Day Seven - What a Fun Day!!!

Today was the first day we actually slept in...7:00 am!  A leisurely breakfast and then we were off exploring Krakow.

In the morning we toured the Underground Museum.  What started out as a six month archaeological project ended up taking five plus years...and the work still continues.  The museum is actually underneath Cloth Hall for those of you that are familiar with Krakow.

The group then split up for lunch and the afternoon.  Denise & Deb went on a shopping spree.  The rest of us had a walking tour of the old town area of Krakow.  It is such an incredibly beautiful city!

Here are just a few of the photos I took.

The beautiful Cathedral on Wawel Hill

Fall has arrived here!

Scenic landscape

One of the churches

The window from where Pope John Paul II greeted the crowds

After our tour was finished we headed to the Camelot Restaurant.  I have tried to get in here twice before with no luck but evidently three times is the charm!  Our charming tour guide, Ewa, introduced us to their specialty...a lovely warm cherry wine with cherries inside the glass.  It was much needed as by the end of the day the weather had turned quite chilly.

The restaurant proved to be a winner and a bonus was the private collection of Nikifor paintings.  He is a famous Rusyn artist who painted in the primitive style.  We hope to tour his museum tomorrow.

Our charming tour guide, Ewa, and Dennis (who wasn't really asleep)

After dinner entertainment!

After we said farewell to Ewa, we found a Jazz nightclub that was in an underground cavern.  Great band, great drinks and great fun.

Tomorrow we bid farewell to Krakow and head to our final destination of Bardejov in Slovakia where we will begin our family searches.  I for one, am really looking forward to returning.

Until then...

Day Six - Highs and Lows

We left  the Patria today amidst a small rainstorm with lots of low overhanging clouds.  It seemed fitting for our tour of Auschwitz.  Many of us had been there before...as always it was a sombering reminder of the frailties of mankind.  Sadly we  don't seem to have learned from their mistakes.

I did not take any group photos today as I did not feel it was appropriate.

We left our tour of Auschwitz and headed towards Krakow...our final destination before visiting our ancestral villages.

The drive was smooth...until we actually got into Krakow.  The city was not bombed during WWII and therefore the infrastructure is not kind to automobile traffic.  We arrived safely and dropped everyone off at the hotel before taking our car to the 24 hour secured lot.  Once back at our hotel I could not open my new suitcase with the nifty TSA lock.  Thank goodness my cousin Paul has a knack for things mechanical and he was successfully able to open it.

About this time I was in dire need of a beer....first after trying to navigate the streets here and then secondly after the luggage fiasco.  We found a lovely Italian restaurant (yes we have OD'd on Eastern European ethnic food) and found the change of cuisine to be just what we needed.

A few wandered off afterwards in search of bargains while the rest of us strolled the square waiting to hear the famous trumpeter from the belltower.

An emotional day to say the least...tomorrow we will tour the Underground Museum and then have a walking tour of Krakow.

Until then...

Day Five - Shopping!

We arrived last evening at our lovely hotel, the Patria, in Strbske Pleso.  It overlooks a quaint lake and the mountains surround it.  It is heaven on earth!

This morning we arose early and had our breakfast here in the hotel.  I ran into Stefan, one of the waiters in the restaurant who I have known since my first trip here.  It's so fun to see him every time!

We all took a hike around the lake and enjoyed the beauty of the area even though it was foggy and overcast.

We then climbed into our Mercedes Benz van (don't think we're riding in luxury...it's one of the most uncomfortable cars I've ever ridden in and is very plain on the inside) and headed off to Zakopane, Poland for some shopping.  Zakopane is about a half an hour as the crow flies...trouble is there seems to be this mountain range in between us so in actuality it takes almost two hours to get there.  Not a problem however as the scenery is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  Narrow winding roads meander through small towns with towering trees and looming mountaintops!  The leaves are not quite at peak but still beautiful.

We arrived in Zakopane and had a delicious meal at a local restaurant that serves traditional Goral grilled meats.

Something that is popular here (and evidently elsewhere in the world) is the custom of hanging a padlock onto a fence.  The padlock has the names of two lovers written on it thus ensuring their everlasting love.

Here are a few photos of the town of Zakopane.  It is know for its shopping.  There is store after store...some Western shops (not the cowboy kind), some local shops and lots and lots of trashy souvenirs.  It makes for great people watching.  Denise get the prize for scoring the most bargains...but then for anyone that knows her this is no surprise!

