Christmas time - Bits and pieces

Last couple days I spent staring and taking pictures of our tree, so excuse this overload. I just love Christmas trees. I bought this Nutcracker below in Germany this November, and it is by far the most expensive thing hanging on our tree - but I will have it forever as a memory of that place. And, after a long time we have a REAL tree. It might not be the nicest, but I am so happy to have it!
If you scroll waaaaay down, there are also pictures of snow!!! It came after Christmas, but still.. we have at least a bit of it. We are going to the mountains for the New Year, so I hope we will get a lot more there! So Happy New Year and see you next year hopefully!

Posledné dni som trávila čumením na  a fotením stromčeka, takže pardon za túto kládu fotiek. Milujem vianočné stromčeky! Toho Luskáčika nižšie som si kúpila tento rok v Nemecku a je to tá najdrahšia vec, čo visí na našom strome - ale ostane mi navždy ako spomienka. A, po dlhom čase máme ŽIVÝ stromček. Možno nie najdokonalejší, ale som taká rada že ho máme!
Ak budete skrolovať aj poriadne dole, sú tam aj fotky snehu! Prišiel síce po Vianociach, ale aj tak...máme ho aspoň trošku. Na Nový Rok ideme do hôr, tak tam si ho dúfam užijeme aj viac.
Tak sa majte krásne, ŠNR a vidíme sa budúci rok dúfam!

Summer diaries VI. - Biele Vody - One very special lady

I am sure most of you are already in a Christmas mood, shopping for presents, baking and checking the weather forecast whether there will be white Christmas this year.... But I have to go back to Biele Vody in the middle of the summer in this post. My friend I told you about last time, who owns that wonderful cottage there, has also a wonderful grandmother. She is one lively, intelligent, friendly and nice old lady, and she is definitely worth the mention! One special lady! She parties hard till the morning with his friends, dances with her grandson, chats with you, is interested in a lot of things and always has a great smile on. She is (simply said) unbelievable a we were lucky enough to spent the afternoon with her before going back home. She and the cottage - that is a great combination, and it was great just to sit and chat with her there. In the moments like these, you realize you do not need anything more in life but a great company and a roof over your head in case of bad weather... I like her a lot!
On the way back I had a short encounter with a cow and I realized, I have a great respect for this animal...or better to say a fear...
Then just the last glimpse down the valley and off we went...


Je mi jasné, že väčšina z vás je už vo vianočnej nálade, pečie, zháňa darčeky a sleduje predpoveď počasia, či nám aspoň troška nasneží... Ale ja sa ešte na chvíľu vrátim na Biele Vody uprostred leta.  Ten môj kamarát, ktorý tam má túto úžasnú chalúpku, má totiž aj úžasnú babku. Jednu čipernú, múdru, kamarátsku a skvelú babku, ktorá rozhodne stojí za zmienku! Je to špeciálna dáma! Ona totiž so svojím vnukom tancuje, s mladými sa zabáva do rána, diskutuje, živo sa zaujíma o veci, jednoducho je neuveriteľná a my sme mali to šťastie s ňou stráviť naše popoludnie pred odchodom domov. Ona a jej chalúpka spolu neskutočne ladia a bolo skvelé si tam len tak posedieť a podebatovať. V takých chvíľach si človek uvedomí, že k životu netreba prakticky nič, len dobrú spoločnosť a strechu nad hlavou v prípade nepriazne počasia... Mám ju veľmi rada.
Cestou domov som si šla ešte pohladkať kravu a zistila som, že mám pred ňou veľký rešpekt. Teda takmer až strach...
Potom už len posledný pohľad na krásne údolie a šlo sa domov.

Summer diaries VI. - Biele Vody

This place is another piece of heaven in Slovakia. White Waters. My friend has a cottage there and thanks to him, I had the pleasure to be there twice already. His love for this place is known...and I have to say contagious. Amazing nature, friendly people,  and oh so peaceful and quiet.  A real soul healer. No words needed, just enjoy the pictures...

Toto je ďalší kúsok neba na Slovensku. Biele Vody. Môj kamarát tu má chalupu a tak vďaka nemu som toto miesto objavila a dvakrát ho už navštívila. Jeho láska k tomuto miestu je všetkým známa a treba povedať že aj nákazlivá. Nádherná príroda, milí ľudia, a taký kľud a ticho! Balzam na dušu. Viac slov netreba. Len si to vychutnajte.

Mushrooms this big / Takto veľké huby

Roads to somewhere.../ Cestičky niekam...

Someone's weekend house/ Niekoho chalupa

Sun is slowly going down / Slnko pomaly zapadá

This looks like painting / Tento oblak je ako namaľovaný

Summer diaries V.- Hodruša and around

I guess I should really move on and finish this summer series, since we have November now and I should be posting about Christmas soon :-). So lets go: I spent couple more days with my sis in hotel Salamandra , a family friendly resort near Banská Štiavnica. Their food is one of the best and I always come home few pounds heavier - I just can not help myself!
We also invited my father and her mother to spend some time with us. The weather was just perfect. There is a lake (or better to say an artificial water reservoir), in this area called tajch, right in front of the hotel. There is nothing better than swimming in the lake surrounded by mountains!
Nearby mine town Banská Štiavnica is one of the nicest places in Slovakia, I would say it is a must to see if you happen to be around. The hills around it are just an icing on the cake. It is a perfect area for hiking, biking, swimming, and in the winter, you have a ski slope right next door to the hotel. I could spend here much more time...but then I would roll to Bratislava I guess :-)

Nuž hádam by som sa mala pohnúť a ukončiť túto letnú sériu. Už je november a asi by som mala začať písať pomaly o Vianociach :-). Takže poďme na to: 
Ďalších pár dní som strávila so svojou segrou v hoteli Salamandra, v takpovediac rodinnom rezorte neďaleko Štiavnice (Je to skôr v Hodruši, ale Štiavnica znie atraktívnejšie :-) ). Ich jedlo je skvelé a tak vždy prídem domov s pár kilami navyše :-).
Prizvali sme aj môjho tatu a jej mamu, aby s nami strávili pár chvíľ. Počasie bolo perfektné. Hneď pred hotelom je tajch a nie je nič lepšie ako sa vykúpať v obklopení hôr!
Blízke banské mesto - Banská Štiavnica - je jedno z najkrajších miest na Slovensku, ak sa ocitnete v jeho okolí, treba ísť. A tie kopčeky naokolo, to je len čerešnička na torte. Táto oblasť je perfektná na turistiku, bicyklovanie, plávanie, a v zime máte zjazdovku rovno pri hoteli! Vedela by som tu stráviť veľa času...ale potom by som sa už do Bratislavy naozaj len dogúľala...