Holiday in Slovakia 21-Feb-2005

My son, Michael, came to see me after his holiday at half term. He, and his wife Lucy, had been on a skiing holiday in Slovakia.

They were two engineers, Pavel and Jan, in Czechoslovakia; now divided into two countries, the Czech and Slovak Republics. Michael had worked with them many years ago in a car tyre factory when working for a former employer from Manchester. In those days it was still a communist country. And how things have changed!

Over the years they kept in touch, by telephone, and exchange visits, and now by Internet and email. At mid-term, Michael and Lucy flew first to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and then to Bratislava; and then, from there, by car to the city of Puchov, where they spent the night with Pavel. Next day they were taken the long car journey to where Jan and his wife lived.

“What is his house like?” I enquired

“They have a wonderful 4 bedroom flat. They have two sons, Vlado, a doctor aged 30, and Marek, both married”, said Michael. “Marek has bought a very big old house, about four times the size of mine. This he has gutted and rebuilt into a sumptuous abode, replete even with a swimming pool”.

“How can he afford this? ”.

“He has his own factory, and trades all over the world”.

“They sound very clever people”.

“They are indeed. But he still had time to spend two days with me; they took time off to go up the mountain”.

“Which mountains? ”, I enquired.

“The Mala Fatras. One side is in the Slovak Republic, and the other side is in southern Poland. And after skiing, they drove us back to Puchov where we spent the rest of the holiday with Pavel and Irena. Pavel has travelled, as an engineer, all over the world, especially in the Middle East and America. Now he is retired, and is the Town Mayor in Puchov. His son, Martin, teaches English in there, and we went to his school to speak English with his students”.

“How many students does he have”.

“Thirty six, aged about 18.”

Rose Lynch 22-Feb-2005