Another beautiful drive back to the hotel afterwards and we then made plans for dinner.  A few of us are feeling a little under the weather and chose to stay at the hotel and eat a light meal.  The rest of the group ventured part-way around the lake to the Koliba restaurant for yet another traditional meal. We all met afterwards in the bar for our traditional nightcap and to talk about the events of the day.

Tomorrow we head out early to Oswiencim, Poland...better known as Auschwitz.  We will tour the concentration camp there and at Birkenau before heading to Krakow.

Until then...

Day Four - Exhaustion!

Well..I think I finally tired them out....

This photo was taken shortly after we left Vienna this morning on our way to Strbske Pleso!  

We left our hotel in Bratislava early this morning and headed down the highway to our destination for the next two days, Strbske Pleso, high in the Tatra mountains.  The drive left the big city and as we got closer and closer to our destination each vista became more beautiful than the last one.  I'd love to show you a picture however I was driving and thought it was prudent NOT to take photos while I was commanding our vehicle.

We took two side trips along the way.  The first was to the village of Rajecka Lesna which is famous for their Slovak Bethlehem wood carving.  It is a large animated wood carving of Slovakia and the lives of Slovaks from Western Slovakia to Eastern Slovakia.  It took fifteen years to make and if you are every near Grove City, Pennsylvania you can see the same thing on a smaller scale.

Just down the road from here is the quaint village of Cicmany with it's decorated houses.

We arrived safely at our lovely hotel in the Tatras, unpacked quickly and enjoyed our buffet dinner and a few drinks in the bar laughing about our travels!  Everyone gets along so well and we all seem to be enjoying each other's company.

Today was a leisurely day which we all needed after two long days of sightseeing.  Tomorrow we will take a leisurely walk around the lovely lake that our hotel is on and then head to Zakopane, Poland for some shopping before heading to Auschwitz on Thursday.

Unti then...

Day Four - If It's Monday We Must Be in Budapest

We are now at the end of our exhausting whirlwind tour of Bratislava and Budapest.  Today we met our guide Vlasta, early in the morning to catch the train to Budapest.  We took a bus from our hotel to the train station, boarded the train and was on our way.  The trip there is about three hours by train so we had some time for interesting conversations, played a few games and took some quick naps.

We arrived in Budapest at the oldest train station there which is incredibly beautiful.  Vlasta gave us a quick foot tour of the old part of Budapest.  I have to admit..I always thought Prague was the loveliest city I had visited in Europe however Budapest has won over.  The architecture is stunning to say the least!

We headed for the market at the end of the city where we all had a chance to do some quick shopping.  It is basically a flea market atmosphere in an incredibly beautiful old building.  All kinds of offerings were upstairs including the usual t-shirts, souvenir items plus leathers and the beautiful Hungarian embroidery.

The main floor held stand after stand of fruits, vegetables and meats galore.  As we were walking towards the marketplace I spied a vendor selling Langos (pronounced lan-gosh)...one of my favorites.  It is basically fried bread dough smothered in garlic and salt.  What a treat that was for me!

After our quick shopping excursion we headed toward the Danube River.  Since we only had a short time in Budapest Vlasta thought it best to see the city by boat.  We boarded a tour boat and sat down with our headsets on while a recorded message talked for one hour as we cruised up and down the Danube.  The city has an incredibly rich history!  The tour was over after an hour and I'm not sure I retained much of anything so I will have to consult my tour books to follow up.  The architecture is simply amazing!

We then headed for a late lunch/early dinner at a local restaurant in Budapest.  I have never seen a buffet with so much food!  You could order several different kinds of meats and fish cooked to your liking.  Another room held salads, fresh fruits and vegetables along with regional specialties including Dobos (dough-bosh) torte.

We left the restaurant stuffed and all agreed we did not need dinner!  The train ride back was a quiet one as we were all exhausted and stuffed.

We had a farewell drink in the lobby with Vlasta and then headed outside in the beautiful evening for a night-cap.  Many laughs were shared during the day.

Tomorrow we leave early to go back to the airport to pick up our van in Vienna and head to the beautiful Tatra mountains.

Suffice it to say that today was just a teaser...and we will be coming back!

The Famous Gerbaud Restaurant

A delight from their bakery shop

A young Hungarian woman in her beautiful native costume

Several shots of the beautiful architecture

Paul, Deb and Denise (did I get it right Dave?) on the boat ride

Our wonderful group

Day Two - Luggage Has Arrived!!!

Thank goodness...Dennis & Mary's luggage arrived today.  They were quite happy to say the least!

