Hungary - Slovakia

I need to bring you up to date as my last blog and my favourite was about the Transfagarasan ... I promise I won't mention that name again.

In brief, I find a campsite for one night (Tuesday), near Sibiu, Romania having decide that a head-down run to Budapest, another 450 kms away, after a huge days excitement, was not a good idea, besides, it's 4.30pm.
I rest and Wednesday, head straight for Biker Camp, Budapest, where I stayed before. The weather is not good and not forecast to be so for days, therefore, nothing to say, all just grey and boring but miles are eaten up. I arrive at Biker Camp, again for one night, and meet Jason (American) and his wife, Kate (Irish) who are cycling through Europe on their way to the Far East; we exchange stories.

I leave for Slovakia, heading for a large lake in the north of the country; it's only 300 odd k's, Slovakia is not that big and I'm already less than 100 kms from the border. Weather still poor, but already, a much more interesting countryside north of Budapest versus the flat, featureless south.
Enter Slovakia and stop to zip the quilted lining back into my bike suit. It's bloody July for crying out loud ... where have I heard that before? ... Oh yes, back home, in the UK!
First stop, coffee, and while admiring the carved, wooden pillar that holds up the roof to the restaurant, I realise I have no Euros but after a scrabble into the abyss of my top-box, I find some loose change, enough to satisfy the very friendly staff.

First impressions of Slovakia are indeed impressive, especially as I head closer to the Tatra Mountains which are basically, the start of the Carpathian (horse-shoe of) Mountains. Shame about the weather as it is absolutely beautiful; the roads enjoy its contours and I do my best to ignore the odd down pour.
I read somewhere that Slovakia is two-thirds covered with trees and I'm not going to argue with that simply based on the number of logging trucks I have passed. I guess the carved pillar I coffee'd with, the first of many, was the give-away.

The abundance of wood is everywhere and the main ingredient of most buildings, even their roofs which, in some cases, are very ornate, made up of what appears to be thousands of small pieces of carved wooden tiles.

Even the local village houses offer their wooden splendor with a look that blends in perfectly with their mountainous, deciduous surroundings. The pictures unfortunately fail to show the intricate workmanship of the tiling

and grooving in all it's subtle glory but rest assured, it's very authentic and attractive. The one on the right is for sale.

I like Slovakia, reminds me of Western Slovenia, only the trees are more dense; in truth, I just like lush, tree covered mountains with winding roads, so if you're wondering what to get me for my next birthday ....

A constantly overcast, frequently heavily, rain showered journey via Banska, right in the middle of the country, had me circumnavigating the dam'd Lake Liptovska to look for a site on the water. I stop in Liptovsky Mikulas (lots of dots and sqwiggles missing from above and below these letters) for some fuel and cash and then head round the north shore of the lake. It is now hammering the proverbial catsh'n'dogsh, as I'm sure they'd say it here, and the idea of putting up a tent in this torrent is not an option. After 5 or 6 stops at various places offering cheap rooms, I quickly realise that they're full because this is late July and I'm in a tourist/family hotspot (or was it that I'm now an unshaven, long-haired biker). Eventually, I get temporary residence in a wooden, of course, chalet-like hotel that is not only cheap but has Wi-Fi and a very good, really good restaurant, over-flowing with very friendly people. Oh, and it's as cheap as chips and not UK chips because they're expensive.

That was yesterday and I asked to say another day because the weather is so poor but I want to move on to Krakow in Poland, however, according to the news, Poland is experiencing immense rainfalls and floods they haven't seen in years. I think about another route but Central Europe is one big cloud and doesn't look like getting any better until Monday earliest.
Undeterred, I venture out today because I know Orava Castle is not far and as it turned out, the road to get there, loops through the mountains, all the way around the lake; couldn't have designed it better. Please ignore the blue sky in the internet-borrowed picture of this magnificent, domineering edifice that towers powerfully above the land on it's own hill, but my weather-dulled image just doesn't do this beast justice.

I'm probably going to spend some more time in Slovakia and not that that's a complaint by any means but the idea of Poland right now is an unacceptable misery.

Let's see, I will think about it in the morning ...