Thursday, April 28th 2016

When Instructed To Use A Dirt Road -  Don't Do It

We drove from Lublin to Krakow

It could have been a 4 hour journey straight through

But why do that?

We took minor roads, which wound through orchards and rolling fields - sometimes an elevation for great views across Poland. Midway we set a destination for the town of Opatow and then as we got closer for Zamek (Castle) Krzyztopor.

It's a ruin, a relic. Built in 1631 and never finished.

Inside you can wander up and under. We were the only people there. A group of high school kids left as we arrived.

It's 5 stories above ground and i level below with many chambers.

Small children would have a field day here running around.










Leaving is when the GPS developed an alternate way of thinking - first time for this device.

We started down a minor road, no problem. Then turned to dirt. We kept going forward.

Then the GPS instructed a right turn on to a path that was little more than a few tread marks.

We didn't obey, continued down the dirt road, which was off the grid.

Twisting through a few bends, no place not turn around, I spied pavement ahead. We were home free.

Made it to Krakow and the B&B near the airport.  A private home, spotless and very nice.

Absolutely no English spoken or understood.

Next door to the Sofia B&B were summer garden cottages. You see them all over Europe - small wooden shacks with large gardens.

This is where people from the city come to grow their own.

I'd been wanting to get a couple of pics but it was always inconvenient. These were right next door.

Poland has taken this concept to new levels.

Their shacks are truly cottages and seem to be generations old with porches - like miniature houses.

Mature trees (fruit bearing) and, of course, large vegetable garden taking every cm of space.

It would be fun to do a coffee-table book about the culture of these communities. 

We returned the rental rig at the airport, took the train into the city ($2) and plunked ourselves down in Krakow's town square for mulled wine/hot chocolate.  

Wandered around and then met Eric Lickiss and Maja for dinner. Stayed out too late, but were having too much fun. 

We're at the airport as I write - free WIFI in the business class lounge (compliments of Sandy's million mile status). 

We wouldn't change a thing about our trip - except maybe 1 night in Boleslawiec instead of 2. Minor detail. 

t's been a good trip from all perspectives. The trip was flexible. We could decide spontaneously a course of travel. We had challenges - like find bubblewrap and shoelaces. Language was a problem. WIFI was strong everywhere. Devices functioned. Car was great.

But, we'll be glad to come home . See you soon and thanks for following along. 

Wednesday, April 27th 2016

Suprising Lublin 

Mention of Lublin in our guidebook was small. It included mention of Majdanek, the first concentration camp ordered by Himmler, just outside town. It wasn't familiar, did some reading and we were so close...

5Kms out of town a huge sculpture with  guard towers and barracks in the distance encircled by barb wire

The monument is astoundingly immense

Paid our admittance and drove inside. There were 2 cars and 1 bus of high school kids.

The Majdanek compound was out in the open and not hidden like other Nazi "detention centers."

It wasn't destroyed before capture by Soviet forces in 1944. Papers, artifacts regarding how the camp functioned were found.









Inside the wash home, barracks and crematorium are exhibits and diary entries - many in English - with pictures of the person and a summary life history.

This place was more personal than Auschwitz

There's a final memorial way out, in the distance. You walk under the dome and there's a huge mound of  cremains - found after the camp was liberated.

The etched words on the dome

"Our fate is a warning to you"

"Glad" we visited - but its not joyful

While in the suburbs,  found a large grocery story (one of our favorites - Carrefour), bought snacks for the plane and bubble wrap.

Rather than try to find the Polish word(s) for bubble wrap, we show the salesclerk an image on our iPhone. Works really well.

Back in town, found a quick pizza in the square below Lublin Castle.

Lublin wasn't destroyed during WW2 because it was a Nazi headquarters.

The castle's a museum and its chapel has Russian Byzantine 14th century paintings - pretty incredible.

Dragged Sandy to 2 more churches and then set him free from future obligations.

It was time for hot mulled wine (me) and elderberry lemonade with fresh mint (Sandy).

Like this town 

It's not "touristy" 

 But it's not perfect. Some buildings need care but have amazing personality in their current form.

Others are in their prime. 

Tomorrow we drive to Krakow (4hours) with a stop at a large castle ruin. It's right on our route - or will be.

Will do a final blog tomorrow 

We'll be home soon

Tuesday, April 26th

Tip of the Hat to German Transit Workers

United emailed early this morning to say German workers were taking a work stoppage day tomorrow and we needed to change our travel plans.

No problem. The first available day for our same itinerary was Friday, giving us two more days. "Book it Danno," was our reply, if you remember the original TV series Hawaii Five-O.

Extending the car was next. Called Alamo and got Raj (no kidding) at the Call Center. No, both he and his supervisor said the entire contract would have to be re-written. We know that wasn't headed in the right direction. Sandy called Alamo at the Krakow Airport and Thomas was willing to extend the contract at the same daily rate.

Next, called our hotel near the airport and switched our stay from Tuesday to Thursday.

Now, where to go....
Decided to go south and east. There's a medieval walled city called Zamosc that would make an interesting day trip if we stayed an hour away.

Lublin looked like a good choice for 2 nights.

Road was good out of Warsaw. Drive to Lublin took 3 hours. Once again, construction and trucks on the 2-land highway. Patches of 4-lane around larger towns.



Approach into Lublin was heavily congested with ugly high-rise buildings encircling Poland's 9th largest city.

Once inside the fortress of high-rise sentries, the town is outstanding.



A busy, vibrant and a university town. There's a mile long promenade of baroque palaces with a well-groomed park leading to the old part of town where a 14th century city gate accepts passage.

We hurried to the town hall to catch the 2PM Underground Trail - a series of medieval connected cellars.

Toured with a group of schoolchildren and learned about the fire of 1716. (We carried laminated sheets of English explanation as the guide spoke only Polish.)

