The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

My year-long USA camper road trip/sabbatical continued on from Winslow, Arizona to Moab, Utah. Early October 2018.

Rain.  Yes, it rains in the desert.

After an all day drive from Winslow, Arizona - through beautiful desert country in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest, I arrived in Moab, Utah in the middle of a major rain storm . . . record rain and a danger of flash flooding.  I wanted to stay a night in a motel rather than in my camper . . . dry and warm. I Googled motels in Moab, looked up quite a few: all expensive and showing FULL . . . but one . . .

 

As I neared the town of Moab the rain increased, streaking the red cliffs.

 

The red rock formations got wetter and wetter as I approached Moab.

 

I discovered desert rock formations become even more fascinating when they are wet.

 

And the rain continued to come down harder and harder. When I arrived at the only motel showing vacancies in Moab, I found out that the last room had just been taken, but I could come back the next day and stay for two nights.  I booked it and went up the highway for 51 miles to Green River, Utah, on Interstate 70 where I found a room for the night.

 

Driving north on Highway 191 out of Moab in a driving rain storm.

 

Water poured off of the mesas and buttes.

 

After a Sunday night in a Green River, Utah roadside motel (where I was able to watch an NFL game), I drove back to Moab to check for motels there . . . still in a light rain.  I found one and sat out the day on the internet and watching Monday Night Football, as the rain became heavy all day.  The next morning it was cloudy, with clear spots, so I headed to an RV park and bought a slot for camper next to a German couple who had been on a one year camper road trip in the USA.

 

Moab is the "Outdoor Adventure Capitol of the USA" . . . and also a very interesting old mining town.  I stopped in a gems and fossil shop to look for dinosaur fossils for my grandson at a place that had lots of antique mining equipment laying about . . .

 

 . . . an old mine winch . . .

 

 . . . a water wagon that once services a long forgotten mining operation.

 

The good people in the rock shop advised that I go and see Dead Horse Overlook State Park, about 20 miles out of town  . . . and through fantastic high desert chaparral country.

 

The small paved road out to Dead Horse Overlook was GRAND!

 

The sky became very dark and I was worried that I would lose another day in bad weather . . . I pushed on to Dead Horse Overlook.

 

As I neared the overlook I knew I was in for something truly wonderful.

 

Now and again I would get a glimpse through the roadside shrubbery of a grand landscape . . . .

 

When I finally arrived at Dead Horse Overlook I parked right next to the precipice of this amazing sight! The grandest view I have ever seen!  I was parked out on a ridge that jutted out into this spectacular canyon! There was a 300 degree view from where I stood. This view is looking north.

 

I walked across the road to this south facing view of the mammoth canyon!

 

Potash evaporation ponds could be seen in the distance in the south side view.

 

I was left speechless by the grandeur of this place . . . and so were the 15-20 other tourists there . . . walking around very slowly with their mouths open . . . in complete silence.

 

Astonishing beauty.

 

I walked along the south edge toward the outermost point of the ridge . . . 

 

A meandering Colorado River cuts its way through the red rock.

 

At last I stood out at the end of the ridge  . . . with the entire canyon below . . . 

 

Looking north from the ridge point I could see the storm clouds gathering on the far canyon rim.

 

Indescribable beauty.

 

The rain moved rapidly across the canyon.

 

The rain came swiftly . . . I ran to my camper.

 

I hated to have to leave this incredible place  . . . I slowly drove away from Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah.

 

Back down the road through the rain toward my motel room in Moab . . . too cold and wet for a campground . . . 

 

Hard rain on hard flat rock.

 

The next morning broke bright and sunny.  I left my motel and found a nice RV park at the edge of town, got a space, set up, and set off on my bicycle.  As it turned out, my RV park was at the beginning of a long and paved bike trail that led out of town and up into the red rock canyons.

 

The trail was beautifully paved and at a not too steep grade.  Perfect.

 

The views coming up the bike trail out of Moab were spectacular!

 

The cut-off road to the Arches National Park was just outside of town . . . .

