Postcards from Kłodzko!

Kłodzko is an old town in the southwest part of Poland.  The town welcomes you with its old architectures, pastel coloured buildings...narrow streets....pretty little old bridge like that of Prague and old Gothic churches. 

When we headed to this place, I don't know what to see nor to expect. I don't know why, but I always like to surprise myself without researching nor getting to know the place prior to travelling. I think it is better that way. So, you won't feel disappointed nor overwhelmed. First impression last! you know!*wink

Alright, It was a super hot day...drove in between valleys and landscapes. It was an amazing journey despite the summer heat though.

We went first to Kłodzko's old fortress or Twierdza Kłodzko in Polish. It is one of the unique attraction in the area.  I have been to many forts in the past, however I wasn't expecting that Kłodzko's fortress is like as big as the town itself.. It's occupies probably half of the town. It is situated on a hilly side overlooking the whole city. The beauty of the whole city is like that of the aerial view in the picture above, and  you can see the aerial view of the neighboring towns as well. It's surreal! For i like  such view. 

Our group were guided by a friendly tourist guide around the fortress who only speaks Polish. sorry! Can you imagine me trying to listen as if I understand everything? especially I'm the type of person who likes to really learn and know something  new about a place or something...  seriously, I'm having hard time understanding every single words the guides wants to explain.I couldn't walk out of the tour though.  Good that there are English explanations on its walls of the buildings at least for me not to look ignorant.  Maybe there are English guides too..that I never tried to ask. 

You will be guided too when you go around the underground labyrinth of like 4km. long too. The labyrinth tour is something not for the claustrophobic and weak at heart. Although it is very interesting underneath and a bit creepy. 

view of the bastion

with the tour guide in full costume

the narrowest tunnel I've been with

our tour guide

Gggghhhooooosttt!!! NO! that's our tour guide.

This fortress is one of the biggest stronghold in this part of Polish lower Silesian region.

 We did enjoy the whole experience though, we end up starving like a hungry lion. The advantage is that, inside there's a small restaurant and a cafeteria where they can serve you homecooked meals for an affordable price of like 3zloty per weigh.   I'm content with the foods. Still steamingly hot and all tasty. Enough to feed my not so big appetite tummy. 

There's a minimal price when you want to have a tour inside with guides and another price if you want to go around the underground labyrinth.  you can check the prices here : Klodzko Fortress 

More pictures here of Kłodzko city center here........

City hall - Pretty architecture isn't it?

river under charles bridge

Charles bridge

Kłodzko is also named the ''little Prague'' due to its gothic bridge - "Charles bridge'' though smaller version and resembles of that of Prague. The town is considered one of the important commercial and tourist area in this part of the region.

I like this small city. I can walk around the city by foot, and enjoy the warm atmosphere of people.  Surely the city is worth visiting for. I've learned a bit more of Polish history and how important this place to the Poles especially visiting the fortress is worth the experience - unforgettable! when you have to crawl in a very narrow tunnel that is too dark. That's something I never tried before and I can't imagine how the  Polish soldiers that time suffer much  living in a tunnel for some months or even years.

I would surely recommend you to visit the area. A day tour is enough before exploring the neighboring town. 

Until next time......

Thank you for stopping by!

xxooAi

 

Winter

 (updated)

They say to drive away winter is to persuade yourself that you love its cold, but tired of it.  It sounds true to me for I like winter but not to the point of loving it, and I get tired when it becoming boring each day wearing layers, layers of clothings.

Winter in Poland is harsh, rigid and awful for a tropical girl like me.

I know that some people loves winter.  I used to, to be honest. I feel estatic everytime I see snow falling down from the sky...it's mesmerizing and magical. I still do have that feeling now every first snow every first day of snowy winter.  I do really understand some who really, really loves winter, especially those types who loves winter sports, and likes spending winter days in the mountains. I'm telling you, Polish mountains during the winter has the best sceneries. Imagine waking up with a snowy capped mountains and you are surrounded with blanket of snow. There's a different beauty in everything.

Speaking of winter snow, children loves them. Utmost, my children loves them to bits.

Look! (giggles)

backyard

alright, he loves to make a gigantic snowballs.

And, when the sky as blue as this and sunny, it's freezinly cold yet loving it than gloomy.

