"East or west home is best" katamorgana's Profile

We Slovaks call our country "the country in the heart of Europe",
but I am not sure whether the rest of world recognises it as such.

In any case, this small piece of land, in the centre of Europe, is a most beautiful part of this world.
Our Slovakia hides a a great number of spectacular things. You can find them in nature, in both historical and new town centers, as well as villages steeped in folklore.

I am made more aware of them each time a foreign friend visits. My greatest pleasure is to show them the places I love so dearly. Pride swell in my heart when they say that they are surprised at how interesting their experience in Slovakia has been.
(Regards to Els Mahieu :-)

The Glass Bridge

Piestany is a well known town in Slovakia. Healing hot springs and healing mud attracts a lot of guests from many countries, what makes it different than other towns in Slovakia. Patients which need help with rehabilitation and other illnesses needing mechanical apparatus get here treatment which helps them tolerate their illness much better.

Thanks to Virtualtourist I can invite you into my world. Let me introduce myself.
:-)
I perceive myself as a mix of elements donated to me by my ancestors. Knowledge of these influences in me and their harmonizing effect makes my world pleasant and happy.

I am, in part, a Nomad.
This forces me to discover new worlds, other cultures and meeting new people.
Planning and saving money for the next expedition, covering distances and
learning words and expressions in foreign languages has become an exciting
hobby.

A part of me is strongly bound up with the small piece of land where I live. I love taking care of my family, improving our home, cultivate our garden.

A part of me is very sociable. I like meeting people.
I enjoy talking to lots of people. I am lucky in being adapt in remembering
names and faces of hundreds of business partners in my company and have kept good relations with each of them.

A part of me is shy and frightened. I had to struggle against that in past but
now I need not worry about this part of me :-)

Swimming.

I can swim since my 3. My father taught me swimming in his own effective way.
He threw me in but waited patiently for my confidence while constantly
encouraging me.
I survived and I still love swimming nearly as much as I love my father :-).
My daughter helped me improve my swimming styles in my 30s.
Almost every child in Piestany can swim, most of them very well. It has become
part of the local customs.

Horse riding

I fell in love with horses as a teenager.
Wanting to be an assistant vet, I studied and specialized in the profession at
the secondary school level and worked for a vet in an agriculture cooperative.
There were 300 pigs, 400 cows, 200 young cows, but only 2 cart-horses which removed dung.
I loved them, but I was able work there only for 3 years.
Only a small piece of me is a farmer and I had focused my ambitions another way.
Now I sometimes go riding when my friend needs help. I still like it.

Skating

I had never had my own ice-skates in my child-hood. I was anxious to get some. I
bought my first pair of ice-skates when I was 28, when my son was 5.
We taught each other.
Later, when my son started playing ice hockey I started paying more attention to this sport.
Nowadays I cannot wait for the water in the bay to freeze in Winter. I am the
only woman among boys, fortunately they are willing let me to be a part of a
team.
I do in-line-skating as well.
Piestany is a very good place for this sport.
There are about 15 kilometers of paths for in-line-skating with a very good
surface here.

Skiing

I started skiing the last winter. My daughter encouraged me after her first
school skiing training.
First I was scared and I could not believe that I will ever be able go down the
hill. Now I ski slowly, safely and with pleasure.
My daughter says "You do not ski only for your own pleasure, but for everyone´s
entertainment"
I do not mind it, let people enjoy themselves! :-)
I do cross country skiing as well. This sport and swimming I can do with my
husband.

The knocker on the door of my childhood. 1825

I grew up in a large manor house with a wild unkempt park around it. The
building was built in 1820-1825 in a classic-style. Some of rooms there have a
beautiful cross-vault. The biggest one is a chapel with a golden-arch across the wall.
There was an original big fool-proof furnace in the kitchen and menacing nooks in the cellar and in the loft. I knew all the forbidden places as well as I knew my hand.
Unfortunately all original furniture and contents were destroyed or stolen at
the end of WWII. I once saw a big portrait of a countess, in the store room of a village house when I was 9. I did not realize where it had come from or where it is now.
Maybe the 15 years of living in the historical building is the reason why old
buildings and artifacts attracted me.
Or maybe it is something deeper, what gives me possibility feeling Déjà Vu :-).

I love traveling because I want to feel it again and again.

Stephanie warmed my heart by sending me the VT flag.
I placed it into my working corner at home. Now I am a real VT member :-)
This is the first picture of the flag. I am looking forward to taking more ones during my travels.

My family
People with a great sense of humor
Fresh air, clean water, green nature and beautiful things are around me
Kitchen always tided up before going to bed
My Toyota Yaris

/

Cigarette smoke
People which lack a heart and reason
Dirty accommodation (fortunately I did not have this experience too often)
Greed!