 

I thought about going into the Arches National Park, but the road was always busy . . . and so was the Visitors Center.  I couldn't imagine seeing anything more impressive than Dead Horse Point overlook.

 

I must have been a geologist in a previous life.  My college roommate was a 'geomorphologist' and I guess I got the geology interest from him.  This scenery fascinates me no end.

 

Layered rock outcrops lined the bike trail.

 

Layers of ancient, solidified mud (?) along the way.

 

The geological formations seemed to completely change every 200-300 meters.

 

I stopped often (especially when the bike trail got steep) to snap photos and drink water.  I packed a nice lunch too.

 

A lovely spot to stop and be amazed by the geology of this fabulous place.

 

The opportunities for dramatic nature photos were endless.

 

At one point just out of Moab, the canyon widened out as the Colorado River crossed under the bike path. It was the best bicycle bridge I had ever seen.

 

Such a wondrous place for a long bike ride.

 

There were only occasionally patches of large plant life . . . 

 

I rode my bike on up the very long steep uphill trail . . . noticing more "cactus" type plants the higher I went.

 

More and more geological changes.

 

Rocky desert portrait.

 

Rocky desert flora portrait.

 

After riding uphill all day I was getting ready to turn back in the late afternoon . . . after I climbed this last steep hill.

 

My last steep climb.

 

At last I reach my 'this is far enough for the day' point . . . and it was beautiful. I consoled myself with the knowledge that it would be all downhill to my RV camp site in Moab.

 

I felt that it must get pretty windy and dusty up here  . . . and turned around right here . . .

 

And downhill I went . . . and saw the very first bike rider all day . . . a woman from South Africa.  She stopped and we asked each other where we were from.  I said Bangkok, Thailand . . . and she laughed.  On we rode, she uphill, and I coasting back to my camper.

 

The bike trail ran next to Highway 191 for a short while on my way back.

 

And back across the Colorado River bike bridge . . . 

 

My last stop for a photo of my bike and a stone cliff . . . not far from my Slick Rock RV Campground (very nice place with very nice people working there).  The next morning I would wake before dawn . . . and before coffee . . .  for the long drive over the Rocky Mountains to my next destination: visiting an old high school friend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 

I headed out of Moab on my birthday on highway I-70 heading east to Colorado . . . this was the last view of Utah . . . snow on the mountains . . . little did I know that I would drive across the high Rocky Mountain passes during the very first snow storm of the season . . . but that is another story.

The first Khao Yai week-end . . . . small roads and beautiful temples.

As my university has called off live, in-person instruction, I have been making my lessons at home and posting them online.  This has had the hidden benefit of allowing me to physically be wherever I want to be, as long as I have a computer and a good internet connection. So twice in the last month my wonderful wife and I have gone up to the mountains of Khao Yai, 2 1/2 hours northeast of Bangkok.

 

We visited friends at Toscana Valley in Khao Yai.

 

Khao Yai is a region at the western end of Sankamphaeng Mountain Range and is a heavily wooded area with a fair amount of natural environment still with wild animals, such as elephant and tigers, in the Khao Yai National Park.

 

Although Khao Yai is known for the National Park, much of the region is developed for weekenders from Bangkok to escape the city hear (especially in the 'cool season').  There are many, many small resorts and tourist activities sprinkled around the beautiful countryside . . . as well as an interesting assortment of Buddhist Wats.

 

So, while my wife played golf at the beautiful courses in the area, I explored the small roads to see what I could see. . . . 

 

I had fun following 'points of interest' signs . . . and seeing if I could get to the hilltop temples I could see here and there in the landscape.

 

Wat Sanaamsai is a giant white Buddha statue on top of a hill.  To get there you have to climb up hundreds of stairs.

 

Hundreds of stairs and hundreds of bells to be rung.

 

I am often amused by the cartoonish monks who adorn Buddhist shrines and altars in Thailand. I decided to light some incense and candles before I embarked on the hundreds of steps.  Fortunately, some nice people pointed out that I could drive all the way to the top if I wanted to.  So I drove up.

