fOtofair 2006 DoDo after-party (Autumn in Slovakia)

(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…

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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:

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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:

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The rocky top portion of Sitno (Hungarian: Szitnya) mountain, a former volcanic dome:

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The climb between rocks:

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View from the top towards the North:

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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:

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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:

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