A night to Remember - forever!

The Hotel Národný dom in Banská Bystrica is hot. We slept last night with the windows open, me enduring the mosquitoes! There was a thunderstorm that yielded some rain later in the night, which cooled everything down just a tad - but not really enough for me.
And this morning is as hot as yesterday afternoon. And to add insult to injury, right on 7 am building works start up just outside our window - we knew they would, there are comments on booking.com's website about it.
But the rooms, while hot are nicely appointed. The outside of the hotel and the public areas however need major overhauling!

I had let the blog get away when the connection was so bad in Bratislava and it takes me all late last night and a couple of hours this morning to get it up to date. Michael comments that I have created a monster, but really, we will look back in time and be glad we have recorded our thoughts and impressions - of that I am sure! I am too hot to be bothered with breakfast this morning, but Michael goes down and has a light one - cereal and fruit. He said that they had a reasonable range on offer, but he too is not really all that hungry.

As soon as we get out of the room, we realise that the day is not so bad. Turns out that this stretch of the hotel has sun all day and is surrounded on three sides by other buildings - guess that explains the heat! Once we are on the road moving, with the windows down (we haven't been able to get the condenser pipe for the air conditioning repaired) it is actually quite pleasant.

We are headed back to Vienna to go to the Mozart Concert tonight - at the same venue where they hold the Vienna New Years Concert each year - the Musikverein which is a block behind the Opera House. We have reserved tickets - all we need to do is make sure we are there by 8 pm.

We looked at travelling north to see a little more of Slovakia and then coming in to Vienna from the north, but it will add more than 2 hours to an already 3 hour trip. So <sigh> on to the mtorways we go. After the journey of the last two days, the trip is comparatively boring. One light piece of trivia is that we left Banská Bystrica this morning on Route 66. Certainly can draw some parallel with its famous namesake - it is long and seemingly unending! (This reference would be familiar to those of you who watched the 1960's program "Route 66", featuring George Maharis, Martin Milner and introduced by Nelson Riddle's very recognisable theme music?) This then becomes route 77 LOL! And the roadworks continue. We are still amazed at the amount of repairs and road building going on and the scant regard for WH&S. Honestly, our guys would literally have heart attacks! And there is none of this 3 men to a shovel - they are busy and everyone is doing something productive. What is a little surprising is the number of police with their mobile radar guns that are operative near roadworks areas - maybe this is to compensate for the lax WH&S in an endeavour to keep the workers safe.

This is something of a laugh because while drivers do tend to slow done, some, around roadworks, at other times they drive like maniacs taking all sorts of risks overtaking. I am playing it a little more safe - I mean if the car were to be damaged . . .
We also encounter the radar police at the border crossing - although there are no longer any border formalities to be had, they infrastrucutre is still in place - including the traffic limits. And there they were, out of the heat in the shade of the border overpass, clocking heaps of people doing more than the 20 kph - I mean, there really is no need to go that slow any longer - but! Never let it be said that they let an opportunity go to waste!

Oh, and you remember how we lost the trucks? Well, today we found them all again! Heading for Western Europe of course - miles of them!

So we continue to travel westwards again - towards much more affluent areas. And as we leave this little country that has so many parallels in nature to Australia, there are reminders that all is not the same. From the manual labourers, forking hay into the back of trucks in the searing summer sun, to the kitsch gnome garden and the roadside fast food outlets - this one was jam packed when we came through last Friday - so the food must be good. We'll never know - we didn't stop.

Vienna is frenetic, hustling like a city going about its business. The traffic is chaotic as we arrive around 2:30 pm. One of the sights I had wanted to see was The Prater. We ran out of time last time and so figure that since we go within a kilometre os it, its as good a time as ever to go have a look. The giant ferris wheel is supposed to give great views over the City. Turns out that it is just like what Luna Park was like in Sydney in the 1970s.