 

In addition to a fine mandala, there was a wonderful view across Khao Yai from the top of the stairs.

 

I was glad that I hadn't walked up the stairs!

 

A fantastic giant Buddha image looking out over the valley.

 

I loved this row of Buddha statues in the many symbolic poses.

 

So many beautiful Wats in rural Thailand, and it seemed like there were more than the average number here in Khao Yai.

 

Such a pretty setting for this hilltop Wat.

 

Back out driving on the small farm roads through a great variety of agricultural crops.  These were planted in quite a few fields . . . but I have no idea what they were for.

 

Even out on the smallest rural roads there are little stalls for Thai street food.

 

I saw a temple on a hill top and drove along very small rural lanes until I found the entrance.

 

I eventually found the Wat entry . . . and drove up the steep hill.

 

The road did not go all the way to the top.  I parked and found the steep steps to the top.  I opted to take a service path that wound along the side of the steep hill.

 

The walk up to the temple had wonderful views out over the surrounding farm land.  Some say this area looks like the Italian countryside around Tuscany.

 

I arrived at last on top to discover a very fine, new Wat.

 

Magnificent. Wat Pa Phu Hai Long.

Buddhas of all kinds atop the hill.

 

A grand view.

 

I love these stone balls that have been covered in gold leaf by pilgrims.

 

Such an interesting contrast of shapes and textures . . .

 

I left a donation at the beautiful altar.

 

I was sorry I had to leave this wat . . . it was so beautiful up on the hilltop.

 

I enjoyed my walk back down the hill from the temple . . . and admired the view.  Many people say this region of Thailand reminds them of Tuscany in Italy . . . yes, it does.

 

I saw this little fellow near the car park.

 

We stayed at the guest house at the Tuscana Resort, an Italian-themed development for mostly Bangkok week-enders.  Beautiful.

___________________________________________________

A Second Week-end Trip to Khao Yai: A Buddha Cave and a Floating Market Garden

Another week-end out and about on the country roads of Khao Yai while my wife played golf.

 

Just a village Wat along a country road.

 

Such a wonderful, and brand new temple.  So new, in fact,  there was no sign and no marking on GoogleMaps.

 

There are an abundance of Wats to see in Khao Yai.  This one on the way to the Magic Caves.

 

A beautiful multi-roofed staircase leading to a hilltop Chedi and temple . . .

 

I opted not to walk up the hundreds of steps to the top of the hill. The caves beckoned.

 

My GPS took me to this place.

 

My GPS makes perfect artistic decisions sometimes, for next to the hill was this fantastic corrugated building hung with an aging banner of some long forgotten festival.  Textures to dream about!

 

Road dust obscuring a sitting monk image . . . and corrugation . . .

 

The other end of the banner held another fabulous image.

MAGIC CAVE LAND

After snooping around for a while I found the cave entrance located inside Wat Tham Trai Rat, a woman approached me and showed me a card that said she was an official guide for the Magic Cave Land.  I asked how much it cost (in Thai)" and she answered in English, "Something or nothing." She took out her keys and we walked in the cave.

 

And down we went under the Earth into a colorful and wondrous world.

 

Not long after the Buddha altar grottos began to appear. Magnificent!

 

Ad on in to the cave we walked. Of course there were colored psychedelic lighting throughout!

 

Buddhas, monks, and hermit statuary throughout.

 

Some of the Buddha altars were more formal . . .

 

I'll bet this place was on the Hippie 'must see' list!

 

It seemed like wherever you looked there would be a Buddha statue in a nitch in the rocks.  Wonderful.

 

Although the cave is not completely full of amazing rock formations, there are enough to make anyone with an interest in geology interested.

 

There were some fascinating flowing rock formations.

 

After about 39 minutes of walking and stooping through narrow and low passages, a sign in the dim shadows appeared . . . I thought, "this is going to be interesting" . . . 

 

"Interesting" is an understatement.  Truly a wondrous thing to see deep in a cave in Thailand.

 

Not only 'cave man bones' but the bones of animals and perhaps other humans were embedded in the stone display.

