Eastern Europe adventure starts here

  Bratislava, Nitra, Banska Bystrica, Levoca, Spisske Podhadie, Slovakia
Thursday, August 18, 2005

Chapter Summary

Slovakia


Bratislava - Eastern Europe adventure starts here
08 Aug, Monday
Start point: Petronell-Carmuntum
End point: Bratislava
Via:
Odom(Km): 55.92
Moving(hrs.mim): 4.34
Ave(Km/h): 12.2
Total Ascent(m): 419
Max Altitude(m) 192
Max Speed(Km/h): 40.5

It was a cold night and a fresh start. 11 DegC when I woke up and my winter gloves were unpacked for the first time since leaving Finistčre (France) in May. Intermittent showers where the order of the day as I cut my way through Maze and turnip fields. It was not long before I approached the Austro-Slovak border, the next country on my tour and the beginning of my Eastern Europe experience - what should I expect once I crossed the border? How much cheaper would things be? How sudden would the change be? What are the people like? What's the food like? So many things to find out, observe, learn and understand. All I can say is that once I crossed the border everything looked a bit more 'worn out'; the buildings, the roads, the cars, and the trains. Like Austria but a bit more rough around the edges. Launched straight into Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I expected far worse than it actually was. The roads were not potholed, a bit uneven in places and bumpy due to the cobbles. Traffic was manageable, although there was zero provision for cyclists around the city. The buildings were a bit more functional. No great surprises.
I crossed the modern bridge straight into the town centre. The old town is small, beautiful and easily navigated. Baroque in style, the odd piazza with fountain, traffic free and many shops bustling with a surprisingly large number of English tourists. I guess we have RyanAir and EasyJet to thank for that. I have to admit that being in Vienna followed by Bratislava caused a bit of city fatigue and I hankered after the open countryside. Cycling the Danube is easy but not all that interesting. Its flat and most of the time, one bend of the river tends to look like any other. Entering and exiting a city or large town gives an impression of industrial decay.
I left the old town after stopping off at the main sights - the Hrad, a castle rebuild a number of times and now house of the national museum. Hlavne Namesti, the former market place and now a square lined with elegant buildings. St Michaels gate, the last remaining and remodelled in the baroque style. Near this a surviving piece of the city wall can be found.
To plan a route I picked up some good 1.100 000 maps for a tour into the countryside. I wish to continue east, missing out Budapest (another capital city in a short space would be too much) and into the hills north east of Bratislava towards central Slovakia. I hope for quiet roads, cheap food and friendly people. Lack of English spoken outside big cities may be a problem but its all part of the experience. I always try and pick up a few phrases wherever I am.
Toured the suburbs on my way to the campsite using a very detailed map picked up from tourist information. A problem I must face is the mapping for my GPS does not cover Eastern Europe, hence the purchase of the maps. I am going to have to relearn that very basic skill of how to read a map, not be told which turn to take. Luckily, the maps I found in town are suitably detailed maps and cover a reasonable area - for 15 pounds I got the whole area from west to east I wish to tour - so I can't complain.
Found a market selling cheap products, mostly edible. The only problem is I never have any space. If it's not dried or powdered, I don't have room for it, a common problem amongst all cycle tourers.
Camped up and spent a pleasant evening with two girls from Prague. One an optician and the other studying to become a health officer. After food, wine, spirits and many laughs I plucked up the courage and invited Volecha back to my tent. Although not the point of the evening it would have been a nice way to finish it off, but as ever I was unable to kindle even a spark of interest.
Additional entry - Wow, I have just looked at the maps I purchased and they are specifically cyclist maps. Suggested touring routes and each one comes with a booklet describing the towns you pass through and what there is to see there. I'm going to have fun after all...


Town square


City gate


Cycling through the outskirts, I found a market


My new travel buddy.. Ice Cream!
09 Aug, Tuesday
Start point: Brataslava
End point: Sered
Via: Pezinok, Trnava
Odom(Km): 80.00
Moving(hrs.mim): 5.31
Ave(Km/h): ???
Total Ascent(m): 480
Max Altitude(m) 206
Max Speed(Km/h): ???

