Monday, June 18, 2012


The heat and humidity continued, but we were able to take a nice break to visit our cousins, Helena and Mike.  We sat on a picnic bench under the shade in their yard and they brought out food and drink for us to enjoy. 

Homemade pickles on the left! On the right is peppers and paprika bacon

Meat and sauerkraut, and bread

I took some video with my smartphone and also used my audio recorder to capture some of the stories Helena was telling.  Helena and Mike are two of the nicest people I have ever met and they have been married for over 60 years.  Being able to talk to family who can shed light on the “why?” questions was better than any roll of microfilm or database entry I could find.  


One of the highlights was some homemade wine (I believe it was made from black currants? or it may have been another type of berry) and Mike told us it is supposed to be good for the red blood cells.  It was thick, and sweet, with just enough tart in it.  Of course, there was beer and Hruska (pear liquor) as well.  

Homemade wine

We then took some photographs (out of respect for my cousins’ privacy, I am not posting any here).  After we bid farewell to our cousins, we drove back to the hotel in Vranov so Jack and Shirley could gather their bags and prepare to depart.  Our cab driver, Erik, was picking them up that evening and taking them to their hotel in Kosice because they were leaving Tuesday morning for Paris.  I was sorry to see them go.  




Photos by Lisa A. Alzo


Copyright 2012, Lisa A. Alzo
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