krakow
Running in Krakow (again)
I can’t get enough of running in the forest when I visit our Polish Family outside Krakow. The forest is maintained in a completely natural state, and every time I’m there I see something different.
This time I found the beaver dams (ok I fell into a beaver dam), a cave and an abandoned house. The beavers chew and scratch the trees until they fall down, then they use the trees to build their dams.
And I also ran through a farm – I’m not sure if I was supposed to but nobody seemed to mind.
Ojcow
The little village of Ojcow is a lovely place to visit. Its just a few km from our family’s house in Krakow, Poland, and I always try to pop past when I go running in the forest. It’s mostly restaurants and hotels. But its a lovely place to spend a relaxing hour or two in the country.
Cathedral in the mine
This is the chapel of the cathedral in the Wieliczka Saltmine, Krakow. The mine is so deep that the workers built homes in the mines (the mine is just over 300m deep; by modern standards it is not deep at all, but at the time that was a long way down), and being religious people they needed places to pray. So they build a cathedral under the ground. This is the front of the cathedral, the “choir” from where the services were conducted.
Fountain in the forest
Have a wonderful Christmas.
Previously I posted a picture of the Chapel on the Water. Right next to the chapel is this lovely old stone fountain, quietly serving up fresh spring water which overflows directly into the river.
I am sure that right now that it is frozen solid and covered with snow (Polish Winters are really cold), but it must be wonderful to drink from in winter.
This is my last post for the year, so see you in the new year!
Grave in the forest
While walking in the forest in Ojcow I came across this beautiful grave. I don’t know anything about it, but I can’t imagine that a grave made entirely of plants would last for very long in the humidity of the forest. It is a lovely and peaceful spot for a little quite contemplation.