Slovakia & Travel

There’s a Castle in my Town

Smolenice Castle 5

Despite living in this town for six years, it still never gets old – my town has a castle. I find all the castles in Europe terribly romantic, though living in them in the winter might not have been quite as pleasant. The Smolenice Castle is particularly romantic – the first time I walked up to the grounds I thought, “Where is the princess sitting under the tree with a unicorn laying on her lap, while the dragon flies overhead and the knight trots up the road?” It sits atop a hill overlooking the town, with extensive meadows below, a little pond, and the Little Carpathian Mountains rising behind. Click to continue reading

Slovak Places, Slovakia & Travel 4 Comments

Finding Beauty (snippets from the weekend)

moss on a brick

“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” -Camille Pissarro

I grew up in a mountain valley where beauty was obvious every day. My walk to the school bus on crisp winter mornings included pink mountain tops stained by the rising sun, untampered snowy fields spread out before me and evergreen trees under their white covering lining the lane behind me (the walk to catch the school bus was about two km (one mile) – don’t be surprised if I say it was uphill both ways). Click to continue reading

Musings, Slovak Miscellaneous, Slovakia & Travel , 19 Comments

Potatoes, Bacon, and Sauerkraut – Strapacky

Strapacky

Strapacky (strapachky) is a Slovak dish, traditionally made with halusky (halushky), potato dough gnocchi, baked with bacon and sauerkraut. Making strapacky with plain potatoes, however, is a lot less work, doesn’t require special equipment or tedious cutting, and is grain/gluten free. It’s not low carb or Paleo, but I’m sure it would taste amazing with sweet potatoes or cauliflower instead of white potatoes. Click to continue reading

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Gaming, Austria: Soul Soothing Serenity

Gaming

In a small village in a small valley in the hills of Austria lays a hidden gem. Out of the way, Gaming in many ways looks like a typical quaint Austrian village: clean, tidy, and profuse red geraniums in the summer. At the end of the town lies the Kartause, or Charterhouse. Founded in 1330, it was a Carthusian monastery until 1782 when Emperor Joseph II dissolved most contemplative religious orders. Click to continue reading

Musings, Slovakia & Travel 8 Comments

Easy Borscht

Borscht

Borscht is a soup or stew containing beets (beetroot), which turn the soup its characteristic maroon colour. Each region seems to have it’s own particular way of preparing it. My sister in law’s mother in Belarus first boils her beets separately and then grates them into the soup just before serving to maintain a richer colour (sounds lovely, too much work). At a wedding in Poland, the borscht was a broth (yum, but not very filling). My own mother would only make borscht with lamb (not sure the last time I saw lamb meat) and my mother in law thickened hers with flour (what? no!). Even though borscht is a Slavic dish, I can’t say it’s common in western Slovakia. Click to continue reading

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A Little Walk

A Little Walk

To the north of our village are the Carpathian mountains hills. I find it fascinating that a few metres higher in elevation can make such a difference in the winter. Even though we live in an apartment, in five minutes we can be out in the oak and beech forest. Not that I get there on my own with the kids during the week, but it’s comforting to know that it’s possible. On the hill to the right there are remnants from a village from the Bronze Age, I kid you not. And on the hill after that, a castle. Click to continue reading

Slovak Miscellaneous, Slovak Places, Slovakia & Travel , 2 Comments

Foggy Winter Hike

2-foggy hike

While this winter has been unusually cold in North America, over here in Slovakia it has been particularly mild. To some people, a mild winter might be a relief. To me, it means grey skies, grey trees, grey mud. Grey. Winters like these are the reason I painted my living room yellow. Winters like these make me miss Canadian Rocky Mountain winters of crisp temperatures, dazzling snow, and bluebird skies. When I tell people I enjoy -10C (14F) they look at me like I am crazy. I also cement ideas people have of Canada being the land of snow and ice. I protest, however, that it is completely different when the air is dry. When it is humid, as it is here, barely freezing temperatures seep into the bone and make it feel much colder than it is.

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Musings, Slovak Places, Slovakia & Travel , 0 Comments

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