Čerenová Hike

I'm trying to catch up, but it's gonna be tough!!  So much has been happening, and we were without internet for a week.  Sorry for the gap in posts, but, here goes!

Saturday, (June 28), we were invited by Eva and Ivan for an outing to Prosiek.  It was a wonderful day with great friends!!! 

This is Ivan and Eva's cottage in Prosiek, where their family can spend holiday times.  They also rent out the cottage to tourists throughout the year.  It's darling!!  

Tim, Eva, and her daughter Monika at the start of our hike.   (Note:  Monika brought her camera too, and many of the photos are hers.  THANKS, Monika!!)

There were so many pretty wildflowers in the long grass area we went through. 

As we got a little higher in the meadows, we started to see views of the Western High Tatras in the distance.  

It started to get a bit steeper, but that always means more panoramic views!  

Our target, our goal, our destination……Čerenová, at the top of that rock in the center.  We still had a long way to go! 

Wild roses!!  The official Iowa State Flower can be found right here in Slovakia.  Awesome!! 

We finally got to the forest part of the hike.  It was a beautiful day, and it was nice to cool off in the shade on the forest trail after the warm sun on the meadows.  The trail was definitely starting to get steeper after this point!

We finally arrived at the top, where we found this huge Slovak cross. 

Yep, high atop a steep drop-off.  No surprise there!   ;-)  

Wow!!  The views were awesome - the Tatras, the Mara (lake), and valleys and villages far below.

More beautiful flowers on the edge of the rocks.   (Nice shot, Monika!!)

With Eva, at one of her favorite places.  We're so glad she suggested this super hiking destination!!  

The flat rocks at the top were the perfect place for a rest.  It was so peaceful up there!

This kind of shows how steep the cliff was up on top.  I threw my apple core down, and it took FOREVER to even reach the treetops below!!  

Of course we had snacks and water while we rested on top of Čerenová - hiking 101!!  

Gotta love the views from the top!!  WOW!!  (Did I say that already??)    ;-)

The trip down was a lot quicker, and here we are, down on the meadows below again, with our 'rock' far beyond us.   This was really a relatively short and easy hike compared to some of our other ones, though the last part before the top was quite steep, but the views at the top were spectacular!!  

Ivan met us in the car when we got back, and we drove through Liptovská Anna, a small village below Čerenová.  These are the ruins of the oldest church in the Liptov region, dating from the 13th century.  

With Eva. Monika, and Ivan at the Liptovská Anna church.  

These bell towers are typical in Slovak villages, near the churches.  

After our hike and exploration of the church ruins, we went out for pizza with Ivan and Eva.  What a fun day - great weather - scenic hike - and dear friends to share it with!!