May 11 Torun Day 1

I didn't get to see the fountain show last night; it started to rain.

Wroclaw was a very pleasant surprise, a beautiful city, and lots to do. I could have easily spent another day there. It's a bit larger than Hamilton, it's population is over 600 000. It was one of the host cities for EURO 1012, last year's European soccer championships, and it will be The Cultural City of Europe in 2016.

The river which runs through is the Odra, or, as its known in English, the Oder. There are several branches of the river, so there are a lot of islands and bridges.

 It also is a university town, like Krakow. Universities are different here. Rather than all the buildings being in one large campus, there are buildings spread all over town. I guess that happens when the first university buildings goes back a few centuries. 

I can't believe how law abiding Poles are. When you wait at an intersection, no one thinks about walking, when the "Don't Walk" sign is on. Even when there is no traffic, everyone waits for the green light.

Did I mention Poland is flat? Well it is. I haven't seen a hill yet. Lots of farms, canola seems to be the big crop. The yellow flowers look lovely. Apple and cherry trees are also in bloom.

Actually, the land is flat, but Poles love buildings steps. Elevators and escalators are obviously scorned. In my first hotel my room was 85 steps up, the second one was 71. At least I am going in the right direction.

This morning is very grey, there was some rain. I caught the morning train to Torun. It was advertised as Express; it wasn't. It took just over five hours, for 300 km. I checked into my hotel; 13 steps...Hurrah. 

Whenever I arrive in a new location, my first job is buying groceries. The breads and pastries are excellent. 

I walked around town, but, it could be the slight rain, I am not overly impressed so far. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some sunshine.

An absolute first....I did not take ONE picture today!!

Have fun 

Ralf

Men with a beard dressed as a nun.      1

Muslims.                                                 0

May 10, Day 3 in Wroclaw

My days have a fairly common routine. Up early, I am back to waking up at 6, make coffee, and eat breakfast. I usually get a pastry the day before. I spend the morning sightseeing, unless I am looking for a bus station, and then return to my room in the afternoon. By this time my feet are killing me. A shower is nice at that time. I also do laundry. I, foolishly brought only one short-sleeved shirt, so it gets washed almost every day. Around 6 I go out, for a walk, or to eat. I eat one big meal a day, either lunch or dinner. Meals are reasonable, and good.

I love people watching in Europe. Most people, in the older parts of town, live in apartments, and spend evenings walking. Young people don't have cars, so couples, to get some privacy, take walks. In both Krakow and Wroclaw there are lots of parks. In Wroclaw there is a lovely trail along the Odra River. It is always busy with walkers and cyclists.

My trip to Jawor was successful; it helps if you know where to catch the bus. Jawor was a disappointment; it was just a small town, without a nice center. Nothing compared to Swidnica. The church wasn't as nice, either. The outside was the same as the other wooden church. This isn't a surprise, because the same architect built them, a couple of years apart.the inside is quite different.

Another annoying feature was that a commentary, in Polish, of course, kept playing. Not the most peaceful way to enjoy the church. As I was about to leave the man at the desk asked if I was German. I said English, and he turned on the same commentary, but now in English. Actually a nice gesture. I did learn that the interior was decorated over several centuries. I didn't think they could do anything but the basic structure in one year; that's a stretch in itself.

An interesting note; I cannot explain why bus fares change. The price to get to Jawor was 12 sl, to come back was 8 sl. (One sl is about 35 cents). The same thing yesterday. I just smile.

After I got back to Wroclaw, about an hour's drive, I had a nice lunch on the main square, and then toured a couple of churches.

Tonight I plan to visit some fountains, where there is a light and sound show.

Tomorrow I am off to Torun, the birthplace of Nicolai Copernicus.

