We had to remind ourselves that it was still August (just) as, following a cold night, we discovered that at 07:30 it was just 6°C outside and 9°C inside the van. Breakfast was taken inside the van and we were glad of the fan heater, used for the first time in many months. However, once the sun broke through the mist, the temperature rose rapidly and it turned into a lovely day. We took a stroll from the campsite that turned into longer walk as we tried to find the church in the local village of Haligovce. The village starts about half a kilometre up the valley from the campsite but then spreads down another valley, stretched along a minor road. Houses are rarely more than one deep on either side of the road and the village continues for at least three kilometres with the church at the far end. It is a very traditional village based very firmly on agriculture with most houses having barns attached and many built of roughly hewn tree trunks. There are two small shops in the village, both doubling up as bars with two or three tables in a covered area outside. The whole are is very attractive with wooded valleys, pastured valley floors and exposed limestone rocks.
The Slovakian guide (actually a Dutchman who has lived in Slovakia for many years) had told us that the Dutch party were having a special meal and entertainment in the campsite restaurant tonight and he said that we would be welcome to come along. We ate in the restaurant and listened to the music coming from the function room below us – the same group as we had seen on Friday. The highlight of the evening was however the dancing and having finished our meal we took the remainder of our wine down into the function room to watch it. The 14 strong dance group (7 men and 7 women in their early 20's) came from Stara Lubovna, just down the road, and brought with them their own band of four musicians. They were the best group of traditional dancers that I have ever seen although the Slovak guide told me that the standard in Slovakia is extremely high and that this group was only average. I would love to see the best Slovakian dance group! All of the dancers and the band wore traditional dress, the girls had bright coloured swirling skirts and the men had white trousers embroidered in bright colours and all wore boots, the men's complete with spurs. The dances were full of energy with much twirling, stamping of feet and yelps from the women. They also sang as they danced – a really spectacular performance.
Photos: View from just outside Haligovce over to the mountains; This dance involved much drinking and dancing over and around the bottles at great speed; The dancers take their well-deserved applause.
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