Sunday, November 11, 2012

Piestany, Spa City of Europe

Well, it has been a while since my last post.  I've been very busy with a new ESL teaching position and move to a new school and flat in Piestany, Slovakia.  Piestany is known as one of the premiere health resorts and spa in Europe.  It is quite small at 30,000 population, but vibrant with many cultural and artistic programs, museums and of course, spa island. People travel to Piestany for many treatments especially rheumatic and arthritic conditions. 


River Vah in Piestany
Piestany is located about 45 minutes northwest of Bratislava on the River Vah.  It is quite a beautiful and quiet village.  Many expats are located here and people come from all over Europe to enjoy what the spa has to offer.

Now that I'm settled in Piestany I will be providing more photos and cultural activities.

Why the move?  Although Trencin is a lovely city, the living accommodations were not adequate and the school didn't really suit me.  At Skypers, I'm able to really use all my background in business and teaching skills to their best advantage.  I am teaching business communication classes with several local companies and have individual students.  My hours are much more manageable and the other teachers and owner, Peter Remis, are a pleasure to work with.

My flat is quite nice and the owner, Anna, is becoming a good friend.  All in all it has been a great move for me.  This is what happens when you travel to another country.  Sometimes it takes a while to find the right fit that works for you and your lifestyle.  My recommendation is to not give up and keep searching for the right position.  I've added the Skypers link to My Favorite links or you can click on this link to check out the school.  I asked Peter where the name Skypers comes from and he said, "The Sky (being the limit) and PER is his initials".  Pretty cool I think. Skypers also has Facebook page so be sure to check it out.

I have had some time to check out the neighborhood a bit.  Anna took me to Beckov Castle and we had lunch at their famous restaurant (best meal yet in Slovakia).  It was a beautiful fall day.  The pics don't really do it justice.  The castle is currently being restored so I wasn't able to climb to the top.  The pool area is part of a spa and many weddings are performed outside during the summer.  The castle sits on top of a 230 ft rock towering over the little village of Bechov below. The structure dates back to the 12th century and was used as a link between Hungarian fortifications and the Vah river.  In 1729 the fortress burned down and was never rebuilt. There is an upper castle and two palaces and chapel.  

Look for more pics and travel comments.  I need to plan a holiday vacation so give me some good ideas in the comment section!


Beckov Castle Pool

Beckov Castle

1 comment:

  1. Robin, glad to hear that you like your new school and accommodations better than the previous place. I give you a lot of credit for taking on this international adventure!

    ReplyDelete