Author: rjdecaigny

Up at our usual time we breakfasted in the hotel restaurant (included). It was time to start our Kraków walking tour. First stop, the moving Grunwald Monument celebrating the Polish victory over the occupying Teutonic Knights. After making a quick side trip to a local Farmer’s Market we backtracked to the Barbican. It is an imposing fortification added to protect the main gate. Through the gate we headed down the Royal Way, noting all the interesting cafes and shops.

Crossing the Square we moved on to St Francis Church which was Saint John Paul II home church when he was the Archbishop of Kraków. Passing Mary Magdalene Square and yet another imposing church, one of 142 churches and monasteries in the city limits, we arrived at Wawel Castle. Climbing the entrance ramp we found the main courtyard absolutely infested with school groups. Liz wanted to find one of the seven yoga chakra points (yoga energy centres) in the world. Having waded through school groups up to our armpits we found the point hidden behind scaffolding. Due to the enormous lineups, we retreated from Wawel Castle and headed back to St Mary’s Church with one of the most decorative alter pieces in the world.

Our last stop of the day was the Vodka Museum where we tested/tasted a whole lot of different yummy Vodkas.

We checked out of our nice hotel and taxied to the beautiful train station where we found our very last dwarf. Had a quick breakfast at Costas and headed for our platform.

Arriving in Kraków we checked into Hotel Gródek which turned out to be probably one of the nicest hotels we have ever stayed in. Putting our bags down we headed to the Old Market Square. The first thing we noticed was how much busier and crowded it was since our last visit. It must be some kind of Polish school trip week as there are literally hundreds of large groups of school-age children. We wandered awhile looking for a good place for dinner. We settled into a nice outdoor restaurant for a pleasant meal. We’ve noticed a very good Polish custom – when you pay your bill they bring you a nice flavoured Vodka aperitif. Tired and full we retired to our lovely hotel.

Our first full day in Wrocław we headed out and hunted as many of the cute little dwarf characters as we could find. We soon realized our search was complicated by the amazing architecture that abounds in Wrocław. The two main squares and some of the side streets are full of bars and restaurants.

However, we did manage to capture a few shots of the cute little buggers.

After a couple of hours wandering the 2 main squares and a couple of the many small lanes and alleys we headed down to the University of Wrocław. This university opened in the early 1700’s has had a somewhat confusing and checkered past but has graduated 9 Nobel Prize winners. What attracted our attention was the Aula Leopoldina, an extremely ornate conference/lecture hall. The religiously themed hall is so ornate that it looks like a bus load of cherubs exploded in it. n

After climbing to the observation deck in the Mathematics tower we headed across the Oder River to the aptly named Cathedral Island where Liz discovered a botanical garden. Liz provided us with an in-depth walking tour of the flora. We headed back to the Market Square and a well needed cold beer.

After a brief rest we headed to an off the tourist trail Polish Restaurant that Liz and Dana discovered for another outdoor, authentic dinner.

As we prepare to leave the beautiful city of Dresden the girls decide to give the Frauenkirche one last chance. Utilizing their feminine whiles they manage to finally gain entrance.

Mission accomplished we head to the train station. We board a regional train which turns out to be a bit of an advantage over the high speed trains because we stop at a lot of stations and get a better feel for the countryside. Leaving Germany we can notice a change. The villages of Poland have a more rural look and each cottage has an amazing vegetable garden. We pass large yellow fields of canola and arrive at our first Polish city, Wrocław. Through the miracle of Polish pronunciation Wrocław is pronounced “Vrotz Love”. Like many Polish cities Wrocław has changed ownership many times. For a while it was the German city of Breslau. Arriving, we check in at the TI and then get reservations for the next leg of the journey. A very friendly cab driver whisks us to our hotel. The first thing we notice is one of the things we came to Wrocław to see, a gnome. These cute little buggers are dotted all over town and have become quite famous. There is some confusion as to what they are called. So far we’ve heard gnomes, dwarves and elves. As cute as they are they began life as a serious protest against the Communist regime. Our mission in Wrocław is to find as many of them as we can.

As it is getting late we search for an authentic looking Polish Restaurant on the square. We apparently choose wisely as we get a very friendly waiter who helps us with our Polish dinner selection. After a great meal and a complimentary vodka we head home and tuck in for the night.

Here are a couple of photos of the Procession of Princes that we could not load yesterday.

Having scouted out Dresden yesterday we decided to have a slower day and to start off with another outdoors breakfast, and visit the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe or the Green Vault. The Vault was the treasure of Augustus the Strong and is reputed to be one of the world’s first museums. The collection is so vast it has been split into 3 parts. We decided it would be easier to split up with Dana and I going to the Armoury and the girls to the precious objects museum.

The armour collection is probably one of the best in the world. The suits and antique weaponry are works of art.

