This morning I discovered that I lost my hat. It has happened before. I put it down in a café then forget to pick it up. So this morning I deviated to the places I visited yesterday. Being Sunday morning they were closed, although peering in, there was no evidence of my hat. So I gave up and started climbing, missing the shade that the wide brim of my hat gives me.
I was not alone. Many people were out today enjoying the sunshine. Families, couples, friends and runners, the later moving with effortless ease (which I envied), noisy children, sun tanned athletes and pot bellied old men. Yellow waymarks guided us on the first part of my uphill route. Today I am in the Pieniny National Park. Maybe as a result the trails are in good condition. Surfaces are even where possible, with steps on steeper sections, and sometimes a fence to hold onto or prevent you straying and stepping on wild flowers in the glades between the trees. Sweating profusely as I climbed, I was glad of a spring where the water had been directed along wooden channels conveniently ending next to the path. Washing my face with the cool spring water was glorious.
Switching to a more adventurous blue waymarked path, I reached Zamek Pieniny, the sparse ruins of a 13th century fortress. The base of very thick walls remained. Perched on steep slopes it would have been easy to defend but not very accessible for friends. Continuing on my way I reached Trzy Korony, the highest peak in the area at 982 metres. As I found yesterday for Sokolica, a payment was required if you wished to reach the top. Today I paid out and gained access to a steel walkway and stairs that led to a small viewing platform at the top. The platform was crowded with people who did not seem to want to move. Although I managed to get on the platform and survey the extensive panorama around me, the number of people on the structure which was attached to a small pinnacle of rock, did make me nervous. Consequently I did not stay long.
A few kilometres later I left the blue trail for a red waymarked route that took me down to the river valley. Here there was an area with a restaurant, a historical display, stalls and a point where you could arrange a trip down the river on a flat bottomed boat. They were the same vessels that I saw yesterday, punted by men in embroidered waistcoat. From the displays, which were in Polish, I surmised that the taking of tourists on these traditional boats has happened for a century or more. If I was staying longer I would certainly take one of these river trips, but maybe on one of the kayaks that were offered.
There was then a tedious road walk to my campsite.
The campsite is of a reasonable standard. I made use of the shower and restaurant and generally had a lazy afternoon, hoping it would benefit my knee.
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