 

We caught up with a big family here . . . they were rubbing the bones and then spreading the 'bone spirits' around their heads . . . so, of course, I did the same. Very therapeutic.

 

As there always are, pots for making donations to the upkeep of the caves and nearby wat. I left coins in each.

 

At one point there was an opening in the cave ceiling and a perfect light shaft shown through . . . I wished it had fallen on a golden Buddha . . . but it didn't.

 

My favorite Buddha altar in the cave. Magnificent.

 

Astonishingly beautiful cave Buddha altar.

 

Colorfully lit passages . . .

 

Passing from underground room to room and 'discovering' new vistas and Buddha altars.  Extraordinary!

 

After a 90 minute 'tour' underground we at last came to the stairs leading out.  It was a very interesting experience in a low key kind of way.  The cave was very low key, not at all an over-developed tourist attraction.  It is, after all a Buddhist temple.

The Khao Yai Floating Market

I stopped in at the Khao Yai Floating Market and was greeted by this old Chevy pick-up.  Nice.

 

Another nice, funky old Vespa with a side-car at the entrance.

 

Although it would be fair to say that the Khao Yai Floating Market is a bit of a 'tourist trap' . . . it is not without its charms, beauty, interest, pretty gardens, and photo opportunities.

 

You enter the 'floating market' through pleasant gardens before walking 100 meters down a hill to the pond (not a river) they dug for the water feature.

 

I didn't have a map of the layout, so I followed the signs . . . OH! COFFEE! I'll have to check it out . . . but first . . .

 

I started along this wooden boardwalk to explore the old buildings. Very pretty.

 

The actual 'floating market' does not actually float.  It is a manufactured replica of a traditional Thai floating market [my photos of a real floating market can be found here].  It looks nice, but is not authentic.

 

Before the pandemic, one assumes, Bangkok week-enders would flock here for food, a little shopping, and to enjoy the gardens.

 

At 10:00am on the morning I visited the Khao Yai Floating Market I was the only patron.

 

Fortunately there was ONE little food stand open selling my favorite papaya salad (sum-tam).

 

A side order of sticky rice and puffed rice cakes (and a CokeZero) made a nice snack.  It was delicious.

 

I cold see that it would be nice to while away a hot afternoon in a hammock here . . .

 

There were a few antique items setting around to create an old-timey feel.

 

The wooden boardwalk was a thing of beauty (to me!). It was a little strange to be in this place all alone . . .

 

I was fascinated by this old barber shop . . . I wondered if a real barber occupied it as a business during more touristy times.

 

All the little shops along the boardwalk were closed . . . on to the gardens.

 

This is good. I love flower gardens.

 

A vast and wonderful hillside garden greeted me!

 

They had a good eye for color.

 

I followed a black butterfly around for a while . . .

 

Sunflowers are such a happy sight . . . always.

 

A sunflower is an amazingly complex thing.

 

A sunflower is one big flower filled with many, many smaller flowers opening up in rings around the center.  WOW!

 

Each sunflower is quite unique.

 

Someone thought it was a good idea to plant sunflowers in the rose garden . . . it sorta worked . . .

 

Many different flower beds winding up the hill to what I hoped was an open coffee stand.

 

Beautiful colored whispy fronds.

 

The flower gardens were quite extensive and well-maintained, considering the wet season had yet to begin.

 

Up on the hill were a row of lounging huts . . . places to spend the day.

 

The coffee shop was open . . . and the coffee was delicious.  There were pleasant places to relax while enjoying the coffee (and a brownie) too.

 

Two couples in their 20s showed up and took photos of each other in this heart-shaped 'frame.'

 

It was hot, and it was time to leave.  I walked back down the hill under the cover on these wonderful stairs.

 

Shadow and pattern . . . on the stairs down . . .

 

I passed this along the way . . . I have no idea what the plan was for it . . . but it was very interesting.

 

And back along the pond . . . 

 

 . . . and across a very rickety bamboo bridge . . .

 

For some reason, there was an old fashioned schoolroom set up.  I suspect the developers were collectors of all kinds of old stuff, and this project was a good place to display it.

