Easter In The City Of Lights!

After promising to hold my hand on the airplane, Marta convinced me to take the flight to Paris for a five day getaway. As it turns out, facing my irrational fear of sitting on top of jet fuel and being propelled through the sky was worth it...Paris was awesome!

We spent our first day hiding from the rain and dodging tourists. Just as we got into the elevator and made our trip to the top of the Eiffel tower, we were blessed with some sunshine. The view was spectacular, and the gale force wind gave the experience some extra flavor. I couldn't help but smile when we reached the second level and scenes from National Lampoon’s European Vacation were clear visions in my mind...Rusty and that stupid embroidered beret. Good times!

The next day we were spoiled by the works of Da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh, and many more, as we strolled through the Louvre, and D'Orsay Museums. Monet is the man, and the Mona Lisa...looks very much like a man!

On Monday we had amazing weather, and the motivation to take advantage of it. We spent the morning strolling the streets of Montmartre, taking in the sites, including the Sacré-Coeur basilica and the famous Moulin Rouge. This whole area was full of small streets with bakeries on every corner. Good bakeries! The croissants were to die for! After lunch we visited the grave of one of our favorite writers, Oscar Wilde. The cemetery was beautiful, and his headstone was a site, adorned with lipstick marks of people showing their appreciation. On one corner of the massive headstone someone had written a message to the deceased author that I found rather touching. It read “Thank you for Dorian Gray, you are the reason I now love literature". We finished our day by walking along the Seine River beneath the lamp-lit bridges and beautiful architecture. Notre-Dame was even more amazing by night!

We made use of the rest of our time in Paris getting lost in the gardens of Versailles, drinking great French wine, and getting our much-needed vitamin D from the sunshine. Marta and I had such a wonderful time in Paris. It was extra special because we had the chance to experience it together.

Riding The Alps..."Softly Gently"

So, what do you get for spending nine hours on a bus full of drunken Slovaks? Four days of amazing snow and sunshine with a side of skiing and riding in the Alps, that's what! Last week was our spring break, and we did everything possible to ensure that it would be one to remember.

We loaded the bus in Bratislava at 10:00 a.m. with our good friends Zuzi, Greg and Peter, and our voyage to western Austria had begun. After stopping every few hours to let the "on-a- mission" drinkers answer nature's call, we finally arrived in a small alpine village called Haselgehr. All the right ingredients for a great time were present, and the conditions on the mountain were sick!

We spent the next four days Warth-Schroecken surfing the Alps. The terrain was freaking amazing! It was like lift serviced backcountry. The ungroomed, knee-deep white stuff was such a treat. We met some new friends, and spent our time not thinking about teaching. What more can you ask for?

Christmas Markets

Marta and I could quite possibly be called “experts” on the matter of Christmas markets. Here on this side of the pond they go all out for Christmas. Just before Christmas, they have some 100 plus stalls set up in the city center of Bratislava, selling things from handmade crafts to hot wine and Christmas punch. Though it would be easy to spend your wad getting drunk and buying gifts, the real deal here is the atmosphere.

There is something magical about standing in the cold drinking something warm and wandering the lit-up old town. Marta and I enjoyed our journeys to the markets so much we decided to gain “expert status” by visiting the Christmas markets in Myjava and Vienna, too. Each had something unique to offer, so without further adieu, I will give you the 411.

Vienna, offered the most effective means of hot alcohol. Their Christmas punch was the real deal! It was just enough to put a swagger in your step. This dangerous mix of real berries, great flavor and a nice mug to go with it really did the trick on a cold day in December. Vienna was extra special on this day due to the fact that our good friends, Zuuzka and Greg partook in our adventure.

If killer food and getting fatter for Christmas is your gig, then Bratislava’s market had what you were looking for. It’s called “ciganska.” With the charming atmosphere I would put this right up there with eating a brat at Wrigley. (I’m considering if my last words were too sacrilegious to post?) Anyway ciganska is basically chicken or pork grilled to greasy perfection with onions and slapped on a bun with mustard. So good! Before my first experience at the markets, one of my students insisted that I try ciganska. When I asked him what it was, he just sported a sly kind of smile and said “ It’s like the Slovak hamburger. “ I was sold! ;)

The Christmas market in Myjava was a bit different experience for me. The food rivaled that of Bratislava. The big shock here was the rich culture. It was awesome! Let me set the stage. Everyone is standing around drinking warm slivovica. There’s a folklore band playing traditional music on a stage in the traditional dress. Now here’s the kicker… Right next to those men and women on the stage is a 300-pound pig getting butchered. That’s culture baby!

Seriously though, this was quite a demonstration of past traditions.

Moja mama v Europe

Two weeks ago my mom crossed the pond, on a ten-day journey. It’s likely that her idea of how to spend 10 days in Europa may have been a bit different than Marta’s and mine. We had plans to show mom as much as possible. Prague, Myjava, Bratislava, Vienna, and Berlin, the menu was full, and we were on a mission!

After picking her up at the airport in Prague, we grabbed some food and took a walk through the magical old town. It was the end of October, and the herds of tourists had begun to thin a bit, giving us room to breath and really take in some of the city. It's so rewarding when you can actually get the feel of a city, and imagine it's past. Mom had been up for 20 hours, and was fading fast, so we headed for the hills... Myjava, that is!

In Myjava, mom finally got to meet Marta’s parents. It was so fun to watch her speaking English to them, then coming to the realization that they had no clue what she was saying… welcome to my world, Lady! Marta’s family is amazing, and it was so nice that my mom could meet them. The language barrier was nothing compared to the determination of Marta’s parents, and my Momma. With some translating help from Marta and Juro, and some common ground with Danka’s knitting skills, everyone really hit it off.

