Tags
Case Western Reserve University, cheese, cousins, Czech Republic, Europe, family, genealogy, hockey, hockeyball, Skalica, Slovakia, solo, student, travel, Zilina
Our day started by having breakfast back at one of the family member´s places again. After breakfast, the aunt took me and Juraj to talk to a friend by the name of Helena Spalik, ironically one of the names on my list of family although we knew my Helena was long gone by now. In talking to this lady, we suddenly realized she is related to my Helena, but only because she married her son. That is why they are both Spalik names, both by marriage.
Me and my cousin´s wife.
Helena Vašečka Spalikova was my great-great-aunt and this Helena Spalikova has all of the family answers. She even confirmed that I was correct in assuming that my family estate is on Gorkeho Street, which I guessed by using several old photos and Google maps and street view.
Me in front of the family house at the same view as my 100 year old photo.
Sadly, she says the estate was sold out of our family line. Helena then took us to the cemetery to point out several graves before she had to take off, promising to send photos by email.
After the cemetery, we walked around a few places like the rotunda and wall, dodging weddings and becoming hot and hungry. We then walked into town to take pictures in front of the estate before heading to lunch. It was difficult to pinpoint the house considering how many changes have been made, but fortunately a lot of houses still had the old numbering system visible in the photo I had from the 1920s or so. On the way to lunch, a group of Austrian motorcyclists were stopped at the Namestie. We took photos and also visited the 700 year old church in the square or, rather, triangle. Then we went to lunch where I had fried cheese with spaghetti and a pickled cabbage salad.
After lunch we stopped for icecream then walked back to the car and drove back to the first house we visited to have more snacks like lemonade wine, rope cheese, and more sweets.
Traditional cake.
The latrine was a source of humor, surrounded by squawking chickens and near to a barrel with a mother calico cat nursing her three baby kittens. Soon, we said our goodbyes and left for home.
We went through Slovakia instead of Czech this time heading back. I did my laundry in machines for the first time in weeks, then a few of us went to the grocery store for goods. People actually put their buggies back here! After shopping, we picked up one of Patrik´s cousins whose parents were with us and remained out of town. We came home for dinner and to fold laundry and unwind. Tomorrow I believe we plan on hiking and maybe trying some hockeyball!
