Fall Break in Pieštany

Thursday morning we slept a little later than usual, then I washed sheets.  That simple chore takes a lot more planning here, since we only have one set of sheets, and they have to be line-dried.  So, whenever we leave for an overnight or a weekend, I always get them laundered and hung out to dry before we depart.  Then, when we get home, we can put clean, dry sheets on the bed!  

We finished packing, then headed out on our fall break trip on the train.  We had made plans with Matt, our American colleague in Martin, so he joined us at Vrútky for the rest of the trip to Pieštany, the most famous hot-spring spa town in Slovakia.  Everyone kept asking us if we had ever been there, so we finally decided to unwind a little for this shortened holiday, instead of planning some heavy-duty sightseeing whirlwind trip someplace.  

When we arrived in Pieštany, on our way to the hotel, we stopped in at the first decent-looking restaurant for a late lunch.  We really lucked out because it was a super-good place.  I had salmon salad, and it was delicious!!  Tim had pizza from a wood-fired stove, and we even went back for a pizza there the next night!  

This little place was darling, and with its unique decor, it could have been somewhere in the East Village in Des Moines, the U.P., or some college town.  

As soon as we checked into our hotel, we asked about the free bike rental offered in our reservation.  Luckily, there were some bikes available, so we headed out to explore a bit.   Our hotel was right on this scenic canal leading down to the bridge over to the spa island.    Our rooms had balconies overlooking the water - so nice!!  It was really fun to have Matt along as we explored Pieštany too.  

This is the Thermia Palace Hotel, which looked like the crown jewel of all the spa hotels. We went inside to inquire about various spa options, and it was incredibly grand decor! 
 (It was also incredibly expensive, hence our hotel choice some distance away from this really posh area!!  LOL!!)

We were finishing up our bike ride as the sun was setting.  This is taken on the pedestrian bridge over to the spa island, where the thermal waters and spa areas are.

The Vah River is wider and deeper here than in Liptovsky Mikuláš, and it was so peaceful watching the sunset over the river.  There was a really talented accordion player serenading us every time we crossed this bridge - very romantic!! 

After we took the bikes back, we decided to stop at a coffee shop for some cakes and hot tea (coffee for Matt), and we again hit the jackpot --- these desserts were as delicious as they were attractive!!  

That evening, we tried out the hotel pool, which was very nice.  It wasn't very crowded, so we swam a while, soaked in the water jets, relaxed, and talked before calling it a day.  In the morning, we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  There was a little confusion because we didn't realize the tables were all assigned to specific guests, so we had to move when the rightful occupants of our table arrived just after we had gotten settled!  OOPS!!  But breakfast was great with lots of variety of food.  It was so nice sitting and relaxing over an extra pot of tea, since we were in no hurry at all.  What a liberating feeling to not have to be anywhere at a certain time!!  
  

After breakfast, we packed up our swim suits and walked towards the spa island to see if we could use any of their facilities (or afford them!)  This Catholic church is just at the end of the bridge, and they were having All-Saints Day services as we went by.  

Just to prove to Matt that I actually do allow other people to take photos, I posed by this signature statue in Pieštany, of a man breaking his crutch after treatment in the thermal waters at the spa.    :-)  

These are some of the gardens in front of the Thermia Palace.  It is such a peaceful, serene place!  At the front desk, they directed us to the Hotel Irma next door, to ask about spa treatment options and prices.  We were able to go swimming in an outdoor thermal pool for as long as we wanted, for only 12 EU each, so we decided to splurge and give it a try!  The atmosphere inside was very posh, classy, and professional - exactly what you'd expect at an exclusive spa.  

We were ushered into separate men's and women's locker rooms to change into our suits, and we were also given sheets to wrap up in.  

The walk-way out to the pool was all covered, presumably so it can be used in any weather.  The water was 34° C, which is nicely warm, but not like a hot tub.  The air was cool when we got there, but it slowly warmed up during the 2 1/2 hours we were there.  The water smelled a little like sulfur, but it wasn't too bad, and it's supposed to have therapeutic effects on things like arthritis, so we enjoyed the warmth and relaxation!

More of the scenery in the garden / lawn area of the spa island.  Everything was well manicured, elegant and tasteful!

