Queen Elizabeth visits Slovak ski resort

POPRAD, Slovakia, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Queen Elizabeth of Britain ended an official visit to Slovakia by opening a mountain trail for the disabled and dropping the first puck at a hockey match.

The trip by funicular Friday to the mountain ski resort of Hrebienok in the High Tatras was a first for the 82-year-old British monarch, The Times of London reported. While her children are all enthusiastic skiers, Queen Elizabeth has never taken up the sport.

Unfortunately, there was no snow. The entertainment for the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, included a song from young women in traditional costume and young men who demonstrated the traditional technique of carrying barrels of beer to mountain huts.

In Stary Smokovec, the village in the valley below, most of the residents came out to see the queen as she visited the local church.

The queen opened an exhibition hockey match between AquaCity Poprad and the English champion team, the Guilford Flames. In spite of royal encouragement, the Slovak team won 6-5.

The game ended her three-day trip to Slovenia and Slovakia.