Slovakia

On Sunday we returned from our very brief trip to Slovakia, where we celebrated Andrew's 70th Birthday. We arrived on Friday (it was a short trip as Bluet had to be back at kindergarten yesterday). Immediately Ilona remembered how much she liked Andrew, and had him carry her around the rest of the day. We meanwhile got to catch up with some friends and relations - and of course Bluet and Ilona were delighted to see their cousins Della* and Gus, accompanying parents and, of course, Uncle Nick. We proceeded to eat a lot of delicious food.



*Ilona seemed to think the main point of the trip was to see Della



Bored at the airport waiting to head to Slovakia



The more unsafe something is, the more it appeals


Wildlife 1

Wildlife 2


Cousins
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On Saturday it was the party for real. More people turned up - mainly friends of my parents from back in the day, including people I hadn't seen since we moved from Cambridge to Aberdeen back in the 80s. It brought back memories of Sunday lunches with other kids who are also now grown up.

Meanwhile for the kids there was a range of activities that was almost as good as Alton Towers:


A death slide:


A swing (and Uncle Nick)


Arts and crafts (and Uncle Nick)


And a hammock with room for 3


Painting your own face


We then went out for dinner at the only local bar - fortunately this a) started at 4PM and b) had a garden with climbing frame, so the kids were able to enjoy it too.

CHRISTMAS PART II

On the Sunday before Xmas, Nana and Wayne flew in from Missouri to Vienna, and were soon with us in Bratislava. We then had the opportunity to see more of the old city (including the castle, where of course Bluet wanted to climb on all the walls, the higher the better). We also had some hot chocolate that was basically just molten chocolate.



In the city, the ice rink was empty and unattended so Bluet got to live her dream



We then went into the countryside, where the highlight of the whole trip was probably a meal in a pub where we had to march and wade through unlit mud and forrest to get there, a walk that made the food and beer all the more delicious.



We started the next day with a walk up a nearby hill to look at some sheep, and then a trip to a town with the only Roman inscription in Slovakia




The next day we visited a ruined castle in the wind, that had once been the home to a woman who was either the greatest serial killer of all time, or extremely unfairly maligned.

CHRISTMAS PART I

The first part of our Christmas Holiday (which too be honest was more tiring than going to work) was to pile into the car on the Friday before Christmas, and drive across Europe to visit Andrew and Maria in Slovakia. This drive would've been fine has we not encountered 3 hour long tail backs and some torrential rain - as a result we finally arrived in Bratislava at about 23:30. The next day we were all surprisingly awake, and managed to go eat some Slovak delicacies at the Christmas market. Ilona became rather taken with Andrew, asking to be carried by 'im or to sit with 'im at every opportunity.








The kids then got to make some Xmas cookies (See previous video) and angels





The most exciting thing at the Xmas market were some sheep



Ilona was also very excited when 'im gave her some 'bippers' (slippers) for Christmas, as until then she'd had to make do with adult ones...