Here Comes the SUN!!!

We have learned this winter that Poland doesn't get as cold as Wisconsin or Minnesota but it does get grayer in the winter.  It has been long time coming but we have officially seen the sun THREE DAYS IN A ROW!!!!  I know that we will most likely slip back into winter gray for awhile but for now it is amazing so we took some pictures to share with you.

Tuesday

Thursday

Thursday

Notice how we went from snow in the roofs to none!!!    It has also been so warm reaching up to the low 40s, fahrenheit of course.  Walking home has been so much easier on cobblestone than on slush and ice!  

What happens in Poland when the roofs melt we are sure doesn't happen at home (or at least neither of us have ever heard of it).  One of us will share about it soon, stay posted.  But for now I need to run Ilona is taking us grocery shopping this morning!!! It's the little things.

WE FOUND STRING CHEESE ... well sort of

After skiing with Adrian on our way home he shared with us some cheese that he had bought.  It was super long and tasted similar to smoked string cheese.  He thought it tasted like he was eating plastic.  Kayla went grocery shopping they other day and found the same cheese only she didn't buy the smoked kind.

Tonight we ate it for dinner and it tasted almost like string cheese just a bit salter.   We think it might be a funny translation thing because it is super skinny and long, like a string.  So instead of stringing your cheese you can just eat a string of cheese.

Skiing at Szczyrk with Adrian

Last Saturday Adrian took Kayla and I skiing at Szczyrk, the mountain we see from our balcony.  We got up early to avoid the afternoon mobs.  When we got there Kayla and I rented skis. I told Dad later that afternoon that I always appreciated how well he keeps my skis up at home waxing and sharpening them, but now I really appreciate it!!

We had lots of fun, I LOVE SKIIING!!!!  The runs were long and the trees were beautiful.  After a few hours we went home and my legs were sore, turns out 2-4 kilometer runs are a lot more strenuous then the short runs at Granite Peak. 

Thanks Adrian!!!  

Drain Pump

If you read Kayla’s blog you may have previously been introduced to our washing machine.  If not here is a summary it took us a month to figure out what the letters on all the dials mean.  The shortest cycle that we have found is 2 hours long so we hope that means our clothes are extra clean and during the spin cycle it vibrates all the way across the room.  I was browsing online and I learned that if your wash cycles are long, clothes are coming out really wet and musty smelling it could be a sign that the drain pump needs to be cleaned out. 

 Well I thought hmm that could be our problem, then continued browsing on the Internet.  The following day Kayla put in a load of laundry and when the 2 hour cycle finished the clothes were soaking wet so I was determined that it needed to be done immediately. 

So I pulled up that page on the Internet and got to work.  That is when I ran into the first hurdle of the mission.  I wasn’t strong enough to twist open the cap where the drain pump is.  So I went in search for the perfect tool.  I tried several things before I found it.  It was actually a nutcracker.  So I started to loosen the plug and that is when it happened.  All sorts of grayish blue liquid started to gush out everywhere.  I yelled help because the pan I had was already full and the water was nowhere near done. 

Kayla came to the rescue with the dustpan, which was used as a water director into the bucket.  You see most drain pumps have a hose but ours doesn’t.  When the water was done gushing out.  I pulled out the filter.  I think I was the first person to ever do this.  It was caked it lint and who knows what else.  Kayla said it smelled like a dead cat.            

I cleaned it out and put it back together and now the wash cycles are still 2 hours, but I think it vibrates less and our clothes have not been soaking yet (knock on wood). 

Three Kings Day

The 6^th of January is Three Kings Day, which is a Public Holiday in Poland.  I guess it has only been a Public Holiday for a short time here.  We met Ilona near our flat and walked to this church.  This is where everyone was gathering.  There were lots of people, 3 kings on horseback, good monsters to protect us from the bad monsters, and lots of people dressed in the traditional Polish Highland Outfits. 

Once everyone was assembled we walked though the streets to the city center singing Christmas Carols.  When we got to the city center a Bishop spoke and then we got cake.  It was cool and at the end it started to snow! 

New Years Eve

We got back on New Years Eve in the afternoon.  We were so tired; we decided to stay home instead of going out.  But don’t worry we still stayed up until midnight.  At midnight it was crazy there were fireworks being shot off in all directions.  It was the craziest thing I have ever seen.   I later learned that in Poland New Years Eve is the only time it is legal to shoot off fireworks so people go crazy about them.    

Englischer Garten, Surfing, Neue Pinakothek, and Deutsches Museum

Englischer Garten is one of the largest parks in Europe.  During the summer it is packed with people but we probably saw 15 other people while we were there.  This huge lawn is filled with sunbathers in the summer but it looks like the gofers or something similar had taken over when we were there. 

 As we were walking though the park was saw a bunch of people surfing on the river so we stopped to watch for awhile.  The forceful current and the cement slab create the wave for the surfers.     

Then we went to the Neue Pinakothek art museum.  We spent a little time looking around and were lucky we got there just as it was opening.  Because it was Sunday the entrance fee was only 1 Euro so by the time we left it was very busy.  We got to see Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Claude Monet’s Water Lilies and much more!

 Our last stop for the day was the Deutsches Museum a big science museum.  We had to wait for tickets outside for a long time and were afraid that it would be really packed but it was such a big place we didn’t notice at all.  We decided it was a little boys dream.  There were ships, planes, helicopters, cars and much much more everywhere. 

Then we got back on the bus and headed home to Bielsko Biala.   

Regensburg

On day three we took the train to Regensburg, Joan told us it was a neat place, so we went to check it out.  When we got there we walked around the mall a bit.  We had the best pizza ever for lunch at  Pizza Rossa.   

Then we went exploring.  We walked around for a long time aimlessly taking in the architecture.  Then we stopped at a gas station to buy a map.  The only one they had was HUGE so after we purchased it we opened it up and ripped out the city center.  The people in the gas stating got a good laugh out of this.  

Then we headed off to look find St. Peters Cathedral.  Regensburg has the only intact medieval center in Germany.  

   

Steinerne Brücke is a very old stone bridge that was built 1135 and 1146.  It was one of the only solid crossings on the whole Danube River.   

It was a great day thanks for the tip Joan!!!

Augustiner Bräu

For dinner we went to Augustiner Bräu for an authentic German Meal.  I had Pork Knuckle and German Potato Salad.  I liked the Pork Knuckle but the Potato Salad was just not like Grandpa’s.  It was cold and had no bacon.  

Pork Knuckle

German Potato Salad

Kayla had Roasted Duck and that was really good as well and of course we sampled some of the local beer.  It was actually