gofarther.me

Cesky Krumlov is the postcard perfect Czech village. It derived its name from its crooked (krum) streets that follow the sharply meandering Vltava River that runs through it. Towering over the village, on a rock outcropping, is one of the largest castles in central Europe. Red-tiled roofs adorn pastel-colored and frescoed and/or wood ornamented buildings, over 300 of which date from the 14th century. Narrow streets open into cozy squares, and archways are a promenade feature of the streets. Since the entire village is a UNESCO World Heritage Monument, it draws visitors from around the world.

The drive to and from Cesky Krumlov was so beautiful. Czech Republic is made up of three distinct regions: Silesia, Moravia and Bohemia, and Cesky Krumlov is in Bohemia. Bohemia is more agricultural and recreational. Lakes sit amongst hills and farms. Our personal-sized tour bus drove on a narrow highway, more like a Farm to Market in Texas–no shoulders and right up close to whatever we passed. Most often golden- leaved trees lined the road and at one point the trees made a golden archway as the autumn colored trees grew into each other across the road above us.

It was my birthday today, and Kathy and I mentioned that, in previous years, I was always busy during my birthday and we rarely celebrated it on that day, if at all. Today was different. It was a great birthday, leisurely spent, in a fantastic village. WEG

Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Cesky Krumlov bridge scene

Cesky Krumlov, a view of the second largest castle in the Czech Republic

Cesky Krumlov, The Czech Republic

Monastery in Cesky Krumlov

Sun was setting as we left Cesky Krumlov for our return to Prague.

Night sky that graced our return from Cesky Krumlov, October 22, 2013

Prague is a magnificent city, much grander and larger than I expected. The architecture is decidedly different, a Czech style all its own. And it is breathtaking. The Charles Bridge is a fascinating statue-lined promenade over the Vltava River that has sweeping views of the city. What a magnificent sight in the daylight and in the light-filled dark.

This evening, Kathy and I attended a concert of classical music in the Mirror Hall. All marble and fresco painted, the hall has a pipe organ in the front and in the back. They are two separate instruments. A chamber ensemble joined with the organ to play some of the well known classics, such as Bach’s “Air on G String,” Vivaldi’s, “The Four Seasons,” and Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” to mention just a few. We thoroughly enjoyed the music in a lovely venue. We then ventured into Wenceslaus Square where a modern Czech concert was in full swing, laser lights, smoke and video projection giving a different vibe to our evening. It was fun. We definitely enjoyed a night of music. WEG

Mirror Chapel, Prague, the venue for “A Little Night Music”

Organ in back of Mirror Chapel, Prague

Pop concert in Wenceslas Square, Prague

Prague reflected in the Vltava River from the Charles Bridge at night

I have previously posted that we were riding on vintage train cars in Poland and that was all we had witnessed in our Polish journey. I spoke too soon. This morning when we got on our train from Krakow to Katowice, I discovered it was a very new train. It was all spiffy and new in grey and blue. It had a high tech board for room ambiance, train speed, next stops, etc. Since we have a long day in front of us as we travel to Prague, Czech Republic, it was pleasant to have this train. We reserved seats to make sure we had window seats going in the forward direction, and we were also in our own glass room so we could close the sliding door for cozy privacy.

We stopped at the border of the Czech Republic and changed trains. Our new one was elegant. I went to the dining car and sat on velvet. We met a Czech University professor who received his doctorate in international finance in Illinois. He gave us great information and we had a wonderful conversation. His Czech beef goulash recipe is the one used on a major Internet site, so we now have that recipe for home use. Our train glided through beautiful countryside. Since we were heading south, we turned back the clock on the fall colors and were once again mesmerized by the beauty. The train followed the course of a valley for over two hours, its steep hills rising above us and a river flowing beside us, cascading into lakes occasionally.

When we neared Praha (Prague) I was immediately captivated by the towers that stood out in the valley below us. I cannot wait to explore this majestic city. WEG

Krakow is a city of extreme contrasts. Beauty is everywhere. History permeates the fabric of life. Prosperity is evident. Food is glorious. Underneath it all is the story of pain endured and hope restored.

