Going Underground…

Our hectic schedule with Frank and Mel showed no sign of letting up 🤣

A lighter breakfast was followed by a shorter drive out to the Josef Opal Mine.

Slovakia had the first Opal Mine in the world, and we were able to spend an hour underground on a low, very cold and damp walking tour.
They no longer actively mine it: Australian does, but it was interesting to learn a bit about these workings. We could see tunnels going down many levels, and had an English audio guide to explain some of the history.
The helmets did the job for Frank and me, when we hit the low roof on occasion🤣

Stepping out into the warm sunshine was a pleasure, and we set off to seek lunch the other side of Prešov, at Šariš Park restaurant.
It was a short drive from there to see the enormous Šariš brewery, on our way back.

Frank took us up a narrow road to see the Calvary Complex, a small church high in a hillside above Prešov.
The views over the city were stunning, & we were able to take a quick look inside at the incredibly ornate interior.

Back down, old Prešov was looking gorgeous in the warm sunshine.
We played the Sunday tourist, wandering about, enjoying an ice cream.
The Co-Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was the place our friends were married as well as their daughter. The inside was very ornate, & we snuck upstairs for a close up of the larger electric organ.
After this, we took the 195 steps up the Tower for more fabulous views over the city. The final stairs were fairly precarious, and the return taken very cautiously 👀

We hunted down the marker that showed Prešov to lie on the 49th parallel. My OS Locate map suggested it might be a good few metres out, but let’s not quibble…

A final beer was enjoyed in the square, before a cheeky food shop and an exhausted return to the flat for a rest!

All in all, a fantastic weekend: many thanks 😎👍Read more