We've just seen the imposing, soaring beauty of Orava Castle in Slovakia. Now its time to focus on something much simpler, but equally beautiful in Orava. My Slovak friend invited me to his family cottage farm outside Dolny Kubin for a day. I wish it could have been a lifetime. I'm too cynical and sarcastic to use words such as charming, quaint, whimsical and idyllic, but these words describe the little family cottage very well.
Most tourists in Central/Eastern Europe will never experience this kind of building. They focus on the usual giant castles, museums and central squares of Europe. When venturing away from the tourist areas they look in disgust at the classic "Communist" blocks, or panelka, that are quite typical in countries affiliated with the former Soviet Union.
Charming in their own way; I feel like I'm visiting Pee-Wee's Playhouse. The irony of these "Eastern" European buildings is that their design originates from a "Western" architect from England. I guess Stalin was just very impressed with the economical advantage of these buildings and it quickly propagated throughout the region. If you do go to smaller villages you will see the old, rustic small cottages from the pre-Communist days.
The small cottage I found myself at is self-sustaining. It sits on a long, thin plot of land where my friend's family grows their own fruits and vegetables. A short walk to the backyard treats you to a variety of berries, legumes, greens and fruit trees. On that particular day I snacked on fresh gooseberries I had plucked from a bush out back.
All of this fresh food makes for great meals. My friend's family treated me to some homemade Slovak cooking. I'd never thought of dill as a good way to flavor food, but it worked very well as a sauce with meatloaf and Slovak knedl'a, a soft dumpling bread that's perfect for soaking up sauce. In addition to this I stuffed myself with korbaciky syr, a salty string cheese that's everywhere in Orava.
It's excellent comfort food when paired with a Pilsner beer and shot of Slivovica. If you try it in the capital of Bratislava it just won't compare. Unfortunately most tourist don't even give Bratislava a chance, much less the rest of Slovakia. Come out to the countryside for some simple living and discover why I like this little country.
Most tourists in Central/Eastern Europe will never experience this kind of building. They focus on the usual giant castles, museums and central squares of Europe. When venturing away from the tourist areas they look in disgust at the classic "Communist" blocks, or panelka, that are quite typical in countries affiliated with the former Soviet Union.
Charming in their own way; I feel like I'm visiting Pee-Wee's Playhouse. The irony of these "Eastern" European buildings is that their design originates from a "Western" architect from England. I guess Stalin was just very impressed with the economical advantage of these buildings and it quickly propagated throughout the region. If you do go to smaller villages you will see the old, rustic small cottages from the pre-Communist days.
The small cottage I found myself at is self-sustaining. It sits on a long, thin plot of land where my friend's family grows their own fruits and vegetables. A short walk to the backyard treats you to a variety of berries, legumes, greens and fruit trees. On that particular day I snacked on fresh gooseberries I had plucked from a bush out back.
All of this fresh food makes for great meals. My friend's family treated me to some homemade Slovak cooking. I'd never thought of dill as a good way to flavor food, but it worked very well as a sauce with meatloaf and Slovak knedl'a, a soft dumpling bread that's perfect for soaking up sauce. In addition to this I stuffed myself with korbaciky syr, a salty string cheese that's everywhere in Orava.
It's excellent comfort food when paired with a Pilsner beer and shot of Slivovica. If you try it in the capital of Bratislava it just won't compare. Unfortunately most tourist don't even give Bratislava a chance, much less the rest of Slovakia. Come out to the countryside for some simple living and discover why I like this little country.
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