Slovakia - an Unexpected Surprise

Twenty or so years ago when I visited Eastern Europe for the first time, I skipped Slovakia for two reasons:  a Visa cost about $50 (we'd already paid that for one to the Czech Republic and were reluctant to spend that again) and I'd heard or read that Slovakia was industrial and not very scenic. So, I was pleasantly surprised as we crossed Slovakia from Poland to Hungary a couple of days ago at how picturesque the landscape was. Much of the area where we travelled was covered with dense forests, beautiful mountainsides (some of them ski areas), and farmlands glowing yellow with canola.  We overnighted in Banska Stiavnica, a UNESCO World Heritage site although we never found the church which gives it that designation. While the town could use some restoration, where we stayed was lovely, the food was good, and the beer and wine prices continued to make us happy.  There was also something to be said for sitting in a restaurant where the TV was showing an IIHF World Hockey game when so many NHL players come from this country. One thing for sure, however, the Slovakians need to work on their roads. Whether we were on a highway or a secondary road, there are potholes that you could lose a small child in!  It is one thing to be driving at 30 km when they are easy to miss but it is much trickier when the speed in more like 80 km. Luckily, we managed to avoid nearly all of them!