MY SUMMER 2001 TRIP TO SLOVAKIA

I was flying stand by again. This time I flew to Calgary and then it was a smooth flight to Frankfurt as that is the one of the two European destinations Air Canada flies these days. The other is London. I had a little difficulty getting my car as I made the paymant just hours prior to my departure and it didn’t come through yes. So there was a delay caused by overseas telephone calls, but at the end I did get Opel Astra as ordered and it was a diesel. Just fantastic. Soon I was sailing again the German Autobahn, I just love it. Since it was early afternoon and they are doing lots of Autobahn repairs in both Germany and Austria, as they do every summer, it took me about 8 hours to arrive in Bratislava.

Few days later I attended the 36th Days of Upper Hron Festival of Songs and Dance in Heľpa. I meet a lot of fiends here including my long time friend Ondro Mihal from Toronto, who is also the president of the Slovak Canadian Cultural and Heritage Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Next week I went to see the newly restored organ and altars of the church of St. George in Spišská Sobota and also took some pictures of the now all renewed town square. I visited the Archives in Nižná Šebastová near Prešov, visited my friend Dominican monk Frater Gabriel in Košice, who just returned from year of studies at the University in Vienna. I stayed few days in Liptovská Teplička, visiting my friends. I spent the weekend at 47th Folklore Festival Vychodná. I said before that I won’t attend this festival, but I realized that you couldn’t comment on it if you don’t attend, so I went. This festival is organized by the National Cultural Center in Bratislava that employs hundreds of people. This year they were really trying to prove that they can organize folklore happenings and also they were trying really hard to prove their need for continuation of their existence, as they are on the list of the organizations the Ministry of Culture will fade that out soon. So they organized “Days of Traditional Culture” in several villages around Východná and that proved to be a total DISASTER and FIASCO. On the positive note my friend Peter Maráky introduced me to the minister of Culture Mr. Milan Kňažko and we had a really long conversation in the VIP lounge at the festival. Tow programs that really impressed me were choreography by Milka Sekerešová from Detva in program about Detva’s wedding and tribute to 70th birthday of Milan Chvastek, singer, and Accordion player from Terchová. Next day, Saturday morning I participated in wooden shingle making competition under the watchful eyes of the Premier of Slovakia, Mikulaš Dzurinda and in the afternoon I attended a great performance by one of the best amateur folklore groups ŠARIŠAN from Prešov. 
I was happy to see the return of my long time friend Jaroslav Bohumile Onasisse Biroš from Okružná. Sunday early morning I rushed to TELGÁRT to attend the FIRST MASS of newly ordained Byzantine Rite Catholic priest MARTIN MEKEL. This service was over three hours long and I almost didn’t make it to the start of the final gala performance in Východná. I returned to Bratislava on Monday, visited several travel agencies, booked a trip to Greece, island Corfu and Wednesday early morning I had to take Inter City express train to Košice, as my flight to Greece was leaving from there. Funny the cost of the Taxi ride from the train station to the Airport was about the same as the train ride from Bratislava to Košice. As we were nearing the airport the driver touched two screws with wires on his tariff meter and it started to tick with the speed of light. Next time when that happens I will force the driver to stop. That is how the TAXI DRIVERS IN KOŠICE CHEAT THEIR CUSTOMERS.

8 days in Corfu were just fine, except there is nothing to see in the sea. Very few fish or any other sea life. I rented a motorbike and went around the island, visited several towns and different beaches and learned a lot about its history. I found a really nice restaurant called Dionysos in Moraitika and ended up having a dinner there every day. It was right on the edge of the sea. Just beautiful. I also went a boat trip to island Paxos and Anti Paxox that are mentioned in several Greek Legends. I shouldn’t forget to tell you about the experience of flying with the SLOVAK AIRLINES. What a joke! I am not too sure how many Russian built planes they have, but I flew on two different ones. One of them on the way to Corfu had in the plastic cases suspended from ceiling that should house TV monitors, just pictures on cardboard and no monitor. The Russians sold the Slovaks junk that even Aeroflot don’t fly on their international routes. They fly Boeing and Air Bus.

Following weekend I went to Vienna for lunch at excellent Schnitzel restaurant located in a passage near Stefan’s Dome, FIGLMULLER. Their Wiener schnitzel is larger than the plate and it is the largest schnitzel in the world. From there I went to Moravia, Czech Republic and attended the folk festival in Velká nad Veličkou. Here I met my friends Jaroušek Pochylý from Burnaby and Jirka Tománek, folklorist form Strážnice, several people from the organizing committee of Myjava Festival and many other friends. From the girls from Myjava I learned how Megalomaniac GRUSKA wanted to take control of the Myjava festival, but these people knew better than to let him get involved and told him to take a hike, so he then presented the same ideas in Detva and there they took the whole nine yards of his megalomaniatic ideas and you can read about the DISASTEROUS DETVA FESTIVAL under the helm of GRUSKA on the following pages.