 If you ask me where's the mom in the picture, you know now why.  I'm a tropical girl, you know!

Nahh! I'm always behind the camera. I just love to take pictures of them...while building moments.

*smiling 

Alright...alright...I like Polish winter, but not loving it.

How about you, do you love winter?

That feeling......in Krakow!

If there is one place I wanted to be right now, It would be somewhere by the beach, sipping a refreshing tropical drink, listening to the sound of the sea waves and enjoying the warm of the tropical sun.  

I'm wishing....

*sigh

Yes! The weather is getting colder now here in Poland. That is why, I'm imagining myself getting soak under the sun.  Don't get me wrong. I like colder weather for I'm tropical girl, but too much cold is something hard for me to bear. 

Nevertheless, bravely went on a short weekend trip in Krakow with a friend who visited me. It was a very frosty day. My friend is wishing to see snow for the first time but what welcomes her is the horrible frosty cold weather that we are now experiencing here. Nonetheless , we had  fun. Being with an old friend always gives me a wonderful effect. That warm , nostalgic and being together without any quirks because you've known the person for long, that is one of my definition of  how being joyful.

Here we are....not too many pictures for I promised myself to live by the moment and enjoy. 

 

Even if I'm day dreaming soaking myself under the tropical sun, but that feeling being with a dear friend and in Krakow blew away that feeling blue moments. Actually, It is not about the place but being with someone you truly admire as a person, as a friend..makes all things worthwhile. Not even the cold can stop you from being together.When she left, I had hard time convincing my children to stop crying. They like her and they wants her to stay for more days with us. And that's influencial my friend's personality somehow. That's how cruel my life sometimes. When you are living far from close friends and family, all you can do is sigh. (hugs)

I've got pretty busy months and weeks ahead of me. However, managed to entertain friends visiting Europe recently. And hope to get back into travelling pretty soon by backpacking somehwere in Poland once school isn't that busy.  of course, get back into my sewing groove and few projects as planned...

Hope you had a wonderful days ahead! more stories next time....

What we did last summer.

Hear yah ! Hear yah!

Sorry for being MIA for quite a long time....

I'm guilty of being IN a long hiatus to this blogging world, and I know I've missed a lot of things in the blogsphere. There were really times that I lost inspirations what to blog. It was such a difficult situation for me. So many things to deal with the past months especially in a very personal level.

One reasonable reason not to blog in here is to try to live in the present without much involvement in these social media world. The fact that I needed to gain strength and momentum to write again is an ordeal. There were so many things to write about and share in this little corner of my blogosphere. However, just don't have time and motivation to do so. The past months were quite a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. It's quite a rough times to keep myself still in tune with everything again.   Finding my balance as to where to start...where to begin and how.  Nevertheless, here I am, still alive!  Although current status is still : SURVIVING! :-) (hopefully to really really blog regularly again)   

A lot of friends been urging me to write again . The new school where I am teaching at the moment, giving me such inspiration to make me blog  again. Since, I am encourging my students to write anything they have in mind and open a blog that would somehow give them inspiration to write both in English and in Polish. To practice their writing skills both languages.  And I am also challenging myself to write a bit in Polish language here in my blog to practice my level 2 Polish (bleeeh! ).

 

What we did last summer...............

we went to this small town of Rabka-Zdrój, Poland.  A children's -spa town in the lesser mountainous region of Poland.   I have been wanting to visit this small place since I have small children of  which most of our vacations we have to deal  first and foremost activities suited for them. And I knew that Rabka would be a suitable place for such small kids.  It is located between Krakow and Zakopane anyways, two most visited places here in Poland. It is near to the place where we live. So, here are (loads) of postcards from Rabka-Zdrój, Poland.  

Warning: massive pictures ahead. Take a cup of tea, relax and enjoy!

We've visited town of Zakopane, Nowy Targ and on our way home, Wadowice, Poland. Home of the famous St. John Paul II. The trip was relaxing for me for it is easy to manage children in such child- friendly place and the apartment where we stayed has easy access to shops and restaurants.  We stayed in an apartment named Apartamenty Przy Parku . Facilities are great, rooms are clean, well maintained, SAFE for children and there is a play room where children can play while you are preparing things in your unit.  

That's all for now. I hope to be back with more stories to share.  

Pozdrawiam was! Dziękuje bardzo!