Lots of rides - rollercoasters, dodgem cars, water slides, miniature train, merry go rounds and the famous big Ferris Wheel. Interestingly, you line up for your photo even before you board the ride! Then it is up you go in replica cabins based on the original design. Yes, the views are great, but you are too far from the Old City to see any significant detail. But there are great views of the amusement park below and the parklands setting in which it sits.

There are also great views of the Wien Praterstern railway station, one of the major railway stations of Vienna and you can see how busy the station is with trains arriving and departing all the time we are on the ride. And so, one circulation done, our ride is done - guess we can say, been there, been had!

We continue in to the City and around to our hotel that is much closer in then the youth hostel where we stayed last time. The Hotel Drei Kronen is not too far from the Opera House, so it should be easy to get in to the Mozart Concert nearby tonight. When we only stay one or two nights at a hotel, we no longer drag the suitcase out each time. Rather, we have a large carry bag that has all the basics in it. Tonight however, for the first time in a long time, we need to get our 'good' clothes out to attend the concert, so the suitcase comes in tonight as well! Parking is just down the street in a secure car park, so its not too bad.

The weather that was on the horizon while we were on The Prater has hit and just before we head into town for our night out, the rain starts. So it is a cab job. We get in to the Musikverein in plenty of time and join the hundreds of other people queueing to collect their tickets. The programs are very reasonable (surprise, surprise) at €5 each and so we buy one as a souvenir. Michael then poses with the seller for a photo. This is the venue where they host the Vienna New Years Day concert each year and it is a sumptuously beautiful building. Built in Greek Renaissance style, it is marble and gold, stunning proportions, elaborate statuary, ceiling frescoes and 10 huge crystal chandeliers hanging above our heads.

And that is even before the performance begins! We had purchased better tickets on the condition that we could get seats dead centre in the front row of the balcony - which we did! Except that no one told us there was a divider between the two seats! Didn't matter, but we each had to enter from opposite ends of the row. The view was magnificent with the full 30 piece orchestra in period costume right in front of us.

The program included works by Mozart and Haydn and featured two opera singers - Claudia Ema Camie (Koloratur Soprano) and Sokolin Asllani (Baritone) as well. The orchestra was conducted by Ewald Donhoffer. After 90 of beautiful music in a magnificent setting, the concert finished with Strauss - Blue danube waltz and then a hearty rendition of the Johann Strauss Vater "Radetzky Marsch" Op.228 with full audience participation being managed by the Conductor!

We are on a real high as we leave and who cares that it is raining? Oh, is it raining?! We have not yet had dinner, so at 10 pm in Vienna, we stroll with our heads filled with music and soon come upon the Imperial Hotel and it's restaurant and although we know that this is one of the more expensive restaurants in the city, decide to finish our wonderful night by treating ourselves to a special dinner.

And special it was. We are greeted at the entry door by Uwe Reithner who went on to serve as my personal sommelier. Together with our waiter, Erich Hahn, they ensured we had a very memorable experience. In this stunning silver service setting, they were helpful without being overbearing, there when you needed them and not while we were eating. They made sublime suggestions about the menu, discussed wine choices and even joked with us. When asked for the bill, Erich even joked "ah, you want to sign - or wash dishes in the kitchen!"

