Wroclaw (vrat-slav), Poland

Wroclaw was one of very few European cities I really wasn’t looking forward to visiting. I expected a boring town with no character…thankfully I could not have been more wrong! Wroclaw is a pleasant little city, with a thriving student population, and several unique, historical oddities. The arena we played had once hosted Nazi rallies lead by Hitler himself!
I literally stumbled over my first surprise; at the corner of ul. Pilsudskiego and u. Swidnicka is a sculpture of 7 bronze statues descending into the pavement on the east side of the street and ascending on the west side. I’ve since found that this is called the Passage Sculpture and was created to commemorate the installation of martial law in 1981 to end Soviet oppression.
As I ventured into old town, I was awestruck by the vibrant Town Hall in Rynek, the main market square. Most of the old town area was destroyed in WWII, but like Warsaw, has since been rebuilt to model its original appearance. The Polish towns that I have visited are so colorful, it says a lot for the resilience of the Polish spirit considering the many sufferings these people have endured over the centuries.
In the corner of Rynek I found the Hansel and Gretel houses, two charming buildings linked by a archway dating back to 1728. Originally it lead to the nearby Church of St. Elizabeth’s cemetery, which explains why the Latin inscription reads “Death is the Gateway to Life.”
As I left the square, I noticed a row of decorative marble balls lining the street, the lead ball being pushed by a pair of cute gnome statues. Later, after I had my giggle and a photo, I learned that these unusual dwarf statues were all over the old town area. The dwarve's connection to Wroclaw began with Orange Alternative movement, when graffiti of happy dwarves were painted over anti-communist slogans on city walls in a peaceful, alternative protest to communism. Today there are more than 40 statues, which made for an extremely fun, and educational, day of dwarf hunting for the amateur travel photographer. And the cultural/fun – pierogi eater, sleepyhead, etc. -- background of each statue was very entertaining.
Maybe I am just easily amused, but those little statues really changed my entire outlook on Wroclaw. Had it not been for them I would not have discovered how beautiful or interesting this city is…and most importantly, I would not be looking forward to returning as much as I am now.

Spontaneous Paris

When Tracey and I re-united with our other halves, Maria and Tash, a plan was hatched for the four of us to do a weekend getaway together, but our hopes of it happening soon dwindled as we compared schedules. But we realized it was only Friday of the weekend and we had no plans for Saturday, so online we went to book our hotel and the next morning we were off to Paris! We were on the biggest high from our spontaneity and the weekend really could not have been any more perfect. We left Amsterdam rain and headed toward the French sunshine, so warm that we were able to put the top down in Tash's sleek Audi (4 girls in a high-end convertible, total guy magnet) as we navigated our way through the Parisian streets. The hotel we booked was a real score, right in the heart of the Latin Quarter and very quaint; small but classy, just like us! Our first order of business after settling in, a brasserie for some French fromage and coffee. After we were well satiated we continued to wander through the cobble stone streets of the Latin Quarter, down to the Seine and over to the Louvre. All the sites were closed by the time we got out and about, but we were quite happy to just take in the Parisian vibe and stroll about. After our dinner we went to another brassiere – Le Buci – and had the most delicious chocolate mousse ever. I hadn’t been much of a fan up until then, but anytime I see mousse on a menu I will be sure to be saving room. The next morning we woke early, eager to soak up as much of Paris as we could before leaving later that day, but sadly Paris wasn’t as interested in us and almost everything was closed! Luckily the brassiere from the previous day’s fromage stop was opened so we went and had a traditional French breakfast of baguettes, croissants, butter, jam, and coffee. Afterwards we headed on to visit Notre Dame cathedral, a very remarkable and impressive church. As it was Sunday there was a mass being celebrated, which was really a treat to see. Before leaving our fair Pari(s), we stopped for lunch at yet another brassiere in our adopted neighborhood. I decided to go authentic and had the cheeseburger with FRENCH fries, topped off with a tasty crème brulee, which was still flaming when brought to the table. The car ride back was just as fun as the one there – lots of laughing and general silliness – it was a perfect end to an incredible weekend with some very good friends.

