Kennedy's European Experience

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Happy Anniversary

12 Aug - Kim and I Celebrated our 19th Anniversary. We all travelled to the Slovak-Polish border for a rafting trip. Iveta and Martin treated us to a wooden boat ride down the Dunajec River in Pieniny Slovakia. It was a beautiful day. We ate lunch, did the 1.5 hr river trip and headed home. It was a great drive over where we saw the High Tetras - the highest mountain in Slovakia. At the end of the ride, Martin and Iveta treated us again to a horse and buggy ride to the bus pick-up point. They gave us a gift to open on the ride. It was two cups with 12 Aug 2008 Slovakia 19th Anniversary engraved on the cup and saucer. It was a special day that we won't forget. We returned and had a wonderful Broccoli & Ham Casserole for dinner.

Tina and Jamie with Poland in the Background

Wooden boats - actually 5 thin boats lashed together -

Yes, the side says MAX 12 occupants but yuo can count

for yourself how many fit.

Scenery - Beautiful hills and river.

Horse and Buggy Ride

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Visiting Martin's Parents

10-11 Aug = Drove to Breznička to visit one of Tinaś Grandparents. It is a town of about 150 people. It was a WONDERFUL visit. We arrived at 1110 and walked to the church. It is an eastern orthodox Church where the service is in a Bzyentine Language.

With the Orthodox Priest = Church is 300 years old. Babka prepared a wonderful homemade chicken noodle soup, roasted chicken, cucumber and onion salad and a wonderful pastry dessert. Pictures in a later post just on food!! In the afternoon, we visited a small zoo on Strepko and say the oldest tiger in captivitz in the world and several other animals we had never seen in a zoo like a Fosa from Madagaskar and a beagle dog. We also visited a Russian Orthodox and a Greek Orthodox church in town. We had a great walk around the town in great weather and of course more beer!!! For Dinner, Babka and Jamie cooked Halusky - the traditional dish of Slovakia. It is a tzpe of potato noodle cooked in water then served with a special goat cheese and bacon. WOW!! Loved it and we all gave Babka a big hug and kiss!! and of course more alcohol = vodka and beer The next morning, all the men, Martin, Matthew, Ditko and James went hunting mushrooms. Basically a long walk in the woods "hunting" with no guns for something that does not move and is already dead??? We got alot of blackberries and a few mushrooms. It was a great 3 hr walk. When we got back, Babka cooked us mushrooms, eggs and onions and of course beer and vodka. For Lunch, yes, Babka cooks alot and just stuffed us - we loved ourt Babka!! Jamie, Kim, Tina and Iveta all made paroghe - a dumpling with potatos (yes, alot of potatos), We said our goodbzes to everyone and headed back 1 hr to Presov. We walked to the new mall across the street from Tina´s, her Mom cooked wonderful Slovak Pancakes - kind of like a crepe with Nutella or Babkaś homemade cherry preserves - yummy, yummy, yummy. We ended the evenning around the kitchen table, talking about everything, beer and great times.

Jamie grating Potatos for Halusky.

Ditko, Martin, Babka, James, Tina, Matthew, Iveta, Jamie Kim One family

The Great Hunters with their "kill".

Babkoś Town from the hill

Making Paroghe = great fun and Good Eats!!

Travel to and Arrival in Slovakia

8-9 Aug Departed Kaiserslatuern 8 Aug at 3:30 for Slovakia to visit Tina. Alot of rain most of the way. Our plan called for meeting Tina and her Mom in a small town S of Vienna Austria where her Mom works and spend the night and ride to Presov the next day. We arrived in Moedling Austria at 12:30 am. Tina arranged a very nice hotel down the street for us to spend the night. We got up the next morning, ate breakfast, picked up Tina and her Mom and drove to PResov. Departed 9:30 am and arrived in Presov at 4:30 pm. Yep, that is a total of 16 hrs driving. We bought gas in Slovakia. Tina´s town is the capital of the region in Eastern SLovakia. Her Dad, Martin, cooked dinner of Roasted Pork, Potatos and Red Cabbage - all came from her Grandmotherś garden or pig. We were welcomed very wonderfully by her family. We gave her family gifts and all the things we bought Tina that she had in America. Of course we had some beer and shots! Fortunately, they have a European keyboard where the keys are different so that makes it interesting. Tomorrow we go to Martinś parents, Babka and Ditko in a small town.

Crossing the Border

Yep, the price is 25000 sK for 41,4L or 12.50 a gallon. Stop crying about 4.00 a gallon!!!

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Misc items

This week Jamie went to the pool with a friend she made here in town. They go to the same school and church. They are involved in the local community so that is very good.

Here in the Rhine-Pfalz where we live, they have alot of wind. They have put up ALOT of these windmills for additional power. They are very tall. They don't distract from the beauty of the countryside but really add to it. Not as pretty as the ones in Holland but more functional now :)

Jamie bought herself a new bike with her Birthday money. It is a big bike but she enjoys it. The first two times she rode it - she fell. One time pretty big into a ditch falling over the handle bars. She got up and rode the 1.5 miles back to the car. She had a helmet on so she did not hurt the tree she hit with her head!!!

MOVING IN!!

Got a phone call Thur afternoon that our Household Goods were in town and they could deliver on Friday 1 aug or in 10 days. Soooo after much thought, we had our stuff delivered yesterday, 1 Aug!!!!!!

The movers arrived at 0920 - 3 guys with 17 crates of our stufffffffffffffff. The weather was really nice - overcast and cool. It started to lightly rain inthe afternoon but no issues. really a good move. Now the house is full of boxes full of our stuff. Our priority of work is bedrooms and kitchen this weekend. Living room and office next week. After we return from leave in Slovakia, we'll get the dining room (Esszimmer) so we can have folks over for dinner. We set teh treadmill up in the carport figuring it will be better running out there. ALOT of hills here in the Kirck!!

Off to the market in K'town with our landlord and her daughter.

Let the fun begin!!