So, I have finally reached my last post in this series covering our visits to Karlovy Vary, Vyoske Tatry, Krakow, and Dresden. In retrospect, this trip was one of our best vacations. It even rivals our trip to Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia, back in 2021! The best part is, we didn’t do this trip during a pandemic… although given what happened on our way home, maybe it would have been better if I’d “masked up”.
We woke up to cloudy Dresden skies on October 13th. It happened to be my sister’s birthday, so I sent her a birthday message. Then, Bill and I got dressed and went to breakfast in the Moritz restaurant. Since we needed to get on the road, Bill and I stuck to the buffet.
Gotta say, I miss the cake…
After breakfast, Bill called the front desk to ask them to bring our car around. Then we hauled our bags down to the lobby and Bill settled our bill. I had already paid for the room, so we just had to pay for the city taxes and parking, and we got a slight discount for skipping housekeeping. We loaded up our car and headed out, immediately getting turned around at a roundabout and construction…
On our way out of Dresden, we passed a train station, where gay pride was on display. I love this about Germany. They are all about being inclusive… or, at least a lot of people are, anyway.
The sun came out for a brief time as we passed the local Russian Orthodox Church…
I’m afraid things got more boring once we left Dresden. The clouds came back, then we got rain, and the terrain was the usual German countryside that has become so familiar to me over the years. But I took a few photos, anyway, just to pass the time.
And then it happened. We crossed the border into Hessen, which is the state where we currently live. We had about 90 minutes left in our drive, and we needed a break. So Bill pulled off at a rest stop.
Rain was falling and it was chilly. The rest stop had a Burger King and a Gusticus, as well as a gas station and toilets. But it was laid out weirdly. Usually, at German rest stops, the doors are at the front of the building, and there’s no barrier on either side. If someone is walking slowly, you can easily pass them to enter.
At this stop, which was at Rimberg Nord, just off the A5, there were two entrances at the back of the building. The one closest to us had a single door, and there was a barrier on the other side of the sidewalk leading up to it. We were rushing to the door, to escape the rain, when we encountered a woman with a girl who appeared to be her daughter. The girl looked to be about ten or eleven years old.
As we approached the walkway, the woman and the girl stopped, and the girl vomited right in front of us. They were also blocking the way into the entrance, because they stopped at the end of the walkway and had the building on one side, and the barrier on the other. Perhaps that was a sign that we should walk the other way. But we waited for her to finish, which took a minute or two. We went into the restaurant, which was crowded with elderly tourists from a bus parked outside.
The interior of the rest stop was kind of weird. Instead of the big open layout one usually finds at German rest stops, this place had smaller rooms connected by corridors. I think that, somehow, we were exposed to the nasty virus Bill and I have had all week. It was either the vomiting girl on the way in, or someone in the large group of tourists. I’m sure eating Burger King didn’t help. The Gusticus was closed, not that it would have been that much better. When we left the rest stop, the girl’s puke was still on the sidewalk.
A picture of the entrance. You can see there’s a barrier by the walkway, making it hard to avoid other people.
Anyway, the upshot is, less than 48 hours after we got home, I started feeling sick with a respiratory virus that laid me out all last week. Bill also got the bug, although it doesn’t seem to have made him as sick as it made me. I am mostly over the bug now. I just have a residual cough and a lot of fatigue. But that was a rotten way to end what was otherwise an epic trip to Eastern Europe.
Since we got back from Eastern Europe, I have looked back on our trip with amazement. I wish we could have done more… and if I had to do it over again, perhaps I would have done two nights in Karlovy Vary and two nights in Dresden. I would have liked to have spent more time in Vyoske Tatry and Krakow. But overall, we had a wonderful time on our journey, and it was such great thing to get a change of scenery.
Just this morning, Bill said he was feeling better at work, even though he’s been very busy. Next week, he has to go to the US, and then after that, there’s another business trip. At the end of November, we will celebrate our wedding anniversary with a belated trip to a lovely hotel in Switzerland. So that will keep the travel blog going…
Anyway, so ends my blow by blow reporting on our Eastern European October. We just changed the clocks back to standard time, so it seems later than it is. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, and will stay tuned for my usual ten things I learned post!
It was finally October 10th, and we were due to move on to our next destination, Dresden, Germany. Bill and I visited Dresden for two nights in November 2008. The occasion was our 6th wedding anniversary. At the time, we lived near Stuttgart, having been sent there by the U.S. Army. We had little money in those days, so it was a big deal when I booked the five star Hotel Suitess. It was our first five star property.
I remembered enjoying our two nights at the Suitess, and I knew it was in an excellent location. It was also a lot less expensive than the five star Hotel Kempinski. So, in the interest of nostalgia, I booked the Suitess again.
But I was pretty sad to be leaving Kanonicza 22 on October 10th. I loved staying in the Prince Suite, with it’s gorgeous baltic blue, brown, and gold theme. I’d love that color scheme for my own house. On the whole, we really enjoyed Krakow, Poland. I hope we can go back. On a related note, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many priests and nuns in one place, outside of Vatican City!
We had our last breakfast in the apartment after packing most of our bags. Bill schlepped them to the garage, leaving me with just my purse and rolling suitcase.