The girls were busying themselves so I breakfasted with a group of very likable Polish lads - Mrek, Jacek, and Maciek. They were students on their holidays and were cycling from Poland via Bratislava to Vienna. We had a good chat and I provided advice on how to get to Vienna following the Danube and the campsite location, which I hope they find useful.
Suddenly I'm meeting a lot more Eastern Europeans, very different from Austria where nearly all the tourists are German, Dutch or French. Everyone I have met so far have been friendly, polite and fun; I am sure this will continue to be the case.
Exiting Bratislava past a HUGUE Tesco, I noticed some extra products in their range. Tesco value Vodka in plastic bottles and Tesco Value Vino, again in the plastic lemonade style bottles. I always said they should do a Tesco value wine - and now they do! It just needs to be put on the shelves in the UK.
Crossed the railway track - or rather wandered into the open railway sidings trying to find a way to the other side where I needed to pick up a road. It was a working museum. Rolling stock from the 50s and 60s, it was like Connex trains - except they were better looked after. They also kept one of the steam locos very much in working order. Peering through windows there was Bakelite, buttons and levers as far as the eye could see. Dave R, perhaps you could annotate the pictures below..?
Negotiated busy roads before escaping into the countryside with the last vestiges of the Carpathian mountains on my left hand side. First stop, Pezinok where due to the traffic I didn't linger for long. Up the high street, grabbed a sandwich and continued on my way through some rather ugly suburbs, only delayed by finding an internet connection. As I suspected, these shops where you buy time on a computer are many more times more frequent here than anywhere else I have passed through this holiday. I talked about this to the lad behind the counter who replied with "Yes, my friend works in a large town in England called Southport and they only have two internet cafes". Small world eh!
After quiet dusty lanes I arrived at Trnava, a walled town with pleasant pedestrianised shopping. People could sit and relax - which I did while holding an ice cream. I could have had the cone for 23p but instead I went for the cone tub that came with a spoon for 60p. Prices of such luxuries away from Bratislava are 1/4 the price of that in the UK. In the pub, beer is 45p for a 1/2 litre. Makes a change from Munich where I paid 4 pounds.
The town still retains some of its defensive walls, moat and even a city gate. Good views are to be had from the town tower which overlooks square - perfect photo opportunity. Tour complete I headed south east to Sered and its campsite near the river. It had shut 10 years ago. Never mind said the pub / restaurant owner, camp in the garden, so I did. By the time I had eaten, the bar was closed so time for bed.


Campsite in Brataslava, The Polish lads


Brataslava, Crossing the track..


A working museum


Trnava, Feeding the wildlife


Trnava, View from the tower


Trnava, View from the tower


My new friend, Ice cream


Cow sick soup anyone?
10 Aug, Wednesday
Start point: Sered
End point: Jelenec
Via: Nitra
Odom(Km): 48.55
Moving(hrs.mim): 3.21
Ave(Km/h): 14.5
Total Ascent(m): 602
Max Altitude(m) 280
Max Speed(Km/h): 52.8

