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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Jun 16, 2017 08:00 PM Listening to the Chopin in Waplewo
Waplewo Wielkie is the little countryside palace some 90 kms from Gdansk. The palace is surrounded by the old park creating the exceptional atmosphere. Every summer they organize here Chopin Days to memorize the visit of the big composer in Waplewo. I have been here several times listening to the greaat music performed by the famous pianists. This year it was Katarzyna Popowa Zydron. Beethoven, Schubert pieces were very nice but first of all I enjoyed the ballads and nocturnes of Frédéric Chopin. Great day!
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Jun 12, 2017 08:00 PM Lectures, presentations, slide shows...
I visited all countries of the world, so it is no wonder that often I am invited to the different place in Poland to give the lecture on specific subject. The choice of possible subjects is wide... Sometimes it takes quite a long time to prepare chosen presentation - it is noc easy to select say, 100 pictures from the collection of few thousands. But I like to share mu knowledge and experience with other people. The fees I am receiving allow me to finance my next journeys...
And - if the audience is imressed - like here - in Tarnow it is also a great satisfaction for the author...
I had enough time to visit the picturesque old city in Tarnow - I will upload some good pictures, but first they should be converted to the lower resolution :)
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Jun 11, 2017 08:00 PM Traveller's Festival in Tarnow
I have been invited to give a presentation about my travelling in the Art center in Tarnow - South Poland.
In the very modern Art Center (see the picture) I was talking 1,5 hours showing my best pictures from 7 continents. I was awarded with a big applause. The in the lobby I was selling and signing my book. Many people wanted to have a picture with me. Why not? But I do not feel like a star....
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May 09, 2017 08:00 PM Snow in Gdansk - hard to believe!
The train from Przemysl to Cracow was on time, then I took a bus 208 from Crocow main station to the airport (there is also suburban train going there, but it costs more).
Waiting in the Cracow airport I met there Polish lady-traveller. Can you imagine - our first meeting was two years ago in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Both we were applying there for the permit for Pamir Highway. I like such a meetings after years!
In Gdansk it was only 4 deg Celsius when we landed.
But today it is snowing since the morning!
Remembering flowering lilac and chestnuts trees in Transcarpatians I regret that I did not stay there longer :)
I had there really nice time, meeting friendly people and enjoying the nature. Well, one more interesting voyage is completed. Let's think about the next one - to the warm countries, of course
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May 08, 2017 08:00 PM Tram no.1 - rather walk along the line!
-From the hostel to the railway station take the tram no.1 - it cost just 2 hryvnia! I left the hostel at 7.10 am, the tram stop is just near. I was waiting 20 minutes, tram did not arrived, I decided to take an energetic walk along the line to the station. This was good decision because I did not see any tram going along that way... At 7.57 am, a bit sweaty I boarded marshrutka in front of the Lviv main station. It departed 3 minutes later. Bingo!
It took us 2 hours to reach Sheginia - little village at the border crossing to Poland. They charge 38 hryvnia for such a 80 kms journey with some visits of the side villages on the way.
In Sheginia there are money changers plus few little shops, so I spent my last hryvnias buying Ukrainian bread and took 200 m walk to the border crossing. On Ukrainian side there were no queues. It seems that they were not happy to see Russian visa in my passport. But there were also visas of China, Tajikistan and border stamps of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and more... :) So why? Soon I walked onward to Polish side. Here is the drama: the crowd of some 200 Ukrainians blocks the narrow passage. There is separate line for EU citizens, but they do not respect that and some 30 people stays also there pushing each other. Hard to discribe. There is significant difference in the price of cigarettes and alcohol, so they are bringing it to Poland, many times each week... I managed to get through the pushing crowd after some 40 minutes... On the Polish side the city bus to Przemysl was waiting to take me to the Przemysl railway station just for 2 zlotys. Uff... I am back in Poland!
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May 07, 2017 08:00 PM Meeting great Ukrainian Travellers
In Transcarpatians I met an American from Oregon. He gave me a contact to the big Ukrainian traveller - Orest Zub. I met him and his charming wife Marta. They are passionate travellers like me and I enjoyed very much our meeting. We spent few hours talking about places, impressions, exchanging travel tips. I like the discussions with such a experienced people they not only smile, but they also know, what you are talking about... And - what a coincidence! - we came to the conclusion that we will sail on the same ship across Atlantic in September. In the afternoon Orest offered me car excursion to Zolkiev - historic town near Kiev with the castle, monastery and few nice churches. Thank you so much, Orest!
