Slovakia Part II

If you missed Part I, here’s a link to it. Now for the rest of the journey!

After a relaxing night’s sleep at Marián’s farmhouse, we took our time before hitting the road. After breakfast, we took an hour walk around the countryside. There’s a “right to roam” understanding in Slovakia that means people are generally able to wander unfenced lands without issue. It felt very Lord of the Rings to just walk across the land for a bit, past cornfields and abandoned farmhouses, across creeks, and through meadows. There was even a bus stop on the country road way out there, though it only sees one transport in the morning, one in the evening. “Not very useful,” Marián said…but coming from a land with limited public transportation options, I was still impressed.

After lunch, we set out towards the northeast border with Poland. Driving through the country is a terrific experience – the landscape is always changing and there’s so much natural beauty. Each town we drove past or through was punctuated by at least one striking steeple; it made it easy for me to transport my mind back to a time of horse and wagon, when the landscape must have looked much the same. A lot of the towns consisted of a long main street that most of the houses and businesses lined, rather than the center-outwards design we see in America. Very interesting!

We made several stops as we headed north, including seeing the “ground squirrels”. I suppose it doesn’t make sense to call them prairie dogs when Slovakia doesn’t have what I would consider prairie lands. My favorite spot was the Chmarošský Viaduct in Telgárt, which served as a train bridge for many years. It’s on Slovakia Route 66, right across from a genuine roadside attraction: a cafe built out of an old train car! It’s something that would be right at home on America’s Mother Road.

As the sun dipped low in the sky, we walked around the town square of Levoča. It has a wonderfully preserved square, surrounded by historic walls, with some beautiful structures including a 17th century town hall and a 14th century church. Unfortunately, it was too late in the day to explore the interiors. Many towns in Slovakia shut down pretty early, as it turns out.

We overnighted in Lesnica, right on the Slovakia/Poland border. Early on September 5th, we were taken to the Dunajec River for a raft ride. It’s a border river and since the early 1800s tourists have taken wooden rafts down it to marvel at the natural wonder of the gorge. It’s a calm and peaceful journey; from the Slovakian side, it’s a 10km ride. Our guide was a young man that had many jokes…most of which were playful jabs at their competitor operators (“Do you know why the Polish boats have numbers on the back? That’s how many guests have drowned over the years.” or “The fatter ducks on the water are Slovak ducks, because while the Polish like raising them, we like to eat them.”)

Samantha, Marián, and I were in the front, so when the guide asked if anyone wanted to try their hand at steering the boat, he looked right at Sam. She accepted and donned the traditional garb; alas, the boat ended up spinning in a circle during her short time with the stick. Turns out the second boatman in the back did that on purpose! She was a good sport and we all had a laugh.

The terrain on the boat ride was absolutely phenomenal. We were told the history of certain peaks and local flora/fauna was pointed out as we passed. The Polish side of the river is a formal National Park and there are certain rules in place to prevent the grounds from being disturbed, such as when a tree falls it must be left in place. It was a remarkable experience and one of my favorites from our entire trip.

How do you follow up something like that? Well, by visiting the mountains! Our next stop was in the High Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountain chain. The area is home to quite a few rare plant and animal species and the air is known for rejuvenating people with respiratory illness. It’s very popular in the winter due to their alpine character. We took a nice, long walk around Štrbské pleso lake; it was another place of immaculate beauty and peaceful immersion. On the way out, I bought a little magnet with the name of one of the peaks, Rysy, because it reminded me of something my mother called me as a small child – and still did, from time to time, through the end of her days.

So, Mom was very much on my mind when we stopped at Vlkolínec. This isolated, rural mountain village is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 due to being “remarkably intact” and is the region’s “most complete group” of traditional log houses. There are 45 individual buildings here, many dating back centuries though the village as a whole goes back to medieval times. Again, we were too late to visit the small on-site museum, but just walking through the village was a form of time travel. I could see Mom’s upturned face, full of wonder at getting to experience such a rich, culturally authentic place. She would’ve loved it.

It felt right to honor her in this place, so I left something. I was carrying a Bigheart sticker in my backpack, which represents Mom’s hometown in Oklahoma. I have an aversion to people that place stickers on public/private property (it happens ALL OVER Route 66) but there’s a way to do it responsibly. The village is on a cycling trail and there was a wayfinding sign on the outskirts of the village; I placed the sticker on the pole, facing the village among several others. I wish she could’ve been there, but in this small way her presence will remain for a little while. A strange curiosity from the other side of the world.

After one more night at Marián’s homestead and a stop in Bratislava to say farewell to Irina, we checked in to our hotel in Vienna for our Saturday flight home. We were pretty exhausted and didn’t explore the city much at all, I’m afraid. We did have an excellent meal, though, which like many meals I had over my time overseas consisted of meat, potatoes, and gravy of some kind. Right up my alley! Samantha had an impressive strudel, too.

And that’s the end of our two week journey to Europe, where we stepped foot in four different countries, promoted Historic Route 66, spent time with friends, and had the time of our life. Many thanks to the Oklahoma Route 66 Association for sending me to the festival, which afforded us the opportunity to tack on second plane ticket and extra time to explore the region. Thanks to the National Trust for giving me the time so early in my tenure at my new job. And, of course, hearty thanks to Marián and his family for being such generous hosts. We’ll never forget it.