Gorce Mountains 3/28-4/2

Left Zakopane in the morning and headed to the Gorce mountains.  Checked into a beautiful remote mountain cabin with a fireplace.  Going to sequester myself here for the next 5 days.  Bought tons of groceries and plan on laying low.  It's the easter weekend otherwise known as dingus day.

Zakopane Day 2

Enjoyed a nice quiet morning in bed looking out over the village and at the mountains.   Went back to the market to buy some more cheese and headed up the ski lift to get a better view of the mountains.   The lift take you to the top of Gubalowka.  Unfortunately, the view was obscured by the bad weather.  Fortunately, I came across a wonderful cafe at the top and enjoyed my first bowl of krupnik soup.  Had another early night in. 

Krakow/Zakopane

Woke up in the morning and headed out on a bus to Zakopane.  Just 20 PLN and took about an 1 1/2 hours.  Zakpoane in true Southern Poland, next to the Tatra mountains.  This part of Poland is highlighted by the Tatras, which separate Poland from Slovakia.  Upon arrival I checked into a lovely cabin style hotel called Willa Schodnica.  The room was on the second floor with a blacony overlooking the Tatras.  Great place adn the owner was very friendly and accommodating.  It was about a 15 minute walk from Zakopane centrum.  Although the weather was cold and snowing, Zakppane truly is a magical place.  It is touristy here and boasts some of the most expensive real estate and shopping in Poland.  Fortunately, because of the weather, there were not that many tourists.  Set out for the center first and walked down the main drag.  This place is lined with shops and restaurants catering to tourists.  I found this place to be the most expensive in Poland so far.  The food was ok, but it just has that tourist , make a ton of money vibe.  One of them was Karczma u Zboja The outdoor market across the way was a little more realistic.  If you are into cheese this is the place.  The ladies here sell every kind of southern poland mountain cheese you can imagine.  I loved these ladies, real mountain folk carrying on their traditions and perpetuating their culture.  Just like Krakow, the outdoor markets were lined with flowers in anticipation of Dyngus day.  More about that later.  Spent the rest of day/evening enjoying the peace and quiet and spectacular views of Willa Schodnica.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakopane
http://www.krupowki36.com/willa-schodnica/
http://www.karcmapozboju.pl

Krakow/Auschwitz Day 3

Boarded a bus for Auschwitz in the morning, just 20 pln round trip.  The bus ride was quick only taking an hour and 15 minutes.  The Auschwitz museum is free unless you want to take a guided tour.  This was by far the most tourists I have encountered yet in Poland, so I opted to go solo.  Only a portion of the camp has been left intact.  At one point the place was huge.  Extermination on a massive scale.  I was hoping to see more to be honest.  It took me just an hour to get through, mostly because I just hate large groups of people being herded like cattle.  I didn't really learn anything new here.   Between what I have read and seen on film, I already had a good grasp on this place.  Honestly, I thought it was going to be more preserved and would be laid out a bit better.  It was interesting and I am glad that I got to see it.  However, it left me somewhat underwhelmed and did not meet my preconceived expectations.  Since I finished up early I walked into the Oswiecim city center, which took about 25 minutes from the camp.  This was a very authentic Polish city, no tourists and no crowds.  I was able to get some business done, cell plan, postal, etc.  Afterwards I had lunch at Max cafe on the old town square.  Great place with great food and cocktails.  This was a welcome reprieve from the tourist death camp.  I had some vodka and salad and was quite content.  Jumped in a cab to catch the bis back to Krakow.  Went back to the hotel and called it a day.

http://www.maxcafe.com.pl

Krakow Day 2

Woke up feeling great and started off for the most notorious Krakow landmark, the Wawel Royal Castle.  The castle having been newly restored is beautiful.  There are some great vistas of the Wisla river from here.  Wawel was both a castle for the royals and a university.  Copernicus was perhaps it's most famous student.  The university section houses some of the old items owned buy the royal family and the most famous painting in Poland, Leonardo Da Vinci's Lady with the Ermine.  The architecture inside was beautiful, lots of hand carved wood and marble.  Inside there are old tapestries and chairs along with a plethora of classical art of the monarchs and their families.  The highlight was definitely the Da Vinci and is a must if visiting Krakow.  After the castle I went to have lunch at Momo Cafe.  Great place with vegan and vegetarian items.. Reminded me of restaurants in Santa Cruz and SF.  Very fresh, healthy and tasty.  I had the 4 item salad and Massala Dosa.  A different take on a Dosa, but still good.  The salads were excellent.  After lunch I took a taxi across the river to check out the Oskar Schindler factory museum.  The museum takes a long time to get through.  There is lots to read.  It focuses on life in Krakow during the occupation and not so much about Schindler or the factory.  I was expecting to see more of the enamel factory intact.  Instead this is a museum inside the old factory.  Nice, but not as cool as I thought it would be.  Nevertheless, it is very interesting to learn about Krakow city during that time.  Got a ride back into the square and went to another cafe similar to Nowa Prowincja called Piwnica pod Baranami.  This place was also established by a local artist.  It had a subterranean feel to it and is decorated with all kinds of local art.  Great place to grab a coffee, tea or drink.  The best part of the day was dinner at Restauracja pod Baranem.  The food here is excellent.  I really loved this place.  I had the cabbage stuffed with rice and mushroom along with a potatoe, tomato, mushroom cheese dish that was delightful.  Highly recommended.

http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_with_an_Ermine
http://www.oskarschindlersfactory.com
http://www.piwnicapodbaranami.pl
http://podbaranem.com

