Christmas Markets

Marta and I could quite possibly be called “experts” on the matter of Christmas markets. Here on this side of the pond they go all out for Christmas. Just before Christmas, they have some 100 plus stalls set up in the city center of Bratislava, selling things from handmade crafts to hot wine and Christmas punch. Though it would be easy to spend your wad getting drunk and buying gifts, the real deal here is the atmosphere.

There is something magical about standing in the cold drinking something warm and wandering the lit-up old town. Marta and I enjoyed our journeys to the markets so much we decided to gain “expert status” by visiting the Christmas markets in Myjava and Vienna, too. Each had something unique to offer, so without further adieu, I will give you the 411.

Vienna, offered the most effective means of hot alcohol. Their Christmas punch was the real deal! It was just enough to put a swagger in your step. This dangerous mix of real berries, great flavor and a nice mug to go with it really did the trick on a cold day in December. Vienna was extra special on this day due to the fact that our good friends, Zuuzka and Greg partook in our adventure.

If killer food and getting fatter for Christmas is your gig, then Bratislava’s market had what you were looking for. It’s called “ciganska.” With the charming atmosphere I would put this right up there with eating a brat at Wrigley. (I’m considering if my last words were too sacrilegious to post?) Anyway ciganska is basically chicken or pork grilled to greasy perfection with onions and slapped on a bun with mustard. So good! Before my first experience at the markets, one of my students insisted that I try ciganska. When I asked him what it was, he just sported a sly kind of smile and said “ It’s like the Slovak hamburger. “ I was sold! ;)

The Christmas market in Myjava was a bit different experience for me. The food rivaled that of Bratislava. The big shock here was the rich culture. It was awesome! Let me set the stage. Everyone is standing around drinking warm slivovica. There’s a folklore band playing traditional music on a stage in the traditional dress. Now here’s the kicker… Right next to those men and women on the stage is a 300-pound pig getting butchered. That’s culture baby!

Seriously though, this was quite a demonstration of past traditions.

Moja mama v Europe

Two weeks ago my mom crossed the pond, on a ten-day journey. It’s likely that her idea of how to spend 10 days in Europa may have been a bit different than Marta’s and mine. We had plans to show mom as much as possible. Prague, Myjava, Bratislava, Vienna, and Berlin, the menu was full, and we were on a mission!

After picking her up at the airport in Prague, we grabbed some food and took a walk through the magical old town. It was the end of October, and the herds of tourists had begun to thin a bit, giving us room to breath and really take in some of the city. It's so rewarding when you can actually get the feel of a city, and imagine it's past. Mom had been up for 20 hours, and was fading fast, so we headed for the hills... Myjava, that is!

In Myjava, mom finally got to meet Marta’s parents. It was so fun to watch her speaking English to them, then coming to the realization that they had no clue what she was saying… welcome to my world, Lady! Marta’s family is amazing, and it was so nice that my mom could meet them. The language barrier was nothing compared to the determination of Marta’s parents, and my Momma. With some translating help from Marta and Juro, and some common ground with Danka’s knitting skills, everyone really hit it off.

After checking out a few local castles in the Myjava area, we made our way home to Bratislava. Marta and I had to teach three days before our fall break, and this gave mom a chance to come to school with us and see us hard at work. My students were thrilled to see another American, and they used the opportunity to get some childhood stories about their teacher… punks. On her second day in Bratislava, my mom got brave, boarded a tram and headed to the city-center for some sightseeing and shopping… I was so proud of her! There were no signs of slowing our adventure down so we made a short trip to Vienna for some world-famous tort, and pointed our car toward Berlin!

We made a pit stop along the way in Dresden, where we spent the day walking the streets of this beautiful historic city. Standing among the magnificent buildings, it was hard to believe that the city of Dresden was reduced to rubble and smoke during the Second World War.

Upon arriving in Berlin, we met up with Hana and the legendary Mathias for a nice “meat-filled” dinner. I once saw Jesse put down a pound of steak in one sitting, but Mathias is possibly the only other human being that could manage this feat with a smile the morning after. We spent the following 3 days walking through Berlin, seeing as much as possible. It was one of those trips where you really get to enjoy it after you have a chance to sit and digest all that you saw. But face it, Berlin is freaking amazing! The history deserves a month of reflection, and we made the best of the time we had.

