The last few days of our week in Poland were spent in the town of Zakopane, at the foot of the High Tatras Mountains. This place was Pope John Paul II's favorite place for hiking, and so we thought it fitting that we end our pilgrimage here. We thoroughly enjoyed the unique character of this town; the rustic wooden houses and churches. The simple life here is centered around logging, mountaineering, and skiing.
Heading out to the gondola to take us to the top of the Tatras Mountains.
At Kasprowy Wierch point. It was very windy and much icier than we had expected, so couldn't manage walking around for too long without proper shoes.
Nursing time for Dominic.
The view was amazing!
We had some hot drinks before descending back into the fog. Elizabeth and I tried coffee with a shot of rum - never would have guessed, but quite good and warming!
We visited a shrine to our Lady of Fatima, built by the Poles out of gratitude for the safety of John Paul II's life when he was shot. So beautiful.
Hotel Skalny is a great hotel for families. A huge breakfast spread, a playroom, pool/hot tub, coloring area - the boys loved it. Mom treated Elizabeth and I to a massage - heavenly! We spent every evening in the pool.
We were on the top floor, right against the rafters. Michael liked looking up through the window at the stars at bedtime.
The boys liked to run down the hall to Nana's room early in the morning.
This sign here is proof of the devotion of the Polish. Even in this small town, each church has many Sunday Masses, more than normal amount of daily Mass, confession and adoration.
The small churches were simplistically ornate, everything carved out of wood.
And John Paul II is everywhere.
The oldest wooden church in Zakopane, the Chapel of the Sacred Heart, built in 1904.
Mom, Elizabeth and I ambitiously set out for a hike to a lake, but lost the race against daylight and eventually had to turn back. Good exercise and nice views though!
We took Mom down to the hotel lobby for drinks and board games one night - such fun!
All Souls' Day was our last day in Zakopane, and I was glad we made a visit to the oldest cemetery in town in time for the blessing of the graves. The upkeep and reverence shown cemeteries and gravesites in Europe is simply amazing.
Many of the Poles were dressed in traditional costume.
This most colorful playground sit in the central park of Zakopane - felt like something out of Fiddler on the Roof! I especially thought of Dad, because he always made an effort to find interesting and unique playgrounds for us growing up.
We all enjoyed the sunshine and Michael had a blast playing with the Polish children. It is always amazing to me how the language of children and childhood play knows no boundaries.
And...I MUST share about the restaurants in Zakopane. I wish I had more pictures. Very family friendly, some with play areas in a corner. Big wooden tables with benches, fireplaces, usually local musicians striking up a tune, and great food! I mean, look at this platter of grilled meats and cheeses that we shared. This town of Zakopane is truly a treasure - I hope we can visit once more during our hiatus in Europe!
