An Antiques Bazaar, A Goulash Cook-off, and Honey Drinks

Nearby where I live is Červený Kameň, a preserved castle/museum that regularly hosts cultural events like medieval festivals and, in this instance, antique bazaars.

Well, to call it an antique bazaar might be stretching it a bit. There are swords and furniture and old books. There was also plenty of what my British friend calls ‘tat’, which urban dictionary tells me refers “to the kind of junk sold by crafty Cockneys to unsuspecting tourists in central London.” But then again, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

The bazaar was quite big, with three areas bigger than what I could fit in my camera, sellers operating out of the backs of cars. Places like this are a source of struggle for me, between the desire to buy anything that is pretty and useful (textiles and dishes/pottery) and the cheap/minimalist side of me.

“Oh, look! It’s so beautiful! I want it! I must have it!”

“Wait, wait…how much is it? They want how much? Gah, I wish I was a bargainer. Seriously, get real, you’re never going to use it and it’s going to sit on a shelf collecting dust.”

“But I may never find the same again! It’s one of a kind!”

Usually the cheap side of me wins out, unless the item in question involves linen or hemp and/or the textile arts (I’m a sucker for drawn thread). Because it’s useful AND beautiful, and someday I will make something with it.

Banjos are uncommon in Slovakia, but there were a couple six string banjos. Lying on the ground all day (gulp).

Some of the sellers didn’t like me photographing items, for some reason, like the lady who was selling this Bible with intricate wire work.

The large wooden tubs are called koryto, although the term seems to apply to any wooden bowl of any size, even meal sized . These large koryto were used to mix large amounts of ingredients, especially used during zabíjačka, a pig slaughter (read about it), to make jaternička or klobasa, for example. Now they are often used for small flower gardens.

Ceramic roasting pans for roasting duck and goose – the spout on the end is for pouring out the fat.

Brown outdoor kettle, blue milk cans, and red container often used for lard, as it can be poured in hot.

There were lots of wooden hand planes.

There were a couple dish sets that I had serious longing for (I need them for food photos! I told myself) but didn’t indulge.

 

 

 

Next up, a goulash contest held in our village, each group of contestants had their own particular take on the classic (originally Hungarian) stew. (Here is a slightly smaller one from last year)

 

In our town, Smolenice, is a world-wide award winning mead company. Mead is wine made from honey and sometimes herbs, and it is very sweet. They had a small event introducing honey beer, honey cider, and infused honey drinks. I can’t say the beer and cider tasted much like honey but it was a nice place to relax with friends.

Barrel table.

Temporary bench and table with beehive boxes.

And I’ll end with one random photo – wild onions and thyme from the hill top. The thyme smells just heavenly in the sun. And tea made from wild herbs tastes completely different than from a tea bag.

That was May! Which of these three events would catch your fancy?