Warsaw to Lodz

I did the Old Town free walking tour in Warsaw this morning. Anne very sensibly stayed in the hotel and worked. Sensibly because it was, quite frankly, F R E E Z I N G!

However, despite the cold it was interesting. 

Warsaw old town was completely ravaged/flattened in WWII, and it is has been completely rebuilt to exactly how it was before the war. Although apparently they coudn't decide how to rebuild the palace so that has been done in a number of styles. 

Despite the cold - the streets were pretty.

This is the lucky bell. Not so lucky that when it was first used it fell to pieces, however people came to believe that it granted ones wishes and made them come true. Who's to argue with that. We were told how to do it, and the whole walking tour had a go. Now to see if my wish comes true :) If it does - then I'll know the bell works!

Houses were taxed back in the 16th century according to size of the width of the house where the front door was. This little house in between the two buildings paid very little tax. But don't be deceived - it's one of the biggest houses on the street as it goes back on a diagonal.

 I though the houses were pretty - and loved the colours.

The other square. Not sure if this is the main square, or where the palace was is the main square. But square it is!

In the middle of the square is Warsaw's mermaid who protects the city from war. It didn't work in the second world war though!

Just along from the square is the old town wall.

The famous streets around the old town.

Looking back to the entrance of the walled part..

I noticed the bricks here were painted like the buildings in Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republik and wondered if there was a link.

Madam Curie's museum - she was one of the founders of science and physics and became famous in Paris.

The monument of the ghetto of warsaw, where half a million Jews were crammed in, starved, then shipped off to Concentration camps under the Nazi rule. A reminder that hatred should be stamped out, that no one is ever better than anyone else.

Past a beautiful modern building with lovely scuptures. Our walking tour guide didn't actually explain this, but I did think it was beautiful.

The world war II memorial representing the bravery of the polish soldiers who didn't have any chance at all to win.

One of the 15 (or 50 - didn't hear which) benches where you can push a button and hear Chopin play.

Back in the main square where we started from.

I then caught a taxi from old town back to the hotel where I got ripped off by the taxi. I knew I was ripped off and asked for a receipt, but he gave me nothing on it, so it all came to nothing. I'm much wiser now though. Uber all the way in Poland from now on.

Anne and I then caught a train to Lodz where we are staying in the Grand Hotel. We've just been out for dinner for more traditional Polish and Jewish food, and I'm so full I can't move.

Tomorrow we're heading to a spa for a massage and a pedicure, because we can.

The Grand hotel was pretty good, but even better when we got a free upgrade to an apartment where some polish film star stays in our room. Not tonight though!

A Last Morning in Zadar, Croatia

Slow morning for Rachel, so Anne, Steven and I headed out the door to explore.  The sun was shining and it was warming up.   We walked round first to get the rental car, then explored for another hour.  I bought more lipsticks for Anne and I, and some presents,  and headed back to the ice-cream shop and bought Anne one – and myself a yoghurt – which was beautiful.

This is the view from our apartment window...

And the view from our apartment bedroom...

Roman ruins in the square - archological dig...

The back of the Catholic Cathedral... I believe that sometimes the back of churches are often more interesting than the front!

Another old roman artefact..

Old houses..

The front of the church..

We were having problems trying to find the car rental place.  I think we went through this city gate several times!

Graffiti..

Outside the Old Town Wall some fishing boats were getting ready to leave.  It was incredibly beautiful. These two photos is how I remember Zadar.  That and the icecream!!

Lots of locals about enjoying the sun and the markets.

Some of the buildings had these plaques built into the walls.

Enjoying wandering around the street...

Back in the makeup shop - Lice is what you put on your face!

Heading back to the apartment to meet up with Rachel.  The white building is where we stayed on the top floor.  Roman ruins on the grass..

And the sea right next to us - such a beautiful blue...

We got back to the apartment to check out by midday, then picked up the rental and drove to the Plitvice Lakes.  

An Afternoon in Zadar, Croatia

We left the apartment in Split around 10am – and Steven and I sat in the sun by the port drinking good coffee in a café, while Rachel popped back to the market.  We then walked to the bus station and boarded the bus to Zadar.  Anne’s flight to zadar had been cancelled but we decided to juts let things ride and make decisions of what to do later.

On the bus we happened to sit next to a nurse who assisted in Cochlear Implant Operations.  She was based in a small town in Germany, although she was Russian.  Very small world.

We arrived in Zadar in pouring rain so taxi’d to the apartment. We dropped our bags then went out exploring - this is what greeted us right outside our apartment.  Fortunately it had stopped raining...

  

The Cathedral of St. Anastasia is a Roman Catholic Cathedral in Zadar. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zadar, and the largest church in all of Dalmatia.

The church's origins date back to a Christian basilica built in the 4th and 5th centuries, while much of the currently standing building was constructed in the Romanesque style during the 12th and 13th centuries. The site has been submitted to UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

We wandered around the alleyways...

And found this amazing icecream vendor... There were lots of icecream vendors around Zadar but this one was by far the most popular. Proves that it's all about marketing!

We wandered around the small city taking photos, then found a cheap restaurant and stopped for a lovely meal.

 

I also found a very good quality, but very nicely priced makeup shop – I bought a lipstick! That brings my sum total of lipsticks to 67.  I have a lipstick problem!

The airline put on a van to Zadar for Anne but it wasn’t getting in until 1am, so Steven and I waited up and met her to walk her back to the apartment when she arrived.