The pancakes were really good!
Then, once we were finished with breakfast, we made our way downstairs, said goodbye to the lady on duty, and walked back to the huge garage where our car was. I would absolutely book Kanonicza 22 again, given the opportunity. it was my favorite of all of our lodging on this trip.
Below are a few more shots of Krakow before we said goodbye… What a beautiful city!
When we left Krakow, the skies were sunny and bright. But soon, as we headed west toward Germany, the clouds came out. I don’t have a lot to write about the drive, except for the difference in the quality of roads between Czechia and Slovakia versus Poland was quite obvious. Poland was a lot easier to drive across, even with its tolls.
Approaching Katowice…
It was pouring rain when we decided to stop for lunch. We were at a Polish McDonald’s. Things have really changed since our first Polish visit in 2008. I remember going to a McDonald’s in Jelena Gora, mainly because it was the only place where we could find parking. None of the staff spoke English and they had to present us with a picture menu so we could order. Now, everything is done on a touch screen, and so many people speak English!
We happened to be at McDonald’s at the same time a large tour group of teens were there. Fortunately, we managed to order just before their arrival. It wasn’t until later in the trip that I realized just how lucky we were in our timing. But I’ll get to that in a future post. There was a cheap hotel next to the McDonald’s. It looked like one of those places that is totally automated.
That kid looks how I have been feeling since we got home.
It wasn’t long before we were crossing the German border. We were required to drive through a repurposed rest area that had been turned into a security checkpoint. Since we have German plates and look very much like Germans, we were waved through with no fanfare. I made a joke about how “hot” one of the cops was. Fortunately, Bill is a good sport about such things.
Hallo Deutschland…
The rain continued as we arrived in Dresden. It was still familiar to me after so many years away.
Hotel Suitess is located in a pedestrian area, but it’s permissable to pull up in front of the hotel to check in. I remembered when we visited in 2008, there was a valet waiting to park the car. This time, we had to park outside and go into the hotel to check in. I noticed that they had also done some renovations. In 2008, there were two ways to enter the hotel, and the check in desk was at the bar in the hotel’s parlor. Now, the desk is set up in what used to be a corridor leading into the hotel. It seemed a little strange to me.
The lady who checked us in was nice enough. She didn’t offer us a welcome drink, though, and that was something I remembered that happened in November 2008. I had read in recent reviews that the standards at Hotel Suitess weren’t really what you’d expect at a five star hotel, so I wasn’t surprised about the lack of a ready valet or welcome drink. It was a little disappointing, though.
The receptionist asked us if we would mind forgoing housekeeping during our stay, since it was only three nights. She said this was for “environmental reasons”, but personally I think it’s more likely that the hotel doesn’t want to employ people to clean. It certainly didn’t give off five star vibes, although we agreed to skip housekeeping. I didn’t realize it at the time, but not getting the room cleaned resulted in a slight discount on our nightly rate. At least there was that, then.
I booked us an executive suite, which came with a bedroom, sitting room, refrigerator, and three TVs, including one in the marble bathroom. The room was big enough, but it looked like some of the frills from our earlier stay were gone. The bed was not made up with anything beyond pillows and duvets. The desk, while massive, wasn’t near any electrical outlets. The bathroom had a tiny shower and narrow tub, and no Hermes toiletries, as we had enjoyed in 2008. And this was our view…
We had two big windows that overlooked two courtyards…
I could see some traces of the hotel’s former glamor. The artwork in the room had little lamps over them. The color scheme was beige and gold, just as it was in 2008. But I got the impression that the place could use an overhaul. Below are some photos of the room.
The blue pillows are ones we brought with us, because European hotels usually don’t supply pillows we like.
And below is a picture I took during our 2008 visit…
Notice the decor is the same, but the bed is more completely made up. We also got turn down service in 2008. We didn’t get that in 2026.
Hotel Suitess was okay for three nights, but it’s definitely gone downhill since our first visit. If we go back to Dresden, I’ll probably go ahead and spring for the Kempinski, or try a different hotel. There are quite a few good ones to choose from now. The Suitess does have a spa area that I thought we might use, but as it turned out, we skipped the spa. I never got a chance to see if the whirlpool was heated. It wasn’t when we were there in 2008. And yet, I was still impressed in 2008… How things can change!
After we checked in and had a chance to rest for a few minutes, we decided to venture out. It was close to dinner time, so we went to the restaurant next door to see if we could get a table. They were fully booked, so we walked across the market square and wound up at a place serving typical Bavarian cuisine and Hofbrau beer, with wait staff curiously dressed in dirndls and lederhosen. A lot of the restaurants in Dresden were Bavarian themed, even though we were in Saxony.
We were lucky to get a table at the Hofbrau, because the tables were all reserved after 7:00 PM. We were there at 5:30 PM, so we had plenty of time to eat and enjoy a couple of brews.
Magnificent FrauenkircheThis church was meticulously rebuilt…After it was bombed and almost completely destroyed during World War II.
After we ate dinner, we visited the shop across the way and bought a few things to tide us over until it was time to head home on the 13th. Below are a few more photos I took before we turned in for the night. Neither Bill nor I are big night owls, especially nowadays. And driving is tiring… but it was nice to be in Dresden again.