Krakow Day 1

Took the train from Warsaw to Krakow.  Polish trains are a bit old compared to other trains in Europe.  Nonetheless, they are reliable and will get you to where you need to go.  It cost just 60 PLN for the ticket and the ride took about 3 hours to get to Krakow.  Checked into the Angel B & B.  Great accommodation with easy access to Krakow centrum.  Note:  I took a taxi, when I could have easily walked from the station.  Headed straight into the old town square.  Krakow is beautiful and was lucky enough to miss out on the German bombing.  It's architecture and historical sites remained untouched.  The most notable site is the Saint Mary's Church  There were many vendors in the square and I  bought some Pirogi and Oscypek cheese.  The pirogis were cabbage and mushroom and were quite delicious.  The Oscypek cheese was a bit salty but very nice.  Next stop was a Polish watering station called Pijalnia Wodki i Piwa.  It is located just north of the square and had a local vibe to it.  Everything was in expensive and truly Polish.  Not very touristy at all.  I enjoyed lots of Vodka with boiled potatoes, pickles and cheese.  After I was filled up, I just enjoyed walking around the city center and admiring all the architecture.  Make no mistake, Krakow is a very European with a bohemian feel to it.  I went and had some tea after my walk at Nowa Prowincja.  This is a great place full of a mix of young and old people.  Definitely a locals spot.  The cafe is owned by a local celebrity singer.  It has almost a cavernous feel to it.  I tried the hummus and it was great.  Went back to hotel and too a nap to rest up for dinner.  Closed out this very busy day having dinner in the old jewish quarter called Kazimierz.  This is a great part of town very lively with Krakow citizens.  Wonderful for cafes, bars and restaurants.  I ended up having a authentic Polish eating experience at Restaurant Sasiedzi..  Enoyed a bottle of Robert Mondavi cab paired with some local foods, which included Kasza, carrot and cabbage salads.  Kept the meal light after a long day of drinking and eating.  Quick cab ride home and off to bed.

http://www.angelkrakow.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraków_Old_Town

http://www.mariacki.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscypek

https://www.facebook.com/Pijalnia.Wodki.i.Piwa.Warszawa

https://www.facebook.com/nowaprowincja

http://sasiedzi.oberza.pl/index.php

Warsaw Day 3

Walked through the city and took in the sites and visited some of the major landmarks.  Started off at a lovely coffee shop Zagadka Coffeebar.   After coffee, I finally found and made it to one of the last remaining parts of the Ghetto wall.  It is located between Zlota and Sienna streets just across from the main road in the courtyard of a secondary school.  I had lunch in the Praga section of town at Nalsnikarnia.  Praga is real Warsaw with working class families.  Apparently, you do not want to be here at night.  Closed out the day walking around an old Vodka factory that has been converted into a bar/entertainment space.  Praga was my favorite part of the city and felt very real and familiar to me.

Monument to the Warsaw Uprising

Warsaw Ghetto wall

Pancake at Nalsnikarnia

Old Vodka Factory in Praga

Warsaw Day 2

Today I went to the Palace of Science and Culture and checked out the views of Warsaw from the Taras widokowy.  This building was the same place I went to last night for the alternative bar.  The building was built during the Russian occupation as a gift to the Polish people.  It is the highest building in eastern europe.  The architecture is very reminiscent of the time period.  Although the weather was a bit grey, the views were spectacular. The Taras offers a 360 degree view of Warsaw and is a must for any visitor.  I spent the rest of day sightseeing on foot and enjoyed some local cuisine.    I had an authentic Polish lunch at Barmleczna which translate to Milky bar.  Very authentic, no tourists.  The food was good and very inexpensive.  After lunch I went to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising museum.  It was worth the visit, but I thought did a very poor job on the lighting for thexhibits.  After a long day of walking, I enjoyed a pizza from a local celebrity chef Magda Gessler.  It was good, but I'm spoiled and long for a slice from New York.

Palace of Science & Culture

Warsaw from the Taras Widowky

Old Town Square

Zametk Krolewski 

Ghetto Wall Marker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/uprising/

http://www.gar.com.pl/menu/pizza

New York to Copenhagen to Warsaw

Made it to Poland safely, after two flights and a quick layover in Copenhagen.  Checked into the Escher room at the Castle Inn hotel in the old part of town.  The room has a very funky decor with an Escher theme.  It is in a very central location and is walking distance to many of the local attractions.

Old Town - Nothing is too old, because the Germans destroyed everything back in the war.  This place was the first to fall and I think they wanted to make a point.  Even though the place is 50 years old, it still has lots of charm and is a lovely place.  It's a bit chilly and not very many people are out at this time of year.

Food - My first stop was experiencing some local cuisine and I was not disappointed.  The food at Zapiecek was amazing.  I had to try everything.  I had some pierogi, potato pancakes with mushroom gravy and crepes stuffed with spinach smothered in cheese and a marinara sauce.  The food was paired with Polish beer, I sampled two, Zubr and Tieskie.  So much for trying to get back in shape on this trip, I just don't see that happening.

Nightlife - The town is beautiful at night.  The major landmarks are well lit and invite a leisurely stroll through the city.  We ended up at Cafe Kulturalna (apparently best alternative nightspot in Warsaw).  The DJ's were playing, well noise, nothing recognizable, certainly not danceable.  Hence, most folks just staring at the dj's with a wtf look on their face.  The bar itself was cool, it was inside the Palace of Culture and Science, which is the tallest building in Poland and the sixth in the EU.  Lots of Vodka, every flavor and color you can imagine.  Had about 5 different spots that I chased down with a local beer.  Good times!

http://www.zapiecek.eu/main.html
http://www.kulturalna.pl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Culture_and_Science
http://www.castleinn.pl/?lang=en

Zapiecek

The Escher Room at the Castle Inn