At first sight, the dark palatial East Slovak Museum looks like yet another musty & old-fashioned chant to a bygone era, unatractively cluttered with precious objects and full of unreadable labels typed back in the 1950s…

On closer inspection, and after some minutes being absorbed by the alergy-inducing rarefied air, you realise this museum is inhabited by a truly memorable family of creatures… the Orangy-Leather Chair Clan, dedicated, if you pay them attention, to give you directions in no uncertain terms.

Don’t go up

Don’t go down

Careful, the door

Don’t touch the radiator

Don’t go through these doors

Mmm… not sure about this one but, probably

Don’t open the window (code for: don’t jump!!)

I was on my own throughout the endless corridors and tomb-like rooms… but these bossy chairs didn’t allow me to feel alone for one second. It felt impertinent on their part, at first. But you can guess a dry wink here and there. I think they meant well.

The Leathery Chair Clan deserve a badge of honour as the true & relentless guardians, chaperons and champions for this long-suffering, nostalgic and true-to-form Museum.