As my hosts were so kind by letting me stay at the bar / restaurant, I felt the need to have breakfast there. I asked the chef what was on the menu and was informed that food is served at 12.00. I ordered a coffee and chatted to him. He had worked in Dublin so we exchanged stories on our experiences of Ireland. Again I asked if there was any food, such as a sandwich or anything left over. He though for a bit. "We have soup.. It is made from... cow sick". He then pointed to his stomach and made vomiting actions. "You may not like it". Now what do you say to such an offer? I thought for a few seconds. His English was far from perfect and I am here to learn. "I'm willing to try" I said. We chatted about my travels and he suggested a route to Nitra, one of the stops I had planned. It followed the old road that ran parallel to the main road. He disappeared again and emerged with a large bowl of what did look like soup and a whole loaf of bread, sliced. I guess he took the hint that I ate a lot! I stirred it - tripe soup. The closest thing I have had to tripe soup is pig organ soup in Singapore, which if you had a fussy palette, could be described as rubber bands in hot urine. I took a spoonful of the tripe soup not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. The tripe had the texture and taste of meat. It was not chewy in the slightest. There was a layer of oil floating on the surface, delicious when dunked in bread. It was closer to Austrian goulash soup than tripe soup. I polished it off, including every slice of the loaf of bread and ordered another filter coffee. Paid the 1.10 pound bill, waved goodbye and continued on my way following the old road. The fruit trees lining the road were so laden with ripe fruits you, could reach out and pluck plumbs as you cycled past without stopping, which I did often. Arrived at Nitra, a large town with a series of pedestrianised streets, a hill with fortified buildings and a church. Toured the top, had lunch and browsed the shops. I was having a slow day, things seemed to be taking a long time and I was not in a hurry. Exited the town and soon thought about finishing as I needed to do some laundry. The sun was shining and I could feel dryness in the air. Perfect, or so I thought.
At camp I got chatting to Franz, a cycle tourer in his early 50s from Germany. He taught handicapped children and was touring Austria and Eastern Europe for the whole of the summer holiday. I did my washing and the moment I started, grey clouds loomed in the distance. The thunder and lightning started and before long the heavens opened. Not with rain, but hailstones the size of your thumbnail and conical in shape. I have never seen anything like it in my life, chunks of ice were falling from the sky. We stood in the covered shelter trying to decide what to cook while watching a spectacular light, sound and ice show. After a few minutes, Franz's tent collapsed under the force of the hail. As we both headed in the same direction and I had some the good maps, it was we agreed we hook up. More beer then bed.


Hill top church


Warning, cowboys..


Cakes galore, high in fat - but low in guilt
11 Aug, Thursday
Start point: Jelenec
End point: Zvolen
Via: Zarnovica
Odom(Km): 108.81
Moving(hrs.mim): 6.50
Ave(Km/h): 15.9
Total Ascent(m): 1509
Max Altitude(m) 774
Max Speed(Km/h): 52.7

They think differently over here. On a number of occasions I stand at a junction holding my map, looking confused. I turn and catch the eye of someone who I know has been watching me looking at the different roads and scratching my head. It is a simple choice, left or right. I know where I want to get to but the unsignposted junction doesn't quite match up with what I expect to see on the map. I give up and move over to the individual who has been watching me. I say the name of the destination and point to the road I think it is. They look confused. I point to the map showing the destination and say it again pointing at the road I think it is. They nod in confident agreement that my choice is correct. I say the destination again and point to a different road, one I know it can't be. Again, they nod is confident agreement. I point alternatively to the different junctions repeating the name of the destination and then shrug my shoulders and extend my palms a resigning manor. They look confused. At this point I decide they don't think quite like me so I smile and try someone else, often to the same response. Is it cultural, does a nod mean something different here? There was an interesting variation on the theme today, read on to find out.
