Today I headed off to Bratislava - the Capital of Slovakia and once part of Czechoslovakia.

I met my host Zora and wow I have met my match with this girl - she is a true traveller in every sense of the word with a year on the road crossing all the continents, living in places I didn't even know existed and ontop of all that time in Africa working with HIV affected kids.
The first she did was take me straight to the old city town square where they had the start of the Christmas Markets!
Incredibly busy with what I am guessing was a majority of the town in attendance all squeezed in a little area getting their fix of warm wines, ounce and brandy and every conceivable food combination you can think of. Some things I have never seen before included liver wrapped pancake, deep fried potato frittats, boiled steaks and a drink called punce. Usually I am happy to stand off and observe but thankfully Zora pursuaded me to try the punce and wow - rum, red wine and fermented fruits all served at just below boiling point; being precisely what you need with near freezing temperatures. We continued around trying variation after variation of punce, each better then the last. The best thing about these Christmas markets was the prices - fair and affordable for the people giving everyone the opportunity to partake in which they did in outstanding fashion. In one corner an ice skating ring in another a traditional folk singer was playing his accordion and singing whilst half the crowd joined in! The whole scene was uplifting and highlighting the spirit of the festive season - I am glad I came this is going to be a great few days.