I wrote this post in English and Slovak language
Hi,
I couldn't sleep that night. It wasn't because the neighbors were making noise, or because I was a sleepwalker, or because the little kids were teething and crying all night. The reason was completely different. I would call it the excitement and joy of the new experience that was to come the next day.
A colleague was taking a pilot's course for a small four-seater plane, and as part of this he had to complete a flight with an instructor and also with passengers. So I got on a sightseeing flight with my wife.
After a sleepless night, I got out of bed. I look out the window and it's quite cloudy outside. I was a little sad because if there were thick clouds or rain, we wouldn't fly. So we got ready and waited for my colleague to call me from the airport and say whether we are going or not.
The phone is ringing and a colleague has given us good news. The clouds have partly parted and we can take to the air.
We arrive at the airport. Our colleague is already waiting for us with a ready plane. I walk around him and take a good look at him from all sides. Of course, a photo must not be missing. The colleague gave us a short briefing and we are already sitting inside on the back seats.
A colleague sat in the pilot's seat and the instructor next to him. We put headphones on our ears and then a check was made to see if we could all hear each other well. Subsequently, they disconnected us from communication. At least that's what the instructor and my colleague thought.
The instructor gave my colleague instructions on how to take off and he followed his instructions step by step.
After checking all the controls, our plane is moving and we are picking up speed. We didn't even know it and we got off the ground. It was then that the instructor instructed my colleague what speed to reach. Apparently he didn't succeed because the instructor told him in a calm voice at first that Marian was faster. However, after Marián still did not go at the required speed, he raised his voice, literally even shouted. My wife and I only looked at each other with concern, but after a while the instructor was satisfied with Marián. And when the instructor told Marián that don't worry, they can't hear us, we started laughing. Subsequently, they turned on the radio, which had been turned on for a long time, and we just enjoyed the flight.
The airport is located right in the city where I live, in Spišská Nová Ves. I would rather say that on its edge. After taking off, we reached the largest village in Slovakia in terms of population. Smižany has 8,796 inhabitants and is separated from the town of Spišská Nová Ves by only one road. For some time, the village of Smižany was part of the city of Spišská Nová Ves.
We are flying over a landscape where a strip of forest alternates with fields and meadows. The view of the landscape below us is breathtaking.
However, the clouds and fog did not completely disappear. From time to time we fly as if in the middle between two clouds. In these moments, we can't see the landscape below us, but it's still an interesting feeling.
We are coming to one of the destinations of our flight and that is the Spiš castle. The castle, which together with the Spiš chapter and the city of Levoča is registered in UNESCO, stands proudly on the castle hill and guards the surroundings. I don't want to go into much detail here about its history, I wrote another article for that. I guess I will only mention the year 1241 and the Mongol invasion of our territory as an interesting one. The castle was one of the few that resisted this invasion and defended itself against their attack. We are lucky that the fog cleared above it and I was able to take a photo like this.
The Spiš Chapter is located near the Spiš Castle. It is the seat of the bishop of Spiš and currently a priest's seminary is located here. In the past, it provided shelter to monks who were safe behind its walls. Together with Spišský hrad, they were also a refuge for residents living in Spišské Podhrady and the surrounding area during the riots.
I mentioned the city of Levoča until the third. We also fly over this historic city. Too bad there isn't a little more sun today. Photos would be much better. But one does not choose the weather and must adapt to it. That's what I'm trying to do, and it won't disturb my well-being this summer. I will mention only one name in this paragraph. Master Pavol from Levoča. If you happen to visit this city, be sure to visit the church of St. Jakub on the square. The wood carvings and beautiful altars of this skilled medieval master adorn many churches in Spiš.
We are slowly coming back, but before that we fly over my hometown. Spišská Nová Ves is located below us. Among other things, the city can boast of the highest church tower in Slovakia. It measures 87 meters.
When looking at the city from above, I can't help but mention the lenticular square and the arrangement of buildings around it. It is the longest lenticular square in Europe.
We originally planned to fly over the High Tatras and the Slovak Paradise, but the weather did not allow us to do that. It's raining over the Tatras and we have to go back to the airport.
I'm glad that I could at least give you a brief overview of the neighborhood in which I live.
I have already written articles about individual interesting places and cities, or I plan to write them, and I will go into detail about them there.
Thank you.
Ahoj,
Túto noc som nemohol zaspať. Nebolo to preto, že susedia robili hluk, alebo že by som bol námesačný, či malým deťom rástli zúbky a celú noc preplakali. Dôvod bol úplne iný. Nazval by som to vzrušenie a radosť z nového zážitku ktorý mal prísť nasledujúci deň.
Kolega si robil kurz pilota na malé štvormiestne lietadlo a v rámci tohto mal absolvovať let s inštruktorom a aj s pasažiermi. A tak som sa s mojou manželkou dostal na vyhliadkový let.
Po prebdenej noci som vstal z postele. Pozerám cez okno a vonku je dosť zamračené. Bol som z toho trochu smutný pretože ak by boli husté mračná, alebo by pršalo tak by sme neleteli. A tak sme sa pripravili a čakali kým mi kolega zavolá z letiska a povie či ideme alebo nie.