Mom’s visit was short and sweet and we’ll surely never forget it. We had such a good time showing her a piece of Europe. Our only hope is that we didn’t wear her out! I doubt it though… she is one tough lady.

Catching Up!

I look back on the blog entries that I posted throughout July and August. Then I look at the month of September. It’s not that I have been necessarily slacking…It’s more like I have had a revelation.

I have always had the utmost respect for all the teachers in my life. My friends that teach know how I feel about the amazing work that they do. I have always known that they were amazing. I have seen them work hard, and dedicate much of their time to the profession that they believe in and do so well. I have always had the respect and appreciation for what they do, but it wasn’t until now that I realized how freaking awesome that they really were.

Three weeks ago, about the time the blog took a stand still, I started teaching. I thought I had some idea about the work that teachers put in. Ha! I didn’t have a clue! All I can say is that, those of you in my life that are teachers, you rock my face off!

Don’t get me wrong; I have been loving every minute of it. It has been a blast to see students faces light up when that switch inside their head is flipped and they understand something for the first time. So far most of my experiences have been really positive, but I have learned quickly that my new job is exhausting. I am pretty good until about Thursday, and then I crash. (i.e. I have been asleep by 8:00p.m since I started teaching) I am so weak!

Anyway, we have been making good use of our weekends, and I figured that it was about time I caught you all up. So here it comes… Short n’ sweet! :)

Just as August was finishing up and making it's way into September we had the opportunity to take a train ride. We take train rides all the time, but this was different... this was old school. It was the 80th anniversary of the first railroad line to cross the Carpathian Mountains connecting Moravia, and boosting economic trade between the Czech republic and Slovakia. In celebration, they dusted off some of the trains that have graced this section of rail in the past and carried people across the border, just as they have done for the past 80 years.

We like to hike! The first weekend in September we did just that. With our good friends Cuco, Zorna, and Peter, we made our way through the forest of Bratislava with the beer in our backpacks and the Castle Devin on the mind. After four hours of hiking, our backpacks were a bit lighter and we were at Devin. The thing that really makes this ruin spectacular is its location. Positioned on the confluence of the Danube and Morava river, it really is quite the site. We could not have asked for better company, and this trip was a total success!

Take A Hike!

Marta and I were itching to get out. We was hurtin for that "outdoor fix." To sleep in a tent, travel by the power of our legs, to forget about being domestic for a day or two. As most of you know being outside is a major factor in the quality of life for Marta and me. We were in need of an adventure... so we took a walk. :)

We started out from Marta's parents' house and headed for the hills. Our plan was to walk the 12km to a castle/ruin just outside of Myjava. We figured the journey to be about 3 1/2 hours walking. I bet that you could easily walk those 12km from Marta's parents house to Branc Castle in under 3 1/2... if you don't get lost that is!

We had been walking for a little over an hour, following these nicely-painted trail markers, when something went wrong. (i.e. we stopped seeing the trail markers) We ended up doing a bit more "exploring" than we had planned on, (did you know that wild roses and raspberry bushes with thorns grow in Slovakia?!?) and our 3 1/2 hour trip turned out to be closer to a 5 hour trip. We did reach the castle, and it was so worth it! We pitched our tent in the dark and crashed, dreaming about what our surroundings would look like in the morning... we were not disappointed!

The castle Branc was a relatively large castle. The 13th century ruins that make up this castle are settled on a large hill that looms over the village of Podzamok. From this hill you have an amazing panoramic view of the, small but nice, Carpathian Mountains. Branc, was one of the frontier castles guarding the Slovak-Czech border, and unfortunately was partly destroyed and abandoned in the 17th century because of fire.

As the sun was coming up we walked among the ruins, imagining the castle's past and the people who lived within it's walls. The best part was we had the place to ourselves! Evidently, sleeping outside the castle walls and beating the crowds was the way to go. We ate our breakfast, took one last look around, and started home. This was one adventure we won't be forgetting!

Bring It In!

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to witness some of Slovakia's old school harvesting ways. We attended a harvest festival in a small village just outside of Myjava. Each year locals perform a demonstration of harvesting ways of the past. Sickle races (cutting grass), traditional food, music, and of course slivovica!

