Zakopane to Slovakia

View from our balcony although it was a bit cloudy on this shot. The valley in between is where we walked along the loggers trail.

Wednesday 31st August

Left Zakopane and the weather has certainly got a bit cooler only 14 degrees not quite what we have been used to. The next place that we are booked into is just over the top of the mountains and into Slovakia small village called Zdair. The scenery on the way was just amazing. Found the village no problem especially as we have Sally the sat nav to help us, although my navigational skills I think are improving. Got here a bit early so we had a browse around first. Found the post office, small Souvenier shop and a museum, thought I would have a look in the museum and suddenly in charged a large woman with a broom and she started saying rapidly 'ticket ticket' so I said I was only english and thought I would make my exit! It wasn't much of a museum anyway.

We have 'room with a view!' Its fantastic so we can just sit on the balcony and gaze at all the mountains surrounding us. Never had this before either where we were given a pair of slippers each to wear inside. Gary's are a lovely shade of blue. On the landing in between the rooms there is a kitchen which is handy to use if we want to.

The range of mountains are the highest in the Tatra's, the highest called Genachovsky Stit 2654.

Car parking is expensive here and there seems to be two charges one for the morning and then another for the afternoon, which is a lot if people are doing a lot of walking and most of the walks around here are very long.

There are a lot of tourists around the very large mountains more than i thought there would be.

We have been told that it has been known to snow around this time of year hope it doesn't as we forgot our jackets and thicker fleece jackets.

The Loggers trail

Thursday 1st September

Breakfast at 8.00am. Plenty to eat again, lots of meats and cheeses and bread. Decided on a walk today from just across the road from us. Crossed a river via log bridge that I think had been there for years! and we followed a track which was a logging track. That's why there wasn't any tourists and it made such a nice change. It was so quiet with just the sound of the water running down from the mountains. Came across two Slovac loggers they shouted hello and told us to be careful as it was a logging trail. Further on we saw more of them with horses and they were felling some pine trees up the top of the hillside and then getting the horses to drag them down. The trail did eventually end and we did find some bear paw prints, I was only saying to Gary that I would love to see some bears but when I saw the prints I thought maybe not a good idea. There are only 700-900 of them in the area along with wolves, deer, pine martins. Saw deer tracks as well, but unfortunatly not an animal in sight.! we finally arrived back to the hotel after 3 hours so we had walked quite a long way. In the afternoon we visited a medival village called Spisske Sobota, the houses were in an amazing style, we had never seen anything quite like them..

It is getting quite cold in the evenings now although the weather during the days is still good.

A train ticket attendent! she looked a bit scary.

Friday 2nd September

Had a bit of a lazy day today, after breakfast we went and caught the mountain train and that took about an hour travelling hugging along the sides of the mountains. We had another little bit of walk but it was hard going being a very rough track and also a lot of tourists (again). so we decided we had enough and made our way back. Now relaxing and thinking of the journey back towards home as it is going to take us a while. Leave tomorrow for Leipsieg in Germany then on to Brugge to stay there for two nights.

Wieliczka Salt Mines and Zakopane

The large Hall in the Salt Mine

Just one of the tunnels

Saturday

We have now left Krakow and headed towards the Wieliczka Salt mines. The temperture has now risen to 37 degrees very hot! We have been told that inside the Salt mines the temp will be 16 degrees (just like home). The walk took us 3 hours it was incredible inside and so huge. There are 300 km of tunnels we just did 2 kms you really wouldn't want to get lost down here just as well we had a guide.The largest main hall was amazing with wonderful carvings that apparently were done by just 3 miners in their spare time. Its a lovely place and well worth a visit.

After the mines we continued our journey to our next destination called Zakopane in the Tatra mountains. The views were starting to get quite spectaclar and changed quite quickly after leaving Krakow. Finally arrived at our next Hotel Willa Orla at 3.30pm we had a choice of rooms but after seeing the one that had the jakuzzi bath in it there just wasn't any competion! Lovely hotel. All the houses are wooden very much like the alpine houses in Switzerland but their own architecture. Had a meal in the Resturant nearby and had a group of musicans playing their own brand of folk music. It was lovely. Nice finish to the day with a glass of red wine.

Sunday 28th August

Slept like a log must be the mountain air. Decided on a walk into the main town as it has been raining overnight and doesn't look too promising. Yet another surprise, it was packed with tourist!! So many stalls selling verything you can think off especially in the souvenier range. Stopped for a massive doughnut and hot chocolate, whow that had so many calories very rich but nice. No good for anyone on a diet. They seem to like sweet cakes here.

Monday 29th August

Weather looks a lot more promising today so we decided to head into the mountains towards Slovakia. Stopped at Nosal which is a ski jump area. I was amazed to see ski jumpers practising on the grass slopes took some pictures as it seemed so strange. Beautiful scenery .