Venice Carnevale

Venice on it’s own is a completely incredible and interesting place, but to see it at carnevale is mind blowing….a photographers dream! There is no vehicular traffic in the city so we had to travel like the Venetians from the airport, by water bus. As soon as we could see San Marco square we felt the excitement in the air. People in 18th century costumes and masks were everywhere! It was a sea of color with an unmistakable air of regality. The masked people did not talk at all – not to each other and not to us, but were all too happy to stop and pose for every tourist with a camera. They glided through the winding canals on their way to fabulous balls, tipping their hats to other costumed passer-bys as if they were in 300 year old bubble and the rest of us were on the outside looking in. There wasn’t much formality to the pageantry, it was just individual prerogative to dress as you wished and stroll about. The splendor was slightly spoiled by some misguided tourists who got in the spirit by wearing afro wigs or other silly get-ups that was much more appropriate for Halloween than carnevale, but the spectacle created by the serious still out-shined. In between all the people watching, there was lots of pizza eating, bubbly Presseco in the San Marco Piazza (set us back a small fortune, but hey it was worth it), a romantic gondola ride for 3 single ladies, and bag shopping on the Rialto bridge. We got into the spirit a little ourselves, managing to get through the maze of canals to the mask shop that created some of the costumes for the Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman movie, “Eyes Wide Shut.” Predictably, my mask wouldn’t stay on my odd-shaped head but it was good fun while it lasted. My favorite part of the trip was seeing the streets at 6am on the way to the airport. I didn’t want to leave the fairytale but the early morning aura of Venice carnevale was amazing to experience…there were still masked people about and a very befitting morning fog, but hardly any tourists reminding you that you had not actually been transported back to the 1700s. I wish I had more undisturbed moments like that, but I will certainly hope to return to the Venice Carnevale again to absorb each and every one I can get.

Slovenia

The mystery is finally solved! Župančič, Zoo-pan-check is the correct spelling & pronunciation. As it turns out, I am a distant relative of a famous hockey player and there is a street in the capital city, Ljubljana, named for my family…or maybe it’s named for the actual meaning of the word, “mayor”? Whatever the case, it was a thrill to finally see some validation of my heritage and explore my roots. Now I know that we were/are some very important people who came from a friendly, welcoming, and incredibly beautiful country.
And what was the very first thing we saw after crossing the Slovene border? A tractor driving down the road, it felt just like home!
The village where we stayed, Ratece, was like a movie set. Snow was piled up to our ears, old ladies greeted each other on the wooden bridge at the end of our lane, we awoke to the ringing bells of the local church, the picturesque Julian Alps filled the horizon, cross country skiers skied uphill mere feet from our balcony, and the cozy village restaurants served only delicious home cooking. Our neighbors in this unspoiled landscape? Haystacks and Lipizzaner stallions….
The first full day of our stay, we went skiing at Kranskja Gora. The quaint ski town was almost as nice as ours but far more commercialized with big hotels, shops, and restaurants. In the evening, we rested our tired bones in the thermal healing waters that Slovenia is famous for with an alpine aromatic bath. Tracey & I shared the bath (in our swimsuits of course), giggling all the while, but it was still soothing & calming nonetheless and especially nice on a cold winter evening.
The next morning I had my first full body chocolate massage – yes, it smelled wonderful and no I did not try to lick myself. After I was properly relaxed with the lingering smell of cocoa on my skin, we took a road trip to the enchanting Lake Bled and Bled Castle. The glacial lake contains the only island in Slovenia on which stands the Church to the Assumption. Tricky to get to in the best of weather, it definitely wasn’t happening for us in late February! On the rocky cliff high above is Bled Castle with spectacular views and an amazing 5 star restaurant where the day of pampering continued with a scrumptious steak lunch, the only thing that was missing was a some local vino but as the responsible driver I had to put that indulgence on hold until we got home.
We intended to spend our last day on another excursion to Ljubljana, but since our rental car was “100% frozen” (official diagnosis provided by the local tow-truck driver) most of our day was spent waiting for our SUV to thaw. It was disappointing to lose so much time, but it was hard to be too upset with the beautiful, serene scenery all around.
There were only a few hours of daylight left by the time we arrived Ljubljana, the name derived from the word “beloved,” after visiting I can see it was so for very good reason, but we had enough time to get the vibe and see the major sites. I really enjoyed seeing the ornate door of the Saint Nicolas Cathedral, strolling along the old town promenade of the Ljubljanica River, and tasting a krof (fruit filled, powdered donut) near the Triple Bridge.
I was sorry there wasn’t more time to enjoy Slovenia, but now I know it really is just as beautiful and interesting as I imagined. I should have no trouble persuading others to join me for another visit in the future, preferably summer next time.
Now it’s off to Venice and the second half of a truly amazing holiday!

