Surprised in Slovakia . . .

Not too sure what to expect of Slovakia we were feeling even more hesitant when we pulled up at the campground with security at the gate and the blonde bombshell on reception who told us to be careful of our things and to keep all our windows locked! What had we gotten ourselves into? But we were here now and we had to make the most of what life was throwing at us.
We pitched up in a park (?) on the banks of a lake. The weather was stunning and so we went off to explore our surroundings. At one end of the lake there was an automated wakeboarding machine that was towing 10 guys around at once, with stunt ramps and tricks. We stopped and watched them for a while and then continued along the mosquito ridden path beside the lake. Clouds and clouds of mosquitos! I took a photo of the twilight across the lake and realised later that I was actually photographing a nudist beach. Oooops! The next morning we headed into Bratislava. One of the first streets we came across was called Laurinska. Apparently my name comes from Slavik origins.
Bratislava was a huge surprise with its detailed unique architecture, quirky statues placed strategically around the streets, its market platz with an actual market and cool grafitti. We had a fantastic day walking the streets taking endless photos and just enjoying ourselves. Slovakia proved to be more modern than the traditional Czech Republic, even though they are neighours. Although our stay was short in this little Eastern European Country we loved the time we spent here.

A trolley bus heading out of Bratislava.

Laurinska Street which leads into the heart of old town.

The buildings in the old town were different from any we have seen in Europe.

 

Paparazzi always watching you.
One of the 12 quirky statues scattered across the city.

 

This statue was fantastic as it emerged from beneath the pavement.

A local Slovakian artist at work in the Markt Platz.

We stumbled across this bus depot near old town Bratislava.

This bridge, with all its grafitti, spans the river Danube in Bratislava.

 

Turning 40 in Praha . . .

The Czech Republic was pleasantly traditional, warm and welcoming.  We spent a week camping just outside the city in a ‘rural’ campsite called Camping Sokol where I celebrated turning 40.  A short walk and 20 min train ride found us in the heart of Prague – a fabulous, bustling, colourful, magical city that we explored on foot for a couple of days.  Alternately we could also catch a 20min bus and then a 20min ride on the Metro.  We ate traditional foods, sampled Czech ice cream, browsed marionette and babushka shops, walked across Charles Bridge (many times) and took a cable car to the top of a hill that gave us 360 degree views of the entire city.  Good times were had here – including our first restaurant meal for quite a while at a little Italian café right next to the Astronomical Clock.  From Prague we headed south through the Czech countryside towards Lake Lipno where we found peace and quiet and our first red and white toadstools.  In fact we had the best toadstool hunt ever under the trees shading the banks of the lake.  A great place to regroup, the girls spent the day playing down by the lake dodging fishing lines and built rock campfires and mini dens.

This was our first impression of the Czech Republic as we crossed
the border from Germany!

Details like this barn roof are dotted across the countryside.

Most photos I have taken have been out the front window of Swifty
as we've flown along the roads.  It took me ages to get this shot of
hundreds of birds sitting up on the wires.  Something we saw a lot of.

Walking into the Markt Platz in Prague.

The Czech marionettes are incredible.
And yes - we splurged and bought ourselves an
original handmade wooden marionette.

We loved the signs hanging in the front of the Czech shops.

Prague is so picturesque.

The girls with Charles Bridge in the background.

Every where in Europe people have placed initialed
padlocks on bridges, statues, train stations.
It can be very off putting (but also makes for great photos).
These locks were on a statue on Charles Bridge.

The girls crossing Charles Bridge for the first of many times.

The cable car we took to the top of the hill overlooking the whole city.

King Wenceslas Square.

We loved seeing the trams tearing through the cobblestoned streets.

At night the city was just magical.

These buskers in the Market Platz were fantastic.

Our favourite Czech pastries - Trdelnik.

Amazing doors.

Yum Yum

You come across some unusual sculptures down the backstreets.
This one we found in a courtyard near a contemporary art gallery.

The afternoon lighting illuminates Prague.

Tilly about to enjoy a Smurf flavoured ice cream in Prague.
A lot of Smurfs had to be squeezed to make this one icy treat.

The public transport in the Czech Republic was a pleasure to use.

They make seriously big pyramids out of their haystacks in the Czech Republic.

We came across some lovely towns including this one - Pesik.

The reflections in Pesik were worth stopping for.

The toadstools from Lake Lipno.

Lake Lipno was very photogenic in the morning . . .

in the afternoon . . .

You need lots of wood to see you through winter in this neck of the woods.
This photo is for you Mum.  Thought you might like these stacks.

and at sunset . . .

The medieval town of Cesky Krumlov was just amazing.

As you walked to town through the castle and around its walls you could
peer through these 'windows' and see the entire town laid out down below.

Fortunately we are still seeing some autumn colour.

We spied these haystacks driving through the Czech countryside.