Sept. 24-Paderewski, bobbin lace and more...

Paderewsky's piano

Bobbin Lace Display

Countryside View

Spectacular dessert

Although we spent a lot of time in the car today, we saw a great variety of things. First stop was the home of Ignace Paderewsky, famous Polish pianist in the late 1800's-early 1900's. Then it was on to see how bobbin lace is made. We happened to be at the village where an international lace exposition is to be held next month, and had a demonstration of how to make the lace. We drove through beautiful rural countryside towards the Slovak border.  Lots of new homes in this area of lakes and hills, with chickens, cows, and horses in nearly every barnyard. Last photo in this post is my dessert tonight.....fried banana, peaches, peas, kiwi, ice cream and whipped cream. I'm proud to say I only ate half of it.

Sept. 23 Zalipie painted village

Love Lies Bleeding, Zalipie Museum Garden

Abandoned House - for Photographers

Zalipie Church with recent painting

Church painting detail

Catholic Church, Zalipie

Love Lies Bleeding is one of my favorite flowers, mostly because it's name is so perfect! This specimen was in the front yard of the Zalipie museum and painting school where we had a quick lesson in this unique folk art. Several homes and a church are decorated with the floral motifs.

Novy Sasc Museum

Novy Sasc bedroom

Tatras Mts. in the distance

Chinking in log homes

Completed mitt with thumb

Loom for mitts showing loose yarn during weaving

During the visit to the museum I came upon a technique for making mittens that I'd never seen before.  They were woven, not knit, and the weaving was done on a loom-like wooden form, with ends of the yarn sticking out.  When the mitts were done, they were turned inside out, and the loose ends created insulation to make the mitts extra warm.  The thumbs were woven separately on a smaller "loom" form.

1600's house with original paintings, Novy Sasc

Novy Sasc 1600's House, exterior

Original Painting 1600's

Original Painting 1600's

History/culture museum in Novy Sasc

Log home with thatched roof and garden

Tile stove, redwork embroidery

Old Russian Orthodox Church in Novy Sasc

Dome in wooden Orthodox Church

Stone/wood building with decoration, Novy Sasc

Spent a couple of hours in Novy Sasc today looking at old Polish buildings that have been brought to this outdoor museum from the surrounding area. Most were log buildings from the 1800s, though one dated from the 1600s. The church is Russian Orthodox with incredible interior decoration.  One old house, dating from the 1600's, had original paintings inside, 400 years old, done for priests who used to stay in the house (see next post).

Sat., Sept. 22, with Wlad and Sophie

Wlad at the entrance to their house.

Sophie's array of preserved mushrooms, fruits, and vegetables

Antique painted chest 

Bryant's perfectly sealed pirogi

Sophie, Martha and Wlad with some wild mushrooms (we ate some like these for lunch!)

Wlad, our guide, and his wife Sophie have a little house way up in the mountain woods near our hotel. They grow or gather most of their fruits and vegetables, and shared their bounty and their home and neighbors with us Saturday. What a wonderful experience!  Wlad is a collector of traditional things and their home is like a museum. They have two children, a son and daughter.  Their son helps Wlad with his travel business.

We made pierogies, tasted hearty homemade bread baked over coals in their wood-fired tile stove, sampled a variety of berry-based liqueurs and jams, hiked in their fields and forest for berries and mushrooms, and met their neighbors. Polish hospitality knows no bounds! Bryant was in heaven as Wlad made sure to include many of B's childhood favorite foods.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica, Zywiec Brewery, Mt. Zar

Heading to the bottom of Mt. Zar in funicular

View from Mt. Zar

Nave of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica

One of basilica chapel's domes decorated in folk style

Model of Zywiec Brewery

This morning we met Wlad as planned and were off through the outskirts of Krakow and into the countryside.  First stop was Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica, visited by Pope John Paul II on his Poland tour. It is a pilgrimage site for Polish Catholics, and is beautifully decorated inside.  Then it was on to a funicular ride to the top of Mt. Zar, in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains.  Last but not least was a visit to the Zywiec (pronounced Jiviets, more or less) Brewery where we heard (in Polish) how beer is made there before sampling some, and being given some very handsome Zywiec glasses to take home.