Morning and my clothes were still sodden. I put them on shivering as the cold fabric touched my skin. Franz was already up and I jumped to my chores of packing up and breakfasting. Soon we were on quiet roads through sleepy villages. After about 2 hours and 25Km it was time for an early lunch in Zoarnovica. We found a superb cake stall tucked away on a road off a road. Run by a surly Slovak lady, we pointed at two cakes in the fridge. These were not sponge cakes, they were chocolate, fresh cream, pastry and essence of cholesterol; basically exactly what we needed. We ordered two coffees. I sat down and pulled out my camping stove, a packet of soup and a loaf of bread. I looked at the lady and she looked at me in strong disagreement. The soup was confiscated along with my mess tin. As she did not speak English, French or German I didn't quite know what she said but is soon became clear she was insisting she made the soup for us. Quite why it involved a telephone call I'm not sure, but I was not going to wrestle the soup and mess tin from her so we sat, ate cakes, drank coffee and chatted. Our host sat with us, Janlec [guess at spelling]. When we indicated our intention to go to Banska Bystrica and camp for the night by showing the route on the map, a look of disagreement flashed across her face. The impression we got was the road was closed, maybe the campsite was closed, a police road block or maybe highway robbers...?. Nobody could speak another language so we were a bit unsure about what the problem was. After much discussion, confusion, a phone call and another two cups of coffee one of her friends arrived in a car. Franz was beckoned over into the car on off they drove. I finished off the soup and talked to the lady by playing a game of pictonary, pointing to parts of the map to try and understand what the problem was with the route we had shown her. I didn't understand. I waited. Franz returned after half an hour. He held his shaking head in his hands. "She drove me to a campsite about 12Km from here". It dawned on me then the lady was trying to show us where it was by giving us directions, which helps if you know what she was trying to direct us to. All I said to Franz was "I know there is a campsite there, its there on the map" pointing to the camping icon. Early lunch had turned into early dinner so I paid the bill (2 pounds for 4 sizable cream cakes and four cups of ground coffee. The cooking of the soup was free - and off we headed into the countryside. We soon passed the campsite that Franz had been driven to, as it was on our route anyway. Everything she did was with the best intentions and I think she though we couldn't possibly make it that far by bike which is why she was so insistent we go to the nearest campsite and rest. We found it all rather amusing!
Episode over, we followed a heavily mined valley. Silver was the main reason people settled here, and when the silver ran out, the wheels of the lifts stopped and succumbed to the rust. Up and up we went, 600 meters from 250m where we lunched.
All Slovak villages are wired up to a tannoy system and as we approached, the din of music got louder and louder. Then a voice came on, I guess explaining local events and news. It echoed around the valley, each speaker out of sync due to the speed of sound. I was very surreal.
One more hill and we arrived at the campsite - not the one we intended because of the delay in the cake shop.


