Mushroom picking

After enjoying the forest mushrooms midweek, my neighbour and I went mushroom picking on Saturday morning. We had to get up early and drive out into the hills.
Unlike previous mushroom picking trips, this one was excellent because
a. I actually found some edible mushrooms (usually someone goes through my basket throwing out all the nasty mushrooms that I picked)
b. It wasn't raining

We didn't find lots of mushrooms but we had enough for lunch and we also picked some rosehips for tea.

Autumn and mushrooms

Yesterday I had some proper forest mushrooms with scrambled eggs. They were delicious. There were two types: slippery Jacks (masliak) and Aspen roughstems (kozak). I like the names in English but no one I know picks them in England - we forgot how. 

Aspen roughstem

Slippery Jack

It makes me want to go mushroom picking again. I just don't understand why we have to go at 5 o'clock in the morning!

The Radvan Fair

This weekend was the 356th Radvan Fair which is now held every year on the main square in Banska Bystrica. I watched the stalls setting up on my way to work on Friday morning.

Amongst the stalls selling woven baskets, young wine, sheep skins, gingerbread hearts and wooden kitchen implements, you could also catch a glimpse of times gone by.

On Friday evening there were two great bands - Balkansambel which plays different kinds of music from the Balkans and then the famous celtic-sounding Cechomor from Moravia.