 

And at last I was back to the Strawberry People and the park exit. It was worth the nominal entry fee for a nice morning of photography and coffee.

 

And we finished the day at our friends house for a magnificent BBQ in Toscana.

My wife and I visited Poland (Kraków and Gdańsk) in the summer of 2014.  This entry is of the three days we spent in Gdańsk, while there is another entry for Kraków HERE.

Gdańsk is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited . . . and as good luck would have it, we visited during a street festival!

 

The statue to Neptune.

 

One of many small squares in the city center.  The architectural style was surprisingly . . . . Dutch.

 

Gdańsk is on the Motlawa River estuary.

 

An old city filled with wonderful architecture.

 

The architecture of Gdańsk tells a story:  "Parts of the historic old city of Gdańsk, which had suffered large-scale destruction during the war, were rebuilt during the 1950s and 1960s. The reconstruction was not tied to the city's pre-war appearance, but instead was politically motivated as a means of culturally cleansing and destroying all traces of German influence from the city. Any traces of German tradition were ignored by the communists, suppressed, or regarded as Prussian barbarism only worthy of demolition, while communist and Flemish/Dutch, Italian and French influences were used to replace the historically accurate Germanic architecture which the city was built upon since the 14th century. [Citation]

 

The Long Street with the old (circa 1327) City Hall towering over it.

 

Although I would have preferred to stay at an old 'boutique hotel,' we instead stayed at a modern 25 story hotel.  The plus side of the modern hotel were the views over the city.

 

Gdańsk was reduced to piles of stone and brick during WWII by Allied and Soviet bombers.  Almost all of what you see here was reconstructed during the 1950s and 1960s.

 

As luck would have it, we arrived in Gdańsk right in the middle of the annual St. Dominic's Fair. With 750 years of successful tradition, the history of the Fair goes back to the year 1260, when it was established by the decree of Pope Alexander IV. 

 

St. Dominic's Fair brought tourists from all over Poland, Europe, and the Far East.

 

Every street in the city was set up with stalls selling food and crafts. It was the biggest street food and crafts fair I have ever seen!

 

In addition to the street stalls, the fair attracted artists . . . 

 

 . . . buskers . . .

 

 . . . street performers . . .

 

 . . . morose balloon salesperson . . .

 

 . . . historically costumed information givers . . . giving me the Evil Eye! YAR!

 

 . . . and this guy (wearing a hat that said Crime!) who tried to entice the tourists to wager on his 'snail races.' The street fair was, in many ways, still like its medieval origins.

 

We enjoyed shopping at the many interesting crafts stalls.

 

Interesting bags . . .

 

 . . . very cool hats . . .

 

 . . . very cool hat and bag!  There were some very unusual arts at the fair.

 

Many beautiful textiles on sale.  We bought many things at the these stalls to take back home to Scotland with us.  I bought a hat!

 

These street stalls were so cute: they mimicked the style of the Gdańsk buildings.

 

The textiles, hats, and bags were nice . . . but the variety of FOOD at the festival was incredible!!!

 

The breads were fantastic!

The breads were fantastic!

I was in pig heaven for sausage lovers like me!

 

SAUSAGE!!!!

 

I loved cured and smoked pork fat as a child . . . a few thin slabs on a piece of peasant bread . . . mmmmmm!  But I resisted! 

 

Cures and smoked meats . . . a very Eastern European way of eating . . . and so very tasty!

 

Many of the shops put their fruits and vegetables out on the street.

 

Temperate climate fruits are a real treat for us.  These kinds of fruit in Bangkok cost a small fortune, so we went crazy living in Europe for a few years.

 

Lovely fruit.

 

Whole heads of sunflowers . . . that's the way to sell sunflower seeds!

 

Fresh, crispy cucumbers!

 

They had every kind of street food at the fair, including this actual Burrito Truck!  Amazing! (I didn't buy one, and immediately regreted it!)

 

We bought a lot at the wooden spoon stand to take back home to our cottage in Scotland.