After some hard work harvesting, the workers get ready for a great celebration. They create a wreath made of wheat and decorated ribbon to present to the land owner, and they prepare themselves for a party. At this point there is only one thing left to do... They make their way from the fields to the farmer's home to present their wreath and the good news of the harvest.

The land owner gladly receives the news of a good harvest, promptly offers a shot of the good stuff (slivovica), and invites them in for a celebration of eating, drinking, music and dancing.

Tri. Slovak Style

Last week I was hanging out, relaxing, and minding my own business, when Marta's cousin gave me the news. Seems that Myjava has their own triathlon. It comes in the flavor of off-road, Xterra type fun, fun, fun. I hadn't been on a bike for two months, but I figured that I might survive a good ol' European ass-kicking. Before I could decide if I would race, Ondrej came with the news that I was already registered. There were two race distances, so I chose the longer one given that it was the closest to what I had done in the past... big mistake.

Well...I survived. I finished 15 out of 20 (5 people didn't finish). Five minutes into the run it became horrifyingly clear that I was in last place, and I hadn't seen anyone in 15 minutes. I am nothing special, but I could not believe how bad I was being beaten! The main thing going through my mind at this point was: "Man these Slovak athletes are super-freaking-human!!!"

Marta, Juro, and her dad were waiting for me at the finish. I couldn't help but notice the expression on their faces. They seemed to have some pride in my finish. I didn't quite get this reaction, my ego had just been destroyed in my last place finish. This is about the time I was informed that we had made a mistake in registering. Seems that the short course is your regular every-day Joe's category, and the long course was part of some national point series reserved for professionals. I didn't finish with a new PR, but at least some of my pride was saved. Ha! I must have looked like such a moron trying to play in such a race... I couldn't help but feel the sympathy clap towards the end of this race.

A very important lesson was learned here. I'm not sure what it was, because I ended up doing another triathlon this last weekend. Maybe it had something to do with training or something? The best part was that I had a lot of fun in these two races. Fun + a little pain = Good times. :)

If you look to your left you will see Croatia...if you look to your right you will see Croatia.

Lets put it this way... Croatia wasn't just good. It wasn't mediocre. It was freaking AMAZING!!! :) With the car fixed, Marta and I split from Bled and headed to the Venice airport to retrieve our holiday companions, Mathias and Hana. We were a bit late to our rendezvous due to the auto situation in Bled, but Hana and Mathias were extremely forgiving, due to the fact that Hana actually got out of "cube land" (she works hard!) and Mathias was looking forward to fulfilling our plans to snorkel all week long.

We turned our newly overhauled auto toward Croatia and headed for the coast. The first night was a little rough and I was such a baby. I was extremely exhausted from the long drive and the weight of the ambiguity of our not-so-trusty Volkswagen Bora. Anyway, back to me being a baby... Our hotel kinda kicked my ass that night. The room was about 91 degrees and sweat was rolling down my face. Just as I would start to drift off, a semi-truck would come barreling down the highway that happened to be about 20 feet from our room. Jake-break and all, I was screwed in the sleep department that night. Marta, of course, was sound asleep.

The next morning we continued down the coast to Zadar, and our luck was about to change. It took Hana and Marta about 15 minutes to land us the greatest deal you could imagine on an apartment for the week. Through Hana's determination not to be had with the information lady we landed a cozy two bedroom apartment for next to nothing.

The next few days were filled with snorkeling, sunbathing, cruises, visiting national parks and eating a plethora off exotic sea food dishes. I had no clue that Mathias could eat so much! That boy can really put it away! We were really coming close to the living out the definition of the word "relax". We could not have asked for better travel companions than Hana and Mathias. You could always count on them for good conversation and many laughs. Mathias is freaking hilarious and had me rolling often. Leaving Croatia was a bit of a struggle, but we were all satisfied with our time spent in paradise.

Stranded In Bled!

Two weeks ago Marta and I set out on our journey to the sea. We had a sweet road-trip planned that ended in Croatia. All was set, the auto was packed, and we hit the open road. Our first planned stop was in Slovenia in a town called Bled. Well, we made it to Bled... barely! As we hit the Austrian/Slovenian border our car started to smoke. Shifting became difficult, and the 7 km single-lane tunnel had us sweating. The closer to Bled we got the harder the car was to drive.