Telefón zvoní a kolega nám oznámil dobrú správu. Mraky sa čiastočne rozostúpili a my môžeme ísť do vzduchu.
Prichádzame na letisko. Kolega nás už čaká spolu s pripraveným lietadlom. Prechádzam sa okolo neho a poriadne si ho obzerám z každej strany. Samozrejme nesmie chýbať fotografia. Kolega nám dal krátku inštruktáž a už sedíme vo vnútri na zadných sedadlách.
Kolega si sadol na miesto pilota a inštruktor vedľa neho. Na uši sme si nasadili slúchadlá a následne prebehla kontrola, či sa všetci dobre počujeme. Následne nás s komunikácie odpojili. Teda aspoň si to inštruktor s mojím kolegom mysleli.
Inštruktor dával môjmu kolegovi inštrukcie ako má vzlietnuť a on krok za krokom plnil jeho pokyny.
Po skontrolovaní všetkých kontroliek sa naše lietadlo pohlo a my naberáme rýchlosť. Ani sme sa nenazdali a odlepili sme sa od zeme. Práve vtedy dal inštruktor môjmu kolegovi pokyn akú rýchlosť má dosiahnuť. Zrejme sa mu to nedarili pretože inštruktor na neho hovoril najprv pokojným hlasom že Marián rýchlejšie. No po tom, čo Marián stále nešiel požadovanou rýchlosťou zvýšil hlas, ba doslova až kričal. S manželkou sme na seba iba s obavami pozreli no za chvíľu bol už inštruktor s Mariánom spokojný. A keď inštruktor Mariánovi oznámil že neboj sa, oni nás nepočujú sme sa začali smiať. Následne nám zapli už dávno zapnutú vysielačku a už sme si len užívali let.
Letisko sa nachádza priamo v meste v ktorom žijem, v Spišskej Novej Vsi. Teda skôr by som povedal že na jeho okraji. Po vzlietnutí sme sa dostali nad najväčšiu dedinu na Slovensku čo sa týka počtu obyvateľov. Smižany majú 8796 obyvateľov a sú s mestom Spišská Nová Ves predelené iba jednou cestou. Nejaký čas bola obec Smižany súčasťou mesta Spišská Nová Ves.
Letíme ponad krajinu na ktorej sa strieda pás lesa s poliami a lúkami. Pohľad na krajinu pod nami je úchvatný.
Mračná a hmla však úplne nezmizli. Z času na čas letíme akoby v strede medzi dvomi mračnami. V týchto chvíľach nevidíme na krajinu pod sebou, ale aj tak to je zaujímavý pocit.
Prichádzame k jednému z cieľov nášho letu a tým je Spišský hrad. Hrad, ktorý je spoločne so Spišskou kapitulou a mestom Levoča zapísaný v UNESCO sa hrdo týči na hradnom vrchu a stráži okolie. Nechcem sa tu veľmi rozpisovať o jeho histórii, na to som napísal iný článok. Hádam len ako zaujímavosť spomeniem rok 1241 a vpád Mongolov na naše územie. Hrad ako jeden z mála tento vpád ustál a ubránil sa pred ich útokom. Máme šťastie, že sa ponad neho rozostúpila hmla a mohol som si takto vyfotografovať.
Neďaleko Spišského hradu sa nachádza Spišská kapitula. Je to sídlo Spišského biskupa a v súčasnosti sa tu nachádza kňazský seminár. V minulosti poskytoval útočisko mníchom, ktorý boli za jeho hradbami v bezpečí. Spoločne so Spišským hradom boli útočiskom aj pre obyvateľov žijúcich v Spišskom Podhradí a širokom okolí počas nepokojov.
Do tretice som spomínal mesto Levoča. Aj okolo tohto historického mesta prelietavame. Škoda, že nie je dnes trochu viac slnka. Fotky by boli oveľa lepšie. Ale počasie si človek nevyberie a musí sa mu prispôsobiť. O to sa snažím aj ja a nenaruší mi to pohodu pri tomto lete. V tomto odseku spomeniem len jedno meno. Majster Pavol z Levoče. Ak náhodou zavítate do tohto mesta, tak sa určite choďte pozrieť do kostola sv. Jakuba na námestí. Drevorezba a nádherné oltáre tohto šikovného stredovekého majstra sú ozdobou množstva kostolov na Spiši.
Pomaly sa vraciame späť, no ešte predtým preletíme ponad moje rodné mesto. Pod nami sa nachádza Spišská Nová Ves. Mesto sa môže okrem iného pochváliť aj najvyššou kostolnou vežou na Slovensku. Tá meria 87 metrov.
Keď sa na mesto pozeráme z výšky, nedá mi ešte nespomenúť šošovkovité námestie a usporiadanie budov okolo neho. Je to najdlhšie šošovkovité námestie v Európe.
Pôvodne sme plánovali letieť aj ponad Vysoké Tatry a Slovenský raj, no to nám počasie už nedovolilo. Nad Tatrami prší a my sa musíme vrátiť na letisko.
Som rád, že som vám mohol aspoň takto z výšky a v skratke priblížiť okolie v ktorom žijem.
O jednotlivých zaujímavých miestach a mestách som už napísal články, alebo ich plánujem napísať a tam sa už o nich poriadne rozpíšem.
Ďakujem.