The most telling recent example of that pain is the indescribable loss of the Jewish community in the city. For centuries, the Krakow Jewish community had flourished in the city. With 20% of the city’s population, or 65,000 people prior to WW II, the community was integral to all that was Krakow. Then, the Germans invaded and the Nazis were in control. Life changed. Everyone suffered in Krakow, but the Jews vanished. We saw the ghetto wall that was constructed to contain the Jews. We saw the square in which brutality was exacted upon the ghetto inhabitants on a daily basis. We saw the massive jail built by the Nazis to hold “subversives.” Thousands were sent to work camps and extermination camps where they died or were murdered. One day in March, 1943, the ghetto was “liquidated.” In the end, less than 1,000 survived. We saw the memorial to the victims, and we saw the “factory” made famous by the book and movie called “Schindler’s List,” where one person, sick of the terror, risked all to save the Jewish work prisoners at his factory. What chilling sights! The horrendous Auschwitz Extermination Camp lies outside Krakow. We did not have time to visit it.

The city survived the war basically unscathed physically, but emotionally devastated. Today, its past is part of its story. The city has grown and prospered. We saw churches as beautiful as anywhere. We saw historic palaces and squares vibrant with life. We saw Israeli tourists flocking to the city as a place of their history and a story of survival and hope. We saw synagogues repaired and an old Jewish area brought back to life.

I think that if cities were jewels in a crown, Krakow would be one of them, and it would be a pearl–produced through long pain, emerged to be beautiful and gaining luster with age. WEG

Krakow’s 15th century circular fortress, the Barbican

The Florianska Gate from 1307, across from the Barbican, is the beginning of the “Royal Route.”

Interior view of St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow’s main market square, the Rynek, the largest medieval market square in Central Europe

Krakow’s Slowacki Theatre, completed in 1893

Krakow’s Wawel Castle

Krakow’s Cloth Hall from 1300 where textiles, fabrics, pottery, and woodcraft are sold in merchant stalls

Jewish Temple Synagogue used by the Nazis as a warehouse and stables, now hosts concerts and religious ceremonies

Jewish Ghetto Wall Fragments

Jewish Ghetto Heroes Square

Photos of some of the 1,200 Jews saved by Oskar Schindler

A beautiful park in Krakow’s Old Town by the Barbican – October 2013

Today I really was in a salt mine, the most famous one in the world, in fact. In the first group of sites to be named a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is truly amazing. Started in the 1200s and going down over 1,000 feet deep, the mines are filled with grottoes, caverns and miles of tunnels. Carved statues line the way, and one chapel holds weekly worship services still today. Even the massive chandeliers are carved from salt as are the tile floors, altars, and wall art, including a replica of “The Last Supper.”

Because salt was so valuable, more costly than gold, a person who worked hard and did well was said to be “worth their salt.” There is a health resort in the mines, lakes, restaurants, and gift shops. One of the large caverns was being set up for a boxing match, and the deepest cavern holds the Guinness World Record for the deepest bungee jump.

Tours from our hotel were sold out for the day, so we ventured out on our own. We found a city bus that went to the mine and jumped on it. The ticket machine on the bus did not take paper money, and we had no coins. A teen-aged boy was helping us negotiate the machine, and an older gentleman who saw our predicament dug through every pocket to make change for our bill. Tickets in hand, we were secure in our journey. On the bus ride, a group of young Australians–in their 30s–boarded and were so kind to us. We ended up on the same salt mine tour, and they made sure we were in the right place at the right time. We love venturing out, off the beaten tourist path. We had a fun and educational day, in Krakow. WEG

Wieliczka Salt Mine outside Krakow, Poland

One of the salt statues carved in the salt mine

The chapel is all salt–even the chandelier–in the bowels of the earth

Today was a long day and a travel day. The train ride from Wroclaw to Krakow, Poland, was five and a half hours long. Thankfully, there were no transfers, so we settled into our comfortable seats and stayed put. Some interesting tidbits. Poland is still developing after such a long and harsh communist rule. The gray and drab buildings of the communist era stick out like a sore thumb. You can see upgrades being made everywhere, but there is so much to do. The train tracks along the first part of the journey were new. Everything was so clean and smooth, and I even commented such to Kathy. Then, we hit the renewal section, and everything slowed down. For possibly 100 miles, the tracks were being replaced and new buildings were being built or old ones refurbished. Old factories were closed and decaying while new ones were being utilized or constructed. The train moved slowly for several hours. The autumn scenery, thankfully, was spectacular. The train itself, and this is true of all the trains we saw, was old. I reminded Kathy that 37 years ago we used such trains in Germany, and they were new then. The good news is that the old trains had seats that could make into a bed and, sure enough, I could manipulate them to do that. The windows also open. No leather seats, though. The bathrooms (I posted a video some time back of the marvels of the new high tech bathrooms in modern trains) were anything but high tech. You stepped on foot levers to make water run for the commode and the wash basin. We passed trains that were older than the one we were riding. I must say, however, that the train seats were comfortable.

