Signs of Spring in Slovakia!

This week has flown by with a full work week, some subbing, and the sun has made an appearance from time to time, warming the mountain air!!  More on spring's arrival later.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but our basic school (elementary), where we walk to the canteen (cafeteria) for lunch each day, is about 3 blocks away.  The school has been renting that building, but another building across the parking lot from the gymnasium (high school) is being renovated to be used next year instead.  We've been watching the work crews as they have re-roofed it, installed new windows, and added a front portico.  Well, today, teachers got a first peek inside on a tour given by the Headmistress!!  We were excited to see where we'll have lunch next year, and where I'm sure I'll be teaching some basic school classes, with a much shorter walking commute!!  :-)  

Teachers starting to gather outside the new basic school for our tour of the remodeling.  The Headmistress prefaced our tour with an admonition to 'use our imaginations' once we got inside, because there is still a lot to be completed.    :-)  

Our tour started in the basement, where the canteen and the library will be housed, along with custodial offices and storage areas.  It's great that the basement isn't really totally under ground, so there are windows letting in light.  

Then we headed up this beautiful staircase to the first floor, which already has some completed classrooms that were in use last year.  (Not this year though, as the building has had too much construction going on to house students.)  There will also be some administrative, secretarial, business and teacher offices on the first floor.  

This is the auditorium and stage on the second floor.  It should be really nice for Drama Club, and for many other school activities as well.  (The floor is slanted, so the seating will be on different levels.)  More classrooms will also be on this floor.  

And finally, we headed up to the third floor, under the eaves.  The plans did a good job of getting natural light into the interior parts of the building by making holes in walls to open things up.  There are also skylights in the roof over the attic-type top floor to let in light.  

The chapel and some classrooms will be on the 4th floor.  I love all the wooden beams, but it sounds like they'll all be covered - bummer!  I think there will be an art classroom up here too, to take advantage of the natural lighting.  

It's a huge building, and it should be really neat once it's done.  The end of June is the projected completion date, which seems a little optimistic after seeing how much is left to be finished, so we're hoping construction moves much more quickly in Slovakia than in the U.S.!!  They are supposed to clean the building and move everything over from the current basic school during July and August, to be ready for students to start the school year at the beginning of September.  It will be great having the two buildings so close together!!  

A sure sign that spring is coming ..... our favorite zmrzlina (aka ice cream / gelato) store has changed back.  By that I mean, there used to be little zmrzlina shops all over the main square and other areas of town last summer and fall.  Carol warned us that the shops would all disappear once it got cold out, as eating cold ice cream isn't healthy in the winter time.  Yep, that happened.  The ice cream shops all closed up or put in some other product behind the counter.  This nice shop-owner had a shaved pork shop during the winter.  We had gone here often for ice cream, but only once for sandwiches in the winter.  So, today on the way to volleyball we noticed it has changed back - we'll have to visit soon!!   :-). 

Another observation on our walk through the town square on our way to volleyball --- the first outdoor tables and umbrellas have returned!   Yes, indeed, spring must be on its way!!  In Iowa we wait for the robins to return, and here we see that zmrzlina and sidewalk cafe set-ups are good indicators of spring!!  

But of course the most wonderful signs of spring always poke their little heads up from beneath the soil and color our world with blossoms!!  

These bursts of color popped up in one of the city gardens near the town square.
So beautiful!!   I'm sure we'll be seeing many more blooming perennials soon, since the temperatures are up in the 50's now, with 60's forecast for next week.  I even saw one guy in shorts walking on the street yesterday ---- yes, spring is most definitely coming!!  :-)   We can't wait to experience this season here in the mountains!