Post by kaima on Jul 1, 2012 1:40:38 GMT -7
This account was written earlier and had to wait until I had internet time to load pictures. As it is it seems hurried to put the post together.
Report from Slovakia, vicinity Stara Lubovna, Poland SE corner south of Nowy Sanc.
Some plans fell through yesterday and I was able to follow up on a plan of my own, taking the bus from Stara Lubovna in Slovakia to the Polish border at Mnisek nad Popradom. I have driven the road before inside Slovakia but being able to look at the scenery instead of the asphalt on a mountain road enhances the experience – there is much more you can see.
The bus only took a bit over half and hour and cost 1 Euro for the trip. I got off at the end station 1 m past the village, where people who live in settlements beyond the road live. These are areas small and remote enough that they are served by one lane asphalt (or gravel) strips, much like the Alms in Switzerland. After looking around I walked back into the village and took the road continuing on to Poland. It was too quickly that a Slovak stopped and offered me a lift, so I happily rode into Piwniczna, getting a quick preview of the road I would walk back with its narrowing to one lane in many places.
Piwnicna town square
This is the fire well, used in the very old days as a water well and the old days - as preserved today - as a water source for fighting fires in town. That is a fire wagon in the photo.
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Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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Piwnicna sign
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Piwnicna map
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victory momunent
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Piwniczna proved much smaller than I expected. As a border town I expected it to be a center of activity and trade, but refreshing my map reading, the population is quite scattered in the surrounding mountains. There was an open market just off the main square with 3 or 4 stalls full of clothing and stuff, at most 2 stalls with fresh vegetables that were very appealing. This reminded me I needed some Polish Zloties, so a handy cash machine solved that. I vaguely remembered the exchange is about 3.2 Z to the dollar. Sadly the only book store in town was closed. I was hoping that the Poles would have some well written, multi language histories specific to the area. They seem to be far ahead of the Slovaks in this matter. I think I will have to head into Novy Sanc to find this.
The pictures I am posting are nice enough, but I don’t feel they catch the beauty of the town. There was just something colorful and lively to the eye that the camera fails to capture. To my loss I didn’t try conversing with any of the busy people. I am working on the language and expect to get better with time and practice – presuming the Poles I find understand my Slovak!
I had a nice lunch and beer in town, explored quite a bit on foot and then headed back to Slovakia along the road. It is here that I saw the numerous washouts along the steep mountain slopes. The mountains are too steep and unstable to support a road and the earth supporting what was well built decades ago is washing out in many places. The answer for the EU is to build a new bridge across the Poprad River from Mnisik nad Popradom to the main highway in Poland, by passing this now secondary mountain road. As an engineer I must agree, it seems like a wise expenditure. Clearing for the approach for the bridge is already underway in Mnisik, and the contract will soon be advertised for bids. Trust an engineer tourist to happen upon two people involved in the bridge construction! I have traveled in the past with engineering drawings downloaded from the internet, and saved articles for years until I could go and ‘inspect’ a bridge or airport for myself.
Now to see if this works ....
Report from Slovakia, vicinity Stara Lubovna, Poland SE corner south of Nowy Sanc.
Some plans fell through yesterday and I was able to follow up on a plan of my own, taking the bus from Stara Lubovna in Slovakia to the Polish border at Mnisek nad Popradom. I have driven the road before inside Slovakia but being able to look at the scenery instead of the asphalt on a mountain road enhances the experience – there is much more you can see.
The bus only took a bit over half and hour and cost 1 Euro for the trip. I got off at the end station 1 m past the village, where people who live in settlements beyond the road live. These are areas small and remote enough that they are served by one lane asphalt (or gravel) strips, much like the Alms in Switzerland. After looking around I walked back into the village and took the road continuing on to Poland. It was too quickly that a Slovak stopped and offered me a lift, so I happily rode into Piwniczna, getting a quick preview of the road I would walk back with its narrowing to one lane in many places.
Piwnicna town square
This is the fire well, used in the very old days as a water well and the old days - as preserved today - as a water source for fighting fires in town. That is a fire wagon in the photo.
* * *
* * *
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
* * * *
* * * *
Piwnicna sign
* * *
Piwnicna map
* * *
victory momunent
* * *
Piwniczna proved much smaller than I expected. As a border town I expected it to be a center of activity and trade, but refreshing my map reading, the population is quite scattered in the surrounding mountains. There was an open market just off the main square with 3 or 4 stalls full of clothing and stuff, at most 2 stalls with fresh vegetables that were very appealing. This reminded me I needed some Polish Zloties, so a handy cash machine solved that. I vaguely remembered the exchange is about 3.2 Z to the dollar. Sadly the only book store in town was closed. I was hoping that the Poles would have some well written, multi language histories specific to the area. They seem to be far ahead of the Slovaks in this matter. I think I will have to head into Novy Sanc to find this.
The pictures I am posting are nice enough, but I don’t feel they catch the beauty of the town. There was just something colorful and lively to the eye that the camera fails to capture. To my loss I didn’t try conversing with any of the busy people. I am working on the language and expect to get better with time and practice – presuming the Poles I find understand my Slovak!
I had a nice lunch and beer in town, explored quite a bit on foot and then headed back to Slovakia along the road. It is here that I saw the numerous washouts along the steep mountain slopes. The mountains are too steep and unstable to support a road and the earth supporting what was well built decades ago is washing out in many places. The answer for the EU is to build a new bridge across the Poprad River from Mnisik nad Popradom to the main highway in Poland, by passing this now secondary mountain road. As an engineer I must agree, it seems like a wise expenditure. Clearing for the approach for the bridge is already underway in Mnisik, and the contract will soon be advertised for bids. Trust an engineer tourist to happen upon two people involved in the bridge construction! I have traveled in the past with engineering drawings downloaded from the internet, and saved articles for years until I could go and ‘inspect’ a bridge or airport for myself.
Now to see if this works ....
