The following are some of the pictures
from the Slovak republic. You can click on the pictures to get a better view.
Fred's personal "reflections" can be viewed from the 'resources' page
in the TLC website.
|
1. Bratislava Castle: The Bratislava Castle
is probably the most recognized icon in all of Slovakia. After 1536
Bratislava became the seat of the Imperial Council of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire and the site for coronations for the next 300 years. 11 kings
and 8 queens were crowned in St Martin's Cathedral just across the street
from the Castle. The most famous Austro-Hungarian Queen was Maria Theresia
(1740-1780). |
Bratislava Castle
700 x 525
| 2.
High Tatras: Slovakia's answer to the Alps...!!
Plenty of good skiing at sharply lower prices than Austria and Switzerland.
Click on this photo a few times to enlarge it, and (even on an overcast
day) you can see the rugged jaggedness of the peaks, a sign of something
geological (ask Malcolm Frisbie!). |
High Tatras
2048
x 1536
3. Klokocina: The Soviet response
to inadequate housing... It's a concrete jungle, housing probably
half the population of Nitra in about one percent of Nitra's total
area.
As more and more Slovaks become more prosperous, parking becomes an
ENORMOUS headache!! |
Klokocina
800 x 600
|
4. Local Farm:
Enlarge this photo and you can see more detail. This "farm"
is very typical of Slovak villages. The rural people are very
self-sufficient in most foodstuffs, not only meat and vegetables but
also in wine!! And I've never seen any of them mowing their lawns.
Do they know something we don't? |
Local Farm
800 x 600
|
5. Nitra Castle: It's quite a different
look from the Bratislava Castle, and served quite a different purpose.
Nitra is the center of Catholicism in Slovakia (the Pope even visited
here in 1995). The Castle has been the Bishop's residence
for centuries (the current Bishop is actually a Cardinal). One
section of the Castle church dates from the tenth century. |
Nitra Castle
800 x 600
|
6. Ruppel Family: US!! (taken in
Bratislava in late September) |
Ruppel Family
800
x 1067
