Hot Springs of Poprad

The next morning we got up at some ungodly hour as we had to go to the airport to catch the presidents plane up to Poprad. Why the Presidents plane - well because we had to arrive before the Queen - of course and this would allow us time to get in position in the High Tatras.

Seems simple but the security we had to go through was unbelievable. More so than for the Royal flight. Duncan (the BBC cameraman) and I went through last as we had the most luggage as usual. Finally through we waited in the VIP lounge which was straight out of the 70's - very atmospheric. At last we were allowed on the plane - before the red carpet was laid out. Climbing the stairs and looking down at the tires - they were interesting. Bald kind of interesting. The fact that you can see the braiding under the rubber all the way round was a nice effect. Glad they did if for the Presidents plane as you wouldn't want him to have a blow out on landing now would you.

I sat at the back next to one of the emergency exits.

Never guess but we did land safely.

Up at the High Tatras - it was cloudy to say the least. Here we waited for the Queen and Prince to come up on the vernicular railway. Hill tram to you and me.



Every now and again the sun burn't through the clouds to warm us all up a bit while we waited.



And then the cloud seemed to come back in force again. All these peopel had walked up. Sadly we didn't have that luxury we came up in a mini bus....



Finally just before the Queen arrived blue sky's appeared revealing stunning view up to the Tatras themselves.



Ever present was security - though once again they didn't seem to do much about the snappers getting in the way of us and the Royal party so they couldn't see where they were going.



Finally she arrived and all went well - despite the distinct lack of snow - a few patches were around. To get from one position to the next before her we had to run around the back of the cafe building which involved clambering up a 10m bank - it must have been the altitude as I was panting so badly when we got round the other side.

Trying to not to fall down the mountain, I was perched on the very edge, was bad enough - until more of those pesky Slovakian Photographers came and asked it I could move a bit more. No being the answer - and they didn't want to go down the hill, they just pushed in. Sam in the mean time was really having kittens.... just didn't do what they were told - and through out it all she kept smiling - absolutely fantastic!!

Back down in Poprad for the last engagement before the Royals flew home we met back up with Sam and made our way to the Ice Hockey ring where the Queen would drop a puck starting a Hockey match. We couldn't go through the main entrance as the red carpet was out so we headed to a side entrance with two huge goons in place. Goons is exactly the right word. Cunjure up a pair of big fat Eastern European secret police thugs and that's what we were confronted with. Sam explained who we were and what we were doing - and we made our way to go in - - all 10 of us with official passes. The answer was no! We tried again. No. Sam was getting frustrated as the Queen would arrive soon and there would be no British press there at all. No no no no NO! That was enough - we turned around and wait straight through the main entrance - saying hi to one of the British Security detail - who had no problems with us at all - along the red carpet and then ran round the ring and on to the ice to set up.

Still happy, the Queen enjoyed the the game, we said bye to Sam who was flying back on the Royal flight. And just to make sure they knew we left via "goon exit" smiling all the way.



The package done and lives done we had a few hours to kill until dinner... Hmmm staying at a hotel called Aqua City built on the site of hot springs. Having secured a new pair of trunks I ventured down to the spa area to meet the girls for a quick Sauna.

I'm not sure whether it was to mask the sulphur smell or just for effect but each sauna room had different herbal infusions in the steam which made each room really refreshing. Not as invigorating as the ice plunge pool though. Jesus it was cold.

Have been revilatised we headed to the out door pools - a nice 34'C - the same temperature as the pool in Delhi - but in the cool mountain air much nicer. Best of all they had an aluminuim cylindrical bouncing pool. OK so I don't know if there's a proper name but its a 6 foot cylinder standing upright in the pool a narrow entrance and a bowl shaped bottom. I went in with Rose. We stood on one side with three guys on the other. To start off you take turns jumping up a down and with the water acting like a see saw you start getting higher and faster - to see who wins or rather who goes out of sink and gets water up the nose and very wet. Unsurprisingly they were very determined and in the end we had to give up from the shear voracity... dignity all still intact though.

All in all a very good trip.

Royal farewell to Eastern Europe

The Queen has completed an eventful tour of Slovenia and Slovakia - but a royal viewing of my legs wasn't on the official programme.

By Peter Hunt
Royal correspondent, BBC News

Her Majesty had come to Slovenia and Slovakia to meet their people - not to encounter Phil, my cameraman, and I perched perilously on a table.

We had chosen this vantage point in a crowded room to film the Queen.

In our haste, we hadn't realised we were obscuring a wall covered with children's pictures, which were on display for her to look at.

We shuffled along the table, until we could shuffle no more. We were pinned against the wall, as the Queen walked past, admiring first the drawings, and then our legs.

It was a reminder that for a woman who thrives on routine, the unexpected can momentarily delight. To the relief of her aides, this was the only unscheduled occasion on an otherwise carefully planned overseas tour.

(What Peter doesn't say is that as soon as she walked past we both started giggling uncontrollably as it was so unexpected - Phil).

As on all visits, she received gifts.

The Queen performs a ceremonial face-off

In Slovenia, she was given one of the world famous Lipizzaner horses.

She did not have to worry, though, about her excess baggage allowance. The now royal prize stallion is staying put in its Slovene stable.

It would not have troubled her if she'd had to take it home. Down the years her family has been given an elephant, a baby crocodile, beavers and two lovebirds, who lived at Buckingham Palace, called Annie and Davey.

The gift giving, the official welcomes, the state banquets and the endless handshakes are familiar ingredients when the Queen packs her bags and heads off to fly the flag.

The collapse of communism has provided an ageing monarch with new stamping grounds to promote her country.

This was the first time she had visited Slovenia and Slovakia. Both are fledgling states who have embraced the EU and Nato.

In amongst the familiar, there are always moments which stand out.

