FROM KRAKOW TO CZESTOCHOWA ALONG THE TRAIL OF THE EAGLES’ NESTS

Before we left Krakow this morning we decided to take one last walk around the old town area.  This time we took a different route into the center and discovered some new scenes.   
We entered through a different gate and were greeted by traditional Polish music.    This morning everything looked new and fresh.  All the crowds from the weekend had disappeared and we were able to see things we hadn’t seen on the weekend.        Marlene was attracted to this window display of home made bread and preserved vegetables.  We left krakow in a general north-west direction following a ridge line of limestone that runs for about 60 miles and is anywhere from 20 to 30 miles wide.  Erosion of the upland has left behind a variety of strange rock formations  as well as 500 to 1000 caves and high points on which castles were built in the 15th and 16th centuries.  One of our first encounters included a field of poppies.  We have seen these all over Poland, but it has never worked out to stop and take a picture.  When the rock formations began to appear we couldn’t resist stopping and hiking up to take a picture.  At lunch time with the help of an old lady that spoke no English, but understood sight language well, we found a restaurant with a unique motif.  We didn’t realize the significance until we finished lunch and drove about 2 miles down the road and encountered our first ruined castle. Of course we had to stop and hike up to examine it closer.                Marlene couldn’t resist trying on some local attire.  Throughout the afternoon we visited 3 more castle ruins.  At the end of the day we found one of the most delightful hotels and restaurants that we have experienced anywhere in Poland.  We met the proprietor, a young man who has spent a lot of time in the U.S. and had for a while lived in Truckee, California.       
  There is only one room in the hotel and we were lucky enough to get it.   
  The structure of the hotel is an original granary that was constructed in 1783.   We had a view of the castle ruins from the balcony.  Needless to say, before dinner we decided to explore the ruins.            Dinner was delightful and almost private.
www.spichlerz.netCheck out  the web site at  www.spichlerz.net  for more pictures and description of the facility.  I'd recommend this place to anyone traveling in Poland.  In fact I think it would be a good destination point for someone wanting to explore old castles and caves.