Sunday 31st August 2008 – Haligovce, Slovakia

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.

Saturday 30th August 2008 – Haligovce, Slovakia

It was a very cold morning at under 12°C and it rained during the night but the washing had to be done so Jane got it going before breakfast – a very good move as there was soon a queue for both of the washing machines.
The day was spent reading, blogging and watching the Rugby League Championship Final using the interactive option on the BBC News channel. That was Jane's idea and I was pleasantly surprised that it worked given that we are outside the BBC coverage area for all of their other channels. We were rooting for Hull, given that they hadn't won a Wembley final in six attempts, but they finally succumbed to St. Helens. We also investigated other facilities at the campsite – there are excellent climbing, swinging and other games equipment for children although overgrown children also enjoy them.
Photos: Jane trying out the largest example of bar skittles that I have ever seen!

Friday 29th August 2008 – Haligovce, Slovakia

We had a few options for our next move but picked a campsite near the Polish border partially because it has a washing machine and the wash bag is overflowing. Our main objective was Spissky Hrad, Slovakia's largest castle and one of the largest in Central Europe. However, very close to the castle and with a view over it, is Spisska Kapitula, a 13th century ecclesiastical settlement surrounded by a defensive wall. Apart from a modern-looking seminary, the street between the two main gates is lined with mediaeval houses and is dominated by St. Martin's Cathedral. We took a tour of the cathedral, which again took the form of a written English guide but was actually better and more informative than the one in Levoca. The church dates from the 13th century but was expanded considerably over the following centuries. There was interesting architecture, stone carving and a fresco together with more carved wooden altars of various dates – none by Master Paul but some influenced by his style. We will have to rename this part of the Odyssey 'In the Footsteps of Pope John Paul II' as he had visited here as well.
The view of Spissky Hrad was very hazy but we drove to take a closer look. The car park in the village of Spisske Podhradie is at the bottom of the castle hill and we took the long climb up to the lower entrance together with many other visitors both Slovakian and foreign. The castle was very popular although it is so large that it never felt crowded. We walked around the walls of the lower bailey and then made our way up through the middle bailey to the heart and oldest part of the castle. After stone age occupation in 5000BC and the Celtic influenced Puchov people, it was the 12th century before fortifications were built and the castle was modified and extended, especially in the 15th century from which most of the visible remains date. I climbed a tall tower called the 'Don't be afraid' tower that had an interesting sign on the door - “There may be flying ants at the top of the tower – don't worry, they are not dangerous”. After negotiating the very narrow spiral staircase, I emerged into the open at the top of the tower and into a huge swarm of flying ants. No, they weren't dangerous but they were a total pain – everyone got covered in them – in the hair, down the shirt and all over the clothes and skin. I didn't stay there for very long but I was still trying to remove the ants 15 minutes later. There was a blacksmith and an excellent potter both working and selling their goods and I managed to fulfil one of my childhood dreams – I fired a cannon. OK, it was only a small cannon but it used real gunpowder and made a huge bang when it went off. I could have used a bow and arrow, a crossbow, a pistol or a rifle but it had to be the cannon even though it was the most expensive option at 50sk (£1.25).
We drove on a semi-circular arc past four more castles before we arrived at the succinctly named 'ATC Chatova Osada Goralsky Dvor' campsite at Haligovce, north of Stara Lubovna. We were very impressed – it is a flat site with excellent facilities and there were lots of caravans and motorhomes already there. It turned out that almost all of the campers were Dutch and part of an ACSI organised tour of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We found a good level pitch close to the shower block and not far from the stream that runs at the bottom of the site. After dinner we went across to the bar and restaurant area where there was live folk music from a three man band. There was a group of Slovaks, probably staying in the chalets, that were having a traditional night that included a meal together with the live music. It wasn't however exclusive and we were able to sit and drink whilst watching the band – two drinks (wine and beer) and live music for under £2.
Photos: Spis Castle from below; The castle keep from the lower bailey; Firing the cannon; Stara Lubovna castle, one of the other castles that we passed on our way to the campsite.