Tomorrow, I will write about our first full day in Dresden, Germany. It really is a beautiful city, and more people should visit it.
We had no big plans for October 9th, save for a little souvenir shopping. I was still hoping to find some art to bring home, and maybe some trinkets for Bill’s grandchildren. For breakfast, we ordered more eggs with croissants. The croissants were initially forgotten, but the guy who brought us our breakfast later came back with them.
The weather was slightly cooler, so I wore a sweater. We decided to walk in the opposite direction, to see if we might see something noteworthy in that area. Perhaps we did see some notable things, but we were clearly headed away from the touristy area, so we did a loop that eventually took us back to the market square. Below are some photos from that leisurely stroll. It was interesting to walk that way, if only because I noticed the little old ladies selling obwarzanek krakowski, a Polish ring shaped bread roll that are kind of like bagels. They were selling them cheaper outside of the square…
I had just made a joke about falafel, because we were near the Jewish Quarter.Don’t want to break an ankle, thanks…
There was a “bazaar” type shopping arcade in the middle of the market square, where vendors were selling souvenirs. It was pretty crowded in there, and we didn’t really see what we were hoping to find, which was original artwork. Instead, we found a lot of touristy stuff, so we walked out and sat down by the Town Hall Tower. Those who are ambitious can climb the tower and learn all about its history, which dates from the end of the 14th century. It’s the only remnant left of the old Krakow Town Hall, which was demolished in 1820.
In the shopping area. Lots of very touristy stuff.
It was getting close to lunchtime, so we went looking for a place to have lunch. I didn’t really want to dine in the market square, though, because I knew prices would be higher, and likely, the food would be mediocre. I was thinking about patronizing one place, but was turned off when someone from the adjacent restaurant came out and tried to lure us in. I noticed this was a big thing in Krakow… people hired to draw in tourists. I know they do it to drum up business, but I find it off putting.
In a nearby park.
After a short rest in a park, Bill and I continued walking, and soon oriented ourselves. We were near the main drag that leads to the market square. After a short time, looking for a lunch stop, I noticed a place in a corridor that offered Tuscan food.
Il Toscano turned out to be a sandwich shop, which was not exactly what I thought I wanted. It turned out to be a good place to stop, anyway. We had a leisurely light lunch. I had a tuna sandwich with capers and sundried tomatoes. Bill had a sandwich with mortadella and mozzarella cheese. We had water and prosecco, while 80s music played. It was just enough, and not very expensive, either!
After lunch, we stopped in a couple of souvenir shops to pick up a few things for the grandchildren and Bill’s daughter. I also got a new mug, which I’ve been using a lot this week, as I’ve been drinking a lot of hot tea to help me get over this sickness. Unfortunately, I still didn’t find any art I wanted. The art sellers in the market square only had prints that depicted scenes from Krakow.
Careful in this shop!
After a brief rest in our apartment, which allowed us to drop off our souvenirs in the car, we ventured out again and stopped at a cool looking cafe/bar at the end of Kanonicza Street. We had a of round of beer, then switched to coffee drinks. We people watched, horse watched, and listened to folks socialize… I really liked Pianola. What a quirky place!
And then we walked around some more… just to take in the sights. On the way back toward the market square, a man tried to get us to go to the Georgian restaurant. We were interested, but it was too early for dinner. We walked around some more, and stopped by Bania Luka for a beer and a pee stop. 😉
On the way back, we ran into the same breakdancers from the day before. Since I was more sober and the weather was better, we stopped to watch them again, so I could get a better video. Their show was slightly different. I think maybe they had one or two different guys dancing.
The same dancers from the day before.
These guys were worth a second look!
Then, when we ran into the guy from the Georgian restaurant wanting us to come in for a meal, we said yes. He told us it was his second day doing that job. I’m sure he got credit for bringing us in, but the truth is, we had planned to go there, anyway. Bill and I love Georgian food. You can see Bill helping me out by removing the mushrooms from my chicken shashlik!
After dinner, we decided to call it a night. But on our way back to the hotel, we stopped in the candy shop and picked up a lot of goodies for the grandkids! I kind of wish we’d bought more for ourselves.
Yes, I know we should have done more cultural stuff in Krakow, but we definitely had a good time. I hope we can visit again before too long and see even more of this fabulous city. What a great place to visit.
In my next post, we’ll be moving onward to Dresden. Stay tuned!
The day before our first morning in Krakow, Bill and I filled out a form that indicated our menu choices for breakfast. We opted to have breakfast in the apartment, since there was a table and chairs set up there. Eating breakfast in the apartment meant I could put off wearing a bra that much longer.
Breakfast is served from 9-11. I would have preferred it slightly earlier, since Bill and I are early risers. But having it at nine gave us an incentive to sleep in, and God knows Bill needs to do more of that. Also, the bed in the Prince Suite is surprisingly comfortable, so sleeping in wasn’t difficult. If we couldn’t have slept in, we could have watched television. There are THREE TVs in the apartment, including one in the bathroom!
The bathroom TV. You can watch the news while shaving!First breakfast… Scrambled eggs with bacon and fresh orange juice.The huge fruit plate that came with our suite.And a chocolate… it was kind of like a Rolo.