We stopped to take a look under the hood and came to the horrifying discovery that we no longer had any transmission fluid. We got directions to the nearest Volkswagen service and prayed that we could make it.

After driving through a few small villages outside of Bled, we limped up the last hill, and the car died. We actually had to push it onto the lot. We arrived after hours and ended up talking to the mechanic in his European-issue Speedo. ( I wish I was kidding about this part) :) He turned out to be the nicest guy you could meet, and offered to drive us to a campground.

In the next two days we began to realize that there are worse places in the world to be stranded. Bled was absolutely beautiful! We spent the day walking around one of the most beautiful lakes you could imagine. With it's stunning turquoise color, beautiful cliff-hanging castle, and church island, we were in awe. Looking across this lake at the small island, dominated by an adorable church, you really got the feeling that it was all fake. It was too perfect! It looked like something that only your imagination could create. We spent the day relaxing and swimming. Lets just say that it didn't suck.

The next day our speedo-wearing friend had the car fixed and we

were back on our way. All in all it was kinda a blessing in disguise that we sent that pin through the gearbox housing and lost the gearbox in Bled. Okay, maybe not, but it did make us slow down and take in our gorgeous surroundings. Croatia, here we come!

Juro, One Smart cookie!

Marta's brother Juro graduated with his masters on Thursday. He didn't just do well in school, he freaking rocked it. Juro earned what Europe calls a "red diploma". This basically means that his grades were flawless! I spoke to Marta and Juro's sister, Hana, a few weeks ago via Skype and realized that Juro had made quite an accomplishment. You could hear the pride in Hana's voice as she explained that before Juro pulled it off she had believed that only freaks and crazy geniuses received a red diploma.

On Saturday, there was a party for Juro and I got my first lesson on celebrating... Slovak style! When it comes to how to party, I believe these guys got it down. The first and most important ingredient, is without argument the slivovica! For those of you who haven't heard, slivovica is a clear alcohol made from plums in the still of some great Slovak. It rings in at about 52%. That's about 120 proof!

Next comes the food. Man! These people know how to roast a pig! In addition to the pork we had cabbage, potatoes, bread, and some of the greatest pastries I have ever had. After we ate we started in with some beers, I caught Juro eating again. I couldn't believe it. I was like, "How can you still be hungry man!?!" This is when Juro taught me something very important. He said that when you drink so much slivovica you have to eat to "Grease up" so you don't die. :)

All in all, I had a blast getting to know Marta's family. They were all so kind and welcoming to me. Marta's dad is a bit sneaky with the sliviovica. If you are sitting anywhere near him your shot glass continues to get filled. By the time you notice he is ready with a smile. Nazdravie!

Kickin it in Budapest, and hitchhiking to Bratislava.

I'm Here! It was so nice to get off that dreaded airplane and see Marta's smiling face. I have no idea what I would have done if she would have had trouble getting to the airport.

Hungarian is a crazy language... I would not have had a chance :)

After surviving the plane ride over the pond and taking a long nap, Marta and I were ready to see what Budapest had to offer. We were not disappointed! The food was great and the buildings were beautiful.

After hearing some American lady, bitch about a waitress making a small mistake, "Aaah! This is not the juice I ordered! I ordered sour cherry! Not strawberry! That waitress is going to fix this! I can't believe this!", I vowed to do my best never to be "THAT American". I also decided that if I find myself around these close-minded freaks that I might just be from Canada that day. :)

All in all, Budapest was great. It was formerly two cities, and the way the Danube River flows right down the middle of the city is really something. We had a blast, but it was time to get going.

On the drive to Bratislava, a little "Haarman Luck" kicked in, and I broke my second car of the summer. We lost the timing belt, and destroyed the engine in Marta's parents' car, before even reaching the Slovak border.

What do you do when you break down in Europe? Well... you don't ask Marta. In fact! She might ask you what to do. :) Don't ask to use her cell phone either. It does work... "sometimes" :) It's never boring with this girl. Lets face it though, I am very blessed to have her.

Anyway, we ended up hitchhiking the remaining 15 kilometers to the border. Marta got a hold of some family friends and we were able to tow the car to Bratislava. Marta's mom laughed about the situation and with a great smile said " Vitaj na Slovensku!" ("Welcome to Slovakia!")