Today was a long, busy, WET, day! We covered a lot of territory on our way to northern Slovakia. Our first stop was Castle Spis, about 20 minutes form Levoca. The castle, or should I say castle ruins, is one of the largest in Europe and has a very interesting history, being inhabited by numerous families. We then went on to visit three other popular cities but the rain tended to dampen the spirit and thus the photos do not represent the true picture that we would have got had the day been sunny and warm. It is almost getting to the point that everything is beginning to look the same after close to 3 months.
However I must say that the northern part of Slovakia is much more picturesque than the south with in mountainous landscape and lush vegetation a stark departure from the flat prairie landscape of the south. It would appear that the northern region is much more prosperous that the south but apparently that is not the case. The same story resonates throughout central Europe, the governments are corrupt, the majority of the people are poor, jobs are impossible to find thus wages are terrible and taxes are ridiculously high. Not to mention that according to most we met who are in business, the government bureaucracy when it comes to rules, regulations and the policing of these policies is a nightmare to deal with. Most every business owner we have spoken to claims they are in the red and in a big way! The economy is horrible, prices are high, real-estate is an incredible bargain and everybody is demanding change. Just to put things into perspective, the average teacher in Slovakia makes $300 Euro a month (according to a friend who is a retired teacher) and has to supplement their income by doing odd jobs like cleaning houses, etc. There are no government pensions or benefit plans either. Job security in these parts is unheard of. There is however one constant, the mega rich, like in North America, are living large!
However I must say that the northern part of Slovakia is much more picturesque than the south with in mountainous landscape and lush vegetation a stark departure from the flat prairie landscape of the south. It would appear that the northern region is much more prosperous that the south but apparently that is not the case. The same story resonates throughout central Europe, the governments are corrupt, the majority of the people are poor, jobs are impossible to find thus wages are terrible and taxes are ridiculously high. Not to mention that according to most we met who are in business, the government bureaucracy when it comes to rules, regulations and the policing of these policies is a nightmare to deal with. Most every business owner we have spoken to claims they are in the red and in a big way! The economy is horrible, prices are high, real-estate is an incredible bargain and everybody is demanding change. Just to put things into perspective, the average teacher in Slovakia makes $300 Euro a month (according to a friend who is a retired teacher) and has to supplement their income by doing odd jobs like cleaning houses, etc. There are no government pensions or benefit plans either. Job security in these parts is unheard of. There is however one constant, the mega rich, like in North America, are living large!
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