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Time to move on to the next hotel, and I thought it would be a good idea
to have a group photo of everyone shut in the 'cage of shame', Levoca's
answer to the Naughty Step. However, someone had locked it up, so the
group had to cling to the outside instead!
We set off in the coach through the mist, and it wasn't until an hour
later as we approached the High Tatras that gaps appeared in the cloud
& we rose above the mist. the tops were still shrouded in cloud, but
we got a better idea of the scale of the mountains than when we had passed
here 4 days ago. As we drove along the foot of the Tatras the whole feel
of the landscape changed - the forests (albeit thinned by calamitous winds
in the last 30 years), the wooden buildings, the manicured & green
ski-resort features gave it a real Alpine or even North American feel.. Just the odd large institutional style building
suggested we were in East Europe.
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The group outside the 'Cage of Shame', Levoca
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En route to Popradske Pleso
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The walk started in a busy resort, Strbske Pleso, by a
glacial lake complete with rowing boats for hire and ringed with hotels
and cafes. At last we were off (slippery) limestone and on to granite as
we set off up a large moraine, heading for another glacial lake,
Popradske Pleso. Unfortunately the tops of the mountains never appeared
from the clouds, but it was a pleasant walk nevertheless, and it was
interesting to see so many locals out hiking the trails.
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The next hotel was in the Low Tatras, with more forested slopes and
no spiky bits. There had obviously been a wood carving demonstration
outside the hotel, and we were invited out to see the biggest spoon in
Slovakia (!), carved from a single tree-truck. Useful for supping with
the devil I guess.....
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The largest spoon in Slovakia....
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