Category: Czech Republic & Poland

Our meetings in distant countries coming from different directions of the world have not exactly been smooth sailing to date. This trip was no exception, Rosie was stuck in Istanbul, in the middle of a packed departures hall having missed her flight to Prague.

Oh yes, tis the season, Rosie has been longing to visit The European Christmas Markets forever and The Czech Republic and Poland are supposed to have some of the best!  The sparkle and the twinkle of lights on the wee huts selling seasonal treasures in the freezing cold…in Rosies minds eye there is always snow and steaming mulled wine.

Prague, what a city to start our wintry adventures in!  Its minus -6 and Rosie and The Operator have hit the old town which is two steps from their apartment.  Everyone is wrapped up warm, there are so many fur trims and huge woolly pompoms bobbing about.  Scarves cover mouths and eyes peer from above.  People talk with huge plumes of steam issuing from mouths which mingle with the wafts of steam from cups of mulled wine that they hold.

Walking back home over the Charles Bridge, just taking our time clutching a steaming cup of mulled wine was awesome.  A tourist was standing by the rail throwing bread into the air for the swooping gulls to catch and the river had turned pastel with the distant bridges a pale blue.  Even though the bridge was more crowded than ever, standing there looking out over the city Rosie and The Operator felt like they were the only ones there.

The spiky dark towers of St Vitus Cathedral sits within the grounds of Prague Castle looking over the whole city from its perch on the hilltop.  This church will be in every photo you take of Prague when you are in the Old Town looking out over the river towards the castle on the hill.

Rosie just didn’t know where to look first!  Bones lined the walls with skulls sitting in the middle of them like some macabre flower head.  A Crucifix made out of bones was above the entryway with bones emanating out like parched white rays of light. 

The Lennon wall has been there for a few years and keeps getting added to layer upon layer….some of the beautiful original artwork has been covered over with initials and tagging but it was a riot of colour with the white snow as a backdrop…and there was only us…and a busker at 0930. 

Stepping out into the main square of Wroclaw was like walking through the wardrobe and into the fir tree forest of cold wintery Narnia…literally.  The city Christmas market has been set up for a couple of weeks and is positioned around the large open Market Square called The Rynek.

The Gnomes of Wroclaw are hiding everywhere at ground level in the CBD, it takes a sharp eye to spot them and the Operator has the jump on Rosie who cannot take her eyes off the beautiful skyline of this city.

The Rynek Glowny  (Main Market Square) of Krakow is impressive, the sheer size and scale of it is immense as you stand on the periphery and look around.  The footprint of this square is the original layout from when the city was founded in 1257, it measures 200×200 meters making this square the largest medieval square in Europe.

The day dawned grey, frosty and just as somber as our destination today, the Auschwitz & Birkenau Concentration Camp an hours drive up the road from Krakow. Rosie had to visit this site.  She felt she owed it to the 1.3 million people who died here, in this camp, where the name alone is infamous and known worldwide…Auschwitz.

The day started out a little damp and dreary, perfect weather to spend underground in the Wieliczka Salt Mines just 13km out of Krakow. This unique UNESCO tourist attraction is something a little different and one we have heard not to be missed. 

Rosie circled a finger and kind of did a stab on the map for an over night stop to break the journey, plus, she also wanted to stay in a smaller town and have a bit of down time.   Rosie and The Operator sure hit the random jackpot with Telc!

Cesky Krumlov is a jewel of a perfectly preserved medieval town that sits in the heartland of the Czech Republic.  The town is nestled around the serpentine meanderings of the Vlatlva River as it flows onward to Prague.  Reflecting the romantic translation of its name into English which means ‘Crooked Meadow’.