Franz and I


Cakes galore, high fat and low guilt!


Abandoned mining settlments


Wild camping in the mountains
12 Aug, Friday
Start point: Zvolen
End point: Liptovska Luzna, Near Banska Bystrica
Via: Banska Bystrica
Odom(Km): 75.15
Moving(hrs.mim): 5.29
Ave(Km/h): 13.7
Total Ascent(m): 690
Max Altitude(m) 1043
Max Speed(Km/h): 51.0

I did a bad thing the other day. I bought another camera. Not because I lost, broke, or had it stolen - but because the camera I purchased to replace the Pentax (camera number 2) was rubbish.
**** CAMERA RANT START ******
The HP camera was again five mega pixels, but in reality you choose a resolution lower because running at the full resolution only demonstrates the imperfections in the individual pixels as well as a larger file size as it tries to encode these imperfections into your images. As a rule, I tended to run my camera at 1600x1200 as scaling up this image and comparing it with the same scene captured at full pixel image showed no difference. My HP camera image was noisy, you could not capture at a specific resolution (e.g. 1600x1200), low light performance was laughable with an unacceptable noise level to match. What you see through the view finder is very different from the actual image captured. The display automatically turns off after 30 seconds - which is a real pain as every time I hand it to someone to take a picture, they always say "I can't see anything on the screen". Scenes light and shadow never came out right, there is also a blue shadow on bright objects. The thing that finally clinched it was when you rotate an image it re-encodes it. Rotating an image a number of time results in some interesting JPEG artefacts. In a summery, I was deleting too many pictures that any other camera would have captured perfectly well. All the pictures I do have are OK for internet viewing, but as display technologies improve I want images that don't look, well, sh*t on a big screen. My new camera is a Casio QVR-51, the model up from camera number 1, the Casio QVR-4 (the one I sat on) From now on there should be a definite improvement in quality and inclusion of pictures that I would have otherwise deleted, and I am ruthless at deleting them.
**** CAMERA RANT OVER ****
Early rise and lots of faffing around on my part - playing with my new purchase, breakfast, coffee, packing, the usual chain of events. Franz was heading off into the mountains and I was not sure of the route I was going to take - only that I was going to avoid mountains with snow on and pass through the lower Tatras mountains. I set off into the local town and unfurled all my maps. While musing and perusing I heard a whistle, "Hey, Jon..." - click. Franz had finished breakfast and crept up on me to take a picture. As we browsed the maps it became clear that if I wanted a route away from the main roads and footpaths I would have to go a little further north than I originally intended. With a pen I drew a route that took me across three different maps and a number of interesting long country roads. It was agreed that the fun Franz and I had had over the last 2 days should continue, so we will be doing the majority of it together.
We set off following the pen marks I had put so much thought into. The first part was rather unpleasant, but got us away from the lowlands and into the beginning of the mountains. First stop was Banska Bystrica, an ugly town as we approached with a historic heart. The high street was bustling and was the perfect opportunity to indulge my new hobby; cake and ice cream sampling. Again for next to nothing I could order a series of cakes and eat them piggy style without feeling as though I was starting a slippery slope the would end in bankruptcy. Pigging out complete, we continued on a narrow busy road with lots of lorries. The quality of truck driving was murderous, but there was no choice as we were following the only road in the valley. At the first opportunity we left it and soon were climbing from 400 to 1010 meters. It was difficult from the beginning as the road was a dirt track and pedalling only turned the wheels while the bike remained stationary. I dismounted and pushed for parts because I had no choice. At the top, the view was obscured by trees, but the temperature certainly signalled we had gained the altitude. Franz fared better - he is stronger and with thicker tyres was able to grip the slippery slopes. Not much to see on the way up, but coming down we passed through some of the real Slovakia. Houses made from the materials to hand, mostly wood and sheet metal from oil drums. Provisions were purchased and we went to find a camping spot in the mountains. The beginning of the second pass was the perfect place to look and soon we had pasta on the boil, a fire going and beers and wine opened. It was nice to camp away from a busy road or motorway junction or have people (like myself) yattering away into the night. The fire was needed, its nearly 23.30, the wine is only half gone, the beer has gone and the original Slovak rum barely touched - mainly because the ingredients clearly state it is alcohol, water and rum flavouring - and tastes like the flavouring you use when baking cakes or making deserts. Still, its alcohol and doesn't make you blind... now where did I pitch my tent...?


Zvolen town centre, Route planning


Its not all rolling hills and smiling cows. Suburbs can be quite ugly.


Cakes again..


Banska Bystrica town centre


Roof made from oil drums


"I think this camp spot will do!"


Please no more schnapps, I must go to bed
13 Aug, Saturday
Start point: Liptovska Luzna, Near Banska Bystrica
End point: Cierny Vah, Narodny National Park.
Via: Vodna Nadrz Liptovska Mare (it's a lake)
Odom(Km): 88.27
Moving(hrs.mim): 5.48
Ave(Km/h): 15.2
Total Ascent(m): 954
Max Altitude(m) 1105
Max Speed(Km/h): 56.7

