Slovakia

MY SOUVENIR POSTCARD FROM CIERNY BALOG

WELCOME CIERNY BALOG  VILLAGE.

LOVELY SURA...,READY FOR THE TRAIN JOURNEY

ALL ABOARD THE CITRONELLA EXPRESS.

 The day got off to an early start as we packed up in Tisovec and took the drive to Cierny Balog Village.  I was so looking forward to this day outing on these trains,  Ever organised... Sura had   anticipated  the busy time and  had previously booked our tickets for some of the small train journeys on the really little popular trains that run from the small town village of Cierny Balog. This of course was one of the many wonderful things that Sura had previously organised for our "Postcard Club Meeting"..and was such a dissapointment that it was a no show..
  .Within the small train station in the village there are lots of people mingling around waiting for their train , purchasing tickets , eating in the small cafatertia.. Weof course had no dramas as all was previously booked and was just a matter of picking up the tickets..and waiting to get aboard the "Citronella Express.. A small train with about five passenger cars pulled by a litthe "Puffing Billy "" so exciting... I love trains..!!! Looking around I see many small trains ...steam and diesel locomotives and various types of wagons and carriages...also some flat cars ...This is truly a wonderful set up and is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. The first train journey took us through the most lovely countryside and I remember such a huge timber milling area with large amounts of logged trees ready for milling or transport.The little engine then takes a siding and we then return to the town after about two hours travelling to and fro,,
 The next train journey also a small steam engine takes us out through the dense local forrests..such beautiful scenery...and what a wonderful day it was.This was such a wonderful train experience..
 Thank you so much Sura..

Cierny Balog .:
 Is a municipality in The Brezno Disitrict of  Central Slovakia.
The village arose after 1882 by the merge of 13 different villages..
 Cierny Balog played an important role during World War II
 as one of the centres of The Anti Nazi Slovak uprising .

TURNING AROUND..

WOODEN CHURCH  FROM THE TRAIN

SUCH LOVELY COUNTRYSIDE

Slovakia.

WHAT A LOVELY BAKERY.! THE SMELL OF FRESHLY BAKED BREAD!!

A LOVELY PIC OF THE CABIN AND THE TRANQUIL SCENE HERE.

TISOVEC.

   

     
                   Sura arrives early for our visit to  her fathers cabin that is located in the mountains in  the small town of Tisovec. The drive is quite long as it is over 200 kilometers from Bratislava..We stop along the way at a marvellous bakery ...here we both have our "Coffee Fix " for the morning and buy some lovely freshly baked hot bread.and of course some sweet cakes !!! (We stop here once again on our return journey for another coffee Fix" and more lovely sweet cakes..)
      Early afternoon sees our arrival in Tisovec and Sura opens up the cabin and organises power, water etc,. This lovely cabin is situated in a very peaceful setting surrounded by all sorts of fruit trees and vegetables in the garden.. I was so taken by the quietness of the location and am sure that if you listened closely you would hear a butterfly fart.!!!
     The forrest air is crisp and the day ( for me) is quite cool After the very hot days that have been prevelant lately in the city od Bratislava..I can't remember when I was in such a quiet location and the absence of sounds is quite overwhelming.. The wonderful host that Sura is.. has also organised a lovely dinner of roast duck and extras..The fresh bread also is superb..So we have a nice chat about travel and whats to be seen and what we have on our agenda for the next day.. This was to be a meeting here of other members of our wonderful postcard club but it was a disapointment to Sura I believe that I was the only one that showed up  for it !! A meeting that had been organised some months before.. but for me this was wonderful and Sura as usual was such a wonderful host..This was a very memorable day to add to the many that I was to have on my visit to Slovakia..The next morning we leave early for the small town of Cierny Balog..another wonderful day that Sura has planned ...( this will be written about in my next post)
Thank you again Sura..you are so wonderfully generous .

NOT A SOUND TO BE HEARD !!

A SUPERB DINNER OF ROAST DUCK ...PLUS.

THE LOVELY SURA..DEEP IN THOUGHT !!!

Slovakia.

THE SLOVAK NATIONAL THEATRE    BRATISLAVA

BRATISLAVA CASTLE AND THE DANUBE RIVER.

WONDERFUL BUSSES

LOVELY SURA..

Bratislava. SLOVAKIA.
I at last am writing up about my wonderful stay in Bratislava , Slovakia , on my recent journey by train through Eastern Europe. Bratislava was the real highlight from this long trip and was really overjoyed when I was met by my wonderful host at the main railway station...for it was here that I at long last got to meet my great mate Sura....What a wonderful host she was for me during my stay here in this lovely city of Bratislava.. She saw to my everything..explaining the transport system , to my accommodation for me...organised the most yummy food ..and Cakes....Oh My !!! WE also we had many day trips to the country and to Czech Republic to visit some of the most magnificent Castles .. This was truly a wonderful "chill " after the previous two months of travel that had at some periods became difficult to say the least ..especially after bad food poisoning in India..
      I will write of the Castle visits to the Czech Republic on another posting on here..
   Bratislava was for me a place where I felt really comfortable...you know that feeling you sometimes get in a new place..!!! well this for me was just right...the transport system of trams and busses was easy to use , very cheap and frequent ..I stayed near the tram terminus so there was no way that I could get lost ...smile. and the bus stopped right outside the door....how good is that !!!..loved my visits to the old town with its "Olde Charm" and magnificent architecture.. I spent many days walking allover the city visiting and always had some time of most days in the old town...enjoying a beer as it was very hot summer..This for me was the most enjoyable stay in all my travel on this trip through nine countries..
    ::These postcards were souvenirs of my visit to Bratislava posted home..:

         Thank you so much Sura for making my stay such a wonderful memory for me of this trip..