 

A dealer of art and socks . . .

 

A woman set up her stool and sold her own crocheted items.  Sweet.

 

There were many buskers, but this guy was exceptionally good.

 

The weather varied from bright sunshine to dark clouds and sudden bursts of rain.

We found thee perfect Old Europe restaurant  . . .

We were hungry for lunch and found this charming old restaurant.

 

Down along the river quay.  A fine medieval dock crane on the far left.

 

River cruise ship for the tourists . . . 

 

For me, the lure of Gdańsk was the marvelous array of fascinating architecture.

 

A few of the old buildings survived the carpet bombing.

 

Such an odd building . . . all roof and dormers . . .

 

Narrow alleys, cobbles streets, ancient buildings . . . the charms of old Europe.

 

Here and there . . . public art . . .

 

My love of old doors, walls and windows was satisfied in a big way in Gdańsk!

 

I was told by a shopkeeper that some of these grand old doors and their stone casings were pulled from the rubble after the bombings and restored and reused.  Marvelous.

 

I marveled at these windows . . . exquisite!

 

Such lovely symmetry, color, shape . . .

 

A gate from the time of horse drawn carriages . . .

 

I loved the whimsical display.

 

So sweet.

 

A weathered door . . . and . . .

 

 . . . and its context.

 

A fine, formal marble doorway.

 

High relief stonework.  Nice.

 

Not all of Gdańsk's doors were as appreciated as I would like to have seen.

 

The views out over Gdańsk at night from our high rise hotel room were wonderful.

 

Making this photo blog about this wonderful city has made me very homesick for living in Europe . . . 

 

I don't know if I will ever return to Gdańsk, but I know I will always have fond memories of it.

We visited Poland (Kraków and Gdańsk) in the summer of 2014. The entry for Gdańsk can be found HERE.

KRAKÓW:

Central city Kraków in early summer is such a wonderful place to visit. The marvelous 14th century St. Mary's Basilica on the square.

 

The Main Square in Kraków dates from the 13th century and is the largest town square in all of Europe (@ 9.2 acres, or 3.79 ha).

 

Kraków Main Square with the Cloth Hall (right, now a tourist galleria) built in the 15th century, and the City Hall Tower (left) built in the 14th Century. The original town hall, which was attached to the tower, was demolished in the mid-1800s.

 

A wonderful medieval tower.

 

Also on the Kraków Main Market Square is the 11th century Church of Saint Adalbert.

 

The Main Square is lined by small shops and boutiques . . . and a solid line of sidewalk cafés all around.

 

The Main Square attracts lots of tourists and, presumably, local children as well.  Her they climb on the memorial statue to Adam Mickiewicz, a 19th century Polish poet.

 

Making money on the square . . . Monster Photo Ops $5.oo.

 

Inside the Cloth Hall, now a curios galleria.

 

Looking out onto the square from the Cloth Hall.

 

Saint Mary's Basilica looked inviting.  There are not too many 13th century basilicas left in their original state in Europe. I wanted to see the interior of this Polish Gothic structure.

 

I was not disappointed.  Magnificent . . . which is the idea, one assumes.

 

Beautiful Christian iconography everywhere.

 

Beautiful and ornate vestibules lined the main hall.

 

I loved the colorfully painted ceiling details.  So many churches in Europe seem to think that bare stone is a better look . . . I prefer the color.

 

A Kraków Christian devotee on a bad day, one would assume.

 

My wife and I admired the interior of the St. Mary's Basilica for quite a while, but it was a beautiful day outside, and there was so much more to explore.

 

We left the main Karców city center square to walk around in the narrow streets of Kraków's historic center (on the original UNESCO World Heritage list).

 

As we walked around in the back streets of the city center, we became aware of the significance that this is a city that had never been bombed in a war and had never had a major fire, as so many of the other major medieval European cities had.  There were no new buildings: it was an intact ancient city . . . and living today.

 

Interesting and varied architecture all around.

 

Such a charming city.