Bought two tickets for us to go up the mountain in the chair lift. Oh my God what was I thinking of or not thinking at all. This is my worst nightmare! I watched a few people getting on and thought well maybe I could do it after all. Immediatly as soon as we got on this thing I realised this was a big mistake. Panic really set in when Gary was freeing my handbag strap from the safety bar across our laps, I really wanted it to stop so I could jump off but realised that wasn't a good idea as by now we were more than 100 foot in the air! Gary kept talking to me in utter amazement and told me to shut my eyes but I kept peeping just to see if we were at the top. My hands were locked onto the safety bar and were rigid just like the whole of me in total fear! Got to the top and saw a few jumpers taking off, I have got so much admiration for them! Then we had to get back down.........

Well that is one experience I shall never do again.

Travelled on towards the border of Slovakia and found a road that lead to mountain lake. parked the car and were told that it was a 9km walk. Ha ha thats okay no problem. We got to the lake and then of course had the walk back. So after 18km and 4 hours later we were knackered!! It is just so beautiful here though and made up for the long trek. I must say as well that the Angora socks I have bought here are the best that I have ever bought.

Got back had a quick visit to the local hospital and I must say the Polish health system is very good and efficent. I have got an allergic reaction on my legs from the mossie spray. The Doctor said that I have got to rest put my legs up and do very little walking didn't like to tell her that Ihad just walked 18km. Have to get something.

Folk musicans

pictures of Auschwitz and Krakow

just a few images to look at.

Hi every one! its the travellers again. This time we are in Poland after travelling through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany then into Southern Poland. We started off on Monday at 9.50 am. from Rushden, stopped quite a few times on the way. We did have a sleep in the car for a bit longer than we intended to do. (5 hours!) and finally entered Poland 9.45am Tuesday. We then stopped quite a few times and each time getting more frequent. Finally arriving at our first destination at Oswiecicn or Auschwitz at 3.10pm milage was approx 1,024 miles. Hotel Superior Galcija. The hotel is really good and a good 4 star! not what wer'e used to either. The standard might just go down a bit from now on.
Wednesday - The reason with coming here is so that we could visit the Concentration camps. We went to the first one Auschwitz and my first impression is the utter dispair that the people must have felt when arriving here, just no where to go there were thousands of poor soles here and to try and get away on their own even for one second just wasn't on. We looked at the barracks that are still preservered although they are now museums filled with photographs, there were a lot of original documents Why the Germans didn't get rid of them we couldn't understand. It was a shame that the documents were without any translations as we can't read german or polish oh well we got the jist of it and there were a few explanartory posters about. The one thing that really got to me was the way some of the visitors were behaving (they weren't english either probably German!) but they were taking pictures of just about everything they could, even items of childrens clothing and personal items like tooth brushes that had been taken from the prisoners. I found that just too much and so invasive of the poor peoples terrible plight.
12.00 We then made our way to Birkenau the biggest of the two camps. We parked up and cooked ourselves potatoes and tinned steak and then made our way towards the camp, it was huge and must have been a terrifying sight in its day to arrive how they did. We walked around for a very long time taking it all in and going to where the gas chambers and crematoria were. We both had said that we had heard of people saying about not hearing any birds well that is so true! Amongst the trees there just wasn't a single bird song the whole time we were there and we did spend a bit of time there just sitting. Also came across a group of youngsters playing a guitar and praying that was quite piognant.

Thursday
Now arrived in Krackow 11.15am. What a fantastic place. The hotel is about 35 minute walk away from the centre, so we decided after dumping our luggage to have a good look at the centre of the city. After walking in 30+ degree heat we arrived to the main centre and there was so much going on. Some kind of folk festival where different regions of Poland had gathered together in the main square. Wonderful atmosphere and loads of craft stalls, singing, dancing just lovely. We just wondered around for hours taking it all in. This is a really lovely city to visit.
Early night tonight 9.30pm knackered!
Friday
Decided we would go to Wewal Castle just on the outskirts of the old town so we hopped onto a tram, luckily I negotiated the tickets before hand although we found out that you could get them on the tram. The tram took us all the way to the castle and we then visited the huge cathedral inside and climbed up into the old bell tour, fantastic views from the top overlooking the city of Krackow. The weather is superb at the moment its just so hot. After seeing what we wanted made our way to the Jewish quarter where the germans had made a good part of it into a Ghetto during the war. Great little back streets and we found a lovely bar with a garden in the back and had lunch. Went through the main square on the way back to the trams and come across more singing and dancing and displays of Falconary, that was good to see the birds flying low over peoples heads when they weren't expecting it! Now back at hotel and knackered again although we may make the effort and go a little further than the hotel for our evening meal, maybe! On our way tomorrow for the next place in the mountains looking forward to that as well as we just don't know what we shall come across next, quite an adventure. So far we have found the people so friendly and helpful again just like last time we came to Poland.