The food was delicious - I wish there was a better word to capture it. When Erich noticed that I was writing down our menu choices (and I told him about the blog) he went to bring me a copy of the menu to take away, unasked - see what I mean about service - pre-empting our every need. Gosh, how can we make choices from what is on offer, it all sounded so delicious. Nevertheless, we do eventually make the following choices:
Appetiser (compliments of the chef) and once this came we knew we were in for a special meal:
Roasted tuna with fresh herbs and included tiny little tomatoes, one dried the other fresh. With it I had a glass of Tio Pepe Sherry
Entrees:
Viennese Calf's Lights with Chive Dumpling and Fried Quail's Egg (fine slivers of heart and tongue done in a sauce with fine slivers of vegetables) Michael
Lobster Bisque with Armagnac and Lobster Dumpling (exquisite, served into the bowl in front of me, and "with a drop or two of Armagnac madad, or the whole bottle?") Maria
Mains:
Sauteed half lobster with Calamari-Red Pepper Ragout and Leek (artistically presented with the meat curling from its shell) Michael
Roasted fillet of Veal on Mushrooms with Polenta Souffle (served with baby vegetables) Maria. And with it a glass of Mantherhoff Reisling 2007 from the Lower Austria region around Vienna.
Desserts:
Gosh, we hardly needed them, but why would we not complete the night by finishing our meal with something sweet. When we told Erich that we wanted something light, he suggested that we have the Poppy Seed Parfait with stewed apricots from the set menu. So we agreed and it could not have been a better choice even though I could only eat half and Michael therefore got a very generous portion! This was subklime. The parfait was amazing but for me, the apricots were even better - forget your grandma's recipe here. They were sweet, sticky but definitely not sickly and had a hint of cardamom and I think rosewater - gosh, if only there was something like taste-a-vision so you could taste what it was like!

We finished our night with wonderful coffee and hand made truffle chocolates which we couldn't finish!
So tonight we have spent 4 days budget, but it is a night we will remember forever, finished in the company of a couple of new mates in Vienna - thanks Erich and Uwe - you made a memorable night the best!

Young people are great ambassadors

Everything about the Hotel Yasmin is top notch. There was a young lady named MARTA on reception when we checked in yesterday who was so very helpful and pleasant. But when I asked if we could get on to the roof to take some photos of the Košice skyline, she was horrified and quickly explained that there were still buillding works going on up there so it wasn't possible.

Breakfast this morning was first rate with cereals, cold meats and cheeses, cooked to order egg dishes, a good selection of fresh fruit, breads and pastries, juices, teas and coffee. Ahh it was wonderful to have such a wide variety again!

Marta is genuinely interested in what we think of the hotel, so we get chatting as we check out. Turns out that it is brand new - its only been open for 3 months! I asked if they got many tourists and she replied that most of their guests are business people and now the events are starting to book. When asked if there are many weddings held there she told me that there had been 3-5 since the hotel opened. Then she added that she was getting married herself in two weeks, so I asked whether she would have her wedding party at the hotel but she shook her head and said no, she could not afford it, and they are trying to save money, and so will have a holiday later as well. Much like us when we got married I told her. So all the very best for your wedding day and your future Marta. We hope the management realise what a great employee you are!

Last night really whetted our appetite for the city centre here, so back in we drove to take a look in the daylight. And we are so glad we did. Mass had just started at Košice's Cathedral - St. Elizabeth´s Cathedral, so I opted to go. The experience of Mass in a totally different language is amazing - the rituals are still the same, so there is a feeling of understanding, but just not being able to participate fully is frustrating! This Cathedral is not some shiny showpiece that we found some of the Vienna churches to be - it is the local community's place of worship. Mass was well attended primarily with older parishioners, but there were comparatively many more younger people and young families in attendance than we would see at home.

This Cathedral is considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in the world. It was built between 1378 and 1508 and is the city's oldest architectural landmark. Particularly imposing is the main altar with its three oversize statues and forty-eight panel paintings, while the side altars, stunning Gothic wall paintings that have survived the centuries of grime and sculptures add to the charm. It has a beautifully tessellated roof and the most amazing gilt decorated spire. And they have a reliquery that is said to contain a drop of Jesus' blood given down the ages to the Archbishop of the time by Pope Paul II.
St. Michael's Chapel located to the south of the Catedral, is a single-nave Gothic edifice from the 14th century. Originally a cemetery chapel, it is the city's second oldest building.

And while I am at Mass, Michael goes to visit the Archaeological Museum very close to the Cathedral. Unearthed during roadwork in 1996, the buried remains of the ancient archaeology of medieval Košice - defence chambers, fortifications, waterways and the cathedral foundations - in the mazelike passages were a real highlight for him. Especially the gate tower built in the late 13th century, the oldest fortified entrance in the town (the Arpad Gate).

