Will add photo's and comments as I remember them but my last and 8th holiday in Slovakia was just as good as the other seven. Here are some photo's of people I met. Double click on a photo to enlarge it and putting a mouse pointer over the picture will give a description or title of it.
Arriving at Vienna's Schwechat airport I was met by my beautiful friend Andrea and Flipper her classic Skoda car which conveyed us safely to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia about 40 miles away.
I visited Banska Bystrica for a few days, a lovely old historic city with some of the most beautiful girls in the world and about 150 miles from Bratislava. I went to see my little friend Alena's parents and friends and indulged in some of the Slovakian Easter Monday customs, like whipping the girls (symbolically) or throwing water on them. Later we went on an excursion to a mountain hotel where we sat on a terrace cafe in the sun, surrounded by snow covered mountains, sipping some excellent local wine, we even saw ex-president Kovac's who was staying there.
When I got back to Bratislava I hired a car and went over to Slovenia with Andrea, to visit some artist friends and take part in an open air poetry reading experience. Next day we drove down to the very short piece of Slovenian coastline and had lunch in the sunshine in a cafe overlooking the beach, I even managed to get a very short paddle in the Adriatic.
I love music and here is a typical evening in Bratislava, have a glass of wine at the Perugia Hotel and be entertained by a marvellous guitarist playing from a little balcony overlooking the restaurant. Then go to the restaurant in the Danube Hotel where there will be a violinist and pianist playing in the restaurant, after a marvellous meal and excellent service go upstairs to the lounge for a cognac and coffee and be entertained by a renowned pianist with an excellent repertoire.
Prices in Slovakia for these sorts of luxuries are well beyond the pocket of most Slovakians, average salary is around £2,000 to £3,000 a YEAR but to people from Western Europe there are real bargains to be had. Sunday Brunch at the Carlton 5 star hotel costs about £10.00 for as much as you can eat and with excellent service and generally live music too. In the smaller towns outside Bratislava it is much cheaper, a good hotel can cost as little as £10.00 a night for bed and breakfast!
The biggest bargain in Slovakia is the people, especially in the country areas, they are so friendly and hospitable towards foreigners, especially the British.