26/July/2003: Bojnice Castle
I don't have any picture that I took available online, but I would like to show you the Castle as well as some stories that Misho(Slovak) translated to me. It's so funny that they have Polish, Hungarian, German, French and even ITALIAN, but co? What? NO ENGLISH! Relax....It's Slovakia!! I was surprised enough when the guy in the information can speak English!! He even said "sorry" and he SMILED!! Nice costumer service!!!!
One of the reasons that I wanted to visit this castle is that my dairy that I bought here has Bojnice Castle as cover! I think it would be great to take a photo with my diary in front of this castle, so I did! I was the last person allowed to get into the castle while Misho(Slovak) was left behind. However, the "bouncer" was kindly enough after Misho explained to him that he had to translate to me. We had a very elegant lady in a fairy-tale costume as a guild. The way she spoke made Slovak language sounded so classic and beautiful.
I will try to tell you some good stories that I heard during the visit and maybe you will understand me better by some of my choices...
- There is a huge mirror in one of the room and the guild told us if you smiles to yourself in the mirror, you will be lucky in the next day, so everyone did it. I think it would be very amused to hide behind the mirror and looked those tourists smile to you.
- Count Pulffy reconstructed this castle for his wedding. The construction took 22years!!! Of course, the bride run away!!!! Can you blame her? NO!! Say she was 18, if she had wait for it finished, she would have been 40 years old!! I would have run away, wouldn't you!! :P
- After we entered a bedroom, the gild asked us to pick one of the 3 dog sculptures. I picked one which on the left. She then told us that each of the dog says something about your character. Mine one is.....robber or someone bluffing a lot!! %#&#$&...
- There are 3 marble benches in the hunting room. The guild asked us to sit down if we wanted to, so I did. Then, she told us that for ladies who sit down are expecting to have babies next year....err...And the bench I chose is for TWINS. GREAT(!)
- I also heard some legend about how did the dear be part of royal mark. There was some curses in the castle as the lawyer didn't follow the last owner of the castle-Count Palffy. 40 years after his death, the tower of the castle was burnt. 80 years after his death, there was some black liquid leaked out from his coffin until the stolen paintings was returned.
Bojnice Castle
The good-luck-smiling mirror
Count Puffy's coffin which had some black liquid leaked out
Precious Altar was returned and the black liquid stop
26/July/2003: Bethlehem
On the way back home, Misho(Slovak) took me to see this marvellous piece of art, carved out of wood and with MOVING parts. Mr. Jozef Pekara has been working on it since 1980. Once it is finished in 1998 it will be 8,5 m long, 3 m wide and 2,5 m high.
