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| Jan found a web site that was having an online auction of Lufthansa tickets (good auction applet!) and promptly won a bid for 2 tickets to Warsaw, so we went to Poland! We arrived and went straight down to Krakow by train (and 2 train tickets for a 3 hour trip cost us less than the price of the taxi to Heathrow from Soho!). Krakow's old town was untouched by the war: |
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| In late autumn, the grounds around Wawel Castle were rather beautiful: |
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| Just outside of Krakow at Wieliczka, there is a salt mine that is on the World Heritage List. The mine contains wonderful objects all sculpted from salt. You have to walk down a staircase to 64 metres below ground level to get there: |
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| Once you're there, there are huge football field sized chambres, some of them empty, some of them filled with water, and some of them magnificently sculpted. This is a chapel which has been entirely carved from salt. It is 54metres by 17metres and 12 metres high. On the walls are salt-carved frescos of the last supper, Jesus on the crucifix, madonna, chandeliers and a tessellated floor: |
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| Back up in the open air (luckily there is a lift to take you back up from 135metres below ground), we took the train back to Warsaw and spent the next day there. Warsaw was pretty much flattened in the last war, but the Old Town has been immaculately restored: |
Warsaw Old Town Square We had some great meals whilst we were in Poland, and undoubtedly the
best was in this restaurant on the Old Town Square. Inside the iron
door is a stone passageway, lit by candles, with autumn leaves strewn on
the floor, and tapestries on the walls. Inside were huge displays of fresh
winter fruits on old fashioned wooden tables, nestled amongst the many
desserts on offer. The dining rooms were all cosy polished wood floors,
embroidered cushions on the chairs and lots of candles. The best thing
was that the service was unobtrusive - wine glasses filled themselves by
magic and food appeared and disappeared in the same way. Worth the price
of the airfares just to eat here!
Just when you thought you were safe from the Soviets, something seems to remind you of Moscow...... The funny thing is, it is the Palace of Culture, which in true post-communist style now houses the most exclusive shopping precinct in Warsaw!
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