In the light of day, the musical fountain continues to put on its lovely show. I must admit that it looks most stunning at night, but to sit in the shade near the fountain for a little while was so cool - something fantastic on what is becoming a very hot day! Children were playing around the edge, lots of families and older people sitting, chilling out!

So it is time to hit the road again. The national speed limit on highways in 90 kph (130 kph on the newer motorways) so you can maybe start to imagine what the roads are like. Not only are the highways narrower than many we have been on, they are in fairly poor condition with the evidence of heavy truck and farm machinery use evident by the rutting and tar lips on the edges. Still, they are not impassable by any stretch of the imagination. Yesterday we had travelled the motorways because of the distance we were travelling.

Today, we are not going so far - only to a town called Banská Bystrica - about 200 kms away. I have programmed Kate to avoid the motorways and added a few side destinations so that we get what I hoped was a more scenic route. I was hoping that this route might take us in to the Tatra Mountains where there is supposed to be some stunning gorge passes. But true to form, the route I have chosen traverses the valley just to the south of them! We couldn't get a good photo because of the incredible haze - probably caused by a temperature inversion. This range is the highest in the Carpathian Mountains and rise majestically from the flat valley floor just near the city of Poprad - as though some giant just dumped them there!

Here on the northern side of the Ore Mountains, there are less of the concrete flat blocks and more individual houses - especially in the smaller towns. And they look less depressed - the houses are better maintained, gardens are planted and even the people in the street have a more contented look to them. The farm machinery is much more modern with combine harvesters busy at work (no rest for the farmer on a Sunday - hey Jeff?) No-one appreciated the farmer though, parked in his machine on the edge of the road, reading a newspaper while the traffic piled up around him in both directions.

We saw some great sites travelling this way. There was the young lass roller-blading in the middle of nowhere, miles from anywhere. Then there was the boom gate that came down just as we were nearing it - again on a back road miles from anywhere - probably the only train of the day - and we caught it!!

We see two very different sides to life in Slovakia today. We pass through a number of small spa towns where there are local pools capturing the waters and on a day like today, being thronged by the local population. Again, there is an air of affluence - though we are puzzled at the source of income - many of the smaller towns have no obvious industry and little in the way of commerce - maybe family members are some of those truck drivers seen so prolifically in Western Europe!

And then there are the Roma people as Slovakina gypsies are called. Living in what can only be described as shanty towns or slums, we saw a number of settlements on the outskirts of traditional towns. These people are unlike the blond and often very beautiful Slovakian race, rather, they are much darker - even swarthy, although they have a proud beauty all their own. We saw them walking into Krompachy, a distance of something like 5 kms, where Michael bought two crisp bagettes, 3 bananas and 2 croissants for €1.71! They hawk eggs and honey on the roadside, older kids were swimming in a muddy pool of water that had filled in a pit on the side of road-works. Yes, there is definitely a diochotemy of living here in Slovakia. Like in many places, the haves get more, while the have-nots survive with less and less.

So westwards we continue, travelling via Poprad then Lučivná and Štrba to Banská Bystrica. We climb up into the Low Tatras - an offshoot of the Tatra Mountains and down into valleys. This is skiing country and there is obvious affluence and the signs of a car race! Finally we reach Banská Bystrica and get caught up again in massive road works and other building sites. Kate wants me to turn where I can't so again, now knowing where we need to be, we abandon her in favour of local knowledge!

Once we have checked in to the Hotel Národný dom around 6:30 pm we connect with home and then later, head up town to have dinner. The City Square is large by standards here and nicely laid out with decorated and classical buildings surrounding it.

Michael had gone for a walk earlier on to inspect the local restaurants, and we settle on a side-walk restaurant called 'Starobystricka' in the town square. Dinner was a combination of:
Entree:
Paradajková so syrom (Tomato soup with cheese) - Maria
Teplé Predjedlá (Roasted chicken livers with toast) - Michael
Mains:
Rybie filé na bazalkovom masle (Fish fillet with basil butter) - Maria
Husacie stehno, lokša, červená kapusta (Goose leg with potato dumpling and red cabbage) - Michael
As dinner was quite filling we opted not to have dessert and had coffee instead.

