More Family Matters: Dinner with Gusta

Gusta's Church

On our Sunday in Bratislava, Gusta invited us to attend a Mass at his church and for dinner following the service. Of course, we were happy to go! He asked us what we'd like to eat, and Dee listed several dishes she remembered her grandmother making--and Gusta pronounced them possibilities, but told us he was serving roast goose. (We were a little confused because Frdsh translated it as toast goose, but once we got the translation straightened out, it was fine.) Goose is served at festive occasions in Slovakia, so we were honored.

Gusta asked a member of his congregation to pick us up at the hotel and take us to the church. It was a wonderful service. Even though we spoke no Slovak, We could follow easily. The church was bright, light and airy and the many young families attended. It was a standing room only crowd.

After the service, we moved to Gusta's apartment in the church complex to find dinner in the works and other guests waiting. He had invited some English-speaking members of the parish, so Ferdinand did not have to bear the entire burden of translation. This dinner was to be the pattern for others we attended. First the slivovitz (a strong plum brandy), then the wine, then the dinner of soup, roast goose (Wonderful!!), red cabbage, dumplings (those are dumplings in the pic, not French or Italian bread) . . . and on and on. Then dessert, which included several of the things Dee had mentioned. Then the fruit. All accompanied by wines, beer, and other offerings of drink. We developed a litany which went bukty, šisky, drobne, strudel . . . They were all there and all wonderful!

At dinner were five Valachovic second cousins:

1. Augustin Drška (Gusta)
2. Rodney Girard
   
3. Larry Valcovic (did I mention that Larry's father changed the spelling of his surname?)
4. Dee Girard Brown
5. Ferdinand Hesek

Shortly after dinner, a sixth second cousin arrived. She was Kornelia (Nellie) Barto with her husband Martin. Nellie and Martin are involved in the film industry. I didn't find out exactly how they're involved, but I'd like to know. Martin spoke excellent English, which I'm sure Ferdinand appreciated, as the other speakers of English had left at that point. They are a delightful couple and we enjoyed them very much. Of course, at the arrival of new guests, food was returned to the table and we had bukty, šisky, drobne, strudel . . . and, of course, wine and pivo (beer).

At 6 (or at 18, as they would say there--they're on a 24 hour clock), Gusta had another Mass, so we said good-bye to him and left to visit Ferdinand's daughter Katarina. More about that in the next post.