First Day Out

Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia

---

September 28th 2014
I'm standing in front of a tiny 4-table restaurant. The peeled log walls are candy-glazed with amber shellac. A civil defense loudspeaker, loosely screwed onto a corner of the roof, cranks out silly Slovakian Polka music that sounds like a Benny Hill soundtrack. In front of the cabin is a chicken-wire aviary. A couple of peacocks stretch their fans. On the ground inside the cage are a dozen fl ... read more

Europe » Slovakia » Zilina Region » Liptovský Mikulás

---

In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once... ... read more