Slovakia - Day 5: Smolenice to Dobra Voda

Somewhere

We met our first fellow traveller. A wild bearded Czech carrying the world and a golfing umbrella on his back. He was walking the other way – doing it the hard way. I guess he was carrying almost as much as the four of us were put together. But he was nearly finished. We were nearly starting.

Jan's thing, I think

Back to tourism. Just after the chat with our first fellow traveller we lost got to Sokolske Chaty and mislaid the track. Our fault – we got ‘roared’ (keep walking down a nice track and miss the little turn) But luckily there was a café with wonderful kofola and chips (I am not being sponsored by Kofola – yet). We asked then where that path was and they put us on the right track. We asked why they didn’t have a sign from the walk to the café. They said they had enough people from the cottages and well who needed more work. Don’t get me wrong, they were very friendly and the service was great – but they didn’t want to advertise.

A field

Finally, into Dobra Voda. If you living in Slovakia this is the name of a mineral water *Good Water” so I, stupidly, expected to find the Dobra Voda spring in Dobra Voda. There is a spring – Hlavka, we were not all brave enough to drink from it, but no-one died. Maybe we missed The Spring – I am sure someone will now tell us.

In Dobra Voda: Pension – Skalka was a bit of heaven. Super friendly people, clean, big, coolish, perfect. A retreat from Bratislava they told us. Discretion guaranteed. We will go back there – good cycling in the neighbourhood and the restaurant Hlavka – food from heaven.

A round thing

Another field

The pension washed and dried some clothes for us. So the next day we were clean and fresh. We may be walking the E8 (it has a European Walk number, the Magistral M. R. Stafanika changing to Cesta Hrdinov SNP – but it will always be the E8 to us, easier to remember) but can’t let standards slip.

Top Tip: Just follow the red signs – it’s very well marked

	Day 5	Cumulative
Distance Walked	24km	124km
Meters Climbed	660m	4,251m
Walking Time	7:45	39:40
Start Point	Smolenice, village square
End Point	Dobra Voda, village square
Via	Sokolske Chaty, slightly off the track but basic refreshments available when open. Not sign posted!
General Comment Where the water comes from? Supposed to rain – but didn’t. Happy to leave the friendly but ‘atmospheric’ accommodation. Mount Fuji– 3,776 meters the highest mountain in Japan. Yes!