"Please no more schnapps, I must go to bed", are words I didn't expect to have to say tonight, but I had no choice. This is how it happened from the very beginning.
The early start was a very wet one, not from rain but the sheer volume of dew. I registered 3 degrees C. We packed and continued on the pass to the nearest village for a breakfast spot. We sat in Liptovska Luzuna centre over looking the comings and goings of a typical Slovak valley village - or more like came and went as once the bus left, nothing much else happed - other than a dog crawling in front of us rubbing its belly on the ground comedy style, that's about as exciting as it gets.
Breakfast feast complete we dived into the first pass of the day. 700 to 1100 meters up a perfectly smooth surface, followed by a descent through woods so damp and lush the water in the atmosphere collected into puddles on the road.
We reached the lake 'Liptovska Mara' and what we expected to be a quiet road following the shore turned carried a constant stream of cars full of day trippers from Poland. What makes it so popular are the Mexican restaurants, cowboy themed village, water parks and thermal spas - not quite what we expected. Once the rain started everyone jumped into their cars and sat in a traffic jam. Time for a coffee break. Found an unassuming restaurant / guest house, more like someone's kitchen. One of the brothers who ran the place told us how he purchased old cars ready for scrap in France and Germany and sold them on in Slovakia where they have a higher second hand value. We told him about our travels. Franz mentioned he had just purchased a Labrador puppy - the same as the guest house dog for 500 Euro in Germany. "500 Euro for a dog in Germany! Wow, how much would I get for my wife?". When we left, he refused payment for the coffees and beer. Genuine Slovak hospitality again, we really had been invited into his home. www.vilabobrik.sk
Once we found out it was Saturday and not Friday as we thought, shopping for provisions became top of the list of priorities. On we continued through two towns before hitting the main reason we came this way, a quiet route that takes us 50Km east along quiet country lanes. Entering the beginning of the valley we were not disappointed. As time pressed on we looked for a camping spot. The lake was a hydroelectric reservoir and hence has very steep sides without anywhere suitable for camping. Once we reached the end of the lake 'Cierny Vah', I saw a camper van and asked if there was anywhere suitable near by. After a few brief exchanges between the occupants, I was told "The owner of that house there [pointing] says you are welcome to stay here". [pointing]
Austrian Hans was here for the fishing. "Those who work don't know how to fish" was his motto. He and his wife (retired) travelled around in the camper van and generally took life easy.
I cooked a pasta dish which was eaten at a table and chair - an unheard of luxury when you go looking for a place to camp in the wild. Hans had some interesting stories to tell. A very cheap holiday, fishing in Alaska.. Why? He found out when he arrived. "That's you tent".. I don't think I'll be taking my mine to Alaska.
"There are bears in these hills you know", and at that point I realised keeping food in the tent while camping in the wild was not the best of ideas as ants should be the least of my worries.
Then the wine came out. "Its Austrian wine, we bought it from the grower, a good friend from back home". It was indeed good and grown in the valley I passed through when cycling the Danube. I mentioned my visit to the wine museum situated in their home town. Then out the schnapps came, No sooner had I finished, it being topped up again. Only when I was very insistent it was time for bed did he put the bottles away. Franz and I really did stagger back to bed.


Early morning camp scene


Sunrise en route


Eating.. my favorate passtime


Franz


Vodna Nadrz Liptovska Mare (Lake)


Vodna Nadrz Liptovska Mare, Better than a shower..


Our hosts for the evening..


Today I met the president
14 Aug, Sunday
Start point: Cierny Vah, Narodny National Park.
End point: Levoca
Via: Levoca
Odom(Km): 66.12
Moving(hrs.mim): 4.16
Ave(Km/h): 15.5
Total Ascent(m): 852
Max Altitude(m) 938
Max Speed(Km/h): 50.5

It was a cold and early start - 6.30am and 3 degrees. The hot porridge breakfast was a good excuse to warm my hands on the stove. Hans was up and we waved him off on his bike with fishing rod in hand. We continued along the traffic free road through the Narodny national park. Covered with pine trees, rich in mushrooms and blueberries we passed a very pleasant 2 hours chatting en route and watching the scenery fly past. The villages dotted along the more accessible parts of the valley provided an interesting glimpse into country life here. At the end we stopped for coffee and ice cream - very popular here and sold everywhere. The coffee, or Kava is ground coffee, but served as you would make instant. After stirring, the coffee settles to the bottom and you drink it - remembering not to knock back the last few mouthfuls.
The valley flattened out and soon brought us to Spissky Stvrtok. This would have been one of the many villages we passed through if it was not for the fact it had an interesting gothic church. Worth an investigation we went for a closer look. There were quite a few people mingling around outside and as soon as I went for a closer look, a procession exited the church to the vicarage. In the middle of the procession was a very important man. He was waving, people shook his hand and they wanted to touch him. This is someone important I though. Best thing to do is ask. The celebration of St Misie takes place every year in the town and residents gather to take part. It just so happens that this town is the birthplace of the president of Slovakia who also attends. He struck me as a kindly man who was clearly liked. Show over we went looking for food. A recommendation took us to a village called Sraj Mlyol, and a road side eatery, American themed as it turned out. We ordered the menu, not quite sure what it consisted of - it was not typical Slovak, but soup followed by a platter of BBQ meats, salad and chips. The volume for two people was far too much, but for two hungry cycle tourers it was sufficient. The coffees, beers and meal came to 8.50p in total. This was a pricey place....
Onwards to Levoca, a walled town with little trace of 1960-70's construction. Within the walls the pace of life was not fast. Quiet squares gave plenty of opportunity to relax. Went in the church - a bit like any other with the exception of the carved altarpiece.
Outside we chatted to a group of Slovaks on vintage 1960's Czech motorbikes - with trailers and a puncture.
Ice cream and cake saw us to the campsite were Franz and I sat up till quite late in the bar knocking back the beers while chatting and laughing. I'll miss the company when we part as we make good travel companions.


