Finding Our Roots in Slovakia, Ebby in Slunj, and Ebby's Spring and Easter Sale is Going on Now.

One of my favorite things to say about our home in Drivenik, Croatia is "It's in the middle of nowhere and it's in the middle of everywhere." Although our house is in the woods where bear, foxes, wild pigs, deer, bunnies, and elk live, we are also less than an hour's drive from Italy and Slovenia, two hours to Bosnia, three hours (+/-) from Austria and Serbia, four to five hours from Hungary and Germany, about 6 hours from Czechia and Slovakia, and eight hours to Switzerland, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece. Those are driving times, not flying.

The importance of travel is a key message in my book, Ebby the Magnificent. Travel is the best way to get to know, understand, and appreciate other parts of the world and to meet people you might never otherwise encounter. It builds bridges.

This newsletter is a little longer than normal, but I promise to show you some cool stuff. In this newsletter, I will tell you about our trip to Slovakia, our brush with the President of India and being interviewed by India's National Television Station, and I'll show you my latest artwork. Also, Ebby's Spring and Easter Sale is going on NOW. 25% off all books and card exclusively on my website. There's no time to waste--so let's hop to it!

Finding John's Roots in Slovakia.

Our house in Drivenik, Croatia is in the middle of everywhere. All you have to do is grab your passport, gather some clean underwear, fill up the gas tank, hit the road in any direction, and you will soon find yourself in a different country. John's parents, grandparents and 7/8ths of his great grandparents are from Drivenik. The sole holdout was his great grandmother on his mother's side, Albina, who came to Drivenik in the early 1900s from what is now Slovakia.

Last week, John and I decided to pack our bags and drive to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and see where Albina came from. It took us six hours. John's great grandfather worked on the trains when this entire region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so Albina likely traveled by train. Still, it would have been a very challenging and unusual adventure for a young single woman to travel so far away from her home.

I knew next to nothing about Slovakia other than it used to be part of Czechoslovakia, and had been under the Soviet yoke of oppression following World War II. I imagined it would be "gray" like other former communist countries I have visited, and perhaps a bit backwards like the countryside in Bulgaria and Romania, with horse carts, enormous Communist-gray apartment block buildings, and run down farmhouses. Nope. Not even close. Slovakia is modern, colorful, beautiful, booming with life, rich in culture and history, and full of six million lovely people. It is undergoing a boom of sorts. It is part of the European Union, uses the Euro, and is less than an hour's drive from Vienna. Czechia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine border it. That's right. It borders Ukraine. Urp.

This is St. Martin's Cathedral in Bratislava. During the Austro-Hungarian Empire wars against the Ottoman Empire, 19 Kings and Queens were coronated here. At various times in history Bratislava (then known as Pressburg) was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Bratislava has existed as a city for about 1000 years. Archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation in this area going back to the Neanderthals. At one point, it was at the northernmost edge of the Roman Empire. Click here for the Wikipedia page.

We had such a lovely time touring Bratislava, seeing the sights, showing Napoleon pages from Ebby the Magnificent, eating the fabulous food, and drinking the amazing wines and beer. Think sausages, dumplings, cheese sauces, roasted pork knuckles, sauerkraut. Think expanding waistlines.

After we toured the city, we met up with Sveto and Luba, two Slovakian friends of my dad's Peace Corps volunteer friend, Tom Katus, who is also from Slovakia. Tom met Sveto when he was looking for his own roots several years ago, and Luba knew another former Peace Corps volunteer who served in East Africa with my dad and Tom. Meeting up with Sveto and Luba transformed our visit from being just a tourist jaunt to being a meaningful adventure--Ebby style.

Sveto is a retired (emeritus) professor of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. He is in his 80s (you would never know it) and lived through the ugly Soviet occupation of former Czechoslovakia. He shared his fascinating history growing up under a brutal communist dictatorship. His story was even more poignant and relevant because of Russia's ruthless attempt to occupy Ukraine by force. Ukraine borders Slovakia and he fears if Ukraine falls, Russia will attempt to "reclaim" Slovakia next. His father, an outspoken critic of the Russians after World War II, was exiled along with his family (including a very young Sveto) to a gulag for 8 years. Later, Sveto became the first non-Soviet/"western" academic professor invited to Latvia. A KGB agent attended all meetings and his approval of all subjects they discussed was mandatory despite having no knowledge of what they were discussing.

Luba is a Slovakian neonatal and pediatric heart surgeon. Her specialty is fixing congenital heart defects in babies and young children. She is an extraordinary person. Her clinic in Bratislava is the only place in Slovakia that provides this surgery and Luba has helped untold children live normal, healthy lives. She met Jerry, (a Peace Corps volunteer who served with my dad in Tanzania in 1961-62) when he was working for USAID in Slovakia. USAID provided funds to Slovakia to buy life saving equipment and provided world class training to Slovakian doctors, like Luba after the fall of Communism.

