of flowers, pumpkins, and chilli-peppers faces the main road and receives the sun. She was so sweet and happy to see Gabi and me. She is the mother of 3 daughters Marta, (Gabi’s mum) Jarka and Vierka – and a son whose name I’ve forgotten. She is so nice, always worried about the family and she prays anxiously for them all. Her eyes fill with tears as she speaks and Gabi listens attentively. I feel so at home. She showed us her pumpkins and large marrows grown in another area outside her garden which is shared by the community. One of the pumpkins is growing in the shadow of a broken-down van with no wheels. A strange sight. Stephania gave us juice and biscuits and chocolates and showed us around the large house which she has lived in for many years. It was very homely.

We biked back to Dubnica, garaged the bikes, put the canary on the porch and fed him dandelion leaves. Then we shopped in town where I bought two maps of Slovakia and Gaby bought a new Agatha Christie book among other things and we returned to a lovely meal of chicken and rice.

We went to Mass at 6 pm and met Andrej who had spare time to take us to the Railway Station where there was no attendant to sell us tickets for tomorrow’s train to Bratislava and after dropping off Gaby at her home took me to Tesco to buy flowers and chocolates for Gaby’s parents. He gave me his new email address and we said our Goodbyes at the door.

Jarka, another Aunt of Gaby’s was chatting to her sister Marta and Pavel as I arrived with the chocolates and the orchid type plant. They were enjoying a glass of sparkling wine called Hubert. We joined them too and in no time at all, I’d drank so much, I couldn’t care less what language was spoken. Jarka was as sparkling as the wine and I almost understood her conversation. I was talking to myself and enjoying every moment. It was dobre, uzasne. I staggered to bed very tired after saying our goodbyes, fell into bed and slept like a log