If you have visited this web-site before, you may know that in 1996 we made a very rapid trip to Slovakia with two cars and two 'vans. This year we met up with Jimmy and Mary on the Saturday afternoon at Val de Vesle, near Reims. (Retirement, it seems, means you can go to France as soon as you like!) From there we drove to Gambsheim (north of Strasbourg). arriving there at 19:45. We found the office locked and deserted - before the signed 20:00 closing time. So, no electricity - nor a key for the shower and toilet block. In the morning, we were forced to accept a serious apology - and a 50% reduction. We then crossed the Rhine and took the autobahn via Karlesruhe, Stuttgart and Munich towards Saltzburg.
The blowout of the off-side caravan tyre happened at 55mph on the hard-shoulderless autobahn approaching the Austrian border. Fanfares of horns, from the BMW's emerging from the rubber smoke together with the frantic shouts over the CB were the real alert. Neither the Discovery nor the 'van wavered at all. Our French, double semi-elliptic sprung, stabiliser system is truly magic! So, a diversion into Berchtesgarten for a replacement tyre was called for.
The local Esso station sold us vignettes for the Austrian motorway and then it was back to life in the fast lane, to travel as far as the services near to St Polten. The 'Rosenburger' reastaurant is superb. Excellent food, soothing showers - and eagle-eyed policemen dealing out tickets to those without vignettes!
Resuming our trip in the morning, we turned to skirt the south of Vienna and descended to the Danube plain. That of the city on view from the motorway, can be said to have less attraction than the depths of our dustbin after a long bank-holiday, so with mixed feelings we pressed on, taking the main road on the bank of the Danube. Eventually, we passed though the two border posts and into the Slovakian Republic and Bratislava.
I'm afraid that none of us realised that Slovakia also requires vignettes. Maybe we missed the signs. Anyway, after riding the waves of asphalt which serve as the main roads in the capital city, we mistakenly took the motorway as far as Trnava, where we stopped for fuel, before heading off towards Nitra, Banska Bystrica. We arrived in Brezno on the thursday afternoon. to become re-aquainted with our Slovakian friends and glorious silence!
A few miles south of Brezno lies the small village of Cerny Balog where a remarkable project continues. The restoration of a narrow guage railway. It was originally powered by wood burning steam locomotives and its purpose was to move timber from the forest to the main track. It is the subject of considerable enthusiastic effort by young and old. Currently the track runs from Cerny Balog to Hronec, through pretty valleys and between peaceful fields. The train-loads of visitors are not always drawn by steam in closed carriages, for there are a few diesel engines as well. Some in active service. The station restaurant is well worth a meal and the bar at Cerny Balog is a comfort in the dry heat; though the yard and the shed should be visited first. No 'Health & Safety' act here, though. You are responsible for your own actions! The advantage is that you can pretty much as you please - but please don't get in the way of progress.
We visited a castle on a cliff, and took the guided tour up 1400 steps to visit all the floors, to watch falconry, musket firing and see the original furnishings. The view from the highest windows was exhilarating - but I wouldn't have wanted to live there. We visited a museum and gallery to see icons and contemporary Slovak art, and we drove east, as far as Kosice to see the musical fountains, the re-furbished plaza and the view from the cathedral.
Since our first visit, Slovakia has moved towards becoming another European country. 'Tesco' has opened supermarkets which provide many Slovakians with a glimpse into what will be. They push their empty trolley carts around, looking at the goods on offer. Bargain prices for us, but still out of the reach of the ordinary folk who patronise local markets. There are more adverts on buildings and beside the roads, and there are more Slovakian registered cars - but driving is still lunatic and now with extra speed! Fashion has arrived brightly with mini skirts and high heels and the young now have time for posing. On the other side of the social coin, there didn't seem to be many new factories so maybe the economy isn't really sound. It is still 'cheap' for the English and, away from the towns, it remains a haven.
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