Once we arrived in Krakow, in the evening, we were surprised to find that our hotel upgraded us to a marvelous suite. Here we do have leather couches 🙂 and several rooms. It is an appreciated and unexpected treat that we will appreciate for the next few days as we explore this ancient and one time capitol city of Poland. WEG

I have noticed that Poland is a nation that has both a Western and an Eastern face. Over centuries, this part of the world was a tug of war between the East and West. After WW II, under Russian influence, it took an Eastern turn. You can see it in the buildings, not the simple box-like structures the Communists built to replace destroyed buildings after the war–and it looks like the Polish authorities are revamping those buildings to look Polish–but in the old buildings, the ones that could be in Germany, except the woodwork and turrets are different, and the colors are more pastel. They have an Eastern flavor. (A bit of history–this area is known as Silesia, a battleground over centuries, as Austria, Poland, and Prussia fought over it. Eventually, it was Germany for centuries, and mainly Lutheran. After WW II, the Russians gave it to Poland, as an outcome of the Potsdam Agreement, in exchange for annexing part of Poland into Russia. Overnight, Germans were forced out, and displaced Poles were transported in. Lutheran churches became Roman Catholic and, under Russian domination, Poland took an Eastern turn.)

Baroque Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Wroclaw, Poland

Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Wroclaw, Poland

Interior of the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Wroclaw, Poland, miraculously avoided destruction during World War II.

Old Town street scene in Wroclaw, Poland

Street scene in Wroclaw, Poland’s Old Town

Today, we ate amazing food. Yes, we got the wonderful lard spread with roasted garlic again, along with great sour dill pickles and cabbage salad fixed three ways; but, pierogi were the star. They are delectable dough pockets filled with cottage cheese, potatoes and onion, boiled and covered with onions sautéed in bacon fat–need I say more! I wanted more, but nine huge ones seemed like the place I should stop! I consoled myself with the thought that we go to Krakow in east Poland for several days–more of an Eastern turn–and I can “fill-er-up” there. Oh, I forgot to mention the hot chocolate so thick, you ate it with a spoon, covered with real whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. Are you hungry yet? WEG

Pierogi lunch Kathy and I shared in Wroclaw, Poland

Traditional Polish restaurant in Wroclaw, Poland, which served pierogies and other traditional fare

It’s our first time in Poland and for our first meal, I ate lard on bread. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. It was good. Made with lard and garlic, it spread easily over the fresh baked roll, also made with garlic. The main course was an oven baked bread pocket filled with beef and cabbage or chicken and cheese. Delicious.

Eating lard on bread in a traditional Polish restaurant in Wroclaw

The train ride from Dresden to Wroclaw was one of the longer we have taken to date, so we didn’t get in much sightseeing once we arrived. However, the train ride was marvelous. Valleys and hills and lakes and rivers surrounded by trees rushing toward full fall colors. I could not take my eyes away from the scenery during the journey.

Autumn scenery on the train ride between Dresden and Wroclaw/Breslau,
October 15, 2013

I made an honest tourist mistake once we arrived. Poland is part of the European Union, so I automatically assumed they used the Euro. While they do, it has not caught on yet, and so the old currency is still in effect. The taxi bill to the hotel was 25.80 (I’m thinking Euros) and that was outrageously high for our short journey. The older cab driver (he did not speak English) was taking my Euros as I counted them out and when I got to 20 he waved his hand to stop and said goodby and drove off. I inquired at the hotel desk, and they informed me that my 20 Euros were worth 84 Zloty–I had paid the gentleman over three times the amount needed. I told Kathy that maybe he needed that money today, and we blessed him with it. WEG

Town Hall in Old Town Wroclaw, Poland

I don’t think most people will do what Kathy and I do when we travel, and that is, to travel into the unknown. We decide in advance, “que sera, sera.” We decide not to stress. Today, we headed out the door to go to Moritzberg to see the Saxon Royal Hunting Castle. We could have taken a tour for €100, but doing it our way cost €30 and we ended up doing so much more than the tour would have afforded. We had a marvelous adventure.

