Was it a Sign?

Yesterday, Amy and I decided to walk around the area to escape the heat of our room, and we looked up and saw this lovely rainbow among the clouds.  We were certainly surprised to see it since there was no sign of rain anywhere.  But it sure did bring a smile to our faces.

The area around us is really quite lovely.  We are amidst some famous wine makers here in Slovakia. One can see grapes growing for miles.

The morning began with the chirping of little birdies demanding their breakfast.

Look carefully and you can see their little heads at the top of the nest.  I was entertained for awhile watching their mommy come and go to feed them.  Whatever type of bird this is, it moves in and out very quickly, making it difficult to capture a photo.

I want to clarify that the birds are OUTSIDE of our windows, not inside.  And, the staff was sure to hose off the area around the rooms to keep any type of birdie debris from building up that might cause sanitation issues.  So, no bird flu to worry about, OK, Becky?

Our intro to the Slovak language began today, and I can tell you that they don't beat around the bush here, that's for sure.  We have a delightful instructor who had us laughing and kept us interested for several hours. I'll have to keep this brief since I need to go and study what I learned today.

Actually,  if I had not already known some Slovak, I think  I would have been truly lost today. Our class is small.....only 7 other people.  2 Swedes, 2 from Vietnam, one German, a man from Great Britain, and an American fellow who is considerably older than me.

It dawned on me today that it had to be easier for me to learn this language since the woman would speak in Slovak but then followup in English.  If I didn't speak English, I would have certainly been very lost!

We had a lovely "ice breaker" this evening with a Slovak group entertaining us while we were finally given some information and a schedule!  Yeah!  It looks like we'll be quite busy and there is an excursion planned for nearly everyday while we are here as part of the exposure to the Slovak culture.

Tomorrow we start with class in the morning, then head to Modra in the afternoon.  Amy and I actually walked into the town tonight.  It is about 3 km from here, but the air had cooled off and it was a great break from the heat in our room.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that when we "registered" today at the desk, I was informed that I only owed 37,54 euro instead of the 44 euro that I had been expected to pay.

You have to admit....change is really a great thing!
Dovidenia Zatra!

The Jury is Out!

Amy and I are presently at the UJOP University Center on the outskirts of Harmonia in Slovakia.

Pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

At first glance, the room seemed nice enough, although there is no sign of air conditioning anywhere and no fans in sight.  The room does have large windows....but there are no screens.  Which would normally not be a big deal here because we have noticed that there are not many flies in Slovakia, so screens really aren't necessary.  Except, Helga did warn me to always keep the sheer curtains drawn over the open window to keep the birds from flying inside. Now she is on the 6th floor where there are limited bird hangouts, but she still exercises caution.

I entered the room and walked over to the window to open it to see if I could get some fresh air, and I spotted several of these:

At first, I though they were hornet nests, but when a bird came flying at high speed, and suddenly disappeared into one, I realized that these are bird nests.  And there are several within a couple feet of the window.  So, contrary to the conditions at Helga's regarding birds, the possibility of feathered company is much more significant here. So, dare we keep the window open with so much activity going on?

To be honest with you, the birds do seem to be primarily interested in the nests and not in random flying patterns. But considering our propensity for experiencing unusual events, I really don't feel too comfortable keeping the windows unattended.

Amy was pretty down in the dumps, so we decided that, despite the heat,  we would walk to the nearest little town, Kral'ovce for some lunch.  After scouring the menu for several minutes attempting to determine what fare was being offered, Amy asked the waitress if she spoke any English.  She went back to talk to two other women, and suddenly we heard some commotion and "Nehovorim po Slovensky?"  which means, "They don't speak Slovak?"  The waitress then came back with an English menu which, quite suspiciously, had different prices for the same food.  There had been several items that I could identify in Slovak, and the same items on the English menu were 1 euro more.

But there was no going back now.  And, the difference certainly didn't break the bank.  But, I'll admit that Amy is not very happy and she suggested that we just bail on this program, change our tickets and meet Marty in Scotland in a week.

