SLOVAKIA
Towering mountains, lush ravines and valleys filled with cold freshwater streams. Picturesque countryside, scattered with villages, each punctuated with a towering church steeple. Life seems to move slowly, and in some places time itself appears to have stopped entirely.
The perfect escape for those who love nature and sports, there is a endless amount of activities with which one could fill ones day, and the evenings are best spent with a chilled glass of beer, smoked cheese dumplings and good company.
The Slovak history is interesting, one influenced by folk traditions and intertwined with their neighbours - as is all of Central Europe. There are several nods to the Austro Hungarian empire that captured my fancy, as clothing and artwork from that era are a point of interest in my research. Ever-present in their art are motifs derived from nature. Animals, Ferns, berries, leaves and blooms appear again and again- woven into fabrics, worked into frescos, carved into wood, painted onto walls and reflected on traditional dress. Is is with this mindset that I left Slovakia and hope to include that in projects to come.