Got a drink in an outdoor cafe, then met our landlord to check-in at the apartment.

We're going to forego a day trip to Zamosc and explore Lublin. We like this town.

Thank you United.

Monday, April 25th 2016

Unexpected Findings

Mondays are challenging - Museums and historical sites are often closed

But churches are always open - Much to Sandy's despair

Frederick Chopin's body is buried in France but his heart remains in Poland

His actual heart in an urn at the Church of the Holy Cross
Fortunate to listen to a Polish church choir in the church crypt

Unfortunate with unexpected rain/sleet upon leaving but it was lunchtime

Found a cozy BBQ place with a irresistable menu item (28 zlotys is $7)

Walked a few blocks to the Palace of Science and Culture. A present from the Soviet Union in 1953 to Poland while under Communist rule. It remains loved, hated and Poland's tallest and biggest building. It's an outdated monster.

It's not a vibrant place

Some of the floors are likely scary 

Went to the observation deck on the 30th floor

Signage was specific, the elevators were replaced with modern ones from Western Europe 

Visited the Museum for the History of Polish Jews, an interactive exhibit with movement and sound around the artifacts

A unique building where we returned for an evening concert

(Acoustic guitar accompanied by subset of Warsaw symphony orchestra)

Embedded in the sidewalks throughout Warsaw are reminders where ghetto walls stood

There are also benches playing Chopin music 

Where he was known to live, work, play, drink

Warsaw is an "interactive" city 

Truly found dinner near the museum - No restaurants for blocks

In the midst of high-rise apartment buildings - A small Thai place

Thank goodness for Google Translate - No problem 

While in the old part of town ...
Walked and "found" little plazas, churches and places we'd missed and viewed others from a  new angle,

Tuesday we planned a long drive
From Warsaw to Krakow

Visiting one more castle ruin along the way

Completing a big loop through Poland

We were supposed to leave Wednesday morning

But were notified
There's a planned work stoppage in Germany
Forcing a change

Our New Plan ...
Stay in Poland until Friday 
(We'll arrive home the same day)

It's time to organize
Can we extend the car?
Where do we go? Where do we stay?
Need to notify Wells Fargo
Then we tell everyone else
Gotta go, there's work to be done

Sunday, April 24th 2016

Check-in - A Treasure Hunt

 Lots of construction on the road to Warsaw but traffic light on Sunday. They're building a 4-lane near the functioning 2-lane over many miles.  Lots of CAT equipment.

We're staying across the river from the old part of Warsaw in Praga. It's transitional and considered the Soho side of Warsaw.

The apartment owner sent a detailed email and set of documents about check-in.

After passing through an iron gate, I entered a set of letters and symbols into a silver code box. That let me in a door where I found a metal box. Lifting the lid was a safe. Entered a code and got the garage key/fob.








Brought it to Sandy. He opened the garage door and looked for an open spot on the "platform". We had to move the platform up to find a vacant spot for our car.

After lunch (down the street - salmon, risotto with wild mushrooms), retrieved the apartment key from the safe because it was scheduled to there at 2PM.

The fob on that set of keys allowed access to the elevator, which knew our floor and took us there. The elevator door opened and there was a door - which needed a key - which we had. We were inside.

We landed well

Used Google Maps and walked to the Metro (subway) 6 blocks away
Passed a huge mall and (importantly) grocery store

The Metro is modern, clean, easy to understand (<$2 apiece per 24-hour pass)

Found the tourist office, gathered literature, walked around and then a tour of old town

Used freewalkingtours.com, they're global, good and you pay/tip what it's worth

Warsaw was completely destroyed at the end of WW2 by the Germans - totally obliterated - because of an unsuccesful insurrection.

Himmler ordered its destruction, saying it would be an example to others.

Everything's reconstructed and historically correct. Warsaw was the largest post war effort to resurrect a European city after WW2.

Rising from rubble, Warsaw has an incredible story and history. A UNESCO site - despite not being original.

We're here tomorrow and will leave tomorrow wishing we'd had more time.

Saturday, April 23rd 2016

Walk in the Woods at Wolfsschanze 

1.5 hours east of Olsztyn is the Wolf's Lair

Where Hitler spent 800 days with his field commanders

Planning and plotting

Walked down a woodsy path and found a bunker

It looked like a pile of concrete and rubble

We were missing the explanations, the details 

Returned to the parking lot and found a guide speaking English, Polish, German and Russian 

Paid 60 zlotys ($15) for a 90 minute tour

There's a bunker back there - hard to see

Wolf's Lair was built in a marshy swamp with a big lake to the east (towards Russia)

It was heavily camouflaged and controlled. Over 2,000 lived/worked here in 1944

This is where Col von Stauffenberg (played by Tom Cruise in the movie Valkyrie) tried to assassinate Hitler

Hitler's bunker is one of many
- 8 meters of concrete on top
- Layer of loose rock to absorb shockwaves
- Another 4 meters of concrete.
- Sitting on 8 meters of concrete flooring

Germans tried to blow up the bunkers. The Russians arrived and tried to do the same.

You aren't supposed to go inside but everyone does.

There are pieces strewn about, splits and cracks in the ones standing, protruding iron reinforcement rods, loose stone, brick and tile among the bunkers, barracks, and other buildings. It's a broken city succumbing to the forest.









Our guide provided a running commentary as we walked. He teaches mathematics at a technical school.









Wolfsschanze is most frequently visited by Poles, Germans, Russians and a smaller combination of Lithuanians, Estonians and Brits. "Not many Americans, our guide said, "It's too distant."

People have placed hundreds of sticks under this huge piece of bunker roof over the years. No one knows why it hasn't fallen. Maybe it's the sticks.

It wasn't a normal walk in the woods.