Coffee Shop

Situated next to the Bible School in Martin is a great cafe.  Today I took my small class out for treats. One espresso grande and four milkshakes--strawberry was the favorite flavor. Most college students were returning to campus today after the Easter break.  It was quiet on campus and now things are back to normal. 

Castle Orvasky

It was a sunny day after Easter with no clouds in the sky. The day after Easter is a holiday and nothing is opened other than a gas stations a few restaurants  inside hotels.

I had a car today and enjoyed some scenic countryside and castle combing. These pictures share the castle in Orava. It was inhabited as early as in the Primeval Age the Slovak resident told me, and later between 1100-1400 they made additions. It looks to me like there are three castles incorporated on the site but I didn't go in because they were not hosting guests today--It's the day of Easter of course.

Polish Pope Gathers 650,000

Just a few kilometers from Levoca, Slovakia, a hillside church rests. It is the place of personal pilgrimages. Yet years ago Pope John arrived and with him crowds of followers. He shared mass for more than 150,000 people. The site is just as beautiful today, although much less crowded.

 People have been sharing their pilgrimage to this site since 1240. Amazingly, it is modestly well preserved.

On Easter Day I visited the oldest wooden church in Slovakia

Built in the 1400's this church and sanctuary  is still visited by families.  Departing Bardejov and on my south and east I found this village about 8 kilometers out of town. It was lovely and cared for by the people with fence, stone wall and places outside for visitors to sit, rest and enjoy.

Blessing of Easter Meal - Bazilika SV. Egidia

Walking on the cobblestones inside the town square families begin to arrive for their Easter blessing. Several hundred families where walking in as I parked my car. I  

saw the folks carrying wicker baskets with white embroidered cloths over the contents. I followed the crowd into the square by the front of the Basilica at Bardejov, Slovakia. It was beautiful to watch them arrive from every direction. Young and old, parents and grand parents. Single men and single women.  They walked through narrow streets and covered archways into their medieval walled city. Assembled in orderly rows and precisely at 3:00 pm the priest began with  prayer and blessings. They sprinkled groceries and children with Holy Water as they blessed the meal and family that would eat together in Jesus name.

Easter Preparations

School kids at the Bible School in Martin make ready for Easter celebrations. They gathered around tables with friends and teachers for a craft party last Friday. It was lively, colorful and fun. I traveled from table to table checking out the projects and the kids. They were oblivious to my snooping but not my photographing. 

Brotherly Love

So the 1200 year old legend goes like this: the town of Cieszyn was founded after the long separation of the Kings sons ended. Apparently the three sons--Bolko, Lesko, and Cieszko--met at this spot  and, out of great joy and brotherly love over their reunion, founded the town.


"Is that really true or just a legend," I asked. "That's the story and I'm sticking to it" said the grandma at the Tourist Information Center.

I'm not going to argue with a Polish Grandma. Are you?