Category Archives: Poland

Cuba, Czech Republic, Hungary, Photography, Poland

Friday Favorites – Travel Photos

July 6, 2018 Sharon Leave a comment

I wanted to share five of my favorite travel photos on this hot July Friday. Looking back, some of them are easy to see why I like them so much.

Buskin’ on the Danube

We had spent the day in Budapest walking, walking, walking and needed a break and a drink. We found a spot on the edge of the Danube. As we sipped our drinks, the busker started playing. The setting sun touches the edge of his shoulder and the Hungarian flag in front of him, giving the whole scene a soft glow. See more travel photos from Hungary here.

Enter for Enlightenment

Another image from Budapest with that soft glow that I love so much. This was taken in Matthias Church, a gothic cathedral complete with restored frescos and painted walls. But this simple unadorned stairwell glows from the soft window light, silhouetting the outline of the door. It’s inviting and peaceful. See more travel photos from Hungary here.

Kraków Nights

The Main Square in Kraków, Poland just after sunset. The sky is that early evening blue that contrasts beautifully with warm tones of the city lights. People are sitting down for dinner or cocktails as bicyclists whiz past, creating a bit of a blur. Find more travel photos of Poland here.

Aire Acondicionado

Taken in Havana, Cuba, this photo is a little busy. But I love that about it. I love the old worn signs hanging above the many people milling about in the streets. And there’s that glow again, only this time it’s a cool glow from the cobblestone street below. I can almost hear the sounds of Havana. Find out more about my trip to Cuba here.

Aire Acondicionada by Sharon Popek — Street scene in Havana, Cuba

Kutná Hora Alley

This one is a little more subtle than the others. At first glance it’s just an nice photo of an alley. But the open arches and speckles of sunlight lead the eye directly to the back of the alley, where two people stand deep in conversation. I love small details like that. More images from Czechia can be found here.

I hope you like these as much as I do! Prints of all images are available here or click on the individual images and it will go directly to the shop page.

I’d love to hear your feedback and comments. Also, feel free to share a link to your own favorites!

Salty Transformations

November 23, 2017 Sharon 4 Comments

The weekly photo challenge is transformation. While the original blog discusses weather and seasonal transformations, I decided to go in a different direction.

©Sharon Popek — The entrance to the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Wieliczka, Poland. The mine opened in the 13th Century and worked continuously through 2007. It is now a tourist attraction where one walk down to 210 ft below ground on a very narrow stairwell.

When we were in Krakow, Poland, we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mines. The mines have been continuously active from the 13th century until 2007. I briefly discussed our trip to the mines in my Krakow post. Here you can see some more of the mines and why it’s worth going down 400 stairs to get there.

A lake inside the mine.

A tunnel lined with salt licks for made for farm animals

A salt statue of Nicolaus Copernicus inside the mines.

The majority of the tunnels were lined with wood, but once in a while we would pass an area where we could see the salt seeping from the walls, creating a marble effect. Once in the mine, we started seeing sculptures and scenes carved from the salt by the miners themselves.

Once large scene, carved in the 17th century, depicts the Princess of Kinga. Princess Kinga was reluctantly engaged to Bolesław V. The legend is that she flung her engagement ring into the Maramures salt mine in Hungary. From there, the ring made its way to Wieliczka, Poland where it was discovered in a lump of salt. Thus bringing salt mining to Wieliczka.

Throughout the mines, there are scenes like this, just as old. But the most amazing is the Chapel of St. Kinga. It is a testament to the miners’ dedication to their Christian beliefs and acts as a working cathedral. They hold weekly Holy Services, sermons, weddings, etc in the large hall.

The Chapel of St. Kinga still acts as a chapel where masses and other Holy Services are still held.

A Jesus statue inside the St. Kinga Chapel in the mine.

An altar in the Chapel of St. Kinga. The amazing detail in the sculptures is awe inspiring.

A manger scene inside the Chapel of St. Kinga

The mine is on Poland’s official National Historic Monuments registry. It is also a Unesco World Heritage site. There are different routes you can take through the mines. There is a tourist route, a miner’s route, and a Pilgrim’s route. The Pilgrim’s route includes prayers in each chapel and a mass at the end of the tour.

©Sharon Popek 2017 — Chapel Salt Mine. A chapel inside the Wieliczka Salt Mines in Krakow, Poland.

Photography, Poland

Krakow City Scenes

June 25, 2017 Sharon 6 Comments

This gallery is from Krakow, Poland. Krakow is the oldest and one of the largest cities in Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, making it an important economic hub in Europe. Historically, the city has been a leader in culture, the arts, and academia. I loved the market on the square in Old Town with its handmade goods, yummy food vendors, and beer readily available. As with most major European cities, you’ll find churches everywhere. Poland is 96% catholic, so they definitely like their cathedrals. In Old Town Krakow, you’ll find Wawel Castle. It was built by Casimir III the Great and has a very Italian feel. It has several different structures centered around a courtyard and combines medieval, renaissance, and baroque architectural styles.

At some point, I will probably do a blog about WWII and Nazi Germany and the way it changed the Polish landscape. We did visit the Jewish Ghetto, Schindler’s Factory, and Auschwitz while in Poland. I have many emotions related to those places and the massacres and atrocities that took place there. However, this gallery is about the city in its current state.

We visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine. They take you down 400 stairs to get in to the mine. My legs were a little like jelly when we reached the bottom. We did get to take an elevator back up. The tunnels themselves were lined with wood but there were quite a few alcoves and larger rooms which would have sculptures made from rock salt from the mine. There is a large cathedral like room with several sculptures of the Mary and Jesus (catholics, remember?). The salt finishes with a smooth glass and is translucent, so they would be backlit. All the chandeliers were made from rock salt. Also, our tour guide was a much older gentleman, possibly in his 70s or 80s and he outpaced us all. The salt does wonders for your health, I guess.

Wieliczka Corner

Corner Shop

Wieliczka Crossroads

Your Favourite School

An older couple exits.

A young couple enters the tunnel.

Krakow Nights

Krakow Nightlife

In The Alley

Corner Castle

Chapel Salt Mine

City Living Krakow

Fascinated in Krakow

Early Evening Krakow

Photography, Poland

Now for Poland

June 18, 2017 Sharon Leave a comment

After Budapest, we traveled to Krakow, Poland. I seem to have taken a great many food related photos in Poland. I found some lovely dark beers and ate some amazing food in the outdoor market in Krakow. I’d say the biggest issue for myself is that I do not eat a lot of meat. I do not eat chicken at all. I will occasionally eat beef or pork. But mostly I prefer seafood or no meat at all. So, traveling to landlocked cities that are known for their meat and potato meals was definitely a challenge. Sometimes when traveling you have to set aside certain things, like free toilets and available seafood. So, I did eat a beef kabob from a vendor in the market. I have to admit, it tasted amazing.

Polish Market Meat

Pub

Polish Cheese

Pączki and Desery

Donuts and Desserts

Church Shopping

Purple Rosemary