Thursday 28th August 2008 – Levoca, Slovakia

We established that a 20 minute walk would take us into the town but there was another alternative. High on a hill outside Levoca is Slovakia's most important pilgrimage church of Marianska Hora and a footpath from the campsite allowed us to walk to the church and then on to the town. The campsite receptionist suggested that the walk would take us 40 minutes but you would have to be very fit to do it in that time. We took best part of an hour, many steep climbs were interspersed by occasional gentle slopes and nearing the top the track became rough and muddy due to the logging activities. The walk had been through thick forest with only occasional glimpses of views but when we reached the church we were greeted by lovely views over Lovoca and the surrounding countryside. The church, dating from 1869 is an imposing building especially in its position on the steep hill. The interior is refreshingly simple and there were many pilgrims there, some walking on their knees up the steps to an area either side of the high altar. Pope John Paul II had visited here and we were beginning to think that we were following in his footsteps as this was the fourth place that we had visited that had also been visited by the pope.
We stood for a while admiring the view and then set off down the hill. This was very steep and continued without a break until we were below the level of the old town. We were rather glad that we had chosen the other footpath that at least gave us some respite during the climb. Walking up a short hill we arrived at one of the two mediaeval gates of the town , stopping briefly at the Minorite church just inside he gate before continuing to the main square, which is actually a long rectangle. In the centre of the square is the Saint James church with its plaque celebrating the visit of, you guessed it, John Paul II. We bought tickets for the next guided tour and, although this turned out only to be in Slovak, we were given a printed English guide. The building itself is impressive but the fame of the church is based on an artist known as Master Paul of Levoca. Master Paul was an early 16th century sculptor who produced the most beautiful wooden altars in Slovakia. I am generally not keen on ecclesiastical art, having seen too many paintings and icons in Roman Catholic and Orthodox countries, but I am a real convert to Master Paul's art. Saint James has the largest Gothic altar in Slovakia and this was carved by Master Paul. The 18.2m high and 6.2m wide structure is made entirely of beautifully carved wood and has a centre piece of three statues – St. James, St. John and, centre stage, the Virgin and Child. The face of Mary appears on the Slovak 100sk note. Below these statues is a 3-dimensional carving of the last supper. There are also many other carved wooden altars by Master Paul lined up on either side of the main altar and the wonderful Altar of the Nativity. We were able to admire these altars from a distance but ropes prevented us from getting close. There is however a Master Paul of Levoca Museum in the square and, after lunch we headed there. The receptionist was very helpful, speaking good English and she set up a 20 minute video in English that told us about Levoca and Master Paul. Then we went around the museum and were able to see, at very close quarters, faithful replicas of many of the carvings from St. James Church. These were made for the World Exhibitions in Brussels (1958) and Montreal (1967) and are beautifully crafted. It was really good to be able to get so close to the carving – much closer than people would ever have been able to get to the originals. The highlights were the statues from the Altar of the Nativity and the Last Supper from the high altar but there were also many other examples of Master Paul's work from other churches.
The 30 minute walk back to the campsite was pleasant, watching many cyclist and in-line skaters passing us. The latter were serious skaters going long distances often keeping up with a companion on a bicycle.
Our lunch today is worth a mention. We ate at a café with an outside terrace just off the southern end of the square. Jane chose an Hawaiian sandwich whilst I chose a dish that involved sheep's cheese. This turned out to be pasta pockets looking like miniature Cornish Pasties stuffed with sheep's cheese. They were sprinkled with those delicious, but very unhealthy little pieces of roasted pork fat that so often accompany meals in Eastern Europe. Surrounding the pasta was a clear liquid that I finally concluded was pork dripping. It was a very tasty dish and I thoroughly enjoyed it although it was a little concerning that I had selected it from the section of the menu headed 'Vegetarian Dishes'. If I had been a vegetarian, or indeed Jewish, it would have been more of a problem!
Photos: Marianska Hora seen from the Levoca old town; Levoca Town Hall and St. James Church; One of the shepherds from Master Paul's Altar of the Nativity; The wonderful 'Last Supper' from the high altar.

