The Polyglot gathering

Day two of the gethering and again it was very hot. Some very amusing and fascinating talks from the shy, perfectionist polyglot to one of the polyglots with the most languages and yet so modest.
The speech was extremely interesting showing how helpful certain languages were to learning others, etc.
After a rather rushed lunch in a very busy, stuffy cafe, I once again joined Michael the Green Hat guide to go by buses out of the city to the confleuence of the teo mighty rivers, the Morava and the Danube.
This mural was behind our bus stop. A stark reminder of the last war.

So, here I was at the point where the Iron Curtain divided East from West. What a history of wars and turmoil this lovely country has had. High above us sat the ancient Devin Castle, perched on a steep cliff with the rivers on two sides and the Carpathian mountains on the other - a perfect stronghold. What a pity Napoleon Bonaparte( or Blewapart , as Michael named him) blew it up! It looked a daunting task to get up there in the heat, but it was very surprisingly a great track and a  relatively gentle climb from the other side.

 What stunning views from the top!

And back towards Austria.


As we stood listening to the history of the area and the continuous invasions and Battles of Austia and Bohemia, several luxury cruises peacefully drifted past us along the Morava River.
I am sure we had the best view!

Not only is Devin castle a symbol of national pride for the Slovak people, but it also is situated in a microclimate, with the hills around it being the home to several winemakers of the white Devin wine and an endemic type of wine made from red or black currants. 
Next stop, wine tasting.

What a pleasant stop to taste 4 red and black currant wines and also a white currant wine. Under the shade of the trees, it was a haven and a chance to get to know fellow polyglots a bit better.

A group of us decided not to return to the cafeteria and to savour some more local wines and food. We were not alone in enjoying the local alcohol. Fridaynight meant stag party night and this guy from Germany was particularly amusing! He really stole the show from the poor busker who had just ended his performance! He was hilarious.

We ate at a recommended Slovak restaurant where the waiters wore traditional folk costumes. I ate the national food, Bryndzove halusky, a type of potato gnocchi with sheep cheese and bacon, actually bacon fat, on top. It was tasty but oh so heavy. We had a really great evening there, two Germans, two Poles, a Swiss and myself. 

Finally, an ice cream in the city next to the man in the manhole, before heading home to a somewhat disturbed sleep. My stomache felt as if I had a kilo of lead in it!

O


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