UkrainiYum!: KATOWICE, Poland . . . and the TATIANA restaurant

Lonely Planet remarks that Katowice is “a major commercial and cultural centre and holds sufficient attractions to make it worth a stopover.”

Katowice was on our itinerary because this city is a major railway hub.

Cathedral of Christ the King: note the "wheel" crucifix

Lunch at The Patio, ul Stawowa 3, a restaurant near our hotel:

I put The Garrison Church of St. Casimir on the itinerary because Lonely Planet said it has “lovely Art Deco interiors”. Unfortunately, we could see very little of the interior because it is barred. The square opposite the church, however, was a lovely place to just sit and people watch.

On the Rynek, a young woman was selling what looked like hot pancakes with jam but are actually fried cheese called oscypek. Delicious!

27th Floor

Bryan's Journal continues:

Monday September 10

The next morning we had to take two taxis (There is a limit of four to a taxi.) to the train station where Eleanor lined up for tickets while Bryan and Nestor waited with the luggage. Fortunately, the ticket agent was most helpful and tickets were purchased for both Katowice and Zakopane.

After negotiating our way to Platform Z, Track 4 we found ourselves boarding a train and settling into a compartment for a smooth, fast ride through the countryside with a few announced stops along the way. When we arrived in Katowice about 3 hours later, we only had a 5 minute walk to the Hotel Diament.

After lunch, Nestor and Bryan walked to Kosciuszko Park to see a parachute jump tower that had not been used since the Second World War.

We all gathered for cocktails on the top (27^th) floor of the Marriott Hotel which provided a grand view of the city. We walked back toward our hotel but stopped to eat at Tatiana’s for one of the best meals of our trip.

This restaurant in Katowice is so outstanding that our evening glows in my memory.

Our expressions of delight with the wonderful food were rewarded by on-the-house plum vodkas!

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Polish cuisine is certainly not simple to prepare.

If you EVER see Jaja Faszerowane na Goraco (Hot Stuffed Eggs Polonaise) on a menu, ORDER it immediately. They are delicious, but so much work that I will not be making them again.

For starters, you have to CAREFULLY cut through hard-boiled eggs; then CAREFULLY scoop out the insides and pick off any shell fragments!