Me, On the road.


Franz, on the road


Some old houses in the valleys


Mayors office


Church where celebration of town saint occurred




Procession starting


The president (waving to a young lad)




Dinner - its a feast..


American theme indeed


Through the gate


Town house and church


Franz in the "cage of shame", where those of low morals were put.


largest medieval castle in Europe
15 Aug, Monday
Start point: Levoca
End point: Kysak
Via: Spisske Podhadie
Odom(Km): 93.21
Moving(hrs.mim): 6.14
Ave(Km/h): 14.9
Total Ascent(m): 1091
Max Altitude(m) 643
Max Speed(Km/h): 46.4

A late start and fuzzy head saw us to Spisske Podhradie, a town situated near the largest medieval castle in Europe and a UNESCO world heritage site. We sat in a snack bar eating sandwiches and drinking coffee watching the sun burn off its misty shroud. It was indeed a sight to behold. Building work started on the hill that overlooks the town in the 12 century. It is mostly Romanesque in style with later Gothic and Renaissance additions. Formally the residence of several aristocratic families - but abandoned in favour of a more convenient town address and walking up the sizable hill to get to the entrance, I soon saw why.
Unfortunately soon after it was abandoned, a group of soldiers billeted there accidentally burnt it down and today it's a 'romantic ruin'.
There was a building site constructing a dividing wall made from plaster and wood - it must be for a film I thought. Indeed it was, 'The Last Legend', an American film was due to shoot there in mid September.
We walked the ramparts, visited the museum about the development of the site and archaeological finds, climbed the circular tower and back to the cafe to pick up the bikes. Then back to the town for.. you guessed it.. cakes an ice cream. Waved farewell to Franz, a good travel companion. He was heading North West to Poland and back to Germany. I continued on my way east down quiet roads through sleepy villages. I've noticed a big change travelling from west to east in Slovakia. The area near the Austrian border is busy, new building work going on, large supermarkets, shopping centres, and industrial trading estates - all the things you expect to see in a large town or city. In the east things are different. The towns have a few Co-ops, post office, garage, textile shop and that's about it.
Another feature of the east is the gypsy slum dwellings, or shanty towns. What started as the odd tin shelter gave way to large numbers of wood and tin huts occupied by a few adults and hundreds of children. They are located the outskirts of the towns and some villages. The people eek out a difficult life working as labourers or living off the land - this time of year collecting mushrooms and berries to sell at the roadside. I find it sad they live surrounded by piles of rubbish, a bit of community spirit could change the face of what they have, but I guess when you have little or nothing, there is no incentive to do this. I believe the government is trying to settle them in these areas, which should help foster some kind of community pride.
The rain started at 18.00 - marking the end of a dry, but cold spell. Stopped by the campsite to find out there is no camping there anymore - its activity centre for children and adolescents. www.svp-kysak.sk . As the rain was lashing down I opted for a room instead. The owners where very kind and brought me pasta and tea when I enquired about somewhere I could cook. Sat in the lounge watching TV, something I've not done for months! Did some route planning and went to the sports hall to meet Peter, who had acted as translator when I first arrived. The music and screams I heard were not a pre teen disco, but a dance workshop. The Uno star dance club was based in Kosice and although Peter now lived and worked in Bratislava, he took a week off work to help run the event. Very charitable, and I said so. More pasta and then bed.


