This was so exciting from my perspective for many reasons! Although I think Mom, Dad, and I would survive 10 months in separate countries, it was marvelous simply to see them in person, share hugs, and real time with them! Another reason is because I've learned a lot from traveling and from Europe and thought that Mom and Dad would delight in going outside their comfort zone for a bit of time. Yet another reason is I've made friends here, but when I go back home people I tell stories about are just names that I can't explain how much more they mean to me, now Mom and Dad, and a few others that have visited or will this spring can share with me a bit of my world, the people I've grown to love, and the way of life I've spent mine living in for a year. Now I can share with them and them with me memories we have and a time of life that I will remember for the rest of my life! For that I am grateful, much less the opportunity for me to be the leader and host my parents to a memorable time navigating buses, trains, mountain roads, and airports :) 10 days of breakfast, lunch, and dinner together I think is more than we have ever spent together uninterrupted, that was meaningful in itself and Slovakia proved a wonderful place for it to happen!
My sister sent me this as they got on the plane in Fargo. It reminded me of the game "Anti Anti I over!" I caught them :)
Mom and Dad were quick to admit the reason they came was to see me and they would be happy sitting in my flat and just looking at me... They say, I think we'd all go crazy! It was a relief to know I didn't have to entertain, but I sure wanted to show them the places and introduce them to the people I live, work, and play with so I did some careful planning before hand.
Our Christmas was celebrated at Saška's with her family and her Husband Ignac's mother all present! It's an old Slovak tradition to put a live carp in the bathtub a few days before Christmas so it is fresh for dinner. I wanted to participate! However, I waited too long and all the stores were closed Christmas eve so I got artistic and cut out a large fish and presented it when we arrived Christmas Eve. Less eventful than a live carp, but still fun. Mom, Dad, and I were treated to a traditional Slovak Christmas with a family that I have grown to feel a part of bless their hearts for "English Nights" and sharing their house with a couple foreigners, as well as fun adventures in the mountains! Dinner started first with prayer, then a wafer with garlic and honey which provides good health for the year! Another fun tradition is the head of the house hold cuts an apple in half and if there is a star, then it means good luck for the year. (If you cut it right there is a star every time) :) Next was Kapustnica (sauerkraut soup) with no meat due to Christmas Eve being a holy day, next was delicious fish (trout) and vegetables, with wonderful dessert to follow. One very Slovak dessert is Medovniky which is like ginger bread cookies, but made with honey instead and decorated with similar frosting.
We're in luck! A STAR! with Terezka and Zuzka Bobkova!
The youth group had a girls night to make Medovniky. Mom got invited, I crashed the party :)
It was a surprise how quickly time passed soon it was 10 minutes to 7 and we rushed into the living room to open gifts before the movie Popoluska (Slovak Cindarella and traditional Christmas movie. Most of Slovakia watches it every year at 7 on TV) came on! Saška translated the whole movie for Mom, Dad, and I! Santa Clause does not slide down the chimney and deliver presents to the good children in their stockings, but Baby Jesus is said to leave gifts under the tree. Christmas in Slovakia is much less commercialized, but you can see the westernization of BIG SALES and materialism sneaking in.
Intently sailing our "boats" Terezka, Janko, and I. Saska reading our futures :)
Their family has 3 children Zuzana, Tereza, and Jano. Adding the 3 of us and Ignac's mother we had a cozy family around for Christmas which sparked memories of our house full of family with tastey smells and excitement in seeing each other floating around. I could say it a million times and it wouldn't be enough, it was marvelous to share Christmas with them in Bobrovec.
Before all of those Christmas Eve festivities I woke Mom and Dad up early Christmas Eve and we took a bus to Ziar Valley where we hiked up up up the mountain valley to a mountain cottage I've been to before. It was a workout and slippery on packed snow and ice, but I kept promising hot tea and snacks at the cottage so kept the moral up. Unfortunately the cottage is closed Christmas Eve so we had a nice view, ate some chocolate I carried and turned around :) oops! Well worth it! I think the first time my parents have been IN the mountains. No summits, but gorgeous views, and a wonderful active morning with Mom and Dad.
The sun came out!
That. Is the locked cottage. But we found feline friends!