Vilnius, Lithuania

Although I am always excited to visit new places, I was unusually enthusiastic about going to Vilnius. I thought it was simply because it was another country I had never expected to visit, but as I later learned that I actually have some Lithuanian ancestry thanks to my Great-Grandfather!
Not surprisingly, I found Lithuania/Lietuva a bit quirky (so very familiar to me) and filled with nice people, beautiful architecture, and tasty food.
February isn’t the height of the tourist season, and with temps averaging -3 degrees and only 2 hrs of sunlight per day it is for good reason, but it was nice not having any crowds to battle in order to see the city or experience real Lithuanian culture.
Our first day there, my work friends and I strolled down the Gediminas Prospektas, the main street of Vilnius, a diverse street of banks, government institutions, theaters, the national library, and other shopping and dining options towards Vilnius Cathedral and the central meeting point of the city. There is a tile near the belfry marked with the word “stebuklas” or miracle, which marks the spot where the 1989 human chain of 2 million Lithuanians protesting Soviet occupation ended. It’s said that if you stand on the tile and turn around clockwise you will be granted a wish…my wish is that I had known this before I found the tile!
Our next stop was the Gediminas Tower - named for the 14th century Grand Duke or High King of Lithuania - the only remaining part of the upper Vilnius castle. This tower is a historic symbol of the country and is even depicted on the national currency, the lita. From that vantage point, 48 m above the city, we could see The Hill of Three Crosses, where legend has it Franciscan monks who were trying to spread Christianity were tortured to death and thrown into the Vilnia River.
Around 4pm the sun was down so we decided to pop into a coffee shop to warm up and then proceeded on to a wine bar (hey, you got to do what you got to do to stay warm!) to kill some time before dinner. We sampled traditional Lithuanian atmosphere –live chickens greeted us at the door! -- and food at Cili Kaimas. My adventurous undertaking was the aptly named “cili kaimas” or baked meat dumplings. They looked a lot like pierogies yet tasted a bit like lasagna, in short they were incredibly delicious!

The following day I strolled around the Old Town area some more, enjoying the winding cobbled stone streets, and taking in the unique atmosphere. It was freezing! so there were many stops for coffee and pizza, but I also managed to fit in a stop at the 15th century St. Anne’s Church, which is virtually unchanged since that time. The interior seemed a little dilapidated but the fact that it is still in it’s nearly original form made it all the more interesting and unique. After this trip to Vilnius, I am rather proud to claim myself as part Lithuanian!

