25 May 2018                   

A GEM of Slovakia

Today was our day to see the countryside of Slovakia.  We boarded a bus at 8:30am and rode to Banská Štiavnica, about a 2 hour drive.  It was an overcast sky with rain off and on throughout the drive. The low hanging clouds made the mountains look a bit mysterious.  Upon our arrival in Banská Štiavnica, city of about 10,000 in population, we met our tour guide, Michal Hornácek, whom KJ and Bob had met in Voss, Norway last June with the Roseville Festival Singers choir trip.  He gave us a tour of the ‘Cavalry’ baroque style, a shrine of sorts to the life of Christ. It is in a state of restoration, but the artistry is amazing on the frescos and carvings of Christ’s life. Common people of the 18th century got their stories through pictures as they often didn’t read.  

For more information on the Calvary, take a look at http://www.banskastiavnica.travel/en/what-to-see/places-monuments/calvary/ .  We had lunch in a delightfully old restaurant in the heart of Banská Štiavnica, fSecvollowed by 3 hours on our own to explore the city.  Several of us hiked up the hill to a small spring fed ‘pond’, which Michal called a ‘lake’. (We need him to come to Minnesota to see a real lake!)  In the Old Castle there was a ‘festival’ with food vendors and exhibits and demonstrations. KJ bought a food item called a ‘Trdelník’. It was made of bread but in the shape of a long cylinder about 10” long and 3” in diameter.  It appeared that a strip of dough about an inch wide was wound around a baking cylinder to get the shape. Various ‘toppings’ were available, but cinnamon was chosen. It was quite tasty. We watched an archery exhibition that ended with the shooting of some type of ‘rifle on a stick’.  On our way back to Martin, we took a short detour to see ‘the middle of Europe’ monument. All in all, it was a good day of sightseeing at one of Slovakia’s ‘hidden gems’ of history.

God of Love… help us to use our talents in ways that are pleasing to you!