After our hike with subsequent huge calf pain (mimimi!) we are thirsty for rest. For a break. And solitude.
Loneliness is not a problem at all in Slovakia. Even on the really beautiful campsites we are almost alone. A few Germans and Swiss here, a few Hungarians and Poles there. But nothing is crowded here.
So we roll into the national park "Slovak Paradise". Yes, it really is called that. Why, remains to be seen. We take a rest, just sit on our camping chairs (which we use far too little!) and enjoy the best autumn we can have here. The temperatures are summery, the laundry dries in no time and we have nothing else to do but read, play cards and unsuccessfully hunt bears with binoculars (safely behind the fence, of course!).
So we spend a few days here, including our office days on Monday and Tuesday, in complete seclusion and peace. And Gerd is in great bliss: there are three wild and playful kittens that he keeps luring to us with his calmness (and a filled bowl).
Of course we know that the most exciting hikes here in the Slovak paradise are the ones through the gorges and streams. "Walking in the stream, over stones and fallen trees, and climbing dizzying rock faces is not for everyone," writes the hiking guide. And he is right, because after a quick look at the conditions, Gerd, who is afraid of suspension bridges and rock overhangs, informs me not to do these hikes.
So I'll find us the pleasant forest hike from Spišské Tomášovce to Tomášovský výhľad (who can remember these names?) which leads neither over suspension bridges nor through gorges. Nevertheless, we are thrilled when we reach the top: simply fantastic! At Čertova sihoť, we connoisseurs know by now that this is called Devil's Cliff, we marvel at the view and here too: obviously healthy forest. Peace. Nature. Almost solitude.
Here we realise how much we like Slovakia. And here one of my favourite poems comes to mind again: Doctor Wald.
When I suffer from headaches and neuroses,
I feel misunderstood or old,
and the fair muses do not caress me,
then I consult the doctor forest.He is my ophthalmologist and psychiatrist,
my orthopaedist and my internist.
I'm sure he'll help me over any hangover,
whether it is of sorrow or cognac.He doesn't think much of powders and pills,
but all the more of air and sunshine.
And a pleasant silence barely surrounds me,
he whispers to me, "Now take a deep breath!"Is his practice also often overcrowded,
in his care you run yourself healthy.
And circulatory sufferers who are still panting today,
are without clinical findings tomorrow.He always gets us back on our feet,
Author: Forester Helmut Dagenbach
the soul into balance,
prevents fat build-up and gallstones.
only - unfortunately, he doesn't make house calls.
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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