Later on in the week I visited my friend Peter Berčík in Brezno and picked up his pictures to be displayed together with mine at our photo exhibit in Liptovská Teplička next to pictures of one of the greatest Slovak photographers Martin Martinček. I was installing the exhibit with the help of my friends from the elementary school and we were finished by Thursday afternoon. Saturday at 2:00 in the presence of my friends and other guests the mayor of Liptovská Teplička, Jozef Mezovský, opened the photo exhibits. Soon after there was an official opening of the festival at Pension Dolinka in the presence of all sponsors and invited guests and soon after the festival started at the amphitheater named: “Happy times under Kráľová Hoľa.” Of course as usual the first performing and one of my favorites was the group Tepličan from Liptovská Teplička under the leadership of Mrs. Bohunčáková, followed by folklore groups from Liptov, Upper Hron and Spiš regions. Folklore group Lomničan from Veľká Lomnica, folk tales teller Ján Valentík, Folklore Group Braväčovo and Drahoš Daloš from Lehota near Nitra plying fujara, bag pipes, whistles and other musical instruments that he makes himself. Later on at night there was a disco party till early hours of morning and yes I danced most of the night and it was great. Sunday morning as is a tradition there was a Open Air Roman Catholic Mass at the amphitheater and there was a miracle as this is what many people in Liptovská Teplička believe. Soon after the beginning of the mass, dark clouds started to move in, in fact it was getting so dark that felt like at night. There was a heavy rain in the surrounding hills, Thunderstorm and lightening all around, except above the amphitheater where the mass was being held. All we got was a tiny mist. Late on we learned that Lúčivná, Poprad and Matejovce were flooded again, Štrba, Šunava and Svit were hit by hailstorm, and there was a really heavy storm in Mengušovce. The people really believe that this was a miracle and that their belief in God has saved them from catastrophe. Early afternoon there was the traditional procession through the village with this year’s theme being “The work in the forest.”  There were displays of working with and around wood, different folk crafts and tasting of traditional Liptovská Teplička foods. The main program “We will met under Turnička” included children folklore groups: Turnička from Liptovská Teplička, Ždiaranček from Ždiar and Očová from Očová. Children program was followed by adults group in “O forest, forest” with songs, stories and dances during the work in forests. Performing groups were: Tepličan from Liptovska Teplička, Čierny Balog and Hranovnica and folk tales teller Ján Valentik. Folklore group Zbujniček from Zakopane, Polland followed. The final program “Dance and sing with Krompašan” starded at 7:30 PM with the performance of folklore group Krompašan from Krompachy. I really liked their performance. Next weekend I went to Kokava nad Rimavicou to the festival of folklorist students called “Koliesko-tiny wheel.” I arrived Friday afternoon, went through the traditional courtyard pubs, had a really good sausage with beer, and met many friends. One of them was Zorinka Martincová, whom I met in Vancouver at Expo 86, when she was dancing for Lúčnica. I attended a program called “Dance monographs from Raslavice,” by university students from Bratislava. This was to be followed by outside program of wake up calls for miners. This program was cancelled due to bad weather. So I went to my friend’s cottage in near-by Látky. On the way there was such a big storm as I had never ever experienced in my entire life. Hail, thunder, lightening, unbelievable. As I was nearing the cottage high up on the hill I had a 360-degree view every time there was a lightening that covered the whole sky. That was really scary. Saturday early morning I went to Uhorná about an hour drive east of Kokava and near Krásna Hôrka Castle. Here we had 40 anniversary of our group of tramps. Yes it was forty years ago we started to go tramping all over Slovakia and we even went in 1967 to Bulgaria. Recently as we are getting older, my friends started going again once a year to Uhorná. However it is a bit different now. Everyone arrives in his own car, cell phones are everywhere, there is plenty of food, drinks, many of my friends are grandfathers, and it is really nice to see everyone again. I started attending few years ago. Sunday I returned to Kokava again for the final performance by my favorite folklore group Šarišan from Prešov and Zobor from Nitra. The manager and choreographer of Zobor is my friend Danuša Moravčíková, whom I met in Vancouver at Expo 86, when she was dancing for Lúčnica.

Later on I returned for few days to Liptovská Teplička. The weather was just fantastic and I photographed horses and the scenery above Liptovská Teplička.

I went to Bratislava August 15, packed, and continued to Frankfurt. I got on the plane to Toronto, no problem. However there was a ZOO with over 150 people on stand by to Vancouver. No chance of getting on any flight soon. So I went to Calgary without any problems. Waited at the airport 5 hours through the night and took early flight to Cranbrook on the turbo plane and continued to Vancouver and thus my Summer Journey to Slovakia 2001 has come to an end.

Vladimir

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Published in the Slovak Heritage Live newsletter Volume 9, No. 3, Fall 2001
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 2001 
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
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.