Slovakia.

MY SOUVENIR POSTCARD HOME ...FROM MY VISIT TO THIS BEAUTIFUL CASTLE.

THE BEAUTIFUL COURTYARD IN THE CASTLE.

BEAUTY EVERYWHERE

MOST BEAUTIFUL FURNITRE

BRATISLAVA.:
Today see us on a short drive out of Bratislava to visit the castle of "Cerveny Kamen". This was surprise for me that lovely Sura had previously organised with an English speaking tour of the castle..I was immediately taken by the size and beauty of This wonderful castle that is now a Museum and National heritage to the Slovakian people. We no sooner arrived than our tour began which took us through the huge many rooms and into the Cellar/ dungeon part of the castle.. I was especially taken by the beautiful furniture that was in all the rooms and the hugeness of the main hall and the cellar also I was astounded at the wonderful condition of the Castle considering the many wars and conflicts that this part of the world had seen .This truly was a wonderful place to visit and so appreciative of my dear friend Sura for making it possible.. for this little guy from Australia.. to see such a magnificent castle.

SOME OF THE MAIN HALL

SOME OF THE MANY WEAPONS

MAGNIFICENT INTERIORS

CERVENY KAMEN CASTLE : is a 13th century castle located in the south western part of Slovakia in the area of The little Carpathians  near the village of Casta.Constructed in the 13th Century as part of the chain as the Kingdom of Hungary's Frontier defence Castles ranging from Pressburg to Zilina.This castle was completely rebuilt as a fortress in the first half of the 16th century. When the Pallfy family aquired the Castle in 1588 the fortress was completed and it became a representative noble castle.The Pallfy family were the owners of the Castle until the second World War.. .and today the castle  is a museum.

SURA IN THE HUGE BASEMENT

THE HUGE BASEMENT

MY LOVELY HOST IN BRATISLAVA...SURA..

THANK YOU SO MUCH MY DEAR SURA FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE..

Slovakia.

MY SOUVENIR CARD POSTED HOME FROM SLOVAKIA.

ALLEYWAYS IN 'THE OLD TOWN"

SCENE IN THE LOVELY OLD TOWN..

MEN AT WORK..LOOKING AT THE GIRLS

MY HOST  THE BEAUTIFUL SURA.

SOUVENIR CARD OF BRATISLAVA..

BRATISLAVA.: 10 JULY :
 The train journey from Budapest to Bratislava was a short one and the last in many that I would take on this journey through Asia and Eastern Europe and the Caucuses..A wonderful three months. I was very excited as today I was to meet my host in Bratislava and the" Organiser" of our Postcard Club meetup...The beautiful Sura.. I was really "stoked" that this last train journey was the culmination of many and I managed  to arrive here on the day pre- planned.. I was so pl;eased when I met Sura at the Main Railway Station and she whisks me away to my accomodation.a great location right at the terminus of the tram station to the city....so gracious is this woman that looks after me all the time that I stay in This lovely city of Bratislava...a town that I quickly  become very fond of .. Our afternoon is taken up with a great afternoon visit to the"Olde Town" and this is such a lovely part of the City and is a part of the city that I will spend a lot of the time that I am in Bratislava.So many quirky historical sights to be seen here like the "Man at Work" looking up all the girls skirts !!! . I quickly become used to the public transport system of great trams and busses very easy to use with little fuss..A wonderful afternoon in the Olde Town being shown the many lovely parts of the city.such a lovely quiet part of the city with exquisite old architecture and picturesque buildings..I am once again bowled over with the beauty of these cities...I have so much to write about my visit here that I will add much to my travelogue on this lovely place . I am very surprised how hot the days are here during my visit.

Hungary.

 Budapest  HUNGARY :

This was a great night out in Budapest and it was the local Hard Rock Cafe..I always visit the Hard Rock Cafe's wherever they may be on my travels and always assured of  a great Hamburger and a few cold beers.. the big offshoot of this is the amazing memorabilia to be seen in these venues worldwide with no two pieces the same...There was some great pieces here and is easy to see why  I call these places the Museum of Rock and Roll.. One can be assured to meet many friendly people in these HRC's  This was no exception.and hear some great music of the many famous bands on the big screens.. I must say this time traveling through Eastern Europe was the hottest temperatures that I have ever endured in even all the time I lived in Europe..(see card 38 degrees..) amazing..I must say that Budapest is right at the top of my list of beautiful cities visited along with Prague..I have enjoyed my time here..

"ON DRUMS" HARD ROCK CAFE BUDAPEST.

BEHIND THE BAR AT THE  HRC,  BUDAPEST.

AMAZING MEMORABILIA.

BUDDY HOLLY'S TOUR JACKET

MAMAS AND THE PAPAS MEMORABILIA

LOVELY LOCAL MAILBOX BUDAPEST.