Zamki

Want to live like a king? Try visiting a castle. Castles in Poland are like Mormon churches in Provo—they’re everywhere. We only visited two: Niedzieca and Wawel. Behold the photos.

The Sad Side of Poland

Stepping through the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau was surreal. We arrived before 10 so we were allowed to wander without a tour. It was humbling to see the conditions in which the Russian soldiers, Romas and Jewish prisoners lived.

One exhibit showed newspaper clippings where top German officials bragged about the extermination of Jewish Poles, asserting the camp’s deprivation and starvation puts them in their place and is no more than they deserve. The rank hatred was nauseating and incomprehensible.

The children were especially touched by the displays of confiscated belongings. Piles and piles of shoes, brushes, suitcases and pots and pans line the hallways like an honor guard paying homage to the fallen. We didn’t take many photos. It felt like an intrusion.

The film wasn't shown the day we went, that may have been too much for the children. However, the camp left an impression. I hope my children always remember. 

Needless to say when Mike and I suggested we visit Schindler’sFactory a few days later we were met with resistance. As E put it, “It’s just too sad.” We went anyway.

This museum, located on the outskirts of the city, is excellent. The display tells the story of Krakow during WWII and explains what happened to the Jews forced into the ghetto—their life, work and death. A film at the beginning of the exhibit gives the details of the Schindler factory and features several former employees. It was very well done. 

The Church in Poland

After enjoying the mountains of Zakopane, we headed to Mike’s old mission stomping grounds—Katowice. We stayed in a highrise apartment with a killer view. The view was meant to be compensation for no wifi…again we were cut off from the outside world. Good thing Mike’s Polish is so good and the lay of the land is roughly familiar.

Just a few minutes from Katowice is the budding metropolis and pilgrimage destination of Częstochowa. Every year thousands of Catholic Poles make the journey, many on foot, to celebrate mass and pay homage to the Black Madonna at Jasna Góra. 

The Black Madonna has a long history that some say dates back to St. Luke himself. She is credited with turning the tide in the Second Northern War in 1665 and afterward was named as the protector of Poland.  However, it’s the story surrounding the marks on the Madonna’s face that hold a sacred fascination for pilgrims.

According to legend, (Mike’s version anyway), the monastery housing the painting was attacked by Hussite raiders in the 1400’s. During the assault a lone horseman charged the icon slashing it with his sword. The two slashes began to bleed scaring the warriors away and making an unrepairable scar on the Madonna's face. Other versions tell of Hussite thieves who stole the artifact only to have their horses refuse to move. Frustrated, the thieves remove the Madonna from the wagon angrily thrashing the face. The perpetrator ended up writhing in agony on the ground. 

The church itself is very well preserved. The week we were there was the week of the Assumption of Mary (Aug 15) so it was particularly crowded with pilgrims in matching t-shirts. There was standing room only in the nave as the throng celebrated the mass complete with singing and guitar accompaniment. It was beautiful. We inched forward and eventually we made it to the gate separating the painting from the crowd. We could almost see the Madonna. However, the open, panoramic view from the top of the bell tower compensated for the constricted view inside the church. We couldn't see the Madonna very well, but the city looked nice.

The next day we changed gears and headed to our own church. We had a bit of a driving adventure getting there when, because of some construction confusion, we ended up driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Oops. When we finally made it the meeting had already begun. The missionaries jumped right in, offering us headsets and translating. It was amazing to have church in English again. It was a good meeting and the elder who did the translating was rewarded by E with a hand-drawn picture of Christ.

After sacrament meeting we headed to the home of Mike’s friend Miroslaw Krynicki and his wife Mariola. We were treated to an afternoon of Polish hospitality—so much delicious food—and the opportunity to catch up on what’s happened over the last 20 years. Mariola was completely smitten with E and spoiled her all afternoon. It was interesting to see how a Polish family lives. They were so kind to us.