We started out our morning early...breakfast at McDonald's.  Yes...you heard me (or read) right.  It's Sunday in Bratislava and not much is open...at least at 7:00 am.   We opted to pass on the hotel breakfast for the outrageous sum of 18 Euros and headed to Mac & D's.

Our tour guide,Vlasta, met us at the hotel and we began our journey into the city...the old centrum to be exact.  Vlasta has lived here most of her life and knows the city like the back of her hand.  She took us across the centrum and back where we saw such places as Michael's Gate, the Presidential Palace, US Embassy and many other historic buildings.  We had a wonderful lunch at the Slang Cafe.  Plans were to have a short siesta before the rest of our trip...but as you know...the best laid plans....

Not enough time for a siesta so just a short break and then we took a bus to the Devin Castle.  I'd not been there before and I must say the view is exquisite.  After climbing to the top (yes, castles are always at the top of a big hill so the King can gaze out upon his kingdom) we saw the convergence of two rivers, the Morava and the Danube.  On one side is Austria, the other is Slovakia.  We heard about the sad tales of people trying to cross the narrow Morava River during the period of Communism and getting shot.  There is a memorial dedicated to over 400 of them.

After taking the bus back we headed to our dinner at a Czech restaurant famous for their duck.  Of course I had boar instead...should have had the duck!  The restaurant is attached to a brand new, very modern, upscale shopping center called Eurovea.  The exterior resembles a geosphere.  Along the Danube are many restaurants with seating both inside and outside.

As we made our way to the restaurant it was evident that something exciting was going on in the square.  Turns out it was the UEFA Champions League Cup on tour.  If you know anything about soccer you will know that this is a big deal.

We had a lovely dinner topped off with a shot of Bier Palinka.  Basically Beer Slivovice...quite an interesting taste I might say!!!

We are up very early in the morning to catch our train to Budapest.  I am very excited to visit this city which I have never been to but the photos look incredibly gorgeous!  We will be spending the day there before leaving Bratislava on Tuesday.

I've managed to buy a card reader for my SD camera card so I will leave you with a few photos...

Farewell from:

Photo of a t-shirt in the restaurant where we ate last night...in BRA-tislava.  someone has a clever imagination!

St. Martin's Church where the former Kings and Queens of the Hungarian Empire were crowned.

The Presidential Palace

                                                          Interesting mosaic tile roof

                                                      Diane and her new friend Chumil

                                                 Denny & Mary at the top of Devin Castle

                                                               
                                                                Part of Devin Castle

Day One - Bratislava, Luggage Mishaps & More

We all arrived safely in Bratislava...which is more than I can say for Dennis & Mary's luggage.  After waiting for what seemed an endless amount of time at the baggage carousel Dennis & Mary's suitcases were nowhere to be found.  We suspect they are somewhere in Amsterdam (the luggage...not Dennis & Mary).  Since we will be spending a few days here we are hopeful that they will arrive before our next destination or...you guessed it...SHOPPING!!!

Our new friend Matt arrived from Connecticut and fits in quite well with the group.  Turns out we have a mutual friend in Connecticut...it truly is a small world.  His limo driver forgot to pick him up this morning but luckily...and thanks to his mother...he made it to the airport in time.

I had a very tearful first-time meeting with my first cousin Paul who lives in London.  No one in our family knew he existed until a few months ago.  I found him quite by accident after having my DNA tested.  His sense of humor is second to none.  He looks so very much like his father, uncle and aunt. It's a very sad story but we were brought together for some reason.

So our trip begins....while waiting for the luggage we missed our connecting bus to Bratislava.  The next bus did not leave for two hours so we opted to take a taxi (or two).  After being quoted once price, we ended up paying for the driver's mistake of not being able to find our hotel in Bratislava and driving all over kingdom come.  Oh well...chalk it up to another European experience....the joys of travel in Slovakia!

We freshened up quickly and were met by Vlasta, my Slovak teacher who lives here.  She taught at Pitt and that is where we met five years ago.  She took us to a delightful restaurant called the Slovak Pub which features authentic Slovak food...and that it did!!!  Everyone's meals were quite tasty and I introduced the group to Hruskovice.  Not sure if they really liked it so I am questioning if they are true Rusnaks!!!  It will be old hat to them by the time we leave!!!

A leisurely stroll back to our hotel and we are calling an early night as we are all very tired travelers.  Tomorrow is a day tour of Bratislava and Devin Castle.  Hopefully the luggage will arrive.

Till then...Dobru Noc!