I managed also to visit Lychakovski Cemetery where you can find graves of many Polish nobles, professors, writes and first of all - soldiers fallen in the bolshevik war. History... Memories...
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May 06, 2017 08:00 PM Lviv - Lwów after years...
I have been here for the first time as a student - at a soviet time the city was rather grey with limited churches open. So how looks Lviv today?. Once you leave the station building the first impression is not so pleasant. Hoes in the sidewalks, garbage around... But the landscape is improving closer to the old centre. More painted buildings, garbage bins... They still have here trams in the narrow streets!
I booked accommodation in The Panorami hostel. Centrally located with a balcony overlooking wide Svobody boulevard charges 250 hryvnia for single, but it is the end of positives. The room is cramp, no chair, one locked window 2m above the floor looking not to the street but to the next dormitory. No ventilation except through the open door. Poor service - the check in took me almost an hour: first they was not able to find my reservation, then they wanted to charge me twice more than confirmed. In the late afternoon I took a walk to the old market and bright latin cathedral. Yes, old Lviv is worth to be on the UNESCO World Heritage list! More tomorrow...
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May 05, 2017 08:00 PM Ivano-Frankivsk or Stanislawow
It seems that only 4 trains per day depart from nice railway station in Kolomyya to the north. Pity... For the first time in Ukraine I boarded European-standard train to Ivano. For one-hour journey I paid 100 hryvnia - like 4 USD, but it was worth - they offer even clean toilet aboard! Provincial capital town Ivano-Frankivsk before the WW2 was Polish city Stanislawow. History... at the end of the wars the winners take it all... :)
Most of the nice architecture is here from Polish period... There is nice pedestrian street, city market, pretty churches (one of them converted into art museum). But the most important is that I am lucky because they just celebrate the City Day - with plenty of music and other entertainment in the sunny streets. Let's enjoy!
I recognized that in the evening in the little Philharmonic Hall the artists from Budapest will perform the semi-stage version of the brilliant operetta "Silvia" known also as Princess of Chardash. Entry is free, but only by invitations... Well, in such a situations I play foreign correspondent. No Russian, English only! It works! I got a seat in the first row, and enjoyed my favorite arias and duets :) What a day!
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May 04, 2017 08:00 PM Kolomyya - Ukraine
Finally I am in the big town! Kolomyya has about 60 thousands inhabitants and a rich history. I was walking about an hour from the bus station to my Oasis mini-hotel at the end of Tchekhov Street. Once my bacpack was stored I went to the picturesque center of the town to enjoy the charm of old, narrow streets and the real life of the local market, where dozens of babushkas sell home-made cream, egs and cheese. Kolomyya has city hall, new Greek Catholic Cathedral and two interesting museums. One of them is Pysanka Museum - pysanka, known also in Polish culture is an brightly painteg egg. They prepare it for the celebration of ghe Easter. In Pysanka museum (entry 25 hryvnia) the most beautiful eggs are on display - thousands of them!
And in front of the building there is probably the biggest pysanka of the world to be photographed by the tourists.
Second museum - also worth a visit is a museum of tgd Hutsul culture (entry costs 40 hryvnia). There are handicrafts, costumes, paintings and more. Enough for the full day!
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May 03, 2017 08:00 PM Yeremche on the Prut River
Before the WW2 it was a part of Poland. At this time Yaremche was a fancy mountain spa on the altitude around 600 m, with the moderate climate and the high society coming for rest. Now it has many new hotels and brand-new Greek Catholic church in the centre. I was lucky to be there just after the marriage ceremony and take few interesting pictures. What is interesting, that the people for such a exceptional occasion wear national costumes!
Then I took a walk to the Probiy Waterfall on the Prut River located just 500 m off the town upstream Prut River. It is not hibgh but still quiet impressive. They built a bridge over the fall so you can cross to the other side where is big tourist market and... recently built huge luxury hotel.
I stay on the other end of the town in the private villa proudly called "Pension u Myrona" They charge 320 hryvnia for room and breakfast, but to get wi-fi signal uyou have to go from your room downstairs. I have the excellent view of the green mountains from my window instead.
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