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.
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 SegoviaCity hall in Segovia Spain.View of the old quarter in central SegoviaStatue near church of San Martin in SegoviaChurch 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.
I decided to take an early morning walk from my hotel to one of the biggest parks in Madrid called “Parque del Buen Retiro”. I started out walking along some of the back streets of Madrid towards the park. It was a fairly quiet walk and I was able to enjoy the serenity of being fairy alone in this large city of 3 million people. What was enjoyable was seeing things at a slower pace and noticing the beauty of the city. I walked along a quiet street and noticed some inlaid writing on the road. Normally the street would be too busy to read it.
Writing on the road in Madrid
It translates as “The Beauty” “What it is we do not know what for now with certainty mathematics, maybe we never know; but that beauty is something, that exists, that pulsates in nature, and that, just as the wave that reaches the beach breaks into foam .. speech of entrance in the real Spanish academy” -José Eche garay
I came across some unique bronze statues or city workers that appeared to be randomly placed in areas of the city.
A statue of a street sweeper in Bronze in MadridA bronze statue of a worker who would light the street lamps in Madrid
I arrived early at the Parque del Buen Retiro which literally means – park of the pleasant retreat. The gate that I entered into the park was stunning and was very welcoming.
One of the gates to the Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid
The park itself has some very beautiful vistas and paths. I began to walk the paths with no set direction in mind. I was simply enjoying the tranquility and beauty of the park.
Each path would join other paths that could lead you in many directions. I walked along some of the secluded areas of the park admiring the beauty of the trees.
I eventually found my way to an area called the Crystal Palace. The palace was constructed of ornate glass and was visually stunning to see.
Crystal Palace in MadridA section of the crystal palace in Buen Retiro park in Madrid
The palace which was built-in 1887 to exhibit flora and fauna.
Section of the Crystal Place in Madrid
The palace was almost completely made with glass and was an impressive building. I walked around the building and came across a pond at the front of the Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid
I walked around for approximately three hours enjoying the sights and sounds of the park. There were people gathering in the park as the day progressed. I could see people jogging, kids playing, couples holding hands and people on tour bikes.
People enjoying the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid
There were some interesting groups in the park as well. One group was doing synchronized moves using Spanish hand fans called “Abanico”
Another group was playing music for money as people walked by.
Musicians playing music in the park for donations.
The Buen Retiro Park is a beautiful and a large nature area in the heart of Madrid.
Below are some of the pictures that I took of the Buen Retiro Park.
One of the gates into Retiro Park
Bird in Retiro Park
Path in Retiro Park
Unique tree in Retiro Park
One of the many birds in Retiro Park
Crystal Palace in Retiro Park
Flower in Retiro Park
One of the many statues in Retiro Park
It was a very relaxing and enjoyable day. I recommend to anyone who goes to Madrid to take a relaxing day and walk through the park.
We went to explore the city of Ypres in Belgium and take part in the last post ceremony. The city is beautiful with a rich history and was even raided by the Romans in the first century.
We walked through the city of Ypres looking at the stores, shops and admiring the architecture. We came to a chocolate store which we couldn’t resist going inside and checking it out.
Ray, Anne, and Jim in the Belgium Chocolate store
After checking out the assorted chocolates we continued down the street toward the main plaza. We stopped at the main plaza and enjoyed a cold beverage at a pub close to the Cathedral.
St Martin Cathedral in Ypres, Belgium
After exploring the old quarter of Ypres, we walked along a path that followed the Kasteelgracht river. There was a stone wall that ran parallel to the river. We stopped to take a break and sat on the wall enjoying the scenery.
Shelley relaxing along the wall beside the river.
We walked the trail for a period of time and then headed to the Menin Gate Memorial to the missing.
Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres Belgium.
The Menin Gate Memorial to the missing was built-in 1927. The gate is dedicated to the unknown graves of British and common wealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres battles and World War One. From 11 November 1929, the Last Post has been sounded at the Menin Gate Memorial every night and in all type of weather. The only exception to this was during the four years of the German occupation of Ypres from 20 May 1940 to 6 September 1944.
We arrived at around 6:45 pm and lined up along the sidewalk to wait for the playing of the last post to begin.
crowds of people gathered for the Last Post ceremony
The gate is very large and there is a hall of memory which contains the names of 54,395 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Battles but whose bodies have never been identified or found.
Menin Gate memorial wall with inscribed names of missing soldiers.
For us being at Ypres and seeing the Last Post was a very somber and emotional experience. It is one of those events that is surreal and will stay with us for a long time. By 8 p. m. there was a very large crowd present for the start of the Last Post.
The start of the Last Post was incredible, although there were crowds of people it was completely silent. The three volunteer firefighters marched to the center of the Menin Gate with a bagpiper. It was a stirring moment, with the acoustics of the gate making the bugles, even more vibrant.
Bagpiper and three volunteer firefighter buglers at Menin Gate
Flags were lowered by two individuals as the Last Post began.
Flag persons at Menin Gate Last Post
After the Last Post was finished, a former British serviceman walks to the center of the gate and recites a part of the ode of remembrance.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.
The recital is followed by a moment of silence and then the sole bagpiper played a song.
After the bagpiper was finished there was complete silence and selected people began to lay wreaths at the memorial in the Menin Gate.
Person returning after laying a wreath at the memorial in Menin Gate
After people laid the wreaths at the memorial, the ceremony was finished and people quietly began to leave the Menin Gate. It was a very touching event and one that we will remember for years.
We enjoyed a nice relaxing day in Paris exploring some of the sites. It was a beautiful day and we took a nice stroll through some of the streets of Paris. Shortly after leaving our hotel we came to a small statue of Liberty near a shopping center.
Shelley standing with the Statue of Liberty near the shopping center.
We didn’t realize why the statue was located there but found out a short time later when we arrived at the Grenelle Bridge. We walked across the Grenelle bridge which crosses the Seine River. Near the center of the bridge on the Ile aux Cygnes is a Statue of Liberty. It is 11.5 meters high. (37 feet 9 inches) and is a scaled replica of the Statue of Liberty in the United States of America.
Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, River Seine in Paris.
This Statue of Liberty was given to France in 1889 as a gift from the United States to celebrate the French Revolution.
We then walked along the Seine River enjoying the views and we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We walked towards the Eiffel Tower and found a beautiful location to admire the Tower and wait for the sun to set in order to see the Eiffel Tower under the lights.
We waited until the sun set and saw the sparkling lights on the Eiffel Tower. The tower was a gold colour and was beautiful to see lit up.
Eiffel Tower lit up at nightRay and Shelley in Paris
The following day we went back to the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator to the second level. From there we could see almost all of Paris.
View of the Champ de Mars from the Eiffel Tower
The views were truly spectacular and breathtaking. We walked around the entire Tower looking at the 360-degree view of Paris.
View of Paris from the second level of the Eiffel TowerView of Paris from the second level of the Eiffel Tower
We felt secure the entire time we were in Paris. It was common to see police or military walking around the areas.
Military presence at the Eiffel Tower
We enjoyed our time and finished our time in Paris with a selfie photo in front of the Military Museum before heading on to our next adventure.
Shelley and Ray in front of the Military Museum in Paris
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