Spisske Podhadie, Morning mist cleared


Spisske Podhadie, Walking the battlements


Spisske Podhadie, Museum


Spisske Podhadie, Inside the complex


Spisske Podhadie, Me on the wall


Shanty town, a sight becoming more common


Down into the low lands


Uno star dance club


After the storm
16 Aug, Tuesday
Start point: Kysak
End point: Michalany
Via:
Odom(Km): 108.99
Moving(hrs.mim): 6.55
Ave(Km/h): 15.?
Total Ascent(m): 1200
Max Altitude(m) 660
Max Speed(Km/h): 45.0

Staying in a room was the right decision, there were rain storms all night and in the morning the rain still persisted. Breakfasted with Peter and the other members then set off into the drizzle. The streets were alive with people tying to dig channels to take the water away from their houses and unblock drains. What were streams of crystal waters had turned into muddy brown torrents carry all sorts of debris.
Today was devoted to making progress in a south east direction. The route as very quiet and pleasant. First challenge was Herlian Sedlo, a 660m pass with a delightful descent into the town of 'Vranov nad Toplou'. Then south over flat ground through Trebisov to a campsite near a town on the Sovakia / Hungary border called Satoraljaujhely, just don't ask me how to pronounce it! As I was the only person there, little was going on and it was raining, I got a much needed early nights sleep.


Stalks are a common town bird. They nest in the electricity cables


Sunset


Generosity of artist community
17 Aug, Wednesday
Start point: Kysak
End point: Velky Kamen
Via:
Odom(Km): 32.57
Moving(hrs.mim): 1.48
Ave(Km/h): 18.1
Total Ascent(m): 262
Max Altitude(m) 201
Max Speed(Km/h): 50.4
The sound of the rain didn't make me rush to pack. Instead I did camp jobs until 13.00 and had breakfast. Flat terrain and a strong tail wind blew me south for just under 2 hours at which point I asked around for an internet connection. It has been nearly 2 weeks since I have checked messages. Marie, a kindly girl said there is nowhere in the village, only in the office where she works and I was welcome to use it. Once finished I took up the offer of a room in the guest house run by her parents. They were a very welcoming family. No sooner had I arrived the offers or beer, schnapps and food came thick and fast. I was made to feel right at home. - Although I did feel a bit guilty about spending too much time on the computer. There were some stunning paintings and collages on the wall painted by friends and family. At 21.00 everyone parted and I readied for bed.


Town of Velky Kamen where I stayed


Some real artistic talent


Hungry, but not for long...
18 Aug, Thursday
Start point: Velky Kamen
End point: Carei (Romania)
Via:
Odom(Km): 139.44
Moving(hrs.mim): 7.32
Ave(Km/h): 18.5
Total Ascent(m): 600
Max Altitude(m) 160
Max Speed(Km/h): 33.6

The guest house was one of a handful setup around Europe to provide accommodation for travelling artists. This went some way to explain the number of paintings around the house. A project with the towns 'twin' to provide 8 larger than life wooden figures had just been completed by a number of artists working in one of the out houses. We went over for a closer look. Attached to the building was a dress making and embroidery workshop where garments for the Irish market were being made.
After packing I was waved off. I was genuinely made to feel like a member of a big family, a wonderful reinforcement of the kindness and generosity of the Slovak people.
The route took me across the border into Hungary. The journey across Hungary was a tourers dream. The roads were direct, no potholes, flat and shaded. A strong tail wind blew me all the way to the Hungary / Romania border crossing.
I was very hungry as I approached the border and felt myself run out of energy. I reached for the nearest thing to hand which as the bag of bread given to me before I departed after breakfast - only it wasn't just bread but a gorgeous sandwich of meat, and peppers. Recharged, I was ready to press on.
The difference in Romania is pronounced. The horse & traps is a common sight, buildings are much more dilapidated. I found a cash machine and went looking for a map of Romania. After trying 3 petrol stations I gave up and found a camp spot in some fields on the outskirts of town. Tomorrow I am on a mission.


Typical Hungarian town - North East.