Thursday September 13, a few years ago
After an early breakfast we checked out of the Hotel Amadeus and
took taxis to the bus station for the 110 km ride to Zakopane, a resort town
located at the foot of the Tatra Mountains.
The day was sunny and fresh. The
bus was a more modern version of a tour bus.
We took a 10-minute walk
to the town centre. The long, rising main thoroughfare, Krupkowi Street, was
full of tourists and hikers. We casually meandered about and stayed for an
outdoor lunch.
Afterwards, we walked over to the old wooden church dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa
and to the adjacent Peksow Brzyzka cemetery (so named from Jan Peksa who offered the land on a high cliff (cliff = brzyzek in highlander’s dialect). The cemetery dates back to the mid-19th century. A small fee was collected for upkeep of the cemetery which has wooden tombs of famous Polish writers, artists, poets as well as mountain guides and rescuers.
Afterwards, we walked over to the old wooden church dedicated to Our Lady of Czestochowa
and to the adjacent Peksow Brzyzka cemetery (so named from Jan Peksa who offered the land on a high cliff (cliff = brzyzek in highlander’s dialect). The cemetery dates back to the mid-19th century. A small fee was collected for upkeep of the cemetery which has wooden tombs of famous Polish writers, artists, poets as well as mountain guides and rescuers.
For supper, we enjoyed a Polish style BBQ at one of the outdoor restaurants along the main street.
Friday September 14
After breakfast in the
hotel, Nestor and Bryan walked back to the bus/train station to confirm
our return to Krakow. Then, we walked back into the town centre where
we took the Gubalowka Hill Funicular to the top which overlooks the town
below and provides a great view of the Tatra Mountains. There is a long street
running along the top lined with tourist shops, ice cream kiosks and BBQs. On
one side is the valley and on the other side rolling farm land. There is a
large sandy “beach” for sunbathers in the summer and a popular gravitational
slide both of which they decided to forgo.
It took about 30 minutes to walk down a rough path back to town. Near
the end was an unexpected kiosk where each hiker had to pay 3 zlotys for the
privilege of stumbling down the steep slope.
We stopped for a light
lunch of herring and dumplings and beer just as the rain began falling in
torrents. By the time we finished
lunch, the rain had stopped and we took advantage of the lull to walk back to
the Grand Hotel.
We joined Eleanor for mulled wine under a
sheltered patio while the rain resumed. The evening meal at the hotel was very
pleasant. We were surprised at how few tables were occupied given the fine
cooking and service.
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The food in Poland is SO GOOD that, of course, I have been trying out some recipes.
didn't :).
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After a grand hotel you
can stay, if you wish, in a real Polish castle, not too far from
Krakow. It’s not even very expensive so,
if we had planned a longer holiday, I certainly would have put £ancut on our
itinerary.