Our Sunday in Krakow was a much different experience. We met the missionaries as we made our way to our flat and they told us where the church was. Kismet, right? Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication and when Sunday arrived we ended up in the wrong place. We didn't let that stop us and eventually we arrived at church…late again.

At church we were delighted to meet an expat family (she’s American, he’s Polish) who has lived in Poland for the last 14 years. Since there were English speakers we decided to stay for all three meetings. It was delightful to meet the saints, many of whom were recently baptized, and enjoy their spirit. The church still struggles in Poland, but as the members shared their conversion stories they radiated with faith and hope for the future. For example, Danka, who joined in June, quit her job so she could come to church and was now unemployed and struggling to find a place to work that isn't open on Sundays. But she wasn't negative about it at all. Instead she smiled and told me in her broken English that she knew things would work out. What an example of fortitude and strength. 

Good Clean Fun à la Pologne

Traveling with kids is always an adventure. There are only so many museums, churches or other historic sites you can see before mental meltdown begins. Add the eight-year age range of our kids and it adds a whole new level of complexity. Luckily, there are some activities that win everyone over.

One day in particular we headed for fun with the animal kingdom at the Krakow Zoo. E was in HEAVEN!! The very first thing we saw was the elephants (her favorite). They were so close, you could probably touch one if they had a mind to reach out a trunk. One of the fun things about European zoos (at least in my experience) is the close proximity of the enclosures to the spectators.

Another favorite was the flamingos. That was particularly fun because we’ve seen flamingos in the Camargue Nature Reserve in France. It was hilarious to watch them scratch their backs using their heads, march in place trying to get one another’s attention and stand on one leg. They are bit hypnotic.

But the best part of the adventure (for E anyway) was the petting zoo. We arrived at lunch time, so there was a worker handing out slices of carrots to the children to feed to the animals. There were ponies, donkeys, llamas, sheep, tortoises, chickens, guinea pigs and bunnies… all available to pet and feed. E bravely went to the worker, procured a handful of carrots and went to feed the ponies. It’s funny how motivated she is by animals. There are not many things that could propel that timid little lady to talk to interact with someone she doesn’t already know.

After returning from the zoo we had a little down time and then headed off to a totally new experience: Challenge Accepted—a real-life escape game. Players are “locked” in a room where they must decode the clues to find the combination to a safe where the key to the door is. There is a 50-minute time limit. You can ask for clues if you get stuck. We played the classroom version. It was a blast.

After the game, most of us headed back to our apartment while Mike went to get a haircut. His baldish head was looking pretty scruffy ;). When he came home, not only was his head cleanly shorn, but he was sporting a new blazer. Apparently he had gone wondering and discovered a second-hand clothing store that sold goods priced by the kilo. Wish we had a store like that in Gréoux.

Mike is quite the shopper. He read a review on TripAdvisor about the fabulous Renata Hat Shop, so off we went. The reviews were accurate. The shopkeeper was very sweet and we had a lot of fun trying on hats. She found a hat for everyone to try. In the end we left with three hats—a fedora for Mike, an aviator hat for J and pink, woven sun hat for E.

Our last Saturday in Poland looked like rain so naturally we headed to the local indoor water park. Park Wodny is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. We enjoyed the waterslides, lazy river and climbing wall. There was something for everyone. If you’re feeling sheepish about your Speedo, trunks are allowed. It’s a must experience for the museumed-out tourist. 

A Little Polish R&R

We arrived in Krakow close to midnight. We made the journey without any mishaps so everyone was in good mood and ready for an adventure. At the terminal exit a man stood holding a sign that read, “Michael Francom.” I’ve always wanted that to happen. Who knew all it took was a rental car reservation.

We climbed into our seven-seater, black Jeep Comander and headed off to find our accommodations for the night. The hotel was about a 20 minute drive from the airport. After a few wrong turns here and there—despite having a GPS—we found a place to hit the hay.

