...and already I'm feeling settled, at least considering the fact that I reside in a spacious hotel apartment within walking distance of a myriad of antiquities. My previous experience of "history" (downtown Savannah, the Albion graveyard by my dad's hometown, and the pretty houses lining St. Elmo) could hardly have prepared me for the depth of civilization in this place.
We took a tour of Trnava today, despite icy wind and even icier rainfall. Our tour guide directed us to the Trinity Monument, the City Hall (on its spire a single wire declaring the stark absence of the tyrannical red star that used to dominate the city day and night), the courtyard where criminals were tried and executed, two massively ornate cathedrals steeped in Slovakia's turbulent history, two synagogues even more deeply steeped in oppressive memories, and the ancient Roman wall that formerly encircled the entire city.
I am most attracted right now by the Jewish history here. Both of the synagogues in the area are tragically deteriorated. In the more serviceable of the two buildings stands a monument to the Jews deported and, for the most part, murdered during World War Two. Our tour guide said that over 90 percent of the Jews of Trnava perished during the war. I did a little poking around online and discovered that the Nazis liberated Slovakia from Hungary, and the persecution and deportation of Jews followed immediately after.
Of course, this intriguing and far-reaching slice of history makes up only a fragment of the entire culture and experience of Trnava. I cannot wait to discover more and more!
Before taking the tour, I joined Felty, Julia, and Swanson in an aromatic cafe for a cappuccino, and began reading my History textbook: "Fin-De-Siecle Vienna". It is cumbrous reading, but fascinating enough to motivate my perseverance.
Felty, Heather, Meridyth, and I returned to our apartment after the tour and behaved outrageously over mugs of coffee for an hour or so. Then I showered, dressed, and set out with the girls for The Building, where we watched two action-packed episodes of LOST--my pre-college guilty pleasure. I'm afraid the addiction has been rekindled.
So now here I sit, with Felty perusing "The Marble Faun" in her bed across from me. We've arranged to meet Julia for brunch at 10:30 tomorrow morning (so strange to have Friday's entirely off!) at a new restaurant that Felty and Heather discovered today.
Meanwhile, since I have ample time to sleep in tomorrow, I plan on reading more of "Fin-De-Siecle Vienna" (let's face it: I just like saying the title) before bed.
Till next I write!
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