Thursday 19th Jul: VIP Day - Terry's birthday, texts/facebook/emails sent. As Terry is working all day we decided to put ourselves through some 'sympathy rigours' and visit Breslau (Wroclaw). Unfortunately the only way to get to Breslau is by back tracking 'THE' road with detours - yes they are still there and the road has not got any better, Linda NOT impressed. Managed to negotiate our way to Bolkow and then it was a breeze to get to Breslau and be introduced to some different city type roads. The delights of cobble stones, tram tracks and pot holes made for an interesting passage into the centre of Breslau, but it was well worth it. Mr TomTom did us proud and took us right to the rear of the main square, where a very nice parking place awaited us, Neil's luck. We arrived just about lunchtime and when a small rain shower had started so we just had to try the local cuisine - we spent a very pleasant lunch hour on the covered patio of a local hostelry with - yes, you have guessed Daisy being the centre of attention, we are starting to get complexes. Linda had a very large and tasty cheese burger (NOT McD's) which had the beating of her with some fries left and Neil had a beautiful piece of salmon with accompanying vegetables - yum yum and just the job to give us the strength to see the Town & Market squares, the Raclawice panorama, the University and general town centre. Like Dresden most of Breslau was destroyed during WW2 but is now almost completely restored to its former splendour - which now even includes a Guinness Bar!
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| Rynek Square Breslau |
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| Town Hall Breslau |
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| Just Hanging around in Breslau |
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| Raclawice Panorama Breslau |
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| Breslau University |
Another good day with lots of sights to remember with nice sunny 28C weather.
Friday 20th Jul: Feeling a bit weary after Breslau so decided
to have a Linda style ‘mooch day’ and recharge the batteries – enjoying one’s
self is really tiring. We completed a bit of husbandry in and out then relaxed
for the day with books and films – bliss. So many things missed and to catch up on, Neil has read more books this last 2 months than over last 2-3 years. Not too bad a day for weather – sunny
and 21C, with a threat of rain and lower temperatures at the weekend then hot, hot
days next week. Will probably pick a cool day to take a trip through to
Prague as Daisy will suffer if we go next week during the high temperatures, she is really doing well and
copes (just about) with this strange lifestyle – leads, built up areas, loads
of people and the weather - still insists in lying in the sun on the very hot days though.
Saturday 21st Jul: More exploring of the local
area with another visit to Karpacz and the Karkonosze Mountains – nice casual day with
lots of spectacular views and interesting roads. Sunny day with a bit of cloud and 22C, starting to forget what temperatures below 20C feel like.
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| Karkonosze Mountains |
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| Karkonosze Mountains |
Sunday 22nd Jul: Looks good for the weather/temperatures
so off we set for Prague, decided to attack from the front and went through and
over the Karkonosze Mountains – well worth it. We seemed to be climbing up
bendy/twisty roads for ages, up on the top (about 1050m) there is a mass of
more hotels, ski lodges and ski lifts – both sides of the border. Had to stop
at the border for our ‘vignette’, all major roads in the Czech Republic are
toll roads monitored by electronic sensors so you need a sticker for the
windscreen (must admit by the time we get home we may not get to see out of the
windscreen for all the stickers) – a quick 268 Czech Koruna (12 Euros) into the
Czech economy and then on our way. A bit of a problem finding suitable (safe) parking in Prague but eventually got the car into the Palladium Shopping Centre car park - no problems we thought, see later. WELL Prague was fantastic, what a beautiful, scenic and historical city - lack of and reluctance to further repeat the same superlatives unfortunately does not do it justice. With so much to see in only a day we had to prioritise what we could achieved and decided on the Old Town Hall, the Charles Bridge, the Prague Castle/Palace and the Jewish settlement (oldest in Europe), which turned out to be a very challenging and tiring schedule.
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| The Palladium Prague |
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| Town Hall Square Prague |
Just do not mention the STEPS to Linda, what with most of the streets being cobble stoned her ankles took a real pounding - it was then we met the 220 steps up to the Palace (not mentioned in my brief so earache received). Not to be defeated Linda made it to the top and the scenery was well worth seeing - Prague spread out before us.
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| THE STEPS Prague |
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| Prague |
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| Prague |
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| Linda in Prague |
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| Prague Palace & St Vintus Cathedral |
A wonderful but tiring day with more ammunition for our complexes - an American was heard to say 'That is a really beautiful dog' and we were stopped by a German who wanted to photograph - yes you have guessed DAISY! Most admit she did marvellous all day but was fading by the time we got back to the car. PROBLEM - car perfectly safe but not one entrance that allowed dogs in it, how to get to the car? After a full tour round the block we nipped down the car entrance way and collapsed into the Jazz. A slow 'toottle' back to Jenelia Gora with Daisy snoring in the back and that will be classed as our Czech Republic visit for this tour. Mostly sunny with a few little showers (nice cooling effect) and 21C.
Monday 23rd Jul: Most definitely a recovery/lazy day and catch our breaths. Lots of post visit discussion (THE steps) and the consensus that Prague is well worth a visit by anyone, beautiful city, nice people and relatively easy on the wallet. Sat around/out in the sun for most of the day just watching the world go by. Sunny with 25C.
Tuesday 24th Jul: A quick shopping trip and look around the town then down to touching base with folks back home - just to reassure them all is well, not to rub it in that we are still 'dreaming'. The hot weather started today with lots of sun and 30C.
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| Tesco's Jelenia Gora Poland |
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| Jelenia Gora Town Hall |
Wednesday 25th Jul: Unfortunately we have been forced to make plans for movement and site bookings - basically due to the toll system we have to predict routes, times and pay for them plus with the high season having started we need to pre-book sites to ensure we get a pitch/s. Not ideal but necessary. So out came the maps, laptop and we had lots of head scratching. It would be too easy if every country had the same toll system that could be booked/paid for centrally with that country getting the resulting payment, especially as we are supposed to be one Europe with masses of electronic technology! Rant, rant rant. Lots of hot air to go with the sunny/light showers 31C day's weather.
Thursday 26th Jul: With all the emails and 'e'payments sent we just need the systems to work - fingers crossed. decided to have a slow do nothing day as the temperature very quickly climbed to 33C, phew.
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