Malta, part 2

It was nice to visit Malta again, this trip I had much more time to site see, (mostly) better weather, I found the Maltese falcon, and had a very pleasent ride home in a police car! After dinner one night, I decided to call it an early evening while the rest of my work friends stayed out, but no taxis were arriving at the stop, which was conveniently located right next to a remote police station. When I asked the officers there if they had a number I could call they kindly offered me a ride instead. It was all very funny, I was jut sorry none of my work colleagues were at the hotel to see me arrive…ooh, the story I would have given!
In my free time from work, I visited the National Museum of Archaeology and was quite intrigued by the pre-historic art, which was mainly phallic shaped or portraying a very shapely female form. The most interesting piece on exhibit was the Sleeping Lady. It’s believed to represent death or eternal sleep. It is no bigger than the palm of your hand, but it dates back as far as 3000 B.C.!
On the other free day, my friend Charles and I took a site seeing bus tour around the island. I was surprised by just how many different, interesting areas there were to explore. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to make many stops, but we did manage time for a cozy lunch in the medieval, walled city of Mdina, which comes from the Arabic word for fortified place. Today it is known as the silent city, but it was once the capital of the country due to it’s strategic position at the highest point of the island and the farthest from the sea. Eventually, as trading and thus the need to be closer to the sea grew in importance, the capital was officially moved to Valletta and everyone moved out of pretty Mdina...hence the silent city. Now it is a tourist destination, probably really incredible in the summer time when all the shops and restaurants are open, but not so much on a chilly, rainy, and generally nasty winter day! Although the weather wasn’t very cooperative, we did enjoy our very short time there. We shopped for Mdina glass and had some tasty pizza and chocolate cake at the lovely Fontanella Tea Garden café, positioned inside the city walls with amazing views over the countryside.
The more I come back to Malta, the more I like it – I just hope next time I will have the good fortune to visit in the summertime!

Sweden for the New Year

I didn’t have to work over the New Year’s holiday so my friend from work, Rixt, and I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and check out Stockholm since neither of us had ever been but had heard plenty of good things.
It was just as we imagined, really, really cold!, but also very beautiful and clean. Our hotel was just at the end of the main shopping street so we spent our first day basically strolling around and checking out the quaint souvenir shops, restaurants, and various other boutiques throughout the winding, cobbled stone streets of Gamla Stan (old town) area. Stockholm is built on 14 islands so there were amazing waterfront views basically everywhere you looked. It took quite a while to walk the 3 km because we literally had to stop every 30 minutes at some of the thousands of coffee shops around the city to warm up!
The first night we discovered the world’s largest Christmas tree and had a very authentic dinner of Swedish meatballs, the best ever!, at the Pelikan, a 100 year old beer hall.
On New Year’s Eve we went to the Vasa museum, an indoor exhibit of the world’s oldest war ship that sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628! The ship was entirely intact and completely restored after its rescue from the bottom of the ocean in 1961, 333 years later. After a few hours of gazing at this amazing piece of history, we ventured on to Skansen, displaying actual period homes, churches, barns, windmills, etc. from various regions of Sweden and the indigenous wildlife to the country such as moose and reindeers….what could be more festive?
NYE night, we tried in vein to find a nice restaurant for dinner in old town, but as we had no booking we were reduced to an extremely dodging Mongolian bbq, but it accomplished our need for nourishment before ringing in 2009 with the Disney On Ice crew that was in town. Although their hotel party was quite a trek from the city centre, we had the best views of the most spectacular fireworks display I’ve ever witnessed – the entire Stockholm skyline was ablaze for no less than 30 consecutive minutes.
Since pretty much everything in Stockholm was closed on New Year’s Day, we took an excursion to, what we expected would be the sleepy town of, Stigtomta. To our delight, we found that the city had a massive lake where tons of people were spending the day ice skating. It was incredible watching people skating off as far as the eye could see. Of course all of the cute shops in the very quaint village were closed for the holiday, but the trip was well worth it just to see how Swedes enjoy a typical day of winter recreation.
I class the first visit to Sweden as a major success and the ringing in of ’09 as possibly the most pleasant I’ve ever had!