After a decent night’s sleep we met downstairs to try a Polish continental breakfast which included: apple juice that tasted like candy, warm milk, kefir (a kind of lumpy drinkable yogurt), bread and jam, sliced meat and cheese, cornflakes mixed with chocoballs and of course hot dogs.

After we were sufficiently nourished we checked out of our hotel and headed to the Wieliczka salt mine. The mine is an expansive labyrinth of intricately carved caverns, churches and statues. Legend has it that Princess Kinga of Hungary who was engaged to marry a Prince of Krakow asked her father for a salt mine as a wedding gift. The gift was granted and the princess went to the mine (in Hungary) and dropped her wedding ring down the mine shaft and headed to Poland. Upon arriving, she asked some miners to begin digging. Of course the servants not only found salt but they also found the princess’s wedding ring. It was a miracle.

The mine reaches a depth of more than 300 meters and includes a wellness retreat where patrons can take advantage of the unique microclimate. Our tour guide swears the air in the mine keeps people young. We concluded our tour with a bite to eat in the mine cafeteria where we got our first taste of some of Mike’s favorite polish dishes like galabki (a kind of stuffed cabbage).

After seeing the mine we headed to the rural south of Poland—a city called Zakopane. On the way there Mike drooled over the road-side cheese stands. As soon as we stopped he bought a smoked cheese loaf—serek. No one really liked it J.

We made it to our rental house and were horrified to discover there was no wifi. How would we survive? We decided to drown out our frustration with a good meal and movie (Mr. Magoo dubbed in Polish).

The next day we headed to Morski Oko, the largest lake in the Tatra Mountains and one of Mike's mission haunts. It isn’t far from Zakopane, but the journey took us quite a while because of the traffic on the usual European-standard two-lane road. While we inched toward the parking lot, shuttle vans and taxis threaded through traffic, sometimes meeting cars coming the other direction and blocking traffic both ways. Sometimes a van would meet a van and they would stop, tire-to-tire, in a stand-off, waiting for the other to move out of the way. It made for a good show.

After we finally parked we began our ascent. Tourists with deep pockets take a horse-drawn cart to the trail head and walk 2 km to the lake. Those of us who are more adventurous walk the entire 9 km.  The trail more closely resembles a road for most of the way, and despite the slight gradient the way was easy. We made it to the top in a couple hours. We took photos, made a quick pit stop and left. It was beautiful but very crowded.

We stopped for refreshment at a café a couple km down the trail where we had our first Polish kielbasa (delicious!), zapiekanki (a kind of breadish pizza with ketchup), icecream and waffles. We were ready to go. About 5 km from the car, it began to rain. At 3 km it was pouring. We were all soaked through. It was hilarious. After looking at the total distance traveled, we decided we had walked a half-marathon that day. Not bad.

Taking a minute to rest our tootsies and enjoy the scenery.

A rocky short-cut option for adventurous hikers.

Enjoying the view at the top.

Mexican Food

There are three main things we miss from the states: Family, Friends, and Mexican food.  After spending the last two weeks in Poland, there is a lot to share, but this one couldn't wait.  We found an authentic Mexican place in Krakow, and had to eat there!  

Strange to see a pinata against this Eastern European architecture.

Meredith could hardly contain herself :).

The food was good, and very close to Mexican

Sign meaning "Men's room"

Adios!

Backpacking the French Alps

J, A and I went backpacking in Parc National des Ecrin, in the French Alps.  We would love to have you come join us on a similar trip sometime!  Let's get on the trail...

...and to camp, about an hour and a half later.

On the trail early next morning.

Amazing views from the trail.

Triple selfie.

Moving to the snow line.

At our destination - Lac de Vallonpierre, still below the snow and ice.

The refuge, looking across the lake.

View from the top.

Enjoying the plant life on the way down.

 And on the way back, new favorite waterfall, thanks to glacier melt-off.  A nice place to soak tired feet before the trip home.

FIN.