Ma and Pa :)
I scheduled a MOM DAY and a DAD DAY that was specified to their interests. Mom's Day was the day after joyfully picked them up from the airport! We got on a bus and headed to Modra, Slovakia which is a traditional Slovak pottery town. The pattern they make their has spread all over the country and most people have a few pieces in their house. Since Mom makes pottery herself, I figured it would be a fun perspective for her to see pottery on the other side of the world and boy did that happen! We were the only ones there for a tour on a Saturday and there was no one to give the tour in English, that's OK though they showed us around anyway. We were in luck, that the owners friend came to visit and he translated for us! Since they were not busy, the idea came up for Mom to hop on the wheel and make a vase in Slovakia. First I brought it up, and she smiled, blushed, and said noooo I don't need to do that. Then the owner mentioned she could make something if she wanted, and with some encouragement from me she suited up in an apron and took her place on the wheel! What a joyous smile on my mom's face, that I loved to see!
Look how happy she is!
I like their design :)
All 3 of us wondered around the large facility and even stood inside their massive kilns! Fun designs, and a very fun lady despite a Slovak/ English barrier. Our visit ended in the store where Mom and Dad replaced the room in their suit cases of the pottery they brought as gifts with new pottery from Slovakia for gifts to people at home. I think it was a success!
Across the world, across the language, it's still pottery!
It didn't stop there even, the lady made a phone call and told us to meet her friend outside another potter's museum later that afternoon. His work was intended to maintain Slovak traditions forever through his pieces. He made figures of everything Slovak: Folklore dancers, shepherds, mountain men, farmers, potters, cheese makers, textile workers, and many more things. It was a wonderful artistic walk through history that will be maintained for many years to come. After this busy day we took a rest, then visited the Bratislava Christmas markets before crashing into bed!
DAD DAY was later in the week, I borrowed a car, and we set off with me in the drivers seat through a beautiful mountain pass and into the Banska Bystrica region of Slovakia. Our destination was in Banska Stiavnica, called Svaty Anton. I had heard stories about this being an old Hunting Mansion so it seemed a perfect fit for Dad and I to visit to see the Hunting traditions around the world. The tour guide that lead us through spoke about as much English as I did Slovak so we had really quite a fun time asking questions using our small vocabulary and hand signals and many other forms of communication ha. The mansion had been owned by 2 families in the past and they were quite wealthy. They traveled a lot and came back with many souvenirs from around the world. Not fridge magnets or post cards though, they had beds, couches, huge paintings that furnished entire rooms. There was a China room, a Bulgaria room, and others. Whoa, definitely extravagant. The part we came for was the men of both families were big into hunting. There is rumors they raised Row Deer on their property even because they were so passionate about animals. It showed in their mansion too. Lining the walls of every hallway were European mounted Red Stag antlers (similar to our Elk) totaling over 1000 in the building! At the end of the tour was the hunting exhibition which Dad and I walked through like kids in a candy store! There were ancient crossbows, rifles, bullets, loading supplies, hunting gear, fishing gear, falconry equipment, and much more. The final room was a large display of full body mounts of most species in Slovakia. Wow!!
Their gun collection trumps Dad's by miles!
A real Hunting hat! Where do I find a feather like that?
Carpathian Red Stag. whoa!
Concluding we walked through the mansion grounds now a park of sorts, and explored the hillside view, the man made pond at sunset, and deer stands overlooking waterfalls. It was a perfect day enjoyed by all! On the way back we stopped at a wooden church made in the "Catholic Reformation" period where the King made strict stipulations for protestant churches: must use only wood, no nails, no steeple, no bell, doors facing away from the road, and outside the city center, oh ya and you must build it start to finish in 1 year. Amazing to see the engineering and construction of such buildings, and this was out in the country side, just beautiful!
Mom and Dad being in Love in the park of Svaty Anton :)
2 such churches they call articular (made by the articles required) this one is in Hronsek, Slovakia
And this one much closer to Mikulas is in Svaty Kris.
Navigating the winding mountain roads near dusk and after dark was an interesting experience with many "slow downs" cast from the passenger and back seat while I went well under the speed limit. A growing experience for all, that brought us closer in the end :)
2 of my students in a Traditional Christmas folklore concert. Ema plays Violin and Vladmira dances!
Slovakia has many mineral springs. This was a pleasant forest walk in an evening with Mom and Dad. They say each one tastes different and contains different healthy minerals.
Dad and I in or Slovak Hunting hats drinking Zlaty Bazant (Golden Pheasant) Slovak beer.
Mom stepping out of her comfort zone to see the top of a waterfall with me! GO MOM!
Momma!
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| Our family Christmas Picture 2015 :) Missing Sam, Wes, and Baby Green! |
