Polana Zvolen

So, having had some time to pause and reflect on a crazy year of backpacking, we have assembled some words of wisdom for other budget backpackers. Most of these tips are ways to save money while travelling and also how to enjoy the journeying. We have tried to avoid the usual cliches such as "take half as many clothes and twice as much money", e...

Here are some photos from our last three months in Slovakia. In September we went to visit a picturesque little village called Cecmany, which is famous for these painted houses. This is the view from our backyard, early on an October morning. Our house is right on the edge of the village, with only farmland and forest behind. This is Jim wearing...

An open letter to the countries of the world Dear Countries of the World - Over the last year or so we have travelled to and through a good number of you. We have noticed how different you all are from one another and your positive and negative features. Accordingly, we would like to suggest some idea-sharing between you, for everyone's mutual b...

While texting furiously with Michal and trying to fend off train passengers vying for his saved seat, I am willing the train to stay in the station for just a little bit longer. He texts back that he is in Zachodnia station in Warsaw as is the train in which I am sitting holding his ticket to Katowice. Another passenger pops their head in and as...

Possibly my most frustrating day of travelling yet. And I do mean a whole day. Having arranged to meet with Simon, one of my Prague flatmates, in Banksa Stiavnica on a sunday, it probably wasn't the most sensible idea to go to the Sziget festival on the saturday night. But I did anyway. With a massive two hours of sleep, I had to set off for the...

As we left the villages, we stopped in a little town called Rajecka Lesna. There is truly nothing there to see except the "Slovak Bethlehem." The wooden nativity scene is fascinating to watch. It is constantly moving, with people moving in and out of their shops, the boat cruising along the Danube, and the shepherds going up and down the mountai...

July 7 (Thursday), Budapest-Krivan Jon came back to Krivan with us on the train, as he is going to join us at the famous Detva festival this weekend. The next day we went into Zvolen to pick up our wedding photos. Jane and I sat down and went through the photos, sorting the ones we liked (about two-thirds) into one pile and the ones we didn't in...

July 3 (Sunday), Zvolen/Krivan We woke up at 11am, only because the bus back to Krivan was to leave at 1pm, after a very sound 5 hour sleep. There were a few weary-looking faces back at the Pension Quattro, so we swapped a few yarns and commiserated about hangovers. We managed to round everyone up for the bus (driven by Janko) to Jane's place. W...

July 2 (Saturday), Wedding Day, Krivan Well, today's the day. Arguably the most important day of my life. And it's raining. Ironic, don't you think? It's not like it's a shower either. This is grey sky as far as the eye can see, no wind, here for a week, persistent drizzle/rain/drizzle/rain. The locals think it is going to rain until Wednesday. ...

June 25 (Saturday), Krivan I slept like a boulder. Jane says she didn't do anything to wake me except look at me but I can't believe I would voluntarily awake after a slumber like that. After a shower and a shave I felt vaguely normal again. Breakfast was the full-table, three-course, fill-you-till-you-pop extravaganza that I was used to from la...