iPostcards from Eastern-Central-Western Europe

We're back!
Had a fabulous time!
It was an eye-opening trip of a lifetime!
This was a wonderful 16-day private tour
taken with my life partner, Bill
and our friends, Tom, Leonard, Bob, and Ian
across-down-around-up-and across
Eastern-Central-Western Europe
on a Fiat Ducato van
with a driver who spoke very little English.
Thank goodness for GPS! ... LOL
Please click on the name of the country
to be directed to the specific post
or simply scroll down:
(appears in reverse chronological order)

CZECH REPUBLIC

POLAND

SLOVAKIA

HUNGARY

AUSTRIA

GERMANY

iPostcards from Zapokane, Poland

Our last stop in Poland was Zapokane, the most famous mountain resort in Poland and the winter sports capital. We walked the Krupówki streets to reach the large stone Neo-Romanesque parish church and a much smaller old parish church - a rustic wooden construction dating from 1847 with its charming folk decorations inside. We continued to Villa Koliba, the first of Witkiewicz’s designs in the ”Zakopane style” and further to Villa Atma, once the home of the famous Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. We then took a funicular to Gubałówka Hill to admire the excellent panorama of the Tatra Mountains.


If you prefer to view the thumbnails and read the captions,
please click the link below:
iPostcards from Zapokane, Poland


iReport from Zapokane, Poland

iPostcards from Auschwitz-Birkenau

We were supposed to have a day trip to salt mine of Wieliczka, one the oldest mines in Europe with three kilometres of corridors, the Chapel of St. King and the Crystal Grottos. But when I discovered that we had this unique opportunity to see Auschwitz...


If you prefer to view the thumbnails and read the captions,
please click the link below:
iPostcards from Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland


iReport from Auschwitz I


iReport from Auschwitz II-Birkenau

iPostcards from Kraków, Poland

It was already nightfall, by the time we arrived in Kraków, a historical town and the former capital of Poland with a thousand-year-long tradition as a center of science, culture and art. We stayed at the Ostoya Palace, an old-fashioned hotel in historical centre. There we rendezvoused with our friend, Bob, who was joining us from his covert CIA operation to monitor the Ukraine elections in Kiev in behalf of the government of Big Brother.
The next day we visited the Main Market Square (one of the largest town squares in Medieval Europe), walked through the Florianska streets leading to the famous Florian Gate and the Barbican (remains of the former city fortifications), visited the Wawel Castle (the royal residence and the seat of Polish kings) and saw the interiors of St. Mary´s Church.


If you prefer to view the thumbnails and read the captions,
please click the link below:
iPostcards from Kraków, Poland


iReport from Old Town Square, Kraków


iReport from Wawel Hill