We headed out for the train station in the Neustadt (New Town). We had never been to this station before; yet, we decided to walk. The weather was perfect, and the walk was picture perfect. My city map was accurate. Our 25 minute walk took us over the Elbe River on a beautiful bridge and along fall-colored, tree-lined boulevards. We needed to catch a bus and were fortunate that it was at the stop when we arrived and the driver sold tickets. Therefore, we did not have to negotiate the ticket machine. The bus ride was delightful. It picked up school children as it went through wonderful Dresden neighborhoods. The houses were Dresden’s version of our more expensive neighborhoods in Texas, with the exception that these homes had turrets and towers on boxed roofs with slate shingles and window boxes with flowers and with vegetation that was gold and red and yellow and orange with the colors of fall. Our bus took us eventually along country lanes where we saw a goose farm with geese as far as the eye could see and through quaint country villages that were obviously untouched by WWII. The trip lasted about 30 minutes and stopped directly in front of the castle.

What a castle! I realized I had seen it before on HDTV on a showing of castles of the world. Sitting on an island in the middle of a lake, the castle holds a regal air. Symmetry was the architect’s goal. The rooms were filled with hunting memorabilia and with hunting trophies. I have never seen that many points on a deer head. It was enough to make some hunters I know go dizzy with giddiness. The walls were all leather, hand painted with paisley designs and huge paintings of hunting scenes or of animals. The main dining room wall was covered with hunting trophies with gold trim and some of the heads were gold with only the antlers being natural. Huge windows brought the outdoors in and looked out on the lake and a massive formal garden. The castle had housed the royal’s porcelain collection, the largest collection in the world. Some pieces remain, but most have been dispersed into the Dresden Porcelain Museum. Imagine a large castle filled with hunting trophies with golden heads and priceless porcelain! I told Kathy, it would have been my castle of choice. WEG

The Moritzburg Castle just outside Dresden, Germany

Approaching front entry of Moritzburg Castle, hunting lodge of Saxon royalty

Autumn splendor reflected in the moat surrounding the Moritzburg Castle, Dresden

Example of antlers, leather wall coverings, and porcelain inside the Moritzburg Castle that is being refurbished

Another view of the Moritzburg Castle, Dresden, Germany

Kathy and I went to the late morning worship at the Lutheran Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) in Dresden this morning. We have attended worship in many beautiful worship centers across Europe–the Seville Cathedral, Notre Dame in Paris, the Castle Church in Wittenberg, for instance. It was nice to be able to walk out the door of our apartment and into the door of the Frauenkirche in three minutes. The bells pealed for ten solid minutes before service began in this massive church. I quickly noticed how you could tell visitors from members–the members go to their seat and stand and pray before sitting. The church was decently full. You cannot help but look upward in the church. The light green and blue and white and gold altar extends skyward for over 100 feet. The statuary on the altar move the eye upward. Moses and the Apostle Peter are on the left of Jesus (depicted in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane) and a host of angels and the Apostle Paul and King David are to the right. Above Jesus is a massive golden burst of sun. At the top of the altar is the beautiful gold and white pipe organ adorned with angels playing trumpets. Above the entire seating area, which is in seven levels, is the bell dome, 311 feet above the main floor. It depicts events in the life of Christ in painting surrounded by pink and blue.

The service began with organ, brass, and percussion playing Bach–majestic. The brass were up high beside the organ. The church reverberated. The Pastor entered wearing a black robe with a big white bifken (neck attachment with two streamers flowing downward). The liturgy was simple and short; the pastor chanted, and there were congregational responses. There was a baptism and a sermon, prayers and hymns–all in German. The people participated in the service. Since taxes support the church in Germany, offerings are not taken, as such. Nevertheless, we left an offering. All in all, the service was formal, but uncomplicated, with everything printed out in the service folder. At every church we have attended in Europe, the pastor is formal. The sermon is without emotion to any degree and seems like a lecture. We have yet to hear a laugh or a sigh. No thundering or moment of quiet. Just straight forward and with consistent delivery.

After worship, we went for a walk on this lovely day, another day the Lord hath made. WEG

Dresden’s Frauenkirche (Lutheran Church)

The frescoed dome of the Frauenkirche just steps from our apartment

Altar of Dresden’s Frauenkirche

A fountain in Dresden’s Neumarkt

Tree-lined autumn day walk in Dresden’s Neumarkt