Hi folks, I guess things are working now. If someone asked me what comes to mind when someone says "Slovakia" I would conger up images of mountains, deep forests, fields of tall sunflowers, castles, quaint villages and great food. We traveled from Bratislava to the far northeastern part on the border of Poland. I think the thing that surprised me the most about the country was the diversity it has for being about the size of the state of Michigan. Bratislava is a modern city (with a vary beautiful old section), Martin also seemed very much in the 21st century, Internet cafes, etc. On the other hand there are quaint villages that time seems to have forgotten. If you are into climbing castles, I think you will be satisfied. The thing that I couldn't get enough of (being into art history) were the churches, and there are plenty of them. There are the small wood churches, churches with 12th century fresco's still intact, there are large Gothic churches, Baroque churches, Catholic, Greek Catholic, Evangelical, Reformist and even Baptist churches. Every village has at least one or two, and they are all unique and beautiful. There is a sense of pride in the past and interest in preserving it through museums, festivals, and even some villages that keep some of the homes the way they were 100 years ago, like Cicsmany. And there is music. Just about every evening at dinner we were entertained by everything from Gypsy musicians to a couple brothers playing the violin, and piano who studied at the conservatory, and various types of folk music, depending on the area. Each place seems to have it's own unique style and it is kept alive. Of course none of this would be possible without the people, who I found vary friendly, extremely delightful, and unpretentious. If you go, get ready to be served some type of liquor the minute you walk in the door, along with open faced sandwiches and or pastries and bottled water or soda. I thought after months of planning for this trip and looking forward to it, and then actually being there that when I got back, I would feel like a deflated balloon. Quite to my surprise I didn't. I felt very full and enriched from the experience. I think it gave me a better understanding of my grandmother, aunts and uncles who came from there, and even myself. It was great to see the places I had been researching and to see how my relatives are living today who are still there. And, because of that, I plan on putting my grandmother's name on the Ellis Island Wall of Honor. Joyce