After a leisurely breakfast, Bill and I ventured out into the city. The weather was sunny and somewhat warm, which was nice, since I forgot to bring my jacket with me. The first thing we saw, once we started walking on Kanonicza Street, was Pope John Paul II’s former residence, which is now the Archdiocesan Museum.
A look at the exterior of the place where we stayed.
We probably should have taken a look at it, since it was so close, but I had heard so much about how beautiful Krakow is that I wanted to keep walking. The museum is literally across the street from Kanonicza 22, though, and if you’re Catholic, or interested in things that are Catholic, it’s probably a must see. I am not Catholic, so it was of less interest to me.
We did stop by the Church of Saints Apostles Peter and Paul, a nearby, historic, Catholic church that is iconic in Krakow. This church was built between 1597 and 1635, and is known for being the city’s first Baroque structure. The front of the church is notable for having statues of the twelve apostles.
When we visited the church, a man was speaking to a small group of people as a pendulum moved in front of him. I was curious about the pendulum, but couldn’t understand what the man was saying, even if I could have heard him clearly. But we did get some photos, at least… And Bill lit a candle for his late father, who was a Catholic. Although we didn’t attend any concerts at this church, I understand that they are offered daily at around 8:00 PM and cost about 60 zloty per ticket (about $15.50).
From the church, we headed down the street to the big market square, Rynek Główny. The crowded street was bustling with modern stores, restaurants, and tour guides trying to sell tours. There were plenty of people in Krakow, but somehow the guides knew which people were tourists and which were locals.
This was where I saw the first of many horse drawn carriages. I was delighted to see a team of Appaloosas, since my beloved Rusty was an Appaloosa. I explained to Bill the difference between the American Appaloosa breed, and the Danish Knabstrupper breed. Both are known for their spots, but are different types of horses. I’m pretty sure we were seeing Appaloosas, since they aren’t as rare as Knabstruppers. But I could be wrong, of course. The carriages in Krakow were pretty much all pulled by two horses, all of whom appeared to be well cared for. They kept their routes close to the pedestrian areas.
Pretty spotted beauties…More chimney cakes!
We walked to the center of the market square and sat for a bit, just taking in the scene. The square is constantly teeming with people and activity, with lots of restaurants, shops, and live performers. While we were sitting in the middle of the square, we noticed that we were surrounded by a lot of very young, beautiful women, who all appeared to be styled in similar ways. I wondered if they were training to be models or… perhaps tour guides? I don’t know, but something was going on with them.
You can’t go to the market square in Krakow without seeing St. Mary’s Basilica, although if you notice my photos below, you’ll see that they actually ask people NOT to visit. I understand you can go into the basilica for free if you are appropriately dressed and have religious business there. You can also purchase a ticket to see parts of the church that are intended for tourists. Again, you are expected to be appropriately dressed for the occasion.
There is a tower there, where tourists can usually pay an extra fee to get panoramic views of the city, but I’m not sure if it was open to the public while we were visiting. I read that it was undergoing renovations. If it had been open, I think Bill and I would have skipped it. As I get older, climbing steep church towers is less appealing than it used to be. Every hour, there is a trumpet call from the taller of the two towers. It’s a tradition that dates from the Middle Ages, and the call is played in each direction.
After we visited the market square, we continued down another street and a sign caught my eye. Then I heard music, noticed quirky art, and found myself in a brewpub called Bania Luka. I later discovered that this pub has several locations, making it a chain. No matter… I was in the mood for a little day drinking. They were playing awesome Generation X music! I didn’t really care for the stools, which weren’t that easy to sit on, but they had good beer, light food, and plenty of vodka. They also had a toilet! We enjoyed a round or two while I admired the artwork.
Then it was time for lunch… so we turned right and walked a little further. I noticed a couple of dark passageways and stopped in one that advertised a traditional Polish restaurant called Stodola 47. This appeared to be a very tourist friendly place. Indeed, there was a large group of Americans there. They were with an outfit called Catholic Journeys. I know this, because they had signs on the tables that were reserved for them.
There was also an Asian Catholic priest with them, complete with collar. I see from Googling that this tour operator is in New Orleans, Louisiana, and offers pilgrimages to different places of interest to Catholics. Again, I’m not Catholic, so I don’t know. I do wonder, though, if they visit Lithuania, a place that seems as religious as Poland is.
Bill and I got the last available table, which was right next to the toilets, and enjoyed a nice heavy lunch, washed down with more beer… Zywiec is a mass produced Polish beer that is very light and refreshing. It’s a lot like water, actually!
More chimney cakes!Good ribs.
Right next door to Stodola 47 is a very inviting underground pub called Dorby Kumpel. So, although I hadn’t planned on the day turning into a pub crawl, that is exactly what it turned into, as we went down to check out the underground bar that was also playing some great Generation X style music! There were a bunch of Brits down there, too, so we didn’t feel out of place. Maybe I should have felt guilty for pub crawling, but our main goal was to relax and enjoy ourselves. We definitely managed to do that in Krakow.
