Thu 12.Aug.2010
Poprad, Slovakia
Up in the Valley
2205 ft high or not, Poprad sits in a broad valley, that of the Poprad
River, which looks more like a creek after the Vah (in Trenčin), to say
nothing of the Danube. It is
a real purty creek of a river.
Right outside of town begin the High Tatras, Slovakia's jaggedy raggedy
mountains, on the border with Poland.
Somewhere up there is the highest peak in the entire Carpathians.
We have finally left behind the sunflowers and wheatfields.
Even the local football club has a spectacular view from its modest
stadium.
The heart of the town, St. Egidius'
(who he?) square, is too built-up to see the mountains, but it is a
pleasant enough place nonetheless.
"Square "is almost a mis-nomer. They've pedestrianized the two streets
on either side of the old town square, for about three or four hundred
meters both east and west, and filled in with lawns, fountains etc.
A heart of town friendly to footgoers, no question about it.
Home Sweet Workers' Hostel
I've come full circle. My first summer ever in Europe, 1965, I lived in
a dorm for foreign "guest" workers at the factory I worked at. (Yes, as
a "guest worker" - yrs trly was an industrial bracero in Europe between terms at
Berkeley.)
A lot of Poprad is industrial and pretty shabby looking. Even the
golden evening sunlight cannot disguise the fact that migrant workers
don't get buisness-class aesthetics. But we are up to health, safety,
and sanitation code, even if this will never be mistaken for a Swiss
establishment.
Anyway, it is seriously cheap, and my budget can use it.
Contents Copyright 2012 Jeff Bulf