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Greetings from Dave and Kathy! Here you can follow Dave's travels to Poland from August 11 to 25. The name of this trip is "Gluten Free." Dave will be joined by his brother, Robert Ferre, famous labyrinth maker who is also giving two lectures in Warsaw. Dave, as biographer of Polish composer and pianist, Andrzej Czajkowski (André Tchaikowsky outside of Poland), has particular interest in two concerts featuring the works of Andrzej Czajkowski (August 17 and August 18) at the Chopin and His Europe Music Festival. While Dave
is in Poland, Kathy will be in California. Click
Here for Kathy's travel blog. |
Tues |
The
day started with a flight from Tucson to the Chicago Midway airport.
The problem is that my flight to Poland is from the Chicago O'Hare airport.
The solution was a $70 taxi ride of 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to
O'Hare Terminal 5. After meeting my brother Robert, we checked in for
our flight and took refuge in the Air France Lounge (pix), with a fine
bar area (to say nothing of French specialties) and unlimited access
to Bailey's Irish Cream, among other fine beverages.
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Wed |
Robert
has arrived at the Mercure Grand Hotel, Warsaw (pix) (also note the
lost kitty poster)! The flight from Chicago was quite excellent and
we upgraded to Business Class for about $200 each. On Polish Airlines
(LOT), you can bid on any unsold Business Class seats by auction and
if you win, you get the seats at greatly reduced rates. Dinner was at
the always excellent Dyspensa
Restauracja. We also found out that since we're both over 70 years,
all local transport is free!
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Thurs |
Here
an image from Old
Town Warsaw (pix) with a warrior from times past. The day started
at Coffee Nero,
then on to the Bristol
Hotel Café for breakfast, later lunch at Uki
Uki. In between, we explored the neighborhood around our hotel,
finding our next place for breakfast. The real event today was Robert's
first labyrinth lecture at Centrum Lowicka. It was a big success because
of all the preparation done by Robert. Click
Here for a 3-minute video (with Polish translator).
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Fri |
Breakfast
today at the Granola
Café. With Robert booked all day with labyrinth duties, Dave
was on his own. The first stop was the giant Empic
bookstore buying the magazine Maly Domy (Small Houses) with 168 house
plans. Lunch at the 3rd floor Empic coffee shop with it's large views
of the Palace
of Culture and Science (pix). After a siesta, and cooler outside
temperatures, out again for a stroll down Hoza
street and dinner at Trattoria
Rucola.
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Sat |
A
very full day with breakfast at Coffee
Nero then on to the Kolo
Flea Market where we met up with Dave's friend, Peter Paszkowski.
Pete then took us to his radio collection in his house (pix), and after
a lovely tour of the SOHO
area of Warsaw, lunch at Warszawa
Wschodnia. Peter and Christine's daughter, Natalia, is one of the
SOHO
architects. A quick nap back at the hotel, then on to the opening
concert of Chopin
and His Europe Festival, with pianist Nikolai
Lugansky.
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Sun |
Amazing
day at Zelazowa
Wola, where Chopin was born in 1810. Through the kindness of Monika
Strugala of the Chopin
Institute, we were given VIP treatment with bus transport, a greeting
by a staff member (speaking French, but Robert speaks French), a private
tour of the Chopin house, and then when the noon piano recital was to
take place, we didn't sit outside like the rest, but were given seats
in the piano room. Pianist Grzegorz
Niemczuk (pix) (on YouTube)
was astounding.
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Mon |
We
went shopping at a Thrift
Store so Dave could get a few more shirts, followed by a visit to
Hala
Mirowska to see an original Polish outdoor market in action. The
main event of the day was a concert at the Studio of Polish Radio where
violist Krzysztof
Chorzelski and pianist Maciej
Grzybowski (pix) played the World Premiere of Andrzej
Czajkowski's Sonata
for Viola and Piano (1954-55), 60 years after the work was written.