When we emerged from the underground bar, we were confronted by rain showers. So we turned back toward the market square and started heading back the way we came… But then I noticed another inviting pub called Baza. And yes, we stopped in for a bit…
Baza Pub was probably my least favorite of our three stops, mainly because of an annoying guy who happened to be there at the same time we were. The bartender was not the friendliest guy, either. He seemed rather bored with his job. Most of the patrons were sitting outside under umbrellas, probably because they could smoke. The door was left often, though, so the smoke wafted inside the bar. The barkeep would close it, and the annoying guy I referenced would open the door again. That was annoying, but it wasn’t the MOST annoying thing… I did enjoy the artwork.
At one point, I got up to use the toilet, which was unisex. There was one stall, but it hid everything, so it wasn’t a big deal that there weren’t separate rooms for men and women. The annoying man-bunned guy, who had been fouling the air with his chain smoking, came into the bathroom while I was peeing and waited for me to exit the stall. In doing so, he trapped me as I tried to maneuver past the narrow space between the sink and the stall door.
He said, “It’s a very tiny space.” as I worked out what to do.
No shit, guy. Why not wait outside so I can wash my hands in peace? It’s not like there’s a line. 🙄 The guy struck me as a bit of a weirdo. I think the bartender thought so, too.
It was still a bit damp when we left the Baza Bar, but we were still in for a treat. Stevie Wonder was playing and people were kind of dancing along… and then we ran into a group of very talented male breakdancers who entertained us with a fabulous show. I got a video of that.
This is the first video of two I got of this dance group. I will share the other one in the next post.
I had wanted to go looking for artwork, but it was getting late, and was a bit dark and cold. So we kept walking back to the apartment, where we spent the rest of the evening digesting lunch and lots of Polish beer…
Pretty dappled greys…
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped into another church for a few minutes. It turned out to be the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, which definitely should have gotten more of our time. We had to keep it short, because Bill really had to pee! What a beautiful church, though… and just outside, we were confronted by Pope John Paul II again.
Bill turned in our breakfast choices for the next morning while I enjoyed the shower. The most notable thing about the shower in the apartment were the toiletries. They were called Oliva del Mediterraneo, and they smelled lovely. I’ve already started looking to see if I can find a full sized bottle for home!
Stay tuned for my next post about our second day in Krakow!
On October 7th, we awoke to another stunning sunrise. We were going to be moving on to Krakow, Poland, a city I was very curious about and really looked forward to visiting. For years, some of my well traveled friends told me about the beautiful architecture in Krakow.
I had originally thought that maybe we could use the city as a base for visiting Auschwitz, but I soon found out that was impossible. I guess I wasn’t that wedded to the idea of going there, because I didn’t plan ahead. Now that I’ve been to Krakow, I’m glad we didn’t try to go to Auschwitz on this trip. There’s so much to see in the city, and we didn’t really have enough time to do it justice. We’ll have to try to do Auschwitz on a later trip.
Because Krakow isn’t that far from Vyoske Tatry, we took our time packing. Our host at the panoraMic Mountain Residence was really cool about our checkout time. I’m not sure he gets a lot of business at this time of year, although once winter hits, his property will surely be in demand. It will be ski season. He came over to give us a bottle of Slovakian wine and say goodbye, and he brought along his gorgeous dog, a Black Russian Terrier.
I had never seen a Black Russian Terrier before. If I had seen her on her own, I would have assumed she was a large black poodle. Our host explained that Black Russian Terriers, otherwise known as Chornyi Terriers, are dogs that were bred in the Soviet Union during the 1940s and 50s. They are descended from about 17 different breeds of dogs brought from countries where the Soviets were active during World War II. They are not true terriers, but were bred to protect, guard, and serve as companions.
I wish I’d had a chance to take a picture of the host’s dog, who was very well trained and extremely sweet and friendly. She was clearly very bonded to her master, but was also quite happy to accept pets from me. It’s hard to imagine such a loving dog could come from a breed that was known to guard Russian prisons! Obviously, she was okay with cats, too, as the host had several roaming his property.
Bill told the host that our destination was Krakow, but we thought maybe we’d go by way of Zakopane, Poland, since Krakow wasn’t that far from Vyoske Tatry. We needed to take our time getting to our destination, because our lodging would not be ready until 3:00 PM. Vyoske Tatry is maybe a 2 or 3 hour drive from Krakow.
I had read Zakopane was charming, and I wanted to have a look at it. Maybe, if it was charming enough, we might stop there for lunch. The host gave us some suggestions, and said that before we left the area, we should venture down a country road and have a look at the stunning fall colors.
One last picture of our Slovakian lodging…A pretty mountain flower growing in the parking lot…
We did as the host suggested, and it was a good idea, as I got some incredible pictures of fall foliage just before we left Slovakia. We drove back the same way we went to go to the Tree Walk, drove down the country road, and then got on our way to Poland. Below are a few shots before we got on the country road.
Just beyond Bachledka, we encountered the road, which the host had warned would be kind of primitive, but serviceable. I noticed there was a rickety looking arm barrier that was up. I guess when the weather gets bad and they have to close the road, the arm comes down. Or maybe it’s a relic from another era. Anyway, we started down the country road, I got lots of photos, some of which are pretty similar. I still find the colors stunning, and worth the trip! I think Slovakia might be my favorite of all our stops!