I've suggested that we at least give it a try and see what tomorrow brings.  She seems calmer knowing that there is a back up plan in place.

In the meantime, we do have a refrigerator in our room, so we can open the door periodically to cool down.

And, thanks to Helga, we partook of some laughing cow treats this evening.

And, to be quite honest with you, I could probably use some calorie control after the last few days of feasting at Helga's.

I'll keep you posted!  Dovidenia.

Always be Prepared for Some Excitement!

Today was a solo adventure for Amy & me. Helga informed us last night that she would be going to the market in the morning and that Amy and I could go into the city alone. After reviewing the bus lines for the easiest route, Amy and I felt up to the challenge.

So, we began the day with a fabulous breakfast made by Helga.

According to Helga, the American translation for this breakfast delight is "Sandwich". I can't remember the Slovak name, but I will tell you that it was really quite tasty. And the raspberry yogurt tasted more like dessert than breakfast, but who's complaining! Let me just mention that the coffee is fabulous as well!

But, really, enough about food.

We hopped the bus, exited at the President's Palace and headed towards St. Martin's Cathedral.

It was still early, and the temps had not gotten out of control yet, so the walk to the Cathedral was quite pleasant. Here you see Amy standing on the steps at the base of the Cathedral. I am still trying to adjust to the new camera that I brought with me. She really did look much closer through the view finder!

Just for the record, the interior of the churches are not air-conditioned. They tend to be only a bit cooler than the outside, unless one ventures down into the crypts.

That's all well and good, but really, who wants to hang around dead bodies for any extended length of time just to stay cool?

We headed out and didn't make it too far when we decided to cool off with an iced coffee at McDonald's. I know that I swore that I would never enter a McD's in another country, but this one offered a scenic view, delicious iced coffees AND........Air conditioning! Who could resist that combo? Plus the prices were extremely reasonable.

A bit more sight-seeing and we found ourselves at Michael's Gate where we decided to view the museum. I thought the prices were rather steep for viewing swords and some artillery, and the place was stuffy and hot, and as we made our way up stairs and more stairs, it only got steamier.

But then, we found ourselves at the top. There was an open door, and we walked outside to find an absolutely spectacular view of the city!

The view was well worth the price, heat and climb to the top. Plus, the volunteer on the 3rd floor informed us that the ticket was also good for the Museum of Pharmacy. Two for one price, she boasted.

Now, could you beat that?

So, we headed over to that museum which was only a few doors down from Michael's Gate. The woman inside was not even a little bit friendly, but she was probably roasting inside, so who can blame her for not being cheery? It could have been the heat, or it could have been the group of Americans who were apparently touring the city earlier in the morning. Who really knows?

The place was filled with decanters of herbs and oils dating back for centuries. Surely an alchemists dream. I would have taken some photos, but the crabby attendant was following us around, and I didn't want to annoy her anymore than she already appeared to be.

So, off we headed, back to the bus station, so that we could meet Helga in her flat. The plan was to go to the "garden" to see her "Mam" who was really looking forward to our visit.

So, Amy and I were headed back to Helga's on the bus when suddenly, we heard this extremely loud BANG, the bus stopped suddenly, and I spotted a spark just outside the window where Amy was sitting. I don't know if I mentioned that the buses actually run like the trolleys with attachment to an overhead wire, so they run on electricity.

I suppose with enough heat, anything can happen, and so, today, the connecting wire broke away from the bus, several blocks from our destination, and I could see the live wire tossing and turning from above.

Exciting, don't you think? Out on our own, heading home....pleased with our ability to get in and out of Bratislava successfully, anxiously awaiting our destination, only to find ourselves trotting along the road toward's Helga's flat. Because, it was obvious that there would be no bus coming to the rescue, because there is only one connection line on either side of the road.

So, about a half an hour later, after traipsing along in the hot sun, we finally arrived at our destination. We gulped down some water, refused food from Helga because we were so hot, and headed back out with Helga to the garden as planned.

Helga's mother lives in a small two room structure on a small piece of land that has trees and room for some fruits and vegetables. Helga's father bought it many years ago so that he could have a place to garden. When he retired, he moved into this small house, and after he died, about 5 years ago, Helga's mother moved in.

