(I came late and then missed the deadline due to the combination of uncertainty about the rules and time constraints; but at olivia’s request, I repost my ET diary in slightly edited form anyway. Without proper fOtofair layout.)
On Saturday, I took part in my family’s traditional autumn tour of my ancestors’ cemeteries in central Slovakia (also diaried last year), something always followed by an excursion. Some impressions…
After all cemeteries are done, we have a midday picnic at the castle of Bzovík (Hungarian: Bozók). Here on a photo from last year, looking towards the mountain chain Štiavnické vrchy (Hungarian: Selmeci-hegység):
The highest (right of center on the image), 1009 m high Sitno (Hungarian: Szitnya) was our afternoon excursion target this year. En route, on the pass road between Krupina (Hungarian: Korpona, German: Karpfen) and Svätý Anton (Hungarian: Szentantal, German: Sankt Anton in der Au), the cloud mass of a cold front makes way for sunshine:
At the upper end of the next valley lies the centre of the region, picturesque former gold mining town Banská Štiavnica (Hungarian: Selmecbánya, German: Schemnitz). On last year’s photo, we are looking from the Old Castle to the Kalvária:
Later, on the side of Sitno (Hungarian: Szitnya) mountain, the shore of a mountain lake with wild apple tree:
The rocky top portion of Sitno (Hungarian: Szitnya) mountain, a former volcanic dome:
The climb between rocks:
View from the top towards the North:
View to the Northeast: low-angle light on the East side woods, with satellite mining town Štiavnické Bane (Hungarian: Hegybánya, German: Siegelsberg) in the background:
An extra — a photo I made one day later (after visiting cemeteries of another branch of my family), of a freak autumn storm descending on the Danube just to the North of Hungarian capital Budapest: