"Message in a Bottle" Nitra by aukjejetty

Nitra Travel Guide: 9 reviews and 34 photos

little church on the outskirts of Nitra - Nitra

How a bottle choose my travel destination

Nitra is special to me. I have no special interest for the city itself, since I believe mots of Slovakia is in particular interesting for its gorgeous nature and not for interesting architecture or beautiful old cities. But Nitra is special because for me it is associated with a great story.

In late summer 1989, my parents, sister and I where on holidays in Palma Nova, on the island of Mallorca (Spain.) We got a little bored in this beachplace one day and noticed my dad's little whiskeybottles. We suddenly got this romantic idea of writing a message and throwing it in the mediteranean sea. We wrote a little note, left our homeaddress in it and walked to the beach where we threw it as far as we could into the sea. I wouldn't even have remembered all this, did we not get a letter from a girl (Zora) in Slovakia. It was amazing, it was 8 months later and her mother (who was in Valencia because her husband was there for business) and her brother found our bottle on the beach in Valencia, Spain!!!

I always like to think it is fate. I am the same age as Zora and I started writing her a letter back. I was about to go to the USA for a year, and it would be a good practise for me to write letters in English. For her it was a little more difficult, I had a lot of English at school already, and she just started English. We wrote a little at first. It was simple, but we understood each other.

My visits to Slovakia

Zora, me and Gabo in her parents garden in 1994

In 1991 she already asked me in a letter if I would like to come and visit her. In 1994, it finaly happened! I was interrailing (a trainticket to be used in Europe for a month) with two friends. When we got to Vienna, my friends left for a trip to Venice and I nervously took a train to Bratislava on to Nitra. I felt so excited and didn't care that I had to wait two hours in Nove Zamky for my connection to Nitra.

It was so happy that I decided to go meet Zora, we connected very well, and we share our urge to travel to other countries to explore other cultures. While I was there the first time we mountainbiked up to a little church up on a hill (see picture) together with Browny (the dog.) It was beautiful up there, they used to hold parties in this little forgotton church.

After my first trip I came back for Christmas and New Year, also in '94. In '97 I came during my summerbreak, and recently (2003) I spent my Christmas there, and was interviewed by the press for our special story. When I am there Zora has always plans for me to see more of the country. And when the weather was bad, she and her friends would take me to a pub to get warm with some heavy drinking!

Last visit to Nitra: Dec 2003
Intro Updated Jan 17, 2004
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Reviews (2)

Beergarden Restaurants (1)

I went to a few great beergardens. I surely recommened everyone to go there if the weather is nice. Everyone sits at... more travel advice

Bratislava to Nitra Transportation (1)

Most travelers will arrive in Bratislava when they enter Slovakia, best way to travel to Nitra is by bus, and it is also... more travel advice

Comments (9)

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kikalena Jun 22, 2009 at 3:41 AM

what a fascinating strory it is!!! greetings from Poland. Marzena
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jethanand May 28, 2008 at 5:21 AM

Hi Aukje - this is Zora from Nitra - remmeber me ? - just kidding of course - this is Jethanand from Washington DC - very cute story , welcome to US !
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anoum Oct 17, 2007 at 6:13 AM

Interesting story!
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Meadows11 Mar 10, 2005 at 8:18 AM

Hi, I looked at your page, because you've answered a lot of q's on places I'm going. What is that your eating in the picture?? Great story! Inspired me to throw my own bottle!
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masc4s Feb 14, 2005 at 7:35 AM

This is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing.
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Mahieu Sep 10, 2004 at 11:47 AM

Fantastisch verhaal! Ik heb dat eigenlijk ook altijd al eens willen proberen: waar is mijn whisky-fles? :-)))
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utttz May 4, 2004 at 10:12 AM

great story... unfortunately noone got the bottles I left in the mediterranean, in the atlantic and in the pacific ocean.... maybe they were just too far from the coast and are still sailing around!
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isolina_it Jan 27, 2004 at 12:53 AM

What a moving a great experience :)
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call_me_rhia Jan 16, 2004 at 2:11 PM

great message-in-a-bottle story!