After returning to the hotel, Michael went out for a fag and to take a few night shots of Banská Bystrica.

A journey through time across Slovakia

Bratislava was a little cooler this morning which was really lovely. We have a full day driving ahead of us - 5½ hours to be exact. But this will take us across almost the whole breadth of Slovakia, one of Europe's newest republics and oldest civilizations.

We are travelling east to Košice, but to do so, must first head north. We travel just south of the Ore Mountains, following their line through the valley at their feet. So for most of the trip they are on our left and on our right are seemingly endless plains with the occasional rolling hills. The day is warm - over 30°C again and there is a constant haze as we travel, even though we have got away by 9 am.

Driving through the outer suburbs of Bratislava and further east, we are amazed at three things:
1. The constant use of drab gray concrete blocks of flats
2. The proliferation of advertising hoarding signs - and the size of them. Visual pollution at its very worst! and finally
3. No trucks - for the first time since we have been back in Europe, we have not seen a single pantechnicon or large lorry today! Literally, NOT ONE. We are puzzled, but just for a moment - ah yes, that's right! They are all in Western Europe, providing the cheap transport connections for trade - even though well over half of all the trucks we ever saw were from Eastern Europe - Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Slovenia and Romania!
The farming here is more like back home - large plots across the plains with first sunflowers and corn, then as we travel further east and the country gets drier and drier, maize and hay. And high over the plains, we see these very strange cloud formations. Now, while I am no meteorologist, clouds have always held a fascination for me and as a fairly advanced geographer, I like to think that my knowledge is perhaps just a little better than average. But I have never seen anything like these. The photo taken from the car does not really do them justice - they were light and airy on the edges and quite 'fuzzy' with dark centres. Different!

En-route we don't see too many signs for tourist attractions. Just outside the city of Nitra, we see a sign to Hronský Beňadik with a church sign. So, needing an excuse to get out and stretch out legs, this seems as good as any. It is only 2kms off the highway, so off we go. This Benedictine Abbey dates from the late 1300s although like many of the early churches, there is evidence of even earlier places of worship. It was an important place of learning and development in Slovakia. However, although protected, it is now quite derelict and needs significant funds to be applied so that it remains in good enough condition for future generations to appreciate. The church is very dim and smells like the ages - you know, that kind of damp, kind of musty, kind of incensy sort of smell that very old churches have - well, given that there is nothing in Australia anywhere near as old as this, maybe you don't. But take our word, it smelled of the ages! We can hear the organ from outside, but at first we don't think that the Church is open. While the front door is open, there is a grill placed across the second door. Having walked through the cloister, we meet the young lady form their little shop who in faltering English tells us that we can go in "it is open". So back in we go - ahh yes, the little side door opens. There are very few lights inside - one chandelier and four small lights on the side walls, so it is very dim. The young lass has given us a history translated into English and we read that there are a number of very old paintings on the walls as well as reports of a number of relics owned by the Church. The stained glass windows dating back to the 1400s are stunning - but dark! The interior is too dark to photograph but Michael manages to get one in a small chapel up a few steps, complete with richly painted walls. And that practicing organist was playing music so suited to the mood of this church - quiet and reflective and not at all thundering!

But perhaps the most noticeable things about our journey across Slovakia are the very tired looking towns and the dearth of derelict infrastructure. Together with the main form of accommodation - rows and rows of those drab apartment blocks, they demonstrate the hold that the communists had over this otherwise picturesque country. The smaller towns have battled to maintain themselves with most of the houses very dilapidated, small and boxy many with flat roofs - kind of like what you picture would be found in traditional Mexico. Roads in the small towns are appalling, a series of patches on patches and lots of dusty sections. But where there is a settlement of any size, there is a huge processing plant of some desription and lots of those apartment blocks. Turns out that the communist rulers 'relocated' populations at their whim to provide labour for the factories. How heartbreaking that must have been.