The displays include many exhibits posed in actual life-like situations, everything from armour for young boys to several different kinds of jousts.

This armour was the height of medieval technology and craftsmanship therefore it was very expensive especially when you consider the well-equipped duke or king had at least three different sets – one for tournaments, one for parades and one for the battlefield.

They even had two sets of armour made from solid silver.

Unfortunately the security on the precious object vaults is very tight and no cameras were allowed, therefore no photos.

Meeting up with the girls we headed back to the Market Square where the Spring Festival was in full swing. There were dozens of booths selling local crafts and food. We settled in for bratwurst and beer and some great people watching. We thought we’d give the Frauenkirche another try to see the interior but once again no luck.

Our first day in the amazing city of Dresden. This city has literally risen from the ashes. Destroyed in the fire bombings of February 1945 it was all but ignored by the Soviets and for the last 20 years has been undergoing a rebirth. The old town has been painstakingly, piece by piece, restored to its former Baroque beauty. You can almost feel the upbeat spirit in the air.

We began with breakfast outdoors accompanied by a cacophony of church bells. Because the old town’s major sites are in close proximity we decided to take a self guided walking tour. We started at the Theatreplatz, the site of the Baroque masterpiece, the Semperoper (the Saxony State Opera House).

Crossing the street we headed to the Zwinger which is often mistakenly referred to as a palace. In fact, no one ever lived there. It was the “party house” of Augustus II, the Strong. Lavish balls and parties were held in its vast courtyard. It even had the fifteenth century equivalent of the Playboy Mansion’s Grotto with elaborate fountains and waterfalls. The highlight for us was hearing the Glockenspiel, which unlike most Glockenspiels instead of brass bells these ones are of Meissen Porcelain giving it a sweeter tone.

Next stop, the Procession of Princes. This 102 meter long ceramic mural depicts seven centuries of Saxon royalty. Being ceramic only 250 of the 24,000 tiles were destroyed in the fire bombing. The artist carefully studied armour and clothing through the ages. I am having problems loading some photos. I will try to add them later.

Next stop, the Frauenkirche, “The Church of Our Lady”. Another Baroque masterpiece that was totally destroyed. It was left as a rubble pile until the end of the Communist regime. With private donations totalling over $100 million Euros it was pieced together bit by bit using as much of the original material as possible. As a bond of friendship the city of Coventry, England donated 2 fire blackened nails for the altar. Unfortunately, the Church was closed to visitors for rehearsal for upcoming concerts.

All of this site seeing was making us very hungry so we proceeded to Brühl’s Terrace, nicknamed the Balcony of Europe. This promenade was built atop the old city fortification walls facing the Elbe River. We found a very nice open air restaurant for lunch and beers.

After lunch we crossed the Elbe River to the New Town, which was miraculously left unscathed by the bombing. Unfortunately the area was modernized by the construction of blocky looking Communist era apartments. Passing “the Golden Rider”, a gigantic golden statue of Augustus II we settled in to a Venicia Cafe for some of the tastiest ice cream ever. We strolled the wide, tree-lined Boulevard for several blocks, but because it was Ascension Day holiday none of the shops were open. We ambled back to the bank of the Elbe River where we settled in to a beer garden and watched the world and the river float by. With the effects of sunshine, beer and jet lag kicking in we headed back to our hotel for a rest.

We’re ready. It’s 8 a.m. The dogs have been kennelled, we are showered, shaved & shampooed & are anxiously waiting for our ride. Unfortunately Dana isn’t picking us up until noon. So we fret & pace. After the longest 4 hours we have spent in a long while Dana arrives promptly at noon. We’re off to the airport, whisked through customs, have a quick bite and wait. We board a Lufthansa 747 and have a typically uneventful flight to Frankfurt.

We trek through the enormous Frankfurt Airport to the conveniently located Airport Train Station only stopping to pick up pastries & beer for the trip to Dresden. We no sooner board the train than the bag holding the beer & pastries breaks. With help from a friendly DB Bahn conductor we clean up the glass & the beer soaked pastries and deposit them in the trash. After three and a half hours on an ultra quiet, ultra smooth high speed Ice train we arrive in Dresden. Having sat for the best part of 16 hours we take the 17 minute walk to our hotel. We head next door to a good outdoor restaurant for dinner & much needed beer. The sun is starting to set and we are all exhausted so we retire to our rooms. I’m almost certain I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

With very little prompting we are returning to Poland to see a lot more of the country we thoroughly enjoyed in 2015. This trip will be a little different because we will be concentrating pretty much on a single country as well as for a first time travelling with people who are not family. We have done a couple of road trips with Liz and Dana Johnston and no fist fights have broken out. This would seem to indicate that we get on fairly well. We will probably have our first report on the 9th or the latest, the 10th.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton