The Wieliczka Salt Mine - Day 14 (Last Day in Eastern Europe)

Breakfast (again) at our favorite spot, the we boarded a bus for the Wieliczka Salt Mine, 10 miles southeast of Krakow.  

Neolithic peoples evaporated the salt out of the many seeps and springs, but a mine was started when the seeps began to dry up and has been producing salt at least since the 11th century.  In the 15C 1/3 of Poland's income came from this white gold. 

Down, down, down hundreds of steps. 

The express route.....no one chooses this one....

The uneducated miners carved amazing sculptures from the Salt. This tableau of St Kinga was carved in the 1700's. 

The network of tunnels is supported by wooden beams (metal would rust). The wood in this pic is nearly 300 years old, preserved by the salt. 

The subjects of the miner's art reflected their national and religious pride. 

A little difficult to make out in my pic, the Chapel of St Kinga was carved by 3 miners, over a 30yr period in the early 20th century. 

The altar in the chapel. All items (except the cloth and candles) are carved from the salt.

Pass the salt please.....

Salt crystals adorn the chandelier....

Carved figure of John Paul II, recently canonized. 

I feel a bit strange......somehow lighter, happier, better......  The chapel seems to have affected me in some otherworldly way.......

Ceilings are all supported by an intricate latticework of wooden beams. 

Returning from Wieliczka, we visited the Krakow Ethnographic Museum depicting life in rural Poland, including models of traditional homes, regional costumes, lifestyles, tools and holiday celebrations. 

Two old neighbors guarding the 'hood...

Dome of the 11C Romanesque Church of St Adelbert....…

Krakow's 13C square, built after the Tatars flattened Krakow. The largest in Europe at the time. Krakovians live here!!

Oh poo, we are so boring, but we are back at Polskie Smaki or favorite local restaurant. Cheap and good, it's hard to beat. 

Back at our Hotel Globtroter, we toast a wonderful trip together and plan to eat only salads for the foreseeable future (we are all going through veg withdrawal/ meat & carb overload).

Flying home tomorrow. Hard to imagine it's all over.......

Back home. We had a great trip and sampled lots of new foods, but my scale says "ouch". 5 added pounds (from the Weinerschnitzel I guess). Yes, it's gonna be small salads for the next few weeks, but it was sooo worth it!!

Czestochowa: The Soul of Poland - Day 13

After coffee and pastry at a small cafe across the square, our friendly and knowledgeable guide Marta Chmielowska picked us up at 8am for the 2 hr drive to Czestochowa, 114km north and west of Krakow.

In the 13th century village of Czestochowa is the Black Madonna Monastery rising above Jasna Gora (Bright) Hill. Nearly 5 million pilgrims flock here every year, 200,000 of them traveling on foot!  While visiting the sanctuary, you are immersed in an atmosphere of sincere religious piety. 

The monastery, founded in 1382 is surrounded by fortifications to protect it from pillagers. In 1384 the monks were given the famous icon of the Black Madonna by the local Duke. According to legend the icon of the virgin was painted by St Luke, but was probably painted in Byzantium around the 6C. 

In 1655, the monks paraded the icon around the ramparts in  front of the invading Swedish army. As tradition goes, her miraculous intervention halted the Swedish invasion. 

The exterior of the monastery

The Black Madonna is emblematic of the spiritual heart of Poland. 

Black Madonna up close and without the jewel encrusted ceremonial covering.  No flash allowed - pretty dark!

Local children preparing for their first communion 

Beautiful organ

Very emotional religious art by Duda-Gracz. One of 14 in the monastery depicting issues and events in Polish history intertwined with religious imagery.

In addition to the Black Madonna there are many artifacts and memorabilia related to the recently canonized Pope John Paul II, Poland's native son.

On the way home, we passed through Ojcow National Park, famous for limestone caves and a couple 14th century castles (some baroque elements were added to this one later). 

And a wooden country chapel built in 1901 when this part of Poland was ruled by Russia. 

It seems that we just can't stay away from our favorite Krakow restaurant, Polskie Smaki. It's close to our hotel and offers authentic, tasty Polish cuisine at reasonable prices to a mostly local clientele, so we never hear English (other than our own). 

Some of our faves as mentioned earlier: cold beet soup, sour soup (Zurek), and pierogi (Polish stuffed dumplings) which, along with a local beer make for a pleasant and satisfying meal. 

Ray, ever the innovator, addednhis dumplings to his sour soup with a dash of Tabasco to create a Polish Won Ton Soup-like dish. He will be opening a Polish fusion restaurant in Ft Collins!

Zakopane (Tatras/ Carpathian Mountains) - Day 12

Quick breakfast, taxi to the bus station, then catch a bus for Zakopane (a 2 hr drive south to the Tatras range of the Carpathian Mountains. 

   Where are we?

Zakopane in the early 1800's, was a village known for rebellious shepherds, perpetrating  the occasional robbery. In the mid 1800's it became a health spa for TB patients and tourists soon followed, as did a local school of architecture (the Zakopane Style) which had its roots in the local Polish traditions vs Swiss or Tyrolean styles which had "ruined" other Polish mountain regions. 

Beautiful examples of the Zakopane Style architecture....

Zakopane Style Museum 

    Ceramic Heating Stove

    Wooden Church

Oh look, it's lunch time!  A typical Polish Sunday family dinner: a breaded, fried pork cutlet, with real Polish potato pancakes, porcini mushroom gravy, local beer, bread and a pickle!  (Our hotel desk clerk positively drooled over this description). Ray opted for Kielbasa, lamb and blood sausage with blood pudding on the side (Ray was underwhelmed) and with a Polish porter beer 9% alcohol) to drink. (This, Ray liked). 

Back home and time for dinner at "Klezmer-Hois" a Jewish restaurant in Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. This restaurant comes highly recornded for its food, but mostly for the traditional Jewish "Klezmer" music which had its roots in Romanian, Gypsy and Middle Eastern music. The restaurant is housed in an old Jewish ritual bathouse which is decorated like having dinner at your rich Jewish aunt's house. 

Our Table: surrounded by Krakow Jewish Quarter pictures and memorabilia. 

Traditional Polish-Jewish food:

Cold Beet-Root Soup (oh yum, yum). Absolute best item we tried. 

Baked Chicken with Fruit Sauce (pretty good). 

Rays "Czulent": beef, lentils, beans, brown gravy. Comfort food, but no rush to order again soon. 

I forgot to take a pic of my dish: goose neck stuffed with ground goose liver and meat.  Hmmmmm. Tasty, but not to be ordered again real soon, either. 

Our klezmer orchestra. Only lacking a clarinet to be truly authentic. The music was really great and entertaining. They played a dozen or so traditional tunes and were fabulous!!

An adjoining (and similarly decorated) dining room. 

Try this restaurant for the experience of dining on traditional Jewish cuisine, the ambiance and importantly, the Klezmer a Music. 

A cabbie who live for 6 years in Holland.  He speaks no English, I speak no Polish.  We converse in pidgin Dutch (what are the chances of that.........?)

A balmy, summer's eve in Krakow. We sit our on the square in front of out hotel and enjoy people watching.