I don’t know these people, but I think I know how they were feeling! What a beautiful place!Bill stopped here for a whiz.
I didn’t realize it when I was taking these photos, but we were extremely close to the Polish border. We came back down the country road and got back on our route… Very soon after, we encountered these signs, and everything changed.
Suddenly, the houses looked different. There were steep angled roofs, with wooden panels that looked like they were whittled from a tree. I wish I’d had a chance to take more and better pictures, because the change was very obvious in a short time. There were more billboards, more businesses, more construction areas, and and more traffic. It was obvious there was more money, too.
Just over the Polish border, toward Zakopane…Carved houses!I always see crosses in Poland. There are many Catholics there.
We stopped at a gas station to top off our tank and allow Bill the chance to pee. Bill was instantly delighted to see that in Poland, higher grade gas is available. It was not available in Czechia or Slovakia. I noticed the busier vibe and realized that as charming as the housing was, I was already missing Slovakia’s rugged charm, peace, and quiet.
We didn’t end up stopping in Zakopane. It just looked too touristy to me. At one point, I noticed several huge billboards set up, obviously meant to lure tourists. I wondered how it must feel to the locals who have to look at that shit. Still, it was interesting to see some of the more charming aspects of Poland, and realize how different it is from Czechia and Slovakia. Some things about it were genuinely great.
As time went on, Bill urgently needed to pee again. He grew ever more desperate as we crept toward Krakow on a busy road with no rest areas. He finally got desperate and pulled off at an exit for a small town. At first, he felt like he’d made a big mistake, as the town was very crowded with cars and no parking spots. But then we ended up near a town square that instantly reminded me of Freudenstadt, a city we used to live near when we lived in Jettingen, Baden-Württemberg. It had a charming square, a fountain, and a town hall.
Bill saw an open spot, so he parked the car. As he was getting ready to buy a parking ticket, a lady who was backing out of her spot rolled down her window and said something to me in rapid fire Polish. She smiled and handed me her ticket, which still had about an hour’s worth of time on it. She was gone before I could thank her.
We ended up visiting a patisserie called MonoDe, which, thankfully, had a toilet Bill could use. Over delicious pastries and coffee, which served as lunch, we took care of the urgent business, and enjoyed a rare treat. Welcome to Poland! I still don’t know where it was that we stopped. I’ll have to do some sleuthing later. Edited to add: The town is called Myślenice! It is about 30 kilometers south of Krakow.
This patisserie was a Godsend!And the pastries were delicious, too. I liked Bill’s even better than mine.Looks like Freudenstadt!
We got back on the road to Krakow, and immediately hit more traffic. It turned out there was a McDonald’s very close to the exit where we’d gotten off, and that would have also solved Bill’s pressing problem. But I’m so glad we got off at this little suburban town, ate pastries, and saw a quaint Polish village square. We can go to McDonald’s pretty much anywhere. 😁
Traffic got heavier as we approached Krakow. Fortunately, we had already pre-booked and paid for a parking spot in a huge garage near our Krakow lodging, an apartment over a well-regarded restaurant. Nevertheless, I got pretty antsy as we inched toward the city…
The Poles like their KFC. I spotted one on either side of the highway!Homely church
We were getting closer as we approached what appeared to be a carnival on the side of the road, along with some pretty ugly communist era architecture…
Yikes!
And then, before we knew it, we were there in the garage. I had rented what was called Kanonicza 22, basically the street address of the apartment I found. When I was looking for lodging in Krakow, I was having a hard time deciding where we should go. I was very attracted to Kanonicza 22, but was a bit hesitant, because of the parking situation. This place is on one of the oldest streets in Krakow, and it doesn’t have parking. However, it is very close to the parking garage.
Kanonicza 22 has three apartments available over a small restaurant called Pod Nosem. The restaurant staff run the apartments, which are really more like suites, since they don’t have any cooking facilities. We were in what is known as the Prince Suite, which is on the second floor. Fortunately, there is an elevator.
When we arrived at the Prince Suite, I was blown away how beautiful it was. This huge suite had a living room and a very comfortable bedroom, along with an enormous bathroom. The suite included a large bowl of fresh fruit, a bottle each of red and white wine, still and sparkling water, and a couple of soft drinks. Breakfast was included, and could either be enjoyed in the restaurant, or in the apartment. The only thing I didn’t like about this suite was the mirror by the toilet. Otherwise, it was absolutely gorgeous! I think, for three nights, I paid just under $1,000 for this… I’m so glad I booked it!
Yes, there is also a bidet, which might come in handy!
Since it was late afternoon when we arrived, Bill and I decided to have dinner at Pod Nosem. That, too, was a great experience, although there were a number of Americans there. One couple sat near us and I overheard the male half say that he’d dined there several years before and loved it. He wanted to eat there again on his last visit, but it was fully booked, so he made sure to reserve a spot for his most current trip.
Bill and I tried to keep a low profile, but our waitress soon asked where we were from. I noticed that in Krakow, people generally pegged us for Americans. Or, maybe they just defaulted to English, because if you don’t look like a local, they assume you can speak English…
Below are some photos from dinner… This was our only fine dining experience on the trip.
