In to Slovakia

10^th & 11^th November

This time of year the days are short so its up around 6.30am to make the most of daylight hours. As we approached Slovakia we could see bigger hills and the border was right at the summit at 740m. You wouldn’t know it was the border though, no obvious country signs & no border formalities. Places looked the same though with a lot more alpine type houses with steep roofs, we are in skiing land. 

We are now back with the Euro but Diesel prices seem the same as Czech Republic about 1.46 per litre. Negotiating Zilina we missed a turning & came back round to where we had just entered the town but then found the correct road towards Martin. Near here was hopefully an open all year site but on arrival it looked closed. However there was a bell & quickly someone came to the gate. They were still open but of course there were no other campers. Autocamping Turiec is a very good site with spotless facilities for 12.90 Euros. Hot showers, an indoor camp kitchen & TV room, loads of good guide books and free WiFi which we easily picked up in the van. What timing, we just arrived at 4pm and listened on Seagulls Player to all the live commentary of the exciting Brighton v Wolves match (3-3). There are nice wooden chalet rooms and great views to the mountains with a dusting of snow on top.

Next day we set out early to drive around a mountain range in the Mala Fatra National Park and were rewarded with a beautiful and mild day. Strangely in the middle of it all was a Lidl which seemed to be doing a busy trade from exiting chuchgoers at 10am. All the churchyards we have passed are a riot of flowers on almost every grave stone, floristry must be a very profitable business here. Leaving the van at Chata Vratna we found a waymarked trail heading up into the hills with picture sign of a restaurant in 45 minutes walk. 

It was open and already busy, luckily the menu also had a German translation & we managed to explain no meat and ended up with Lentil soup, Fried cheese (Gill's dream food) with potatoes & tartare sauce & a fried pasta dish, excellent and a stunning setting.