Luba loved the idea of my book having no violence, cruelty, or stress-inducing plotlines. She thought a book about kindness, friendship, and adventure would be therapeutic for her young patients, as well as their parents. She got several copies to give to her patients. Luba also loved the bright, cheery illustrations in my book. I offered to donate images of my paintings to be hung in the children's intensive care unit and recovery rooms. Ebby is in Slovakia!!

Sveto, Luba, John and me at Devin Castle. The Danube river is in the background, where the Iron Curtain used to be.

Luba showed us how congenital heart defects impact the heart's functions and how she corrects it surgically.

Sveto and Luba took us to Devin Castle, which lies on the shores of the Danube River, a short distance from Bratislava. This castle was built from 864 to the 15th century and is steeped in history. Although the castle is now in ruins, at one time it was the northernmost outpost of the Roman Empire. Napoleon Bonaparte blew up a portion of it in 1809 as he fled in defeat. After World War II, the walls and razor wire which made up the "Iron Curtain" lie at the foot of this castle. Click here and here for short videos I did that explain a little about the setting and history of Devin Castle.

Although we did not find any specifics about John's great grandmother, Sveto promised to help John explore his ancestry. I guess that means we will be going back to Slovakia!

A Fortuitous Encounter with my Roots in Slovakia

In case you are not aware, my mother is of Indian origin, making me half Indian. In an Ebbyesque coincidence, Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, visited Devin Castle while we were there as part of her official state tour of Slovakia! Yes, the second female president of the largest (1.4 billion people) democracy in the world came to Devin Castle! It was the first official Indian state visit to Slovakia in 39 years. I thought I should give her a copy of Ebby the Magnificent (which I take with me whenever I travel), and Luba immediately set off to speak with the Slovakian Security personnel to see if it was possible. Unfortunately, they could not clear the security hurdles in the time allowed. As President Murmu walked pass me, less than 10 feet away, I said "Namaste" to her. But that was not the end of our adventure by a long shot.

While we were walking through the ruins, I saw a group of Indian men who had been with the President. I introduced myself, telling them I was half-Indian and was honored to have seen their President. One man, Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya, was the director of the National Small Industries Corp of India, in charge of the small business enterprises for the entire country. He explained that he and several members of his staff were accompanying the President who was discussing trade agreements with Slovakia. A cameraman and television reporter with the press corps were also there. We spoke about my book and my background and they asked if they could interview me for India's National Television. You can see the short interview by clicking here. I gave Dr. Acharya a copy of Ebby the Magnificent and asked him to give it to the President (after he read it, of course). He promised me he would try. You can't ask for more than that.

Ebby the Magnificent is now in Slovakia and India! Oh Joy!

This is my latest painting. It is a European river otter and trout from the Slunjcica River.

Ebby is Going Back to Slune (Slunj).

As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I am going to Slunj-Rastoke to present my book and artwork to the people of this magical village. Slunj is one of the first places Ebby visits on her journey in the Land of Stones. You can read more about Slunj and see lots more pictures on the Tourism Board Website.

On May 1, the village of Slunj-Rastoke is holding its annual festival called "Mostovi Plešu" or Dancing Bridges and I will present Ebby the Magnificent a part of the celebration! This is the official flyer for the event, using my painting of Slunj-Rastoke. How cool is that?!

My handmade greeting cards contain photographs of my artwork and are on heavyweight cream colored cardstock, which I personally decorate with color-coordinated rhinestones. They are perfect for framing too. With over 60 original paintings to choose from, and 8 different card sets, picking your new favorite has just gotten more fun! The cards are blank inside, making them perfect for any occasion. Shown here are the "Ebby the Magnificent" Card Collection and the "Sunset" Collection, two of the sets of cards exclusively available at my online store www.jwjulian.com. All books and cards are on sale for 25% off during the month of April. Now is the perfect time to stock up.

Now there's even more in "store" for you!

I now have 11" x 14" Giclee prints available online. Looking for a larger print? No problem. You can custom order the size you want. These are the highest archival quality prints available on heavy textured paper. Every detail of my paintings is reproduced perfectly.

Additionally, all hand embellished canvas prints in stock are on sale for 50% off while they last!

Don't see your favorite paintings (including my most recent ones) in a card or print on the website or you would like to create your own card set? No problem! Just contact me and tell me what you want and I will make it especially for you at no extra cost. Now is the perfect time to stock up in Elusive Baby Bunny merch for every Bunny on your list!

We LOVE our readers and LOVE getting reviews!!

Reviews are a great way for you to tell other people about the book and are extremely important for independent self-published authors. If you enjoyed Ebby, please consider sharing your thoughts with your friends, your book club, your colleagues, on Amazon, Goodreads, with me, or wherever you write reviews. As an independent, self-published author, word of mouth is my BEST advertisement. Want to have your review featured here? Just write one up, like this one from Alison, aged 8.

Happy reading and hoppy adventures!

J. W. Julian