The amuseSmoked trout with roeBill had a lovely saladI had perch, because it didn’t have mushrooms…Venison for BillThis wine was suggested by the server. It was very good!CheesecakeA brownie with ice creamAnd finally…20 year old Nairi Armenian brandy… AhhhhhA treat to soften the blow of the check. It was pretty reasonable, for what we had.
Our waitress was impressed that we ordered Armenian brandy. She said she’d been to Georgia, but could not go to Armenia, because she didn’t have a passport. That led to a discussion about our American status, and how expensive it is to have an American passport. She said she didn’t want to go to America. I can’t blame her for that!
After dinner, we went back to the apartment for a much needed rest. And that we got, because the bed in the Prince Suite was–hands down– the best of all of our stops on this trip. I would definitely book this property again, in spite of the parking pain!
In the next post, I’ll write about our first glimpse of Krakow.
Well… as I wrote yesterday, we are now home from our epic autumn journey to Eastern Europe. I write Eastern Europe because our almost two weeks away took us to FOUR different countries! We visited Karlovy Vary, Czechia (or Czech Republic, if you prefer). Then, we went to Stary Smokovec, Slovakia (or Vysoké Tatry). From Slovakia, we moved on to Krakow, Poland. Then, we ended in Dresden, Germany, which was once part of East Germany.
As a child of the 70s and 80s, it always amazes me when we visit former “Eastern Bloc” countries. When I was growing up, these were places that were completely off limits to “westerners”. I never thought there’d be a time when we could simply drive to the former Czechoslovakia or Poland.
I thought East Germany would always be forbidden to someone like me. In fact, I remember writing a social studies report about the two Germanys when I was in the sixth grade, and being completely shocked that Germany was divided. I hadn’t known. And now, over 40 years later, here I am living in Germany, and visiting the East with ease! Not only can I easily visit the East, but I can also have a really good time there, because Eastern Europe is nothing like it used to be. But then, I guess it’s just a reminder that I’m getting old, and time is really flying.
I had some specific goals for this trip… and for the most part, my goals went unmet. I had wanted to visit Auschwitz, for instance. That didn’t happen. I thought maybe we’d go to Saxony Switzerland. It was not to be. I didn’t even get to see Frosty the Peacock! But now we have a reason to go back to these fascinating countries and see even more of what we missed. I already have a couple of itineraries in mind.
This trip ran from October 1-13th, which means that my October, so far, has been spent on vacation in Eastern Europe. We took a long break because it had been awhile since our last one, and Bill had some leave to burn. He’s been working very hard over the past few months, so his employer kindly allowed us almost two weeks away from Hessen.
We probably would have come home on Sunday, the 11th, but we had a holiday yesterday– Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day, depending on your views. So, we decided to make the most of the extra day off and squeeze in Dresden, a city we had last visited in November 2008.
We had also visited Karlovy Vary previously, back in February 2009, but that was just for a few hours. The weather was freezing that day, so we didn’t get to explore much of the city. I also didn’t have my camera with me on that 2009 trip. Now, I have lots of pictures of Karlovy Vary and its environs! It was worth going back there for that reason, alone!
Anyway… enough with the intro. Time to get down to business! This will probably be a pretty long series. Most readers will lose interest after the first couple of posts. Nevertheless, I’ll keep writing. At the end, I’ll do my usual “ten things I learned post”, which people seem to appreciate more than the exhaustive blow by blows.
We did not do a lot of touristy stuff on this trip. Instead, we enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere, people watching, and taking lots of photos. We also ate rich food and drank a whole lot of beer. 🍺 For most of our trip, we enjoyed mild, and mostly sunny weather. The fall colors were absolutely stunning! Just the beautiful foliage alone was a feast for the eyes. But we also had some interesting interactions, ate good food, and picked up some fun souvenirs.
So, without further delay, on with the series. Here are a few fall photos to get things started… I took these on a drive we took on day three of our vacation, while we were still in Czechia!
Today is the last day of the Rheingauer Weinwoche in downtown Wiesbaden. Bill and I are usually enthusiastic participants of that particular fest, which features lots of great food, entertainment, and thousands of wines.
But this year, we just haven’t felt like attending. We know what to expect there, because we’ve done it so many times in the past. It’s fun, but kind of “old hat”. Today, the weather is actually pretty nice. The sun is out, but it’s not super hot. I still didn’t feel like going, and Bill had to do some shopping at the commissary, anyway.
So I figured that since I’m not at the fest, awkwardly milling around, looking for a place to sit that won’t offend others… drinking wines that mostly taste the same… promising myself a hangover for tomorrow… I’ll just write about our upcoming fall vacation.
Bill has been working very hard at his job. He has a bunch of conferences coming up, some of which will take him out of town for days at a time. He’s going to Budapest again this year.
I went with him last year, but we decided I’d stay home this time. He’s got back to back conferences in Budapest, and the hotel he booked is in a less tourist oriented area. It does actually look like this year’s hotel might be better lodging than last year’s spot, even though it’s an Ibis. But it gets old trying to dodge the housekeepers, plus it’s no fun going to tourist spots alone, while Bill works.
