Lots to Report

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted; the Slovak life keeps me very busy, and sometimes I forget about my blog.. I suppose I should catch you all up on what's been happening in chronological order. At the end of October I was given a pumpkin to carve from my host parents. This was a sweet surprise for me since Slovakia doesn't celebrate Halloween. Yet one more example of how amazing my host family has been. On the first weekend in November my host father's generous sister and her husband decided to take me on a trip. We first went to a huge castle in North Slovakia, which was absolutely amazing. Most of the castle is preserved, so we got the whole experience of being in a real castle. From there we went to a historic village from the 13th century that has been preserved. There, proving our luck, was a film being shot about the Communist takeover, and there were many actors dressed in police uniforms from Nazi Germany that we got to meet. Early the next morning we continued our journey; heading on to a town in Poland called Zakopane. This was by far the most beautiful place I have ever been. The town has a huge outdoor market, which we went through thoroughly, finding all home made furs and slippers, along with everything else you could possibly imagine. After we finished the market, we went out to eat the most delicious food I've ever tasted at an authentic Polish restaurant. Since the town is at the base of Slovakia's biggest mountains, the High Tatras, the view is amazing. After a nice afternoon walking the town and shopping, we headed back to Slovakia. On the way home we stopped at a place called Meander Park; an indoor and outdoor water spa with heated water. I have decided that sitting in a heated pool at the base of a beautiful mountain range, watching the sun set is one of the most relaxing ways to end the day. After we finished at the spa, we went home. It always continues to amaze me how I can go an hour North and be in Poland, an hour west and be in the Czech Republic, and 2 hours South-West and be in Austria. I am truly lucky to be living in such an amazing place with such amazing people. In these pictures you will see my lovely pumpkin with my host family, the castle in North Slovakia, Zakopane along with the High Tatras, and Meander Park.