Ralf

May 9 Day 2 in Wroclaw

Today was not a day for the easily discouraged. I had planned to take a bus to Jawor at 9:30. The lady at the information bureau had told me that these local buses leave from a station behind the main bus station. I got to the main station, but could not find the one I was looking for. I went to the information booth, at the bus station, and was told there are no buses to Jawor. I went outside and walked around again. I had asked a few people on the street, and no-one knew of this station. The lady at the info station suggested a taxi, at 150 dollars. I declined.
Somewhat frustrated I walked back into town, about 20 minutes. I tried to find out if there were tours there, they are World Heritage sites. No luck.
I tried another info bureau, and she told me that there were definitely private mini buses to the towns, and she had a more specific map of the area. There isn't an actual station; these mini buses just line up on a road. It turns out I was less than 100 m, earlier today.
Some people would consider quitting, but I am not one of those.
I trudged back, just to make sure I would find the place tomorrow. I did find the buses, and one was leaving for Swidnica within minutes. Rather than wait till tomorrow, and do both churches, I decide to hop on.
Success!
Now, about these Peace Churches. The reason they are called that is that, after the Peace of Westphalia, in 1645, the Catholic emperor was generous, and allowed the Lutheran population to build three churches. There were conditions. These churches were not allowed a steeple or a bell tower. They had to be made of nothing but wood, no nails, AND construction had to be completed in one year.
The tolerance of this man is overwhelming, isn't it?
The amazing thing is that three of these churches were built. One burned down, but the other two, one in Swidnica, the other in Jawor are still standing.
I visualized Swidnica as a small village, I would get off the bus, the church would be there, I would have a leisure visit, capped off  by a beer, before I returned home.
DREAMER. It turns out that Swidnica is a good sized town, and it took me half an hour, and asking several people for directions, before I finally did arrive.
Was it worth it?
Definitely, the church is fantastic! They completed the structure in one year, and that is impressive; imagine building a four story building, all out of wood, with no nails. After the structure was finished they spent a lot more time decorating the interior. 
It is absolutely unique, and one of the most beautiful structures I have seen.
The sad part is it is almost unknown. I was there for over an hour, and a tour was just leaving as I arrived. After that I was the only person in the church that holds over a thousand.
I am sure if you google "Peace Churches Poland" you will be able to view them.
Another bonus. On the way back to the bus, I stopped at a local market, and they had freshly picked local strawberries. 3.30 dollars for 1 kilo. They are delicious. I hope my stomach can handle all that I have eaten.

May 8, first day in Wroclaw

Today was a traveling day. I left at nine in the morning to take the bus from Krakow to Wroclaw. The scenery was very pleasant, nice farms, some forests, but flat terrain. I didnt realize that Wroclaw was known as Breslau, while it was underGerman rule. that nameis certainly familiar.

I got here around noon. I thought it would take me 20 minutes to walk to my hotel, it ended up over an hour. It didn't help that I asked directions when I was less than a block from the hotel, and I was told to go the other way, for 10 minutes. And today is quite warm, 25, and sunny. I did have a nice shower. I am actually staying in a hotel, and it's nice. I think the building was a religious institute at one time. The rooms look like cells, 12 foot ceilings. I even have a crucifix on the wall. I guess no naughty thoughts tonight.

I did get a chance to walk around the old town. The main square really surprised me. In my opinion it is much nicer than Krakow's, no matter what Rick Steve says. The buildings are very colourful, much like Prague. The town hall is a magnificent building. Lovely to look at while enjoying some gelato.

Tomorrow I am doing a day trip to the Peace Churches, near Wroclaw.  The lady at the tourist bureau was very good in finding the buses I have to take.

I have to say I am impressed with the way Polish women dress. Quite stylish, and the obesity epidemic has not arrived in Poland yet. I expected a lot of peasant women, wearing scarves, but most of the women would look quite good in any business district. Low cut blouses and dresses are popular. Nothing wrong with that.

Ralf

New contest

Nuns, in full habit, on bicycles.   4

Muslims.                                       0

May 7, my last day in Krakow

Today was my day to visit Wawel Castle. This castle sits 45 m above the city. (More uphill climbing), and was the royal castle from the 10th to the end of the 16 th century, when the court was moved to Warsaw. It is still the spiritual capital. All, except a few kings, Polish heros, and political leaders are buried at the cathedral in the castle. In that respect it is similar to Westminster Abbey, in London.
Poland has an interesting history. Its geography is mostly flat plains, so any Europeans wanting to invade Asia found Poland as the easiest way to go. Napoleon and Hitler are examples. Likewise any Asian invaders used it for going west. Tartars, Huns, and Russia are examples.
This means that Poland had its fair share of invaders.
At its height Poland was the largest country in Europe. On the other hand, for about 150 years, ending in 1918, there was no Poland. It was split amongst Austria, Prussia, and Russia. It was an entity until WW2, and, after the war was occupied by Russia, until they were expelled, late in the 20th century.
Poland is now part of the EU, although they don't use the Euro.
To get back to the castle; it was rebuilt, with the help of Poles from around the world, and is an impressive structure.
I toured the cathedral,and the State Rooms. Certainly very different than the royal palaces in Spain, Portugal, and France. Not nearly as ornate, but more severe and simple. That is not to say beautiful. I admired the wooden furniture, doors, and ceilings.
The cathedral is also interesting, in that 20 or so chapels were added to the original church, over the centuries. There is everything from Romanesque to Gothic, to Renaissance, to Baroque.
It somehow works.
There was a real bonus to the visit. One of the very rare works of Leonardo da Vinci, The Lady with an Ermine, is on display at the Wawel Castle. There was a special admission of 2 dollars, but it was well worth the price. I actually enjoyed it more than the Mona Lisa. It is larger, and you could get quite close; no glass cover. There was only one other person in the room when I viewed it.
A very special moment.
I must be getting old(er), but, by the time I got back to my room, 4 hours later, I was tired enough to have a nap.
While I was touring the castle, it was warm, 23, and sunny. When I woke up after my nap it was raining. Talk about timing.
It rained all afternoon, but stopped at 6.
I met a retired Winnipeg couple, who are doing a 4 month trip around Europe. One of the countries they visited was Romania, where they had a ten day with a Romanian guide, travelling through rural Romania. It so happens this guide, and her husband, are in Krakow, for a few days, and we all went outfox dinner together.
I don't know what happening to me, but the only meat I have had, since I arrived is the sausage I have eaten for lunch. All I had for supper today was chicken noodle soup, and a large salad. And a beer, of course. I also had a complimentary cherry vodka.
Alcohol, but no meat....what is happening to me?
Ralf
PS there are two things I haven't figured out yet with this blog; one is how to add a photo, and the second is how to view any comments that are made. So please excuse the fact you are not getting any replies.