This "garden" is located between two industrial buildings that would really like to see this personal land eliminated.

The people who live in this garden have no septic or sewer systems because the government will not allow one to be installed, and the corporations that are encroaching on this space really don't care to see such a system put in for these people. The area has also been infiltrated with Roma, and the people who live in this garden area must worry about the Roma stealing their fruits and vegetables if they do not live in on the property, as well as stealing any metal that they can sell for cash.

I only mention this because the sound of a "garden" sounds so serene, but there is much more to the story than what the word implies. But Helga's mother seems quite content to live in this garden, and really, that is what is really important, isn't it?

The trip required a 15 minute bus ride, and, luckily, by the time we headed out the lines were fixed. After getting off the bus, we walked another 20 minutes to the "Garden".

Helga's mother was thrilled to see us, and we were so glad to have made the trip. She insisted on making us Viener Schnitzel for lunch which we enjoyed outside under some shade. There was a slight breeze to make it tolerable, and we really did have some a delightful afternoon with Helga as translator.

We spent several hours in the Garden before making the 20 minute hike back to the bus and returning to Helga's place. Helga insisted on making some Slovak specialty: Parene Buchty.

These are steamed dumplings with jam filling and sweetened curds on top. I think it is a good thing that we are headed out to Modra-Harmonia tomorrow, because I'm going to look quite "Buchty" if I keep eating like this!

So tomorrow we will go to Mass in the morning before getting picked up by Stanko who will drive us to our destination. I really thought that this time in Bratislava would be the calm part of the trip. We'll just have to wait and see what adventures await us tomorrow!

Steaming in Slovakia

Here's today's lesson for the day:  100 degrees is HOT!

Ok, so you may think that I'm a wimp, but it was reported yesterday on the news that 115 people collapsed on the streets of Bratislava due to the heat. And, here at Helga's house, there is no air conditioning, the windows only tilt open a bit from the top and there are no fans to circulate the air.  I will admit that a cold shower never felt so good!

Oh, and let me add  that buses in Slovakia are not air-conditioned either. So forget the idea of cooling off in transit.

On a happy note, we managed to find some relief by walking along as many treed streets as we could muster on our way to see Bratislava Castle.

This fountain is in the Medical Park.  Looks tempting, doesn't it?

The gardens behind the Presidential Palace were beautiful as was the front of the Palace.

On this stroll through Bratislava we popped into the oldest Greek Catholic Church in Bratislava, devoted to SS Cyril and Methodius.  I never realized that it was these saints who were responsible for implementing Cyrllic Script.  I'm not so sure that I'm thankful for that as I have as yet to master the art of translating it in church documents. 

When Marty and I were here in Bratislava we were not able to enter the castle as it was being refurbished.  Today, we were able to go inside and walk through the recently finished halls.  We were all rather disappointed.  Amy mentioned that she felt like it looked like we were walking through Ikea. Although the white walls and gold gilding look quite elegant,  we certainly hope that there are plans to add some interior decorations, and, perhaps, some historical items.

The best part of the tour was climbing up several sets of very steep steps in order to peer out the windows of the highest turret in the castle.  The views were outstanding.

Oh, and there's one more lesson to add to today's adventures.  Restaurants in Bratislava are air-conditioned. We took advantage of that by stopping for lunch at the Restauranti Hrad and enjoying some fabulous Slovak food while listening to American Music (which wasn't so fabulous......Boy George singing Carma Camelia).

And, we just had to stop into Kafee Mayer for some refreshment a few hours later.

I could be worried about those calories, but, honestly, I really think that they melted off today!  I'll know in a week whether or not I can still fit in my clothes!

Here's hoping for cooler weather!

Family Time in Bratislava

Well, here you see Milan and Beatrice, greeting us with some bubbly upon our arrival.

Never mind the fact that this was about 3:00 a.m body clock-wise for us.

We enjoyed the celebration nonetheless, and soon found ourselves being offered plates of tempting delights. 

Really, who could refuse a bite? 

