Europe in August/September 2008

OUR TRIP TO EUROPE IN AUGUST 2008

Paris

Poland

Simple Pleasure Tour

Vienna

Riga

Frankfurt

A very complicated journey with many glitches!

We planned an extensive tour of Europe by air and rail. The rail from Warsaw to Hamburg retraced an ancestral route.		We stopped two nights in Paris to get our internal clocks in order. Much walking including two hours to the Pantheon.		Baked goods in the early morning is one of life's great pleasures. What better than croissants in Paris?		During our wanderings from the hotel we ex- plored the reconstructed, ancient walls of the Warsaw, Barbacan (gate).	The Royal Castle of Warsaw was an "over the top" piece of eye candy for tourists. Found four geocaches in Warsaw.	The floors of several rooms at the Royal Castle, were amazing works of art made of inlaid wood.

We loved the enchanting doors in Krakow, the ancient capitol of Poland. Krakow castle sat on top of a prominent hill.		Buying a train ticket to Krakow was a stressful challenge. CASH and no English! Pin number?		This "kabob", known in several countries, includ- ing Poland, as Shawarma, is often viewed from the street.		There is no shortage of beer in Poland! They make 70+ varieties.	This worker was busy placing cobbles in a very pleasing pattern around a town square.	Polish houses had an interesting, cantilevered, outer deck and three, compact stories.

Our tour included the cramped space in the front seat of the van with, Wlad, the driver and guide.		A mushroom hunt in the forests of a Roztocze National Park turned out to be a highlight.		Wlad collected and identified our finds, always hoping for a "number one" mushroom.		We were part of a party atmosphere back at the lodge. This "vodka polka" happened mid afternoon.	Our mushrooms were turned into a delicious stew and served with homemade vodka and beer.	We were invited to help make perogies which became part of our extended lunch. Later we roasted weiners.

Zalipie is a small village in rural Poland that has floral designs painted everywhere.		While we watched, designs were transferred to the wall of the local church.		We tried our hand at painting designs with an improvised brush made of a twig and afterwards a real brush.		One night our accomodation was at Janowice Palace, a high end bed and breakfast converted from a castle.	Castles seem to be everywhere in Poland. You can often spot another from the one you're at.	Guciow We crowded into a tiny, historical cottage to assist the costumed ladies in baking bread.

Much more than just bread was provided at the feast. Several traditional Polish dishes were prepared and served.		Poland's landscape is spattered with the leftovers from wars. Lublin has preserved an extermination camp.		In Hamburg, after a train ride over the same terrain covered my Daniel Thom, in 1887, we toured BallinStadt.		Our "cheap flight" on AirBaltic, included a stopover in the Latvian capitol of Riga.	In the centre of "old town" Riga we ordered a traditional, Latvian meal from a Latvian menu. Peas? Buttermilk? Yuk!	The Vienna Opera, a half a block from our Pension, was staging "The Barber of Seville". Our seats were dead centre, balcony.

Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna offered extensive gardens for walking. We climbed a prominent hill.		Our stop in Kiev was brief but memorable. We had no accommodation booked and got help from a taxi driver.		Our apartment for the night in Kiev was in an original "communist high rise" that was near ruin and very empty.		This show of Cossack's horsemanship was one of several tours from the Viking Cruise ship, Lavrinenkov.	In Sevastopol, Dave was admitted to hospital to have his appendix removed. That's another story!	Our one week stay in Sevastopol required Joan to shop at this outdoor market near the hospital. Peaches were good.