It's a wanderful life, so it is

After four really enjoyable weeks, we left the wonders of the city behind for the beauty of the countryside. We travelled down to the Slovakian border, where Zakopane nestles in a picturesque valley among the Tatras mountains, and stayed in Willa na Grani, the Villa on the Ridge. The views were simply magnificent.

Zakopane’s natural condition is in the snows of winter when it must truly come alive with its alpine buildings, ski jumps, and even a tourist attraction called Snowlandia. It moonlights as a summer resort too and I must say it does this pretty well. We spent three days here and had plenty to do.

The high point, literally and figuratively, was the cable car up to Kasprowy Wierch. This peak is at the top of two long ridges and is very popular with people who like to walk along such things. It also has a reputation as the best place in Poland for advanced skiers and is called the Holy Mountain of Polish Skiers. Fortunately for us, there was no snow, no skis and no insurance so we could enjoy the views without any pressure.

We also visited the thermal baths in the town. These are fantastically modern with excellent facilities and a variety of pools and activities. Relaxing outdoors in the hot water being pummelled by jets of air is my idea of mountain exercise! It must be even better when covered in snow. We have no photos though as our phones don’t swim. 😊

That’s the end of our Polish travels, for this time at least. I don’t think we could have picked a better place for the start of our wanderings. We owe a huge debt to my friend, Jan, who gave us so many ideas for our trip, even preparing and sharing a PowerPoint  that we referred to all the time. Thanks again, Jan, you’re a star!!

Next, we’re back in Scotland…