Wednesday 27th August 2008 – Levoca, Slovakia

It was time to say goodbye to the High Tatras and move on east. First of all we drove to the hotel with the Internet service and had coffees whilst researching travel insurance and booking our channel crossing. We were surprised to find that the cost of Eurotunnel was only a little more than the ferries, so we decided that we would return in style. So the end of the Odyssey will be October 21st, but that is still eight weeks away and there is still plenty more to see.
We drove to Poprad and then on to Levoca where we found a Billa supermarket and did a major shop for provisions. The old town of Levoca looks very pretty and we will definitely visit tomorrow but now we drove the short distance to the Levoca Dolina (valley) campsite. The site is on a hill and it took quite a time to get Henrietta approximately level, but it is pleasant, with marked footpaths running through the site.
Photos: This two coloured flower (I am no good at flower names!) was very common around the campsite.

Tuesday 26th August 2008 – Stara Lesna, Slovakia

The weather forecast was good and we wanted to do one more long walk before we left the High Tatras. We took the train to Stary Smokovec and then the funicular to Hrebienok, joining the Magistrala trail (a footpath that runs below the High Tatras peaks all along the Slovak side) where we left it on Thursday. We walked west through forest full of fungi and then emerged into the open with lovely views south to the Low Tatras and up into the High Tatras peaks. The Low Tatras come much closer to the High Tatras at the western end and, as we sat eating our picnic, we saw them moving away to the east and into the haze. The footpath had been ascending steadily, often over very rocky terrain. Jumping from one large rock to another reminded me of childhood (and, to be honest, adulthood) trips to Portland Bill where I would spend ages jumping from one huge rock to another. These rocks had been deposited by rock falls, filling the depressions in the mountain side.
The path levelled out and then descended to Velike Pleso a small, pretty lake with a waterfall cascading down a rock face on to its northern shore. The view would have been even more picturesque if it had not have been for the ugly modern hotel on the lake shore. Still, it was possible to stand with our backs to the hotel and admire the views north over the lake and then south to the next range of mountains. It appears that Pope Paul II (Jan Pavol II) visited here in July 1995, hopefully to admire the views and not to stay in the ugly hotel!
It was at this point that we started our descent, traversing the slope through the forest with occasional pauses for wild raspberry foraging (not as successful as Saturday). As we approached Stary Smokovec we crossed many mountain streams and springs, which should have been in the forest but it had been totally devastated. Uprooted tree stumps lay amongst the overgrown forest floor and there were only a few trees standing. We learnt later than a vast area all around here and around the campsite had been hit by a massive storm and many thousands of trees had been felled within 20 minutes. Both the Czech Republic and Poland provided troops to help in clearing the timber and it will be 20 years before the area reclaims its former forested appearance.
We arrived at the Stary Smokovec railway station to see a train waiting at the platform. It left as I emerged from the ticket office with our tickets! Still that gave us 50 minutes to sit at our favourite station café and indulge in delicious, thick hot chocolate.
We arrived back at the campsite, completing a 15 km (9.5 mile) walk, feeling much fitter than on Thursday.
Photos: A rather good example of the Fly Agaric mushroom; This flower is common on the mountainside and appears on postcards and tourist literature of the area – I must find out what it is; The lake at Velike Pleso.

Monday 25th August 2008 – Stara Lesna, Slovakia

A quiet relaxing day with just a short (or so we thought) walk down into the village of Stara Lesna. We found a small shop and bought a few supplies and then walked back to a hotel close to the campsite. The hotel offered an Internet service and we were told that it cost 60 sk (£1.50) per hour but then we discovered that there was a WiFi connection available in the bar area. We sat there for an hour and a half with a beer and a Coke and the bill came to 50 sk. It was a very fast Internet connection (probably due to the fact that there didn't seem to be anyone else in the hotel) and we were able to achieve a lot.
It turned out to be a four mile round trip and it was good to keep the legs moving.
Photos: The preserved hand-pumped fire engine in Stara Lesna village.