Saturday Excursion

Saturday started out in a relaxed fashion -- sleeping in, eating a leisurely breakfast, doing a few loads of laundry, housecleaning (which takes a LOT less time in a small flat!), having a cup of hot chai tea (thanks, Lisa E.), and checking emails.  We had plenty of time to meet Carol at 11:15 to take the bus to Svati Kriz - one of the largest of the famous wooden churches in Europe.  It has some fascinating history and is Slovakia's largest example of this type of church.  A 1681 decree banned Protestant churches unless they were outside of towns, facing away from the road, and with no hard building materials (like stone and nails.)    An illiterate carpenter oversaw construction without the use of a single nail, and the church can hold 6,000 people.  It is absolutely gorgeous with domed ceilings and elaborate paintings throughout.  

Carol and Tim, as we got off the bus along the highway and
started walking into the village.

This is the town hall in Svaty Kriz --- with
a stork's nest on the chimney!

Close-up of the stork's nest -- it was enormous!! 

It looks to me like a fruit cellar-type shelter
built into the hillside behind a house

All the back yards were long and narrow, and steeply sloping uphill.
To the left, you can see a tractor mowing hay, and at the top of the hill
on the right, there was a large herd of cattle, complete with cowbells clanking! 

Welcome sign leading on to the church grounds
You can just see the Svati Kriz roof and tower behind the little gazebo

The Svati Kriz wooden church

In front of the church tower - the building is HUGE!  

We took the bus to the highway outside the village, but it was a nice walk through town and then out into the countryside to get to the church.  We saw many interesting sights, beautiful gardens, and lovely homes in the quaint village.  Our travels were over lunch time, so we stopped in a local pub/restaurant in Lazisko for a bite to eat and sat on their outdoor tables.  It was really fun people-watching for the hour or more we stayed - mostly a bunch of local men enjoying the afternoon, and quite a few bicyclists who stopped in for refreshments.  We tried different kinds of sausages with bread - very tasty!  

We walked along and over this creek on the way through
the village and on to the church outside of town.

This footbridge reminded us of Iowa's covered bridges!

Such a cute foot bridge across the creek!  :-)

This bridge was out behind the restaurant where we had lunch.

This is one of our Slovak vocab words --- it means "goodbye".
The sign was as we left the village of Lazisko.

An example of the quaint village houses, beautiful flower gardens,
and unique fences.  (and notice the dish for TV -- everyone has one!)

This is the Catholic church in the village

 When we got off the bus back in Liptovsky Mikulas, we walked to HyperNova for a few items --- when we're always walking, it's easier to shop with a small list, since we have to carry home all our purchases.  :-)   

The sun was really shining on this building on our way home from
the store this afternoon.  We always admire how pretty it is - this is
the public school in town.  

Right now, as I write, the hour approaches for the Iowa - Iowa State kick-off.  We hope it's a wonderful game, very close, so that all the fans have something to be pleased about!   Play well, Hawks and Clones!!  This last photo below is especially for our neighbor, Curran.   :-)   

Dear Curran,
We wanted to send you a special picture, since you know what
the Slovak flag and national emblem look like.  We think about you often
and have been looking for a chance to send you a Slovak picture of us!!
We hope you are really enjoying school.  We miss you!!  :-)