MY SPRING 1997 TRIP TO SLOVAKIA

PART TWO

I have arrived in Bratislava late at night only to find nobody home. My family was at their cottage in Borsky Peter. I made few phone calls picked the keys to the apartment unpacked my two huge suitcases and called my friend Martin Vais with whom I went for a soup shortly after. We went first to the folkdance group Lucnica bar, but since the cook wasn't there they weren't serving any food for the moment, we went to the restaurant next door for sauerkraut soup. Later on, walking home alone I couldn't resist going to McDonalds at SNP Square and have a Big Mac. It was great. By the way they recently opened the second McDonalds in Bratislava at the edge of the town on the main highway to Prague. It is a stand-alone building with drive in next to OMV Gas station.

Woke up early in the morning and the first trip was to the post office to mail the Slovak mailing of the latest issue of the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter. From the post office I went to the coffeehouse U Maziarika had two espressos and later on drove to Banska Bystrica to see our correspondent Dana Hodulova. She wasn't at the university, but I found her practicing with her folk music Maticiarik at the local office of Matica Slovenska there. While at the office I had a nice talk with my friend and the leader and choreographer of folkdance group Partizan from Slovenska Lupca, Igor Kovacovic. Personally I feel that Partizan is one of the best Slovakia's amateur folk dance groups, especially with their Upper Hron dances. In the afternoon I went to Vysehradne to visit my friend potter Rastislav Haronik at the Folk house in Vysehradne. Miro, Rasto's brother was home, Rasto was away in Handlova and their 82-year-old mother was in hospital again. While in Bratislava I also managed to visit the "Tesco" store. Tesco of Great Britain bought out K-Mart that bought out Prior, Slovakia's major department store chain. Couldn't make it, so Tesco bought them out. I went to the food store located at the basement level and bought a huge package of fruit de mer. Shrimps, scallops, octopus, squid and many other edible sea creatures. We decided with Miro to cook a seafood dinner when Rasto would return and that was to be tomorrow. The next morning I went to visit our new correspondent Maria Rybarova in Bojnice. We went for a lunch at restaurant "Charlie," right next to the cultural center and also close to the Bojnice's castle. Charlie is my favorite restaurant in Bojnice as they offer great service and food. After lunch we went to check some holding reservoirs for waste from huge chemical plants in Novaky as I felt it would make a great story. One huge holding reservoir was out of service and covered with soil and the other one, high up in the mountains was being updated and currently dry. They have installed plastic lining on its bottom and were still working at it. So no pictures no story.

Later on I went to Vysehradne again, Rasto was now home and I cooked a great seafood dinner. Just garlic butter parsley, salt and pepper, flour and little bit of white wine. The whole thing served on a bed of rice accompanied with white wine and we felt like on French Riviera.

Monday morning, Vysehradne was snowed in. It did looked yesterday as if the spring was definitely in. I drove Maria to Nitra as she had school that day and I continued to Bratislava. First stop was to pick up my folk tapes and CD's order at Nadacia Prebudena Piesen and visiting my friend Vladimir Kysel. Here I learned of the state competition of villages folk groups "Bearers of Traditions" in Zvolen, April 11-13. Vladimir has asked me to do a photo report for him. I gladly agreed as I consider Vladimir to be my friend and I feel that he is one of the best organizers of folklore happenings in Slovakia. He is involved in most of the major festivals as Vychodna and Detva and also not so major festivals such as Kokava nad Rimavicou and Hrusovska Parada, just to mention few. Then I went to the Syndicate of the Slovak Journalist to pay my membership dues and to extend my Press Pass until March 1998. I also managed finally to get a Press Pass for our long time reporter Dana Hodulová. So she is now a member of the Slovak Syndicate of Journalists and The International Journalists Federation.

Every visit the first few days I try to see as many folklorists' friends as possible to find what is happening and where so I can adjust my plan accordingly. This Friday at the Slovak National Theater there will be a premiere of an opera by Giuseppe Verdi's, Don Carlos. I have tried to get some tickets with my press pass, but the only ones that they had left were the worst seats. I was told you can hear the singing really good, but won't be able to see much even with long neck. I tried to contact the director and his assistant, but they were both gone already. I returned to the sales office and was told that I may be able to get unpicked reserved tickets on Wednesday, so that is what I had decided to do.