After our soaking / swimming / relaxing in the thermal pool, we felt almost like we'd had a sauna, and we didn't even need jackets.  This is the Irma Hotel, where the spa treatment areas are located, including the thermal pool where we were.  The stained glass windows were really beautiful - kind of like art deco style. 

The buildings in the background are part of the spa complex, and the gazebo-like structure on the right has a fountain that runs continually where people can drink the spring water.  I went up to get a drink with my hand the day before when we biked over here, and it was HOT -- like 68° C!!  So some guys gave us a plastic cup to use.  The three of us shared it, but the water really did smell like rotten eggs (sulfur), so Tim and Matt only had a sip.  Again, it's supposed to have therapeutic benefits, so I choked it down, holding my nose!  But after our swim in the thermal pool, we sure did feel relaxed and healthy!  

After our spa visit, we walked past this other island, just opposite our hotel, with the Vah River on the right side and a man-made canal on the left.  (Tim and I ended up going across the green bridge and exploring this island on Saturday - it was all natural, with just hiking trails and benches - but very peaceful and pretty.)  

We had heard that we should visit a Slovak cemetery on All-Saints Day to see the flowers and candles decorating the graves.  So Matt looked on Google maps and led us to this cemetery in town.  

It was truly amazing to see the incredible decorations on all the graves, but even more than that, we were astonished to see such huge numbers of people there.  As we were approaching the cemetery from several blocks away, we saw crowds of people leaving, so we figured we must have just missed some memorial ceremony.  But no, there were just as many people still coming in, and whole families continued to pour in for the entire time we were there.  There must have been crowds there all day long, honoring and remembering their deceased loved ones.  

I didn't want to be rude and focus the camera on people, so the pictures don't really show the numbers of people, but honestly, on the main sidewalks, it was slow going because of the crowds.  It was really overwhelming to see whole families coming all together to decorate the graves.  

Tim and I had decided that we would see if any graves were undecorated, and buy some flowers and a candle to place there, in honor of those whose families are no longer around to do it, and to remember our own loved ones back in the U.S.  This pair of graves was older than most, and we noticed that the wife's birthdate was in 1857, 100 years before mine, and the husband's was in 1852, almost 100 years before Tim's.  So, we put the flowers and our candle there, next to an old watering can, which made us think perhaps there was once a time when people came to leave flowers and water them!  

A colleague of Matt's had suggested that he take the train back to Martin on Friday night in order to see the lit-up cemeteries as he crossed the countryside.  We decided to make a short part of the journey with him, then get off and return to Pieštany again as Matt continued on his way home.  We did see a few cemeteries sparkling with candlelight from the train window.  

When our train arrived in Trenčianske Teplice, we realized that we had miscalculated, and our return train wouldn't be for an hour.  So we decided to walk towards the town center and explore a little.  We saw this church all lit up on a tall hill, so we headed towards it.  

On the hillside, there was an enormous cemetery, of course all lit up with candles for the holiday.  We were again surprised because there was a steady stream of people heading in and out of the cemetery, still decorating graves and lighting candles!  (It was only about 6:00 p.m., but very dark already.)

It was a little windy, so some of the candles not in a votive container had blown out.  The man at the flower store where we bought our candle had given us a box of matches, so as we walked around, we lit any candles that had blown out.  It really was a memorable experience to see what a big deal All-Saints Day is here in Slovakia.  

These graves were in the churchyard, so the lighting is better to see the typical decorations on almost all of the graves.  It's no wonder we've seen so many flower shops pop up in the last month selling mums, plastic arrangements, and candles of every size.  

As mentioned earlier, Saturday morning we borrowed the hotel bicycles again.  This picture is taken from the island pictured earlier, looking farther down the Vah at the bridge across to the spa island on the left.  While sitting on a bench overlooking the river here, we met a nice teen-age boy who has lived here for 3 years, but who was born in Australia.  So his English was perfect, and we really enjoyed talking to him!  

Later, biking through the huge park behind our hotel and parallel to the canal, we stopped by a bird and squirrel feeding area.  We rarely see any wildlife at all, so it was fun to see several species of birds as well as 3-4 squirrels with their big tufted ears!  

Cute little bugger!!  (And they are smaller than our Iowa squirrels, but with furrier ears!)

