All posts by chaput@live.com

Poland

A day in Krakow

We went into the Krakow city center to explore the old quarter. There were beautiful old buildings with great architectural features.

Krakow city center

We walked through the streets looking at the buildings and enjoying the sites. There were many unique features including a bicycle.

Skeleton framed bicycle in Krakow city center.

We came across a beautiful large plaza which had horse-drawn carriages parked there.

Linda, Bev, and Shelley, in the large plaza area in Krakow city center.

We went over to the horse and carriages to check them out. There was one in particular that looked really good.

Horse-drawn carriage in Krakow

We went over to the women and inquired the cost of a ride. The price was reasonable so we decided to take a horse-drawn carriage ride.

Linda, Bev, Ray, and Shelley in Horse Carriage in Krakow

We enjoyed traveling through the streets in the carriage, seeing some of the main sites.

We went shopping along some of the shops in the city center. There were some specialty shops and unique stores.

Bev and Shelley going into a shoe store in Krakow

There some beautiful restaurants, pastry shops and cafes located in the plaza and streets.

Cafe on the side street in city center of Krakow

The visit to Krakow was very interesting and quite enjoyable.

“do widzenia i wielki dzień”

Poland

Authentic Polish Restaurant

We went to a great authentic Polish restaurant in the old city center of Krakow. The restaurant was called “Gościnna Chata” which translates to “Guest Cottage”. The restaurant was located on a side street in the town center of Krakow.

Entrance to Gościnna Chata restaurant in Krakow

What attracted us to the restaurant was the unique decorations and the authentic Polish menu. We went into the restaurant entrance area and could see a quaint waiting area. There was a genuine fur draped over a bench for people to sit and wait for a table.

Entrance waiting area in the Restaurant

The main area of the restaurant was decorated with some unique items. There were wooden carvings of different faces throughout the restaurant.

We sat down at our table and looked around the room. There were so many unique things to see. There was hanging wooden baskets with candles in them and holes in the ceiling and straw on the rafters.

There were sculptures throughout the restaurant and the staff was also dressed in traditional Polish attire.

Ray with a carved wooden statue looking over his shoulder

We ordered some traditional polish food and enjoyed the great atmosphere of the restaurant. The waitress brought over a complimentary polish appetizer which consisted of bread, butter, and a lightly flavored lard.

Lard as part of the appetizer at the restaurant.

We tried the lard and it was quite tasty although we did not eat much of it. The waitress also lit a candle on the table which was a little concerning for Ray. He felt the candle was a bit too unprotected to be used in a restaurant.

Bev at the restaurant with a candle lit on the table.

We had some polish soup and assorted polish styled dishes which were very tasty and enjoyable. After our meal, we went downstairs to check out the decor.

Ray on the stairs on the lower level of the restaurant

 

There was a cozy area that was set up with some tables.

The restaurant had great decor and was a perfect spot for our traditional polish meal.

“Do widzenia i wielki dzień”

Spain

A day in Segovia, Spain

We went to the beautiful city of Segovia, located north of Madrid. The historic town of Segovia was established around 75 B.C. and is known for its Roman aqueduct.

Bev, Shelley, and Ray in Segovia near the Roman Aqueduct.

The aqueduct is a central focus of the city and was an amazing site to see. The architectural and ingenuity of the design was impressive.

Segovia Roman Aqueduct

The aqueduct was built during the first century AD and there is no mortar of any kind in the structure. It has endured the test of time delivering water until 1922 when the city blocked the flow of water through the aqueduct.

Segovia aqueduct constructed with no mortar in 1st-century A.D.
View of the two tiers of the aqueduct in Segovia

The line of arches is organized into two levels, the top pillars are both shorter and narrower than those on the lower level. On the upper level, of the aqueduct, the arches are 5.1 meters (16.1 ft) wide. The top of the structure contains a channel through which the water traveled. The overall length of the raised aqueduct section is 813 meters and is 28 meters high ( 92 feet).

One of the arches in the Segovia aqueduct.

After exploring the aqueduct, we explored the main area of Segovia and saw some of the historic sites.

Cathedral of Segovia
City hall in Segovia Spain.
View of the old quarter in central Segovia
Statue near church of San Martin in Segovia
Church of San Martin in Segovia

Segovia is also on the main route of the Camino de Santiago de Madrid. We walked along the streets of Segovia admiring the beautiful buildings. The city is rich with history and we could see it almost everywhere in the old quarter. It is truly a beautiful city.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

Netherlands

Venice of the North

We went to Amsterdam for a few days and explored this amazing city.

Ray in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is also known as the “Venice of the North” because of all the canals. There are 165 canals covering over 100 kilometers in Amsterdam.

We decided to take a dinner cruise and enjoy the canals in the evening. We arrived at around 7 p.m. and lined up to get onboard our cruise boat.

Each table was reserved and we had a nice table near the rear of the boat.

We set off and shortly after the waiter served us with wine and cava. The cruise was a very calm and the slow ride down some of the less traveled canals made it enjoyable. We enjoyed the wine and relaxed as we passed by some of the amazing homes.

Beautiful homes along the canals in Amsterdam

We came across some interesting things on our cruise. There were restaurants and other businesses located on boats anchored on the canals. There was the largest Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam which happens to be a floating barge.

We also saw some unique buildings and boats located at the canals.

During the cruise, we were served an amazing meal. There was a kitchen on board and the chef made the meal while we toured the canals.

Shelley, Ray, and Bev on boat cruise

During the evening cruise, it became dark and we were able to see the canals at night. The canals take on a new appearance and feel after dark.

The buildings, canals, and bridges take on a new look at night. The bridges have lights on the arches and light shimmers across the water of the canals.

The cruise was very relaxing and enjoyable. We had a delicious meal and was able to see Amsterdam on the water. It is definitely a great way to see the city and the canals.

“tot ziens en een goede dag”

Spain

Alcázar of Segovia, Spain

The Alcázar of Segovia is a world heritage site in beautiful Segovia Spain. This castle is unique and is recognizable by its unique style. It is claimed that Walt Disney Castle was inspired by a variety of  Castles including the Segovia Castle.

Peaked style roof at Alcázar Castle in Segovia, Spain

Note the similar style of roofs between the Disney Castle and the Alicázar Castle.

Walt Disney Cinderella Castle

The Alcázar Castle was built high above the point of two rivers on cliffs between two rivers.  The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but over the centuries it has also been used as a royal palace, a prison, and a military garrison.

Inside the castle, there were numerous rooms with assorted artifacts. We walked through the different rooms looking at the architecture and displays.

Ray and Bev “guarding the Door” in the Alicázar castle
medieval armory on display in the castle.
Displays in the Alicázar castle

All of the ceilings were ornately decorated and painted.

One of the ceilings in the Segovia castle.

In the center of the castle, there was a large courtyard with a central fountain.

Bev and Shelley in central courtyard of the Castle in Segovia

The castle had some unique features that definitely resembled the Disney castle.

We enjoyed walking through the rooms and exploring the 12-century castle.

“Adios y que tenga un gran dia”