Picture of the Day

Slovak Pub and Slavin

Today is streda.

A popular name for restaurants here appears to be "_____ Pub"; note at left Slovak, Europa, and Celtic Pub. Yesterday night we went to Slovak Pub. I figured with a name like Slovak Pub it had to be good, traditional food, and I was right. It was cool. They were carved wooden bits and antlers and cool stuff, and the menu had all kinds of different Slovak food. I believe my meal was ordered off the part of the menu called "Grandma's Favorites" or something like that (the menu was handily in Slovak, English, and German). I had pirohy (pierogies) filled with cabbage and minced pork, I guess. They had fresh sour cream and bacony bits of fat on the top. We also had a soft drink called Vinea, which is a really light grape soda. My plate of pirohy was only about 130 SK, which is less than seven dollars. Not too shabby, eh?

I need to learn how to say "delicious" in Slovak.

Today I went on a walk with some fellow teachers and we had some good views of the hrad. A-like so:

At one point we saw in the distance this big statue on a hill of a figure with a long pennon or flag flying around him. Although we weren't trying to get there, we ended up getting to see it up close. The area is called Slavin, and the statue is part of a memorial to and burial ground for Russian soldiers who died during the Second World War in Slovakia. Our Slovak teacher later told us that the Soviets helped liberate Bratislava from the Nazis. The sign at the memorial said that 6,850 Russian soldiers were buried there; there were some headstones with men's names on them, but it seems that most of them were buried in mass graves. It's a period of history that I learned about academically, but that many people here actually lived through. The effects of the war and the post-war years are still acting on the country.
And finally, a few more views of the city from Slavin.

The Danube (Dunaj) is the light-colored area at the left, and the round thing is one of the bridges.

Old Town Bratislava

I made it okay, and I don't want to bore anyone with details about my flight or the ridiculous layovers and what is up with JFK's international terminal anyway?, but after dinner I went with a small group on an awesome walking tour of some of the old parts of Bratislava. This will probably be mostly pictures, because I still need to take a shower and get to bed so I don't almost fall asleep during the Slovak lesson tomorrow afternoon.

the hrad (castle), which is apparently being restored, and which would look really cool at night if they shone some lights on it

Michalská brána (Michael's Gate), the entrance to the old city; the actual gate is just out of the picture on the right

These next few are from the Hlavné námestie (main square)


a courtyard off the Hlavné námestie

the Primate's Palace

the National Symphony to the left and the former Carlton hotel to the right

the Slovenské Národné Divaldo (Slovak National Theatre), where the opera and ballet perform

the plague column; in the background is the big street the Communists built that made them have to tear down the Jewish quarter

two views of St. Martin's Cathedral, where the rulers of Austro-Hungary were crowned

the Presidential Palace, known to the Communists as the Pioneer Palace, also known as the Grassalko Palace

Random thoughts:
Today is pondelok.
The exchange rate is about 20 Slovak crowns (SK) to a dollar, so I spent 50 SK on a Fanta.
My ATM card actually worked.
It's pronounced Tisovets.
The Slovak language has no articles (a, an, or the).
This morning one of our leaders asked us to think about where we were on September 1, 1991. I was starting third grade. Here in Bratislava, it was the first day of school for the Lyceum, the first Lutheran school to open again after the separation. The Lyceum was originally founded in 1604. Pretty cool.

And We're Off

In just a few hours I'll leave for a galaxy far, far away. I'm going to Slovakia--Bratislava for a week and then Tisovec for the next ten months. I'll be teaching English at a bilingual high school there. 'Who moves to Slovakia to teach English?' you're asking. Well, me, obviously, and about 12 to 15 volunteers a year in this particular program. Tisovec is pretty much right in the middle of the country, lengthwise. It's a smallish town, and the pictures I've seen are pretty. There are mountains, and it will snow. As you can see, Tisovec is underneath the K, and a little to the left.

It's not going to be an easy trip, and truthfully, I'm not entirely looking forward to the traveling part. Once I actually get there everything will be fine, but right now, it's not looking too good. I haven't flown this long one way since I came back from Europe last time. First I have to fly to New York; then I have an eight-hour layover; then a 4,000 mile flight to Prague; then a five-hour layover; then a one-hour flight to Bratislava. I'm going to leave my house at 9 PM Friday and get to Bratislava at 12:30 PM Sunday.

I don't know much about Bratislava, but I am pretty much prepared to promise that it is nothing like the depiction in "Eurotrip." I will be on the lookout for small dogs holding human hands, though. I will also do my very best to update here when I'm gone. I really want to go to Spišsky Hrad, which is pretty much the most famous castle in Slovakia.

So I'm off, on the Big Time. I will leave you an Anglo-Saxon metrical charm, as per usual. It was translated by Gavin Chappell. I thought it was pretty apt, and it's always good to throw medieval literature out there for more people to read.

A Journey Charm
I circle myself with this rod trust to God's grace,
Against the sore stitch, against the sore bite,
Against the grim dread,
Against the great horror that is hateful to all,
And all evil that enters this land.
A victory charm I sing, a victory rod I bear,
Victory of words, victory of works. May they assist me;
So no lake hinder me, nor loathed foe oppress me,
Nor my life be fraught with fear,
But keep me hale, Almighty, Son and Holy Ghost,
Worthy Lord of all wonder,
So I have heard, heaven's creator.
Abraham and Isaac
And such men, Moses and Jacob,
And David and Joseph,
And Eve and Anna and Elizabeth,
Sarah and also Mary, mother of Christ,
And also the brothers, Peter and Paul,
And also thousands of your angels,
I call on to defend me against all foes.
May they guide me and guard me and safeguard my path,
Maintain me entirely and administer me,
Directing my works; may the host of holy ones
Be the hope of glory, the hand over head,
The host of triumphant, true-hearted angels.
I bid them all, in blithe mood,
That Matthew be my helmet; Mark my byrnie,
Light, life's strength, Luke my sword,
Sharp and sheer-edged; John my shield,
Gloriously adorned, angel of the track-way.
I fare forth; I shall meet friends,
All glory of angels, the lore of the good.
I pray now to the God of victory, for God's mercy,
For a good passage, a peaceful and light
Wind from these shores. Of storms I have heard
That wake swirling waters. Always secure
Against all foes. May I meet with friends,
So I may dwell in the Almighty's peace,
Protected from the loathed one seeking my life,
Established in the majesty of angels,
And in the holy hand of heaven's ruler,
For the span that I stay in this life.
Amen.