 

I found this tower fascinating.  Towers were very popular throughout Europe in medieval times

 

The back of the tower was also very interesting.  I enjoy looking at and figuring out these old architectural gems.

 

One city space leads to another . . . and always interesting and fascinating.

 

A row of Christian saints.  Notice the advertisement for tours of the Nazi death camps near Kraków . . . we did not go.

Such a charming old church.

 

Saints Peter and Paul Church, built 1597 in the Polish Baroque style.

 

A detail of the Saints Peter and Paul Church . . . looking more like a library than a church somehow.

 

One of the interesting features of Kraków are the many arched passageway through buildings.

 

When the street you are walking on takes a turn through an arched passage you never know what you will see on the other side.  Wonderful surprises all over town.

 

Sometimes you pop put of a street passage onto a beautiful park with. . . .

 

 . . . beautiful flower beds.

 

Beautiful summer flowers.

 

What a wonderful hairy moth flitting from flower to flower.

 

Tourists taking a group selfie in front of the historic Wawel Cathedral, first built in the 11th century, burned in 1302, and rebuilt in the 14th century.

 

The domed facade of Wawel Cathedral.

 

Beautiful bread snackage.

 

I couldn't resist!!!

 

I absolutely love the architectural style of this city center monastery.

 

A wonderful city for just ambling around.

 

Ah! Orchids! Reminded us of our home in Thailand.

 

We stopped in at a cafe on a small side street only to discover it was on the route of the central square horse carriage route.  They came by every two minutes!

 

A restaurateur with a sense of humor.

 

Lovely medieval cobbled lanes.

 

The old medieval city center as it was 500 years ago . . .

 

Beautifully decorated and adorned cityscape.

 

Monumental architecture along a cobbled alley.

 

Little beauty arrangements here and there throughout this charming old city.

 

The castle chapel square.

 

A passage to . . . ?

 

The courtyard of Kraców's Wawel Castle.

 

The castle courtyard . . . layers of balconies and doors . . . what mysteries have taken place here?

 

Turn your head one way and you see a royal insignia . . . turn it the other way . . . 

 

Strolling along the narrow side streets next to the castle.

 

 . . . the entrance to a calm peaceful old chapel . . .

 

 . . . and the quiet garden within.

 

One of thousands of statues of Mary throughout the city.  Poland is still a heavily Catholic country.

 

The attractive main shopping area, Floriańsk Street.

 

Thai massage!  We were tempted!!!  Some of the very old buildings held modern shopping malls in their interiors.

 

Interesting floor in the passage to a high-end shopping galleria.

 

Nice the way the old features have been integrated into the modern shopping area.

 

It was so interesting how many little passages lead back into courtyards filled with shops and restaurants.  I would love to live in this city!

 

Exploring the little streets, arched passages, and small alleys always lead to big surprises.

 

A discovery! A market square!  We spent quite a long time here pawing everything!

 

Kraków is an excellent 'walking city' to spend several days wandering around enjoying yourself.

 

Our hotel was in this old building just off of the main square, and across from an art museum.

 

The interior can only be described as "Soviet Era Minimalism." I loved it.

 

No expense was spared to create the perfect Soviet-workers-on-vacation guest quarters effect.

 

After entering the hotel from the street, you arrived in this austere courtyard to check in.  Yes, I was correct, the manager said the old hotel had indeed been remodeled during the Soviet era as a workers lodge. Our room had a panoramic view onto this courtyard. We loved it: it was one block off the main city square and it was cheap!

 

The Palace of Art (circa. 1901) was just outside our hotel.

 

We spent three days just wandering around this marvelous city.

 

We loved Kraków by day . . . but at night it became a colorful dreamscape!

 

The crowds came out on a fine summer evening for a meal and a drink.

 

All day and evening, the tourist carriage rides never stopped. I assumed they changed the horses periodically, though I never saw it happen.

 

The pleasant evenings brought everyone out to the cafés on the central square.

 

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves eating, drinking, and chatting.

 

This one looks inviting . . . lets go in.

 

St. Mary's Basilica by night.  We loved our short stay in Kraków and would be more than happy to go back again.