Next we happened to bike by a museum, so we checked it out, and the caretaker was very gracious in providing us with English materials to explain all the exhibits.  The first display featured traditional clothing from the region.  

There were lots of beautiful ceramics and pottery that are distinct to this area as well.  

This model house showed how thick the thatched roofs were on the traditional houses. 

This was the kitchen area inside the house. 

And the other room was the living room / dining room / bedroom all in one!  

This map of Slovakia covered an entire wall, and the lights show all the natural springs in the country --- there are LOTS!!  But Pieštany is special because of how hot the waters are, and for the chemical composition of the water and mud used for therapies.  

This area has been inhabited since 10,000 B.C., probably because of the discovery of the hot springs.  There were some amazing artifacts from every age of civilization since then, which archeologists have discovered in the area.

This picture was taken for Beth, at her father's suggestion, because it shows the surgical tools belonging to one of the doctors who helped establish Pieštany's reputation as a medical center.   

After touring the museum, we decided to continue biking around town in hopes of finding a Lutheran church to attend on Sunday.  From a distance we noticed this church which was built on a narrow strip of ground between two streets, making it very inconvenient for the parishioners to reach.  Even before we got close enough to read the sign on the door, we were sure it would be Lutheran, based on what we've learned about how the Hungarians made it really tough to be a Lutheran in Slovakia, for a long time!  

One last sight on our bike ride was this floorball rink (like ice hockey, but without ice and skates), with a very competitive game going on.  They love their hockey here, and this pseudo-hockey sport is also very popular!  

After lunch on Saturday, Tim and I had appointments for official "spa treatments" back at the Hotel Irma.  There was a special deal on the mirror pool and the mud pool combination, followed by a hot dry wrap.  It was really reasonable - 22 EU total for both of us together - so we decided to really have the authentic spa experience this once!  The mirror pool was just for sitting and relaxing in much warmer thermal water than the outside pool, but only for 15 minutes because of the temperature.  Next, the mud pool has 20 cm of special therapeutic Pieštany mud on the bottom, and it can be spread on the body wherever needed.  I put it on my hands especially (arthritis!), and then most everywhere when I saw the other gals doing it.  (Men and women were in separate areas, since you obviously can't wear a swim suit in the mud!!)  The mud was really soft and smooth, like gooey clay, so it felt good!  Oh, and the mud pool was even hotter - 40° C, which is like 110° F.  After 15 minutes there, the body's core temperature is raised, a warm shower rinses off the mud, and the attendant ushered us into a semi-darkened room separated into sort of stalls with a cot/bed in each, (still all gender separated), where you lay down and are covered by sheets, tucked in at the sides and feet, and then a wool blanket is placed on top, so that body heat is retained.  The attendant whispered in hushed tones that this was the best part, just relax and sleep!  I felt like I was in a cocoon, all toasty warm and in la-la land!!  The entire experience was relaxed, slow, and quiet.  When I was hurrying down the hall at the very beginning, I was softly admonished to walk slowly.  Later, when two gals were talking in the mirror pool, they were hushed gently.  For the time we were there, it sort of felt like we were sampling 'the lifestyles of the rich and famous' for a bit!  Anyway, by the time we walked out of there, we were totally relaxed ---- the theme of our weekend!!  

Later that afternoon, we tried out the saunas back at our hotel, and they were fine, but we only spent about an hour there before we were warm enough that we wanted to go for a swim and cool down in the pool.  We were about all 'spa-ed out' by then I think!  

Sunday morning we went to church, and it was a nice service with communion.  No translator for the sermon, but we did follow along in the worship book just fine.  Their choir sang, and I really liked the song, so afterwards we went up to the balcony and asked the organist for a copy of the music.  (I was pretty sure there would be photocopies, like in all the other church choirs here!)  The conversation was almost entirely in Slovak, and I imagine I sounded like an idiot with my minimal grammar skills, but at least I had enough vocabulary to let him know we were Americans teaching at the Lutheran H.S. in L.M., and I direct our church choir, liked their choir and was asking if I could have a copy!!  Not bad!  

After lunch it started raining, so we ended up taking a taxi back to the train station since it was a several kilometer walk.  We played some cribbage and read books on the ride home, and we got back in time to do some family skyping.  All in all, our weekend was everything we had hoped for and more ---- but most of all, very relaxing!!   :-)