Slovenský Raj

School ended last week, so I had the chance to take in some nature around Prešov. One major local attraction, for good reason, is the national park called the "Slovenský Raj", the "Slovak Paradise". It's only a couple hours by bus, to the West, and is quite beautiful this time of year.

I took a few pictures, but others have done much better. Check out these links for info and some great pictures of the park.

I went to "The Raj" with my trusty travel companion/bodyguard Vi, who brought a large stick to fight off any Anti-American bears or other animals with teeth:





We first had to have lunch, so we stopped at the Lesnica restaurant by the trailhead.



Because this blog is really about food, I will tell you about my lunch. Although I was drawn to something called "The Rabbi's Knees" on the English version of the menu, I went with the garlic soup and halusky. It was tasty, although I still have garlic emanating from awkward places.

It had recently snowed, which made everything very winter-like. And icy. I only fell once, towards the end, although I landed on my phone. Bummer.

Here's a view up the trail. We basically went uphill for an hour and a half, and then turned around and came back.



At the beginning of the trail there were some houses, and this snowman was in a backyard. I suggested that we kick it, but was overruled:



There were some great views from higher up the trail, which my pictures do not do justice:











When we got to the top of the trail, we could see across the valley to where the High Tatras mountains are. It was an incredible view, because the snowy peaks blended with the clouds below it, creating a kind of sci-fi/fantasy view that would usually be complimented with a unicorn. This is my best attempt to get it on film:



After that, and breaking my phone with my ass, it was back to Prešov for some hot cocoa. You should have been there!