May 6 Day three in Krakow

One of the highlights of any visit to Poland is a visit to the salt mines in Wieliczka ( Say that three times fast). These mines have been used since pre-historic times. The earliest written records go back to the 11th century. During those times salt was the same value as silver. Its main use was as a food preservative. At one time a third of the income of the entire country of Poland came from salt.

Miners would spend long hours underground,and a few centuries ago some started to carve religious figures, so they could pray. This became known, and, in addition to mining for salt, the mine also became a tourist attraction. Well known figures, such as Copernicus, and the German poet Goethe visited. The carvings were encouraged. Miners would mine for 6 hours, carve for two, and get paid for 8 hours.

There are numerous carvings, the most spectacular being the Chapel of St. Kinga. This is a chamber, carved out of solid salt. It is 54 m long, 18 m wide and 12 m high. Everything is made of salt, all the art work, the altar, even the huge chandeliers. Three miners worked over sixty years to create this chapel. They worked one after the other. New work is added now, a statue of Pope John Paul II, for example.
I was smart to join a tour. With our guide we avoided all the line-ups. Last Friday was a national holiday, and the line- up, just to get tickets was 5 hours. It wasn't that bad today, but there was a line-up.
I had a great dinner of pyrogies, which are, basically, ravioli. They were stuffed with spinach and goat cheese. Absolutely delicious. That and a half liter of beer came to 8 dollars, tax and tip included. The bonus was that the restaurant was a lovely square, with some gorgeous Art Deco buildings.
A nice way to end another lovely day
Ralf

May 5 Krakow, Day 2

The weather has really turned, high of 18, and nothing but blue skies. I slept very well, and didn't get up till 9. That never happens at home.

I should relate another interesting little story from my plane trip. I read the duty free magazine, and I was struck by one item. It was an alarm clock. The physical appearance was three dynamite sticks, with a watch attached to the front, and four wires sticking out at the top. It looks very realistic. The idea is that when the alarm goes off, you have to pull one of the wires. One wire does that, two other wires are dummies, and the last starts the whole process again. I can just imagine the reaction of the security people, when you have that in your baggage.

Back to Krakow. Sunshine makes a real difference. The town looks quite beautiful. The entire Old Town is surrounded by a park. It is 2.5 km of trees and footpaths. Today, being Sunday, there are lots of families and couples, just strolling.

Everything is very handy. As I mentioned I am 20 minutes from the train, and bus, station. There is also a very modern mall right next door. It compares favourable to places like Yorkdale. Plus it has a supermarket. I bought stuff for a picnic lunch, bread, cheese, and Krakowski sausage. Beats Indian food, hands down!!Today being Sunday, I decided to visIt some churches. There are a lot of churches in the Old Town. The only type of establishment more common than churches are restaurants. The circumference of the Old Town is 2.5 km, within that space there are 183 eating and drinking establishments. And some have been here since 1800.

To get back to the churches; the St. Mary's Cathedral has a beautiful wooden altar piece, carved in 1489. You can climb to the top of the tower, a combination of stone and wooden steps, 239 of them. It was that or be able to get back to my place. Sanity won out.

Another note worthy church is St. Adalbert, the oldest church in Krakow; built in the 10th century. It is quite small, and sits in the main square. It looks out of place, but historically, it was there first. The other church I saw was St. Francis Basilica, which has some beautiful Art Deco stained glass windows. It's other claim to fame is that it was the church where Pope JohnPaul II was arch bishop, and where he lived on the grounds. Whenever he returned to Poland, that's where he would stay.

I did do a lot of walking today. The weather was perfect, and the people watching was great.

Tomorrow it's off to the salt mines.
By the way 
Nuns         43.  (Okay, today was Sunday)
Muslims      0