Today I am going to meet our new reporter, student of journalism at the University of Nitra, Claudia Veghova in her hometown, Komarno. Komarno is at the border with Hungary and during my 19 years of living in Czecho-Slovakia I don’t remember ever visiting there. Two minutes before leaving the phone rung and it was my friend, journalist Milan Rusko. I met him in front of the vegetable market; we talked in the car for few minutes. Soon I was on the way to Komarno. The weather was beautiful; the road was great, recently paved. This is the southernmost point area of Slovakia, close to the Hungarian border. The land is flat and the soil is very rich. Here I could notice the first signs of spring with green buds on the trees. In Komarno I met Claudia and her friend Juraj in front of the hotel Europa and we went right away to the fort. I wanted to go inside, but I have learned from Claudia that the fort is in army use and not open to the public. I was very disappointed, as I have seen beautiful pictures of the old and the new Komarno's forts in the Slovakia walking through centuries of cities and towns book. We had circled the fort twice trying to find a spot for picture taking. I have settled for a picture of outside wall, as I couldn't get to the gate inside. As I never give up easily, I went to the army check point, flashed my press passes, got to talk to one of the officers by phone and another, the Captain of the fort in person and persuaded him to let me in. He gave me a tour of the complete fort and I was able to take pictures. After we went to the old town, walked by the City hall, statute of Francz Lehar and we also visited Greek Orthodox Church that is turned into a museum.

Next day I decided to go to Kremnica, medieval mining town where the mint of the Slovak Republic is located. They make all Slovak Coins there. I tried to get into the factory, but after long wait after all I didn't get in. Well perhaps next time. Kremnica has a beautiful town square and a castle on the hill above town. Very beautiful setting. Most of the buildings at the Town Square were recently restored to their original beauty. I also visited Kostolany pod Tribecom near Zlate Moravce and visited an old Romanesque style Catholic Church above the village. From there I went to Hronsky Benadik to visit my friend Father Vit Usak in Hronsky Benadik, however I didn’t see him as he was having his afternoon rest and I had no time to wait. Will see him this summer. I also went to see Verdi's opera Rigoletto, it was great. I really enjoyed it. I spent few days in Bratislava, didn't take many pictures as the streets in the medieval core of the old town were all dug out as they were putting telephone and other cables in. They are also still finishing two buildings at the Main Square in front of the old city hall. Prior to Easter on Wednesday I visited Levoca and my friends the lecturers at the Church of St. James. Most of the altars were closed by the paintings that are not visible during the year and I was able to photograph them all. Altar of Snowy Virgin Mary was recently restored and returned after two years absence to the church. Later on we all went to the Three Apostles Restaurant at the main square. The service was great as was the food and prices. Very pleasant restaurant. I spent few days in Vitaz at the home of my friend and singer Lucka Stasikova. The weather was scary. Snowing or freezing rain almost every day. My brother in law had told me about interesting churches in Torysky, Vysne Repase and Nizne Repase. I went to the area one day, but this being the holy week I didn't get inside of any of them. There will be next time, no problem. Later on I went to see my friend Jaroslav Biros from Okruzna near Presov and learned of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the folk group Sarisan.

Finally on April 1st the "All fools day," and this is not a joke, the weather feels like the spring is really here. It's sunny and warm, no wind and perhaps tonight I will be able to see once again the Halle-Bopp Comet clearly visible over Slovakia for some time now on clear nights. Yes I did, and I seen it later on numerous occasions. While in Bojnice for Lucnica's performance I spent an hour at the Bojnice mineral bath health spa. Just fantastic. You feel much younger and fresher after the swim.

Friday, April 11, early afternoon I arrived in Zvolen, registered at the festival's office and went to work. I set up my video camera to make documentary of the festival at the instrument floor of the theater and went around the theater taking pictures of each performing group. They were all great. All together 15 groups were competing for two prizes of 10000.00 Sk about US $ 330.00 and numerous tape decks. The main sponsors of this festival were Matica Slovenska and National Cultural Center. Here is a list of the competing groups: Spacianka-Spacince, Selcan-Selec, Kudzel-Dlhe nad Cirochou, Javorinka-Miskeh Dedinka, Hora-Rejdova, Kycer-Tura Luka, Lubena-Poluvsie, Dobrona-Dobra Niva, Sliacanka-Sliace, Polana-Jarabina, Pridan-Vitaz, Tiesnavan-Krpelany, Rasavican-Raslavice, Gyongyosborkreta-Kamenin, Plachtice-Pribelce. The two top prizes were awarded to Raslavican from Raslavice and Pridan from Vitaz both in Saris county.

Soon I was in Bratislava again visiting my friends at the museum of Jewish Culture and the Castle. My month came quickly to an end and I returned via Munich and London to Vancouver only to find that British Airways managed again to lose one of my suitcases. Well they sure have so far a 100% hit each time I travel with them. Three trips three losses. The suitcase arrived the next day and it was all fine. Vancouver weather was much better than the European one and the Japanese cherry trees and other flowers were all in bloom. Soon I was sifting through over 1800 email messages and quite bit of mail.

GO BACK TO TRAVEL

Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 5, No. 2, Summer 1997
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1997 
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The above article may not be copied, reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express written permission of Vladimir Linder. All rights reserved.