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Tues |
Happy
Birthday Dave! Breakfast at Bristol
Hotel Café and later a fine
early dinner at Tamka43.
Because of Dave's involvement with the life of Andrzej Czajkowski, there
were two interviews today. First, with Michal Kubicki of Polish Radio
and, second, with Aleksandra Maslowska from Poznan Opera Studies. Finally,
the evening
concert featuring three works by Andrzej Czajkowski, the last being
Ariel,
a setting of three songs from the Shakespeare play, The Tempest (pix).
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Wed |
Best
weather of the trip with sunshine and 70s! The main event of the day
was a meeting of the Andrzej Czajkowski Fan Club, this time at the Mielzynski
Wine Bar. Those attending were opera singer Marta
Wryk, pianist and writer Roman
Markowicz (and his partner Malgosia), and Dave and Robert. The wait
staff brings a chalk board of the daily specials (pix).
After a long nap and rest, the evening meal was at Rain
by India Curry. We do much more than just eat. Honest.
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Thurs |
Breakfast
at Kawiarnia
Wypoczynkownia (really) and then on to the History
of the Polish Jews Museum
(pix), which traces Polish Jews in Poland from the year 1,300 onwards,
right up to their near total destruction in the Holocaust. Then back
to the hotel to pack for our trip to Krakow on Friday. Later, a quick
snack on the way to the concert
hall, where we heard the former bad-boy pianist Ivo
Pogorelic play a recital, but he's still a bad
boy and we left at the intermission.
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Fri |
We
call this picture, "Born to Segway." When we arrived in Krakow
from Warsaw, we noted a Segway tour and we knew at once that this is
something we wanted to do, and did (pix). Terrific fun and easy to do.
The Krakow Central Square was alive with sellers of goods, food stands,
flowers stands, and at least 25 restaurants with outdoor seating on
the square perimeter, and on and on. We snacked through lunch with dinner
at Miod i Wino.
Click Here
for a video.
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Sat |
Off
to the Jewish
Quarter this morning for a "fitness" breakfast, then a
walking tour of no less than three flea markets, including a seller
with a large selection of slippers (pix). Robert found a restaurant
offering a "kotlet de volaille" (Chicken Kiev) for Dave, after
which Robert had a long massage. Later, a tour of Krakow on bicycles
(free from the hotel)
and, finally, an organ concert at St.
Anny Church featuring organist Andrzej
Bialko. Click
Here for some Krakow scenes.
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Sun |
The
day began with a $5 buffet breakfast at Pod
Wawellum followed by a walking tour of Wawel
Castle (pix), then a boat
ride on the Vistula
River. Next, an
iced coffee,
then Tram 8 to the Sanctuary
of Divine Mercy, inspired by the life of St.
Faustina, followed by lunch at an Israeli restaurant called
HAMSA. In the afternoon, a concert of Gregorian
Chant at the Benedictine
Abbey in Tyniec, plus a walking tour of the abbey. Finally, dinner
at Cyrano
de Bergerac. Whew!
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Mon |
Breakfast
at Hotel Wentzl (our
hotel) that has this strange bird light fixture (pix), and then back
to Warsaw via an express train, a trip of about 2.5 hours. Lunch was
at the French bistro, Pari,
Pari. We chose the Marriott
Hotel at the Warsaw airport for our last night in Poland so we can
relax, Robert can use the fitness center, and then get to bed early
for some extra sleep. This blog mentions restaurants a lot because someday
we might want to recall just where we dined.
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Tues |
The flight back to Chicago USA went perfectly today, a trip of about 9 hours. We upgraded once again to Business Class by winning the seat auctions on LOT, Polish Airlines. Robert (pix) flew out of Chicago O'Hare back home to San Antonio, while Dave took another expensive taxi ride to Chicago Midway for his flight back to Tucson. Our Polish Sudoku contest was won by Robert this time, but Dave is still holds the championship from the Mexican Sudoku contest. |
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