One of my favorite shots in Kyiv, Ukraine.. The Persheka Lavra shown through blossoms on an tree.. Sorry, I never did identify the tree.. probably should have but it was more the image of spring I was going for 🙂
Kyiv – Shot of the Day
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Prague- Shot of the Day
A view of Castle hill from the river and the Charles Bridge. It was beautiful day and a beautiful city to explore.
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Barcelona – Photo of the Day
Amusement park on Tibidabo Hill .. Not only a fun place to visit but it offers some really nice views of the city below..
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Barcelona – Shot of the Day
I love the Old World architecture found in Barcelona, Spain and the natural framing of the trees made this a colorful shot. It helps to look up at the right time..
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Krakow – Wawel Hill
Wawel Castle and Cathedral
It was a nice leisurely stroll through town from the hotel to the base of Wawel Hill.. The hill still has remnants of the old castle walls, covered in ivy.
Entrance to castle grounds
Through the arch , the path winds around to the gates across a wide avenue that affords some scenic views of the river and city below..
Overlooking the River
Wawel Hill is in Krakow, which was, at one time, the capital of Poland .Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Castle stand on Wawel Hill. Wawel Castle was built during the reign of Casimir III the Great during the mid 1300’s. It occupies the top of a limestone hill overlooking the Vistula River. It has been rebuilt and added to several times in it’s history.
At the base of Wawel Hill is the cave that, as legend tells, served as the den of the Wawel Dragon.
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Krakow .. Photos
Cloth Hall in the Main Sq at Night
Wawel Castle and Cathedral
National Theater
Krakow Glowney Train Depot
Star of David at Old Jewish Cemetery
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Auschwitz / Birkenau – Thoughts
Auschwitz
Following along behind the groups of laughing and joking tourists, I was not really sure what to expect.. I wasn’t really aware of any feelings other than excitement for the opportunity to see a new place. A place that I have read about and heard about as one of the worst examples of human experience.
I left the tour groups behind at the gate to the compound.. barbed wire fences stretching north and south. Simple wooden buildings lined the interior..little guardshacks stood in silence, perhaps remembering Nazi guards in comfort while prisoners stood in the rain or cold, often for hours at a time… waiting for the watch commander to be satisfied with the head count.
I walked through the deserted streets and wondered.. lost in thoughts of the inhumanity pressed upon the prisoners here. The squalid living conditions and the brutality, the harsh unforgiving manner of life. Capture, transport, interrogation.. execution. The gas chambers were busy .. and so was the execution wall where prisoners were just shot after being tortured and questioned.. There are places where prisoners were hanged as a warning, for no reason or any reason. In my mind, as I listened and read about the horrors committed here, nothing came close to the rooms in the basement of the “prison ward”. Here many prisoners were sentenced to death by starvation. They were given water and allowed to starve to death in a 4 x 4 room..
I felt surrounded by ghosts.. the presence of fear was palpable. Terror reigned supreme here for almost 2 years. In 1943, you feared Austwich more than war … more than death.
There was no laughter at the end of this tour.. only somber faces, lost in thought..
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Poland – Krakow
St.Mary’s Cathedral
I landed at the airport in Katowice because it was the only non-stop flight from Kiev that landed anywhere close to Krakow, not realizing the transfer to the hotel would take longer than the flight.. An hour and 37 minutes later, I arrived my hotel, The Hotel Pollera situated in Old Town about a 5 minute walk to the main square.
Main Square
It was cool and a little cloudy with evidence of fresh rain. Even though it was almost 10 PM, the square was awash with people. There seemed to be more revelers than tourist and even more ladies advertising the benefits of the local “Gentlemen’s” clubs than revelers.
I was tired so after a brief walk and several photos, I returned to the hotel with a plan to start exploring this beautiful city, first thing in the morning.
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Prague – Arrival
Arrival at the airport in Prague was anti-climactic.. If you are looking for stories of long lines, disgruntled passengers and lost luggage, this is not the place. Everything was wonderful. From luggage retrieval to speedy processing through customs, it could not have gone better.. Maybe because it was Thursday …
I placed an order for an airport transfer from PAT (Prague Airport Transfers) when I first booked the trip so as I entered the greeting area, I was searching for the orange card with my name on it. Ok.. my driver might have been colorblind because the card was yellow..But he was there.. took my bag and led me to the E-Class Mercedes to take me to my hotel.
City View
During the 1/2 hour trip from the airport. Pavel pointed out the various areas of town and sights that I had to see while I was there. Monasteries, churches, museums, bridges, statues, parks – it seemed he knew more sights in Prague than the guide books. I highly recommend their service. It was wonderful and personal and cost less than the average taxi fare with less chance of getting ripped off because you’re a “tourist”.
I chose the Charles Bridge Palace hotel near the river and the Charles Bridge because of the central location. It was a wonderful choice. The service and front desk were friendly and helpful. The room was heavenly and the breakfast was the best I have had in Europe..Let me clarify that..the best I have had at a hotel in Europe.. The biggest problem was the wifi.. it did not work everywhere in the hotel as promised. I wound up in the hotel lobby to post photos on Facebook. Of course, I used Booking.com (the link can be found on my website Travel with Steve ) to reserve my room and save a little money off their standard rates.. Follow the link and so can you
Across the River
After I unpacked, I got the camera gear and merged into the massive throng of tourists headed to the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge is a landmark historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under during the reign of King Charles IV. It is over 600 m long and almost 10 m wide. It is guarded by 30 statues (15 to a side) and 3 guard towers.
Exploring the west side of the river tomorrow..Stay tuned..
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Getting Lost in Prague
I am headed to Prague in the Czech Republic. It is only short adventure of 4 days which limits luggage to a carry-on, camera bag and tripod. I have heard about the extraordinary beauty of this city and am excited that I will experience first hand.
Boryspil airport is the starting point, as it has been for most of the trips into Europe. Security and passport control cleared… boarding pass in hand and off to the plane. It is a little strange riding a bus across the tarmac instead of walking from the terminal into the plane. but that’s the way it’s done here, so, as the saying goes, “When in Rome…”
Prague is 2 hours and 10 minutes in the air from Kiev. Enough time to relax, have a nice lunch and look into the exploration of a new city. I usually have a plan and can do my “lightning tour” in 3 days. Hop-on / Hop-off buses are one of the great ways to take in all the touristy places…the must see stops in a new city. Of course, they don’t allow you to mix and mingle with locals in the little hidden gems that are often overlooked.
The second and third days and nights are spent wandering, exploring and photographing – Alleyways, side streets and other places off the beaten path in a search for the perfect panoramic city view or nighttime shot. Unusual buildings, windows and doors (my personal favs), and other shots to join my growing Weird Art and Travel Photos collections are mostly found during this time.
There is an excitement in exploration.. in getting lost in a new place… I’m excited so come…
Let’s get lost in Prague.
Aren't We All Just Tourists Here? 