With Helga as translator, we managed to really enjoy these cheery people who were just so excited to welcome us into their home.  One could get spoiled from so much attention.

Despite all of the happy greetings, it soon became obvious that we needed to get some sleep since two crying babies on the plane denied us of anything substantial.

But  before heading over to Helga's place for some much needed sleep,  we managed to get a group photo. 

 Fun stuff, for sure!

The Adventure Begins

Greetings Blogger followers!

Today begins our much anticipated Slovak Language Adventure. Just to get you up to par on the plans here, Amy and I registered for a Slovak Language Course through Comenius University of Bratislava in Slovakia. 3 weeks of learning the language as well as the history and culture.

Why Slovakia? As Amy would say....we're discovering our roots. Because I am 7/8 Slovak, and have had a love of the country for many years, Genealogy is in my blood, and this opportunity seemed way too good to pass on.

This is the only summer where Amy was free from work or studies, so it seemed the perfect opportunity for her to experience a mini study abroad since her schedule did not make allowances it. She probably didn't originally plan on having her mom around, but she seems pretty excited about us spending this time together.

The application process was painless, the money transfer was certainly interesting...with me out an extra 44 €, due to European bank fees that my bank did not seem to know about, but communication has definitely been lacking. I finally sent a list of questions about 3 weeks ago:

• when do we move in to the dorm? 
• is there air-conditioning? 
• where is the nearest supermarket/pharmacy? 
• are there laundry facilities? 
• where is the nearest bus stop? 
• Could I have a street address? 

Let me mention that this course is being held in a small town about 30 km north of Bratislava. I have been unable to find the precise location of the University in this town and would feel more comfortable knowing exactly where to go.

A few days later, my questions were addressed.

• we can move in on July 9 (the day the course begins) or earlier at an extra charge 
• no air conditioning in the dorms 
• The Supermarket/pharmacy is about 2 km away; 
• laundry facilities are available with payment 
• the bus stop is a 5 min. walk. 
• The address continues to be a town without a street number for direction. 
• I can pay the 44 € that I owe upon arrival. 

I was so surprised by the moving-in answer that it took me a minute to realize that I never mentioned anything about when to pay the money that I owed. I had already agreed to pay the money upon arrival. It's just too bad that I didn't confirm exactly when the arrival was supposed to be!

When I asked about a schedule, I was told that it would be posted everyday on the chalk board. So, your guess is as good as mine regarding what adventures await us.

Luckily, I have relatives who live in Bratislava. My cousin, Helga, has offered to have us stay with her until we can officially move into the university on Sunday. Her brother-in-law will pick us up at the Vienna airport and drive us to her apartment as well as to Modra-Harmonia where we will be staying for the course. After my flight was booked, I was told that tomorrow is a holiday in Slovakia: the feast of SS Cyril and Methodius, and that bus schedule that the university sent to me is worthless!

Thank goodness for Helga!

Dovidenia for now!

Eating our way through Geneva

You are gazing at absolute decadence.  Melt in your mouth, smooth on your tongue Gelato made at the Chocolate Kitchen in Geneva, Illinois.

I opted for the Bailey's Irish Cream Gelato and did not regret my choice for one second.

It was FABulous!

As were many of the other tasty items that we sampled while walking through the lovely town of Geneva.

We weren't scheduled for departure from O'Hara until evening, so we packed up our bags and made the short drive from our hotel to the downtown area of Geneva.

It appears that we brought an Americanized version of Scottish weather with us.  It poured most of the day, with an occasional break, but no bright blue sky in between the deluges that we had grown accustomed to.

But, being the hearty "we-don't-let-rain-stop-us"travelers, we headed out with me wearing Marty's green rain-proof jacket, and he wearing his standby red one.   Oh, and we had the scottish plaid umbrella.  I wonder if we looked like tourists?

I had this brilliant idea that we would head to the library for info.  One thing that I had learned in Scotland is that the local libraries generally have a map of the town for touring.

Well, the Geneva Library did not have a historic tour map for us to follow, but it did feature a lovely Literary Garden:

And a statue tribute to Midsummernight's Dream looking over the lovely Shakesperean Gardens.

