On Kapustnica, Home Alone and Mikuliško
Let’s get this out of the way at the beginning. I don’t like ‘kapustnica’ (’sour cabbage/sauerkraut soup’). I’m sorry. I…
James Blore
The Gingerbread of Blore
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a bit of gingerbread, and this is the recipe we make every year. It is a…
James Blore
My Chocolate Cake
When I was a kid, my mum used to bake me a chocolate cake for every birthday*. It was a…
James Blore
Pohanske, schmohanske
Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and zombies have fascinated us for generations. In Slovakia, there are čerty (demons), the vodnik (a malevolent…
James Blore
Book Spines
Notice anything strange about this picture? And no, I don’t mean the slightly random selection of books. Do you find…
James Blore
Lovely Tortillas!
Not long before I came to live in Slovakia, I spent a couple of months travelling in Mexico, Guatemala and…
James Blore
Pasties!
If there’s one thing missing from Slovak cuisine, it’s the combination of pastry and meat, best exemplified by the wonderful…
James Blore
On Slovak, Bedtime Stories and Audiobooks
You just have to talk about a book you like for a few minutes, she said. Sounds easy enough, I…
James Blore
Why did you stay?
It was September 1998. I was 24 and had just arrived in Humenné. I was teaching English for the Akadémia…
James Blore
Why are you here?
My students often ask me why I came to Slovakia. And when they learn that I’ve lived here for almost…
James Blore
Fog in Channel: Continent Cut Off
Just under half of those UK citizens who took part in the 2016 referendum voted to remain in the EU.…
James Blore
100% Recognition of C1 Advanced (CAE) in UK Universities
UK 100% of UK universities* accept C1 Advanced (CAE) from EU applicants. The majority of these universities will also accept…
James Blore
The Cambridge English Scale
Things have changed in the world of Cambridge examinations. You may know that CAE is now, in fact, Cambridge English:…