She met a modest and very remarkable 99-year-old man. Sir Nicholas Winton saved hundreds of Jewish children from certain death by smuggling them out in trains from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to foster families in Britain.

He told me it was "gratifyingly nice to know something one did in one's life was successful".

'Gift of life'

Sir Nicholas met up with some of those he saved - "Winton's children", as they are known.

He gave them the gift of life. Most of their parents were not so fortunate. One of those he rescued, Vera Gissing, spoke of how her mother and her father took her to the station.

A beaming monarch enjoyed a rock star welcome to an ice hockey match

She can still recall "the anguish in their faces" as the train left. It was the last she saw of them.

As well as honouring the sacrifices in their past, the Queen's hosts always like to promote the aspects of their country they are most proud of.

So it was that the Queen took to the mountains in Slovakia. In doing so, she notched up a first - a pretty impressive achievement for someone who has been to so many places in her long and eventful reign.

When she set foot in the Tatras, it was the first time ever she had been to a ski resort.

The mountain view was impressive, though the absence of snow was a pretty crucial missing ingredient for an octogenarian who has never sampled apres-ski.

Once off the mountain, she was in only slightly more familiar territory.

Her destination was an ice hockey stadium. When she entered, the crowd roared, the players banged their sticks and the Queen beamed.

She does not normally do beaming. She leaves that to the politicians.

But it's amazing the psychological impact of a rock star welcome on the recipient. She was there to drop the puck between two opposing players.

She proved a dab hand, having performed a ceremonial face-off once before in Canada. The red carpet rolled out onto the ice ensured there were no regal mishaps.

And with that, she was off.

Back home to unpack and walk the corgis, until the next time her government asks her to represent their interests elsewhere.

When the time comes, I'll make sure my legs are well and truly on terra firma.

Original page here.

Devin Castle

After two days in Slovenia we flew first thing in the morning to Slovakia, direct to Bratislava. As part of the 'traveling party' this meant we flew in the Queens jet - a BA charter - with us at the back amongst hats and clothes all labeled with Queen or Prince.

Landing. we where whisked off the back of the plane and into mini buses to join the convoy into town. As some strategic point, though we were at the back we separated off and headed down a ring road to the first location - which was meeting the President. As we raced down the road the following Police motorcyclist drew level and waved his hand for us to go faster as we were falling back. Only for the driver to shrug his shoulders and point at the sign by the sun visors - the bus was limited - a real keystone cop moment!! Threading our way through halted traffic we eventually reached the Palace just off a square in the centre of town we waited for the rest of the cavalcade to appear. Surprisingly we had actually beaten it and all lined up - diviing up the work again - between the Beeb and us.

What became very apparent was that the local media didn't follow the same rules in respecting distance and intrusion as we did when it comes to respecting which really bugged Sam, the Queens Press Officer. On a short walk about between locations a photographer barged past Prince Philip, knocking him off balance which resulted in his comment 'its like a scrum round here'. I do feel a little sorry for him as he's definitely left out- the Queen is top dog and he follows around - but after so many years I guess he's used to it. He always seems happy though. Liz had cheered up too, during the time in Slovenia she was really moody and hardly smiled at all. Here though she was beaming - a much nicer friendlier image. We all have our off days so to be expected from time to time.

That afternoon we made our way to Devin castle just outside the city which used to be the site of the iron curtain. Over the river was Austria and freedom - previously obscured by a huge fence.

Here we met Nicholas Winton and some of his children. Its very rare that you meet someone who totally humbles you and leaves you in awe of their achievements. As we sat and interviewed Nicholas we all became stunned by his complete modesty in what he had done. During the second world war in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia Nick had saved the lives of over 700 Jewish children by smuggling them to Britain, and finding families for them to live with. When asked why, his answer was ' What else was there to do?' After the war he also kept this secret from his wife, with some papers in the loft detailing his exploits only unearthed in the 1980's.

This is the story of one of his 'children', an 8 year old girl.... It was time to go and on the way to the station the girls mother and father where being as buoyant as they could telling their daughter not to worry and she would see them again soon. Trying desperately to stay stay strong and not to cry as they said goodbye to their daughter, her mother gave her a diary.

"Whats this for Mum".
"That's so you can write down how you are feeling, when you are happy and sad - then when we see you again you can show it to us and we can read what adventures you have been up to."
"OK Mum I will."

Taking her number, 200, she got on the train waving goodbye to her parents. A while into the journey the train stopped and all the children with numbers below 200 where told to get off as they were now safe. Not really understanding, scared she asked another girl next to her what to do. that girl said stay on the train and so she did. had she done as she was told and got off the train she wouldn't be alive today to tell us her story. Very sad.

In no way have I done her story or Nick justice - a true hero.

Its after the Queen met Nick and some of his children where I came to be standing on a table as the Queen walked by - but that is better told by Peter Hunt in this blog which is a little later on.

Next was the laying of the wreaths at the memorial in the shadow of the castle.



This ended up being another nightmare for Sam trying to control the local snappers. They just ran riot and got everywhere. Here they ran past her and grinning in a really purile catch me if you can attitude. Despite that the ceremony continued.



And the poor Prince bringing up the rear. Not having been barged out the way at least.



Soon after it got dark, everyone else had left to do something far more interesting, we though finished editing - well Vicky did. I did a live and then we waited an age for a taxi to come and take us to the hotel. By which time, after an 18 hour day, and running low on blood sugar levels - the concierge who was standing around doing nothing and didn't help with the luggage trolly got the thin end of my tongue - as did the check in clerk - "This is a 5* hotel - yes? I didn't know guests were expected wheel their own trolly's..." Thankfully 'my girls' very quickly made sure I got some food and drink!! Bless them. I'm so not like Nick!!