The county building boats an interesting statue of Don Quixote.  At least that's what I interpreted this to be.

The librarians were quite friendly and steered us towards 3rd Street, where the road is bricked and lovely lanterns line the streets.

Within short time, we spotted the Geneva History Center, so we crossed the street and entered the building.  A few tugs on the door made us realize that the place was closed.  We were just contemplating where we should go next when the door opened and a very nice young woman mentioned that the history center was closed, but the business office was open, which was why she was there.  I asked her a few questions, and, quite to our surprise, she let us into the building, unlocked the historical exhibit, and told us to take our time looking through the display.  

How great was that?  We learned that Geneva once had a large Swedish population  and we quickly spotted some familiar items.  On our way out the door, the same woman suggested Stockholm's for lunch.  

But first, we headed down the street to Graham's Fine Chocolates where we could watch the employees making hand crafted chocolates.  Couldn't pass on picking up some of those goodies.

Next stop:  Hahn's bakery where Marty picked up some pretzel rolls.  I spotted some yummy looking scones, but refrained from purchasing them. It was tempting, to be sure.  But I just wasn't in Scotland anymore.

Walking through the town certainly offered some interesting sites.

I wondered if there was some practical purpose behind that blue doggie-halter.  The place was closed on Mondays, so I couldn't check it out closer. 

Nearby there was a gourmet popcorn shop, and a quick trip in resulted in a bag of Caramel popcorn for the road.

By now it was lunch time, so we crossed the street to  Stockholms where we both had the 1/2 sandwich special:   mine with soup and Marty's with a salad.  The food was fresh and quite delicious.

We couldn't leave Geneva without checking out the Chocolate Kitchen where life size creations made from Chocolate enhanced the decor. Well, I'm sure the locals welcomed this edible life like creation.

That's a lot of chocolate, to be sure!

 And, this is where we enjoyed the scrumptious Gelato.   Yummm....

We were all set to head to the airport, but couldn't resist hunting down the Windmill that we had read about in the history building.

We found it in the Fabyan Forest Reserve, and, to be honest with you, it really wasn't that tough to locate.

The windmill was apparently a gift from Fabyan to his wife.  It was not only beautiful, but practical, as he set it up as a working windmill where grain was milled and bread was baked.

Across the river, among the Villa grounds, one can even imagine Mrs. Fabyan gazing upon her gift:

Among the beautiful grounds of the villa there is a  lovely Japanese Garden.

Another amazing site to behold.

The rain had stopped just long enough for us to have a quick walk around the gardens, admiring the beauty and calm.  

That was just what we needed before we headed off on the highways to the airport.  

With treats in hand, we were ready for whatever O'Hara had to offer in the way of delays. Delectable delights sending out signals of temptation.

But, lucky for us, the flight was on time and we landed 10 minutes early!   

And, if you are wondering what happened to those goodies.....not to worry....... All is well.

A Sacramental Weekend

Today was certainly a special one for me.  I had the honor of standing as "sponsor" for my niece as she was confirmed today.

As I followed her down the aisle, in anticipation of placing my hand on her right shoulder as she was sealed with the Holy Spirit, I couldn't help but remember that day, so many years ago, when I had held her as a baby on her baptism day. Strong emotions ran through me as I realized just how special this day was and that I was privileged to have been asked to be a part of it.  This little baby had grown to be a young lady, and she had chosen me to be her sponsor. 

Isn't she so beautiful?

While I was at church celebrating this special sacrament with my godchild, Marty was at the house, entertaining the rest of the crew.  "Uncle Marty" was a huge hit with the little ones as well as the older kids.  How could he not  have a grand time?  

He had no trouble keeping everyone in control:

Actually, the donuts were an earlier ploy on Marty's part, probably to earn points for good behavior later.  

In any event, a good time was had by all and the outside weather of pouring rain, thunder and lightening didn't dampen our spirits as we celebrated.

And the best way to finish off such a celebration?  Cake, of course.

It tasted even better than it looks!