Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA)

Wonderful stuff Rybnik, please do share more!

and I kept walking.......

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  post office next to Dworzec
  
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  even the sidewalks are new!!
  

........and walking

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  an advert
  
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  the pedestrian
  

approaching the Rynek..............

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  ornate
  
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  one of the many Gothic churches
  
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  Town Hall
  
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  Welcome!
  

Walking onto the Rynek was a pleasant surprise. All the buildings are scrubbed and painted pretty pastel colors! It looks real good. Equally pleasant is the lack of car traffic on the square. Back in the day, cars were allowed onto the square. You can imagine the noise and smell. Now it's actually quiet - very nice. There was one thing that distracted from the Rynek experience: the umbrellas. Each and every bistro, eatery and restaurant have them - lots of them! I found them very distacting.

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  rynek
  
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  pedestrian mall
  
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  never went inside
  
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  I was there for the elections
  

more Rynek

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  nice touch I thought
  
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  ditto
  
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more rynek

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  ratusz at night
  
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rybnik,

I am curious. What do your none Polish friends think of Poland when they see your photos ?

What a goregous photo


The pic looks surreal. Reminds me of a pic I had taken of Lublin at night :)

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  Lublin
  

Haven't shown them yet.


Thanks Beckski. The building looked good. All I did was point and shoot ;)


You're right. It just turned out that way ;)

After I soaked-up the Rynek vibe I went off towards the river in search of the University. I found it and other stuff too. Again, the buildings shone they were so clean (from what I remember). Also all kinds of bistros, clubs, restaurants tucked away along the narrow winding streets. I also heard many foreign languages being spoken out there (you NEVER EVER heard any language other than Polish).

At day's end I was hungry and beat. I didn't want to eat on the Rynek (I was in the mood for a local joint nothing touristy). So, I began walking back towards the Wrocław Hotel hoping I would find my place to eat....I found it at the major intersection (damn I forgot the names of the streets) I had crossed earlier that day. The name of the place is "Marche". It's sort of a caffeteria-style eatery. The way it works is so PRL-days influenced: as you enter the place a young lady in a regional costume hands you a blank piece of paper (about 1/3 the size of an airline Boarding Pass). You take it with you to the various food stations. Whenever you get something the server stamps your paper. Every dish and beverage has its own specific stamp. eg when you get a beer the girl affixes a stamp in the shape of a beer bottle. When you're done eating you proceed to the register with your "receipt" whereupon the girl adds up your various stamps and calls out the damage. A meal with a cold pilsner went for about 10 USD....That ubiquitous pieczątka!! I got a good laugh. With a full belly and a slight beer buzz I was ready to get back to my hotel. A short walk past the Hotel Wroclaw to the tram stop; 5 minutes or so the #17 arrived.

Back at my hotel I bought 2 very cold Polish beers [unheard of back in the day to get beer, let alone cold!) got to my room, turned on the TV and plopped on the bed. "Life is good" I remember thinking to myself.

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  university
  
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  flowers for sale
  

The town hall in Wroclaw is German architecture and not Polish, no?

How about gothic architecture?

Of course. Silesia was part of Bohemia. It's closely related to Bohemian (+Upper Lusatian) and Saxon architecture, as most of the craftsmen who expanded the town hall between 1480 and 1520 came from there.

Ive eaten there quite a few times, my only criticism is the amount of garlic they seem to add to everything. Good quality food though with a nice atmosphere. For a relatively small restaurant the choice of food is amazing with Italian, Chinese and Polish - spoiled for choice.

My favorite Wroclaw restaurant is Novocaina, the Italian pizza joint on the Rynek.

Most of the old town was rebuild by Poles after WWII. so I guess is Polish architecture now, yes?

the inside:

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  I love all the wood
  

Very charming photo; kind of like a gingerbread house. Is that you in the pic Rybnik?

Nope - some local
They also have tons of seating. I beleive there's an upstairs

Great pics/commentary rybnik. Keep it coming, i love it.


I've been to marche several times. If i remember correctly it is on piłsudskiego/swidnicka.

I missed it! What is it near?

@ BB You're right!

I awoke the next morning refreshed and excited about my upcoming adventure. Today I would be re-visiting the medical school I attended among other destinations. I was psyched! And I was hungry. So off I went to the dining room. The breakfast spread was nothing to write home about. It consisted of the usual Central European fare ( I had recently been on a 10-day bus tour around the region and ate the same thing day after day): 2 types of cheeses, fresh bread, cold cuts, cold cereal, coffee (my one gripe vis' a vis my Polish trip was I hadn't had a good cup of coffee - mediocre at best). Luckily, the Wrocław breakfast also offered the hungry traveller yogurt,several soft, spreadable cheeses, and jams (marmalady). I ate my fill, said "Do widzenia" (good-bye) to the pleasant AND polite breakfast ladies and returned to my room. I got my stuff (small backpack,camera and important paper). Out the door I went into the beautiful Lower Silesian autumn!

On my way to the tram stop I passed this school.

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  Interesting.....Colorful too!
  

I found the tram stop and after a very short wait got on the #17. Again I passed the TV and Radio stations, new office buildings, the handsome BMW dealership, Sky Tower, Hotel Wroclaw and the intersection of piłsudskiego/swidnicka. From there my memory started to fade and I realized, that if I continue onward, I will be riding on pure instinct. In other words, I had no idea where I was going! Nothing looked familiar! The tram sign said it goes to Plac Grundwalski but will I recognize it? I hoped so. We passed Ostrow Tumski, some more new apartment buildings under construction, older sections of town were passed and then. And then a feeling so strong grabbed me. "Get out, get out" it was telling me. I quickly looked out the window and recognized nothing! NIC! I hesitated. But, so intense(I literally felt as if a hand/force had grabbed me by the collar and led me out of the tram) was the feeling; so strong the urge that I succumbed and obeyed. I got out. And the first thing I saw was this:

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  Simply BEAUTIFUL! For those who lived under communism will understand my reaction.
  

I stood in front of that billboard for what seemed minutes! I literally did a 360 turning completely around to see if I had an inkling where the hell I was. At first I hadn't a clue. I felt the adrenalin starting to surge. I was beginning to panic. Just then, when I thought I was going to get back on the tram I saw this:

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  something about this hit a nerve
  

hmmmm i turned again to my right and saw this:

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  the billboard really stands out!
  

I think I know this place. The longer I looked around the more I realized that indeed I knew this place. I knew it very well! This is the bridge that I crossed every day for six years either to get to the dorm or my apartment. The gas station was the place I filled-up my car before, during and after martial law! I made it. I know where i was. Now, I wanted to go to my old dorm.

No, just because the Poles rebuilt it doesn't mean that it's Polish Architecture. Looks Gothic to me which means German. I would expect Polish architecture to be a bit softer. But hey, I could be wrong.

it is gothic and renaissance.

Gothic architecture was popular not only in Germany but most of medieval Europe (apart from parts that were Orthodox). Oh, and it originated in France.

it seems you took my route to work. the bridge would look a little different as it was rebuilt a few years ago.

the billboard craze started around 1991-92 and got totally out of hand for a while. one can still find them popping up in some gardens as well. (i'm not kidding)