https://michaluhnak.eu/categories/personal/Recent content in Personal on Michal UhnakHugo -- gohugo.ioen-USCopyright © 2026, Michal Uhnak.Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:09:14 +0200https://michaluhnak.eu/spanish-tutor-does-not-have-to-be-native/Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:09:14 +0200https://michaluhnak.eu/spanish-tutor-does-not-have-to-be-native/A few notes to start with: my wife is a Spanish tutor, she doesn’t teach me, because she has no capacity for that outside of her paid work, we tried some years ago but teaching and being taught by partners was difficult, I want all tutors to thrive in their work, and I’m not writing this to put down other tutors or promote her work. I’m just reflecting on my experience looking for a tutor.https://michaluhnak.eu/did-not-do-my-first-triathlon/Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:45:00 +0200https://michaluhnak.eu/did-not-do-my-first-triathlon/This is a reflection on why I registered for a triathlon race, and why I decided not to do it. I wrote it as my own justification of the decision. There might be someone who feels similarly and this helps them realize they are not alone. In June I signed up for a triathlon sprint distance race (750m swim/20km bike/5km run). It’s called TriXábia. Xábia is a Valencian name for Jávea, a town where I live.https://michaluhnak.eu/tips-for-reading-any-spanish-text-on-a-phone-with/Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:10:00 +0100https://michaluhnak.eu/tips-for-reading-any-spanish-text-on-a-phone-with/When reading my first book in Spanish for three weeks — the first part of Harry Potter — I adopted a habit. With Read HP 10 min now removed from daily reminders, I needed something new to keep the habit. I could get the second part — Harry Potter y la cámara secreta — but I will keep that for Christmas holidays. Another option — joining library in Dénia or Jávea — will have to wait until I find more time and courage.https://michaluhnak.eu/notes-from-reading-my-first-spanish-book/Sun, 12 Nov 2023 22:35:44 +0100https://michaluhnak.eu/notes-from-reading-my-first-spanish-book/It was “just” Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal, but still a big personal milestone. My last visit to a bookstore was in June in Bratislava before taking a bus to Schwechat airport. It was more to drink coffee and take a video call from there than to look at the books. Had I known how much I’ll miss a bookstore or a library in a few months, I would have soaked in more of the atmosphere.https://michaluhnak.eu/public-holidays-in-spain-from-the-expats/Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:10:00 +0100https://michaluhnak.eu/public-holidays-in-spain-from-the-expats/The theory of Spanish holidays Where I live in Spain, there are 13 public holidays, los días inhábiles. I say “where I live” and not “in Spain”, because the number of days depends on the autonomous community and on the local municipality. The holidays in Spain have three levels: national (9 days). autonomous community (2 or 3 days) — it’s two for Comunidad Valenciana, my home comunidad. municipal level (up to 2 days) — people know these as fiestas locales.https://michaluhnak.eu/on-doing-one-thing-at-a-time/Mon, 30 Oct 2023 08:10:00 +0100https://michaluhnak.eu/on-doing-one-thing-at-a-time/A Coll de Rates? — a friendly neighbour asked as I walked out on the street with my bicycle. “Sí, a Tárbena” — I responded. I was happy my planned route exceeded the neighbour’s guess by more than 100%. When I reached the climb I hit play on a work related podcast and put the phone back into the jersey’s back pocket. On this ride I needed to get out of my own thoughts and rather listen to someone else’s.https://michaluhnak.eu/a-humbling-experience-at-spanish-vehicle/Tue, 24 Oct 2023 23:24:04 +0200https://michaluhnak.eu/a-humbling-experience-at-spanish-vehicle/The arrival to la importación It was 7:45am and I entered the facility of technical inspection of vehicles, ITV for an 8:00am roadworthiness test. This was to get Spanish licence plates, to do the importación as everyone referred to it. The last milestone in the process that dragged for months. I requested it in July but then it froze for 2 months like August sales of heating stoves. “Drive to lane 1 and they will recognize you” were the instructions I received beforehand.https://michaluhnak.eu/comparing-cycling-cafe-and-traditional-spanish-bar-cafeteria/Wed, 08 Feb 2023 16:04:21 +0000https://michaluhnak.eu/comparing-cycling-cafe-and-traditional-spanish-bar-cafeteria/Coffee stops are a strong part of cycling culture. Where we stop and what we order are parts of an identity for many cyclists. This post compares a cycling café and a traditional Spanish “bar cafetería”. I based it on my experience visiting both of these worlds in Costa Blanca, Mallorca and Tenerife. I drafted it in my head on an easy weekend ride near Calpe. I recorded a hattrick of “cycling café — cafetería — cycling café” during the ride.https://michaluhnak.eu/vikend-na-bicykloch-po-tekove-a-honte/Mon, 06 Aug 2018 21:07:36 +0000https://michaluhnak.eu/vikend-na-bicykloch-po-tekove-a-honte/Na začiatok prognóza: s výnimkou Dudiniec a okolia Banskej Štiavnice nepatria Tekov a Hont medzi turisticky populárne regióny. Ani pre Slovákov, ani pre zahraničných návštevníkov. S kamarátom Frenkym nás lákalo zistiť, prečo je to tak a či sa s tým dá niečo robiť. Chceli sme sa presvedčiť, či miesta ako Brhlovce, Stará hora a Pukanec stoja za návštevu a či majú potenciál pre cestovný ruch. A ako lepšie pochopiť a prebádať krajinu, než na bicykli.https://michaluhnak.eu/prvy-rok-na-cestnom-bicykli/Tue, 19 Dec 2017 21:48:51 +0000https://michaluhnak.eu/prvy-rok-na-cestnom-bicykli/V januári som si dal neskorý vianočný darček v podobe môjho prvého cestného bicykla — Canyon Endurace AL 6.0. Podrobnejšie o tejto skúsenosti píšem tu. Podľa aplikácie Strava som na Canyone zatiaľ najazdil 2680km. Mohlo ich byť okolo 3000, ak prirátam dni, keď technika buď zlyhala, alebo som jej mal plné zuby. Hoci to nie je až tak veľa, v nasledujúcich riadkoch sa pokúsim zhrnúť dojmy a lekcie z prvého roka na cestnom bicykli.https://michaluhnak.eu/my-experience-with-canyon-as-a-brand/Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:00:32 +0000https://michaluhnak.eu/my-experience-with-canyon-as-a-brand/For over half a year now, I am a happy owner of Canyon Endurace AL 6.0, an entry-level road bike from the German manufacturer. This post isn’t so much about the bike and the gear itself, but about the experience with Canyon as a brand. Lets start with the good stuff I must begin with noting that I completely love the bike. It is beautifully designed and feels safe and reliable.https://michaluhnak.eu/a-guide-to-road-cycling-on-the-island-of-krk-croatia/Sun, 02 Jul 2017 16:44:02 +0000https://michaluhnak.eu/a-guide-to-road-cycling-on-the-island-of-krk-croatia/When I decided to take a road bike on a family holiday to the Croatian island of Krk, the biggest in the country, I wasn’t certain the “logistical hassle” is worth it. The claims said the island was a cycling paradise, but more for the mountain and trek bikes than for the asphalt fans. After checking some Strava segments and Google Maps, I got comfortable with the idea. Hills were what I was looking for and there seemed to be some paved ones.