And in one, town Detva, where we skirt through the edges, there was this series of huge pipelines that snaked their way through the town. Up over entrances to commercial and industrial areas, across the river and under a rusty rail track. The roads bend along its length, paths cross it. It encloses housing estates and dominates the whole town, like some silent insidious serpent trapping all in its lair.

There are quite a number of castles and castle ruins - reminders on high stronghold vantage points of the value of this little country to varying other peoples. Nitra Castle in particular was huge - although its art deco style battlements suggest that it has undergone a number of changes over its lifetime.

Cemeteries here are outside of the church grounds which is a surprise in this largely christian area. Instead of attached to the churches like in other European areas we find them on high grounds away from the churches - maybe so they can keep watch over all perhaps!

Košice was a surprise. Slovakia's second largest city, you enter from the west through the blight of an American giant (United States Steel) no doubt taking advantage of a rich supply of natural resources and cheap labour. I guess the saving grace is that they provide local employment and provide some investment into the community - a new sports stadium! Hmm, methinks that they could do much, much more. That said though, the huge open cuts mines, the checkerboard painted stacks and pylons and the huge blue processing plant are a blight and do not give a good first impression of the city if you are arriving from the west.

We are booked in to the Hotel Yasmin. About 1 km from the old town (Staré mesto), it is a new hotel that is obviously being targeted at a growing tourist market and the convention and event scene. In fact as we arrive there are preparations underway for a wedding party tonight. We have a room on the tenth floor - looking over the old town and the expected plethora of those unit blocks. As we did not stop for lunch we are now starving and so order a burger (Michael) and brie, walnut and apple on a crisp, crusty roll for me. The airconditioning is on, the room is cool and joy of joys, the net connection is fast and reliable. So we spend a few hours bring the blog up to date and chatting on skype to Gen.

Once the air has cooled, we head out for an evening in town. Thank god Kate is up to date. The streets are a maze of one-way passes, the intersections huge and criss-crossed with tram lines and a lack of any real directions on who has right of way. Thankfully, as it is evening, there is not too much traffic.

The light is now just fading and it is that lovely time betwixt dusk and dark. The old buildings have wonderful silhouettes in this light. We are amazed at the size of the market square and the number of huge and beautiful public buildings and churches. But perhaps the best thing to be seen tonight is the musical fountain. Yep, a fountain that shoots jets of water to music. Now Sarah, this might not be as large as the one at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas, but given the size of this City (and its resources) it is pretty darn impressive. There are heaps of people sitting and standing in the park that surrounds the fountain (which is between the Cathedral and the City Hall) watching and taking photos. And the we hear the bells! There is a Carillion next to the fountain, but we can barely make it out in the dark. The bells are attached to a free-standing frame, not hidden away in a building. They sound really neat - can't wait to see them in the morning!

After wandering up and down the plaza, we stop at the local eatery - med malina reštaurácia for dinner. It is quaint and traditional with lots of locals there. We eat indoors where there is no smoking allowed - outside on the plaza, at every table they are puffing away!
Entree:
Plesnivý syr s olivami, olivovým dejom a bielym pečivom (Moulded cheese with olives, olive oil and white rolls) Michael
Mains:
Koleno s pivovo-medovou o máčko s chrenom a horčicou (Pork node with honey-beer sauce, horseradish and mustard) and Opekané zemiaky (American Potatoes) Michael
Vyprá źanýsyr (Fried cheese) with Varené nové zemlaky (Boiled potatoes) Maria. We also both had a plate of Varená zelenina podl’a ponuty (Boiled seasonal vegetables).

Now this was a feast. Traditional dishes, served in a traditional local restaurant by a pleasant but no-English local woman. And for the sum of €27 we also got mineral water, a glass of regional Rosé and espresso coffees to finish!

So we return to the hotel, with Kate getting us lost in the back suburban streets surrounding the hotel - all of which are dead ends. So in the end I turn her off and let my own homing sense get us there. The wedding party is still raging, but we cannot hear it from our lofty room - thankfully!