Job

Three weeks is a long long time in Havran. The sudden gush of several inches of snow at the beginning of the month has given way to yummy warm weather now. From snow shovels to sun cream, yippee!
But panic has spread. So much to do with no snow excuse! Lists of jobs made up during a cold evening one month earlier are being ignored as each day never want's to end with new missions to complete. 
For example it is a long standing battle we have with our mouse friends in the cellar on who should eat the apples first. We know there was a good harvest as we still have two crates to get through. But despite the Spring warmth our furry rivals haven't considered venturing further for food as yet from the evidence of the occasional nibble marks on the fruit. So a clearout was in order and a coy decision to move the un-touched fruit to our bathroom, the coldest place inside the cottage. If the mice want to continue biting their bits of apple they can find them now on the compost heap. This whole operation took an hour of the day to do it. It wasn't planned for and so it takes an hour away from what was planned. So far this week this has happened on numerous occasions. A neighbour friend gave us good advice the other day, don't expect to finish anything you have started out here in Havran. And with that we have decided to have a day off on Saturday.

Baaa

Off to our neighbour for a favour. Within two minutes of sitting down a pre-prepared plate of delicious homemade slices of apple cake and is placed within easy hand range. It's a Slovak tradition for cake to be always on hand in case of guests and it always looks as if you are first person to try any of it too. 
Coffee, conversation, four or five shot glasses of homemade are drained down and we are as happy as our neighbour's sheep. 
Time to escape before we get too settled, back home through the sun-drenched woods. Mission accomplished, favour met with approval. Unfortunate reminiscing of the A-Team tv theme until the springtime birdsong reminds us we are in the countryside, please be respectful!

Be Prepared !

The last remaining truffles from last week's chocolate weekend have been scoffed and as the snow fades we can finally move stuff back out from the 'under construction' kitchen/social/eating hub of the cottage. 
I trip over a misplaced frying pan whilst searching for a clean teaspoon and an over ripe kiwi fruit. We hate clutter in Havran! 
Springtime sunlight beckons us for more productivity outside rather than in. And now reluctantly the kitchen/social/eating hub becomes work in progress during twilight hours instead of daytime. 

Driving me crazy

How to drive in Slovakia, (after extensive research and experience) 
- When driving, drive fast enough to catch the car in front before over-taking at any available or non-available opportunity even if you are about to stop in the next village or town.
- Over-taking on bends is allowed. 
- Whilst turning corners or parking you must only use one hand on the steering wheel to do so. What you do with your other hand is your business.
- Never acknowledge or give way to other road users including pedestrians on crossings.
- Beware of pedestrians as they might suddenly want to cross the road on crossings instead of waiting for you to pass.
- Over-taking of police cars is allowed.
- If you 'bump' your car or anyone else's in a car park it is not your fault.
- Always make sure you park at angle in a parking space, preferably over two parking spaces. This gives more room to open your car door as no one can park next to you.
- Over-taking of three to four cars is allowed and gives extra marks for outstanding handling.
- The law is to have your lights on all the time. If your headlights fail use your fog lights. Don't worry about fixing your headlights even if your fog lights blind other road users.
- Speed limit signs are just road decoration, ignore unless the traffic news on the radio is warning of police with speed cameras on your journey.
- Over-taking traffic in a traffic jam is allowed.
- Never put your handbrake on whilst parked. Leave in gear and if an Englishman gets in, have a little laugh as he forgets when trying to drive off in it and the car lurches forward and stalls.
- Do not pull over if your mobile phone rings, keep going and answer it, especially if you are over-taking a police car on a bend and approaching a pedestrian crossing with your fog lights on.

Good luck!
   

Bowie

Whilst waiting over night at the airport on my return to Havran last week it was again noticeable that I was only person without a computer, touchphone or whatever to play with. I don't miss all this but I had missed that David Bowie had re-incarnated. And that got me thinking of an old story of when we met one elderly couple in Slovakia who were convinced Mr Bowie was a distant cousin of their's.
With a smile on our faces and an occasional cough to hide any laughter we suggested we could find out if there could possibly be any element of truth in this. And after all David Bowie might like to know as well.
After some extensive research we did surprisingly come back with some music link. Alas it was not DB but an exiled obscure 1970's progressive rock guitarist who was also called David. 
Only muted celebration followed from the elderly Slovak couple when told this news. Nevermind, we were still asked if we were to bump into the said guitarist (or DB for that matter) please drop by Mr and Mrs Strapko. They would be happy to welcome you with a piece of homemade cake and a small tipple of homemade brandy, oh and Mrs Strapko's wheelchair wheel isn't turning very well and might need replacing. And Mr Strapko may need a new hearing aid, and the car isn't running too well, and..blah blah.
Whenever we pass that village now Ziggy Stardust "ground control to Major Tom" rings out in a poorly impersonated version of John Sessions "Stella Street" accent.   
  

Orange

Orange is not our favourite colour at the moment. 
After all the pumpkin we are happy to have moved onto greener vegetables and after a few recent issues with a well known mobile operator we both agree that orange is not our favourite colour right now.
Finally now that the snow melts and magically forms mud we have the opportunity to clear away more orange from our cottage. The orange debris is then scattered to improve the road surface which has suffered after another long hard winter coverage. Fortunately we don't mind driving over this orange.
In Slovakia people quite like their bright colour renders on their houses. There is a farmhouse within view which is painted loud mint green. It is not uncommon to see red splashed render houses, or yellow, we've even seen a frightening purple one. We don't get it, there's enough bright colour in the world already without having to put a 'coloured icing' on your house. Especially orange.  
   

Springtime

After witnessing what grass finally looks like this week now the snow is finally giving up it sure feels like Spring has arrived. 
No more creative falls on ice which I have splendidly demonstrated this winter. 
Melting snow provides the newly formed streams that flow constantly down our eroding road. The slushiness last week was more difficult to navigate in the car than any frozen ice previous to that!
And there is no more pumpkin, the last splodge taken to compost heaven. Relief to eat something different. 
But then the old outside freezer decides to pack in. Having survived the whole winter of coldness it decides to give in just as the days become warmer! Panic, as our over stock of frozen vegetables and plums need to be re-housed. Suddenly we need the snow to stay and not melt around the huge cooking pot we have now standing outside in the most northerly shaded and snow-filled area!