Bill recently told his bosses that he really needs a vacation, so he arranged to take leave from October 1st until the 13th. Normally, we’d do a champagne bucket drawing to decide where we’d be going. However, this year, we both decided we wanted to do a road trip. I was particularly keen to visit Slovakia, because although we have technically been there, we’ve never done a proper stay there.
My first visit to Slovakia was in 1997, and I stayed in a university dormitory with friends. The second time I visited was a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, back in 2015. I wanted to see a different part of the country, and maybe get some pretty photos of fall foliage. I also wanted to buy some art for the house, and have a nice rest in a spa.
Slovakia is not that close, if you’re going by car. That meant we had to decide where to stop on the way there and back. Initially, I thought I’d like to visit Gorlitz, which is a German border town where a lot of movies have been shot. I actually didn’t know that until I started looking for a good halfway point between Wiesbaden and the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and southern Poland.
But as I was looking at Gorlitz, I realized that it’s really an underrated gem, and there’s a lot to see there. I also realized that I wanted to visit nearby Bautzen, too. And although we went to Dresden in 2008, I think we’re overdue for a visit there, again. I realized that hitting all of those spots would eat up precious time we didn’t have, and we wouldn’t get much “bang for the buck”. That area really demands a separate, more concentrated look.
I hadn’t originally thought of going to Czechia, since we’ve been there a bunch of times already… Valentine’s Day weekend 2009, we went to Chodova Plana and visited Beer Wellness Land, Chodovar. We had a great time, although that was when we learned we would be leaving Germany a year earlier than expected. 🤬
Anyway, after spending a couple of hours deliberating, I finally decided to look for a hotel in Karlovy Vary (also known as Carlsbad), a beautiful spa town in Czechia that is close to Chodovar. Bill and I did a day trip there in 2009, and I was impressed by how grand it was. It’s also where we met Nikolaj Korelov, the Russian artist who painted my favorite piece of art from our travels.
I actually wouldn’t have minded going to Chodovar again, and having a beer bath and a massage. They’ve really built up and expanded that place since 2009, and added a beautiful pool complex. The restaurants are nice– unless things have changed a lot. But I wanted to see more of Karlovy Vary and get some photos. I forgot to bring my camera on that 2009 trip, so I don’t have any good pictures from then. Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town. I’m sure in October, it’s a lot prettier than it is in February!
So, we will spend three nights in Karlovy Vary at Hotel Chateau Cihelny, a property located just outside of the city. There’s a train there, that will get us to Karlovy Vary in eight minutes. It’s also near a golf course (not that we play), and trails for walking.
After our stay in Czechia, we will move on to Slovakia, where I have booked three nights at panoraMic Mountain Residence, a self-catering apartment in Stary Smokovec, a touristy area in the Tatra Mountains. The apartment, which is our cheapest spot, gets rave reviews. That’s why I chose it over the much pricier Kempinski Hotel. I think we’ll enjoy it, because we’re mainly hoping for peace and quiet, forest views, and maybe some gentle hikes.
From Stary Smokovec, we will continue to Krakow, Poland, a city neither of us have yet visited. People have repeatedly recommended Krakow, although I had a hell of a time finding a hotel I liked. I finally settled on Kanonicza 22 another self-catering apartment located in the heart of the city. We will be parking at a nearby garage. This property has three apartments. We took the Duke Suite, which was the only one still available.
I picked Krakow because I heard it’s beautiful, but I also think we’ll try to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is about an hour’s drive from Krakow. I know it will be a very somber, depressing experience visiting that museum, but I really think it’s important to go there and see it. I’ve read a lot about the Holocaust, but nothing beats actually going to the place where this terrible history occurred and seeing it firsthand.
I looked into staying in Oświęcim, where the museum is actually located, but again, had trouble finding a hotel I liked. And we did want to see Krakow itself. If it turns out we like the area, maybe we’ll go back… I thought about staying in Zakopane, too, but that’s in Poland, and I did want to stay in Slovakia, just to say I did.
After three nights in Krakow, we’ll move on to Dresden, and stay at Hotel Suitess, a lovely small luxury hotel we stayed in back in November 2008. I thought long and hard about booking the Kempinski there, too, but it was so much more expensive than the Suitess. We know where the Suitess is, and we know it has all we need. Why spend so much more for the most basic room at the Kempinski, when I can book us an upgraded room at the Suitess for so much less? Yes, the Kempinski has a pool and a sushi restaurant, but I’m not sure that’s worth several hundred euros more.
A few November 2008 era photos from our first Dresden trip.
I think this will be a great trip that will spawn plenty of memories. I hope to find some more art for the house, pick up some Chodovar beers and Il Santo water, and get lots of beautiful photos. If, for some reason, we aren’t able to get to Auschwitz, we’ll just come back… and maybe pair that with a trip to Gorlitze, Bautzen, and the surrounding area. I am still intrigued by those towns and want to do a trip that focuses time on that area. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do that before it’s time for us to leave Europe.
I will say this… we’ve been here so long, and done so many great trips. I feel very fortunate to be so spoiled for choices. And no matter what, we really can’t lose. We always have a great time, no matter where we go. But I did want to do something that doesn’t involve huge cities. I think I have succeeded in these plans. Wish us luck as I research things to do and places to dine. 😁
You must be logged in to post a comment.