Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Tuesday's Travels!

Welcome to Zakopane! Nestled in the Tatras region – the highest Polish mountains which share many characteristics with the Alps. Zakopane is Poland’s best known ski resort and offers superb conditions for climbing and hiking too. It is Poland’s winter capital – a real pearl in the tourism world.

Zakopane has it all. Gentle, cruising slopes for families with beautiful scenery and more demanding slopes for the experts.

I loved the way their houses were lit up over the Christmas / New Year period! The firework displays on the mountains were incredibly beautiful!
We stayed in a delightful B & B pictured above! Very different in the summer time! Breakfasts were rather odd - sweet, weak tea, with a variety of breads and a mixture that reminded me of mayonnaise with bits of cold meat cut up into it - not my best! Of course we got a little bit of jam and some cheese which is what I had!



I have never seen as many people in one small place, as I did at the market place. There were dozens of people, like little ants, bustling around with their shopping baskets in the POURING snow! LOL! If snow could sting your face – it did that day! And it was cold, and they don’t scrape up the old snow so it gets walked into a sloshy, cold mess only to ice up! Below this fluffy white snow, are sheet, upon sheet of shiny, chrystal ice. Every second step leaves you slip, sliding away! Ha!

We bought some really sweet items as gifts at the market place. Little Babuscka dolls, hand knitted woolen socks and the strangest of all, smoked cheese in different shapes. Not my favourite Polish flavour I might add, but interesting all the same!

It was a beautiful place! I often wonder what it will be like in the summer, when the snow has melted, when the woodchucks whistle and one can skip around in the green mountains without all those heavy clothes! One of the humerous moments was when, on New Year's Eve, in the early hours of the morning, we had a knock at our door. On answering we found a Polish man with a whole bunch of his friends, who had heard there were Africans staying on the property - Africque du Sud - he kept saying, pointing at us! They couldn't believe that coming from Africa we were white! LOL!

6 comments:

Love Bears All Things said...

That last photo could be a postcard. A beautiful place but so very cold.
The former head of the U.S. division of my husband's company and his wife are both from South Africa but have become citizens here.
Mama Bear

Raph G. Neckmann said...

This looks like a beautiful place, Janet.

Thank you for your birthday wishes!

Please give our greetings from all of us at Necky Knoll House to Sinead on her birthday. Happy Birthday Sinead! Necky Becky says Hello.

Avril said...

Brr ..very very cold!! but very pretty! Summertime must be glorious!!
Elaine spent the weekend in Prague in the summertime with friends made during her 6 mth study stint in Sweden - said it was absolutely beautiful!

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

I wouldn't enjoy that breakfast either! Very nice pictures...reminds me of home. Except, I think we are better at clearing our snow and ice.

Anonymous said...

my word another interesting post Janet - but I rather be there in summer not keen on the snow unless I'm looking at out of the window!! :)

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

I have never seen snow (except from afar or a plane on the mountains) and would love to experience it like that.