After checking out a few local castles in the Myjava area, we made our way home to Bratislava. Marta and I had to teach three days before our fall break, and this gave mom a chance to come to school with us and see us hard at work. My students were thrilled to see another American, and they used the opportunity to get some childhood stories about their teacher… punks. On her second day in Bratislava, my mom got brave, boarded a tram and headed to the city-center for some sightseeing and shopping… I was so proud of her! There were no signs of slowing our adventure down so we made a short trip to Vienna for some world-famous tort, and pointed our car toward Berlin!

We made a pit stop along the way in Dresden, where we spent the day walking the streets of this beautiful historic city. Standing among the magnificent buildings, it was hard to believe that the city of Dresden was reduced to rubble and smoke during the Second World War.

Upon arriving in Berlin, we met up with Hana and the legendary Mathias for a nice “meat-filled” dinner. I once saw Jesse put down a pound of steak in one sitting, but Mathias is possibly the only other human being that could manage this feat with a smile the morning after. We spent the following 3 days walking through Berlin, seeing as much as possible. It was one of those trips where you really get to enjoy it after you have a chance to sit and digest all that you saw. But face it, Berlin is freaking amazing! The history deserves a month of reflection, and we made the best of the time we had.

Mom’s visit was short and sweet and we’ll surely never forget it. We had such a good time showing her a piece of Europe. Our only hope is that we didn’t wear her out! I doubt it though… she is one tough lady.

Catching Up!

I look back on the blog entries that I posted throughout July and August. Then I look at the month of September. It’s not that I have been necessarily slacking…It’s more like I have had a revelation.

I have always had the utmost respect for all the teachers in my life. My friends that teach know how I feel about the amazing work that they do. I have always known that they were amazing. I have seen them work hard, and dedicate much of their time to the profession that they believe in and do so well. I have always had the respect and appreciation for what they do, but it wasn’t until now that I realized how freaking awesome that they really were.

Three weeks ago, about the time the blog took a stand still, I started teaching. I thought I had some idea about the work that teachers put in. Ha! I didn’t have a clue! All I can say is that, those of you in my life that are teachers, you rock my face off!

Don’t get me wrong; I have been loving every minute of it. It has been a blast to see students faces light up when that switch inside their head is flipped and they understand something for the first time. So far most of my experiences have been really positive, but I have learned quickly that my new job is exhausting. I am pretty good until about Thursday, and then I crash. (i.e. I have been asleep by 8:00p.m since I started teaching) I am so weak!

Anyway, we have been making good use of our weekends, and I figured that it was about time I caught you all up. So here it comes… Short n’ sweet! :)

Just as August was finishing up and making it's way into September we had the opportunity to take a train ride. We take train rides all the time, but this was different... this was old school. It was the 80th anniversary of the first railroad line to cross the Carpathian Mountains connecting Moravia, and boosting economic trade between the Czech republic and Slovakia. In celebration, they dusted off some of the trains that have graced this section of rail in the past and carried people across the border, just as they have done for the past 80 years.

We like to hike! The first weekend in September we did just that. With our good friends Cuco, Zorna, and Peter, we made our way through the forest of Bratislava with the beer in our backpacks and the Castle Devin on the mind. After four hours of hiking, our backpacks were a bit lighter and we were at Devin. The thing that really makes this ruin spectacular is its location. Positioned on the confluence of the Danube and Morava river, it really is quite the site. We could not have asked for better company, and this trip was a total success!

Take A Hike!

Marta and I were itching to get out. We was hurtin for that "outdoor fix." To sleep in a tent, travel by the power of our legs, to forget about being domestic for a day or two. As most of you know being outside is a major factor in the quality of life for Marta and me. We were in need of an adventure... so we took a walk. :)

We started out from Marta's parents' house and headed for the hills. Our plan was to walk the 12km to a castle/ruin just outside of Myjava. We figured the journey to be about 3 1/2 hours walking. I bet that you could easily walk those 12km from Marta's parents house to Branc Castle in under 3 1/2... if you don't get lost that is!

We had been walking for a little over an hour, following these nicely-painted trail markers, when something went wrong. (i.e. we stopped seeing the trail markers) We ended up doing a bit more "exploring" than we had planned on, (did you know that wild roses and raspberry bushes with thorns grow in Slovakia?!?) and our 3 1/2 hour trip turned out to be closer to a 5 hour trip. We did reach the castle, and it was so worth it! We pitched our tent in the dark and crashed, dreaming about what our surroundings would look like in the morning... we were not disappointed!

The castle Branc was a relatively large castle. The 13th century ruins that make up this castle are settled on a large hill that looms over the village of Podzamok. From this hill you have an amazing panoramic view of the, small but nice, Carpathian Mountains. Branc, was one of the frontier castles guarding the Slovak-Czech border, and unfortunately was partly destroyed and abandoned in the 17th century because of fire.

As the sun was coming up we walked among the ruins, imagining the castle's past and the people who lived within it's walls. The best part was we had the place to ourselves! Evidently, sleeping outside the castle walls and beating the crowds was the way to go. We ate our breakfast, took one last look around, and started home. This was one adventure we won't be forgetting!

Bring It In!

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to witness some of Slovakia's old school harvesting ways. We attended a harvest festival in a small village just outside of Myjava. Each year locals perform a demonstration of harvesting ways of the past. Sickle races (cutting grass), traditional food, music, and of course slivovica!

After some hard work harvesting, the workers get ready for a great celebration. They create a wreath made of wheat and decorated ribbon to present to the land owner, and they prepare themselves for a party. At this point there is only one thing left to do... They make their way from the fields to the farmer's home to present their wreath and the good news of the harvest.

The land owner gladly receives the news of a good harvest, promptly offers a shot of the good stuff (slivovica), and invites them in for a celebration of eating, drinking, music and dancing.