Hiking In Innsbruck
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Beautiful hike on the Patscherkiffel along trails very similar to those in the Tatras Mountains on the Slovak side, lots of stone steps along precipices and wild flowers everywhere below the tree line. Fresh snow was still evident from a sprinkling last night.
Hike To Sliezsky Dom
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Hey! we didn’t get lost once today; nor did we accidentally hike back over the Polish border (a concern here, as the trails on the mountain run across borders, and our Polish passport Visa is used up). We had a great hike today – the weather held and we found ourselves wandering in the fresh air in forest that looks a lot like Pukaskwa Park at home – except there’s mountains instead of a lake, and the bugs in the forest don’t bite! Of course, as you gain elevation, the trees get smaller, then turn into scrub, then turn into rocks (much like the rock screes in Sleeping Giant at the foot of the chimney). The real difference comes when you get to the peaks and find yourself at the foot of a waterfall tumbling from the peaks into a crystal clear lake. I know we have scenery like this in Canada, but the trail system makes the access to the Tatras National Park a joy to navigate – hey! we did it…
Stary Smokovec
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Well, anyone who may have thought we were experienced travelers who knew what we were doing would have laughed their heads off at us today. After waiting three hours in Zakopane for the bus to Stary Smokovic (Scary Son of a Bitch), we got on the wrong bus, then got off at the Polish / Slovak border, only to watch the bus take off on us as we stood and wondered what we were going to do about it. So, we walked through the border, after being checked out of Poland and into Slovakia. There we were in the woods in the middle of the Tatras mountains on a border crossing, when we were approached by a mini bus driver who demanded 15 Euro to take us the rest of the way to our destination – what choice did we have?
Arrived In Zakopane
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We’re in Zakopane, and it seems to be the equivalent of Banff in Canada – the mountain tourist mekka. It’s beautiful, but full of local tourists. There seems to be a few odd local food specialties – smoked sheep cheese (in a variety of decorative shapes and sizes – ie: smoked Pope), Belgian waffles with fruit, glazed dough nuts (I’m afraid of what they’re stuffed with), and they have a fantastic goulash. They also have a town mascot – a special breed of dog that looks like a Great Pyranese – it’s on all the post cards.
Last Day In Krakow
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We’ve had a busy two days touring Krakow & environs. We spent yesterday touring Wawel Castle (there’s a dragon in the caves underneath the castle – what could be better than that?, the cathedral where all the Polish Royalty, great military generals and poets are buried (it’s like the Westminster Abbey of Poland), and checking out the art deco stained glass windows in the Franciscan church. There’s one titled “God the Father” that makes God look like some vengeful comic book wizard – it’s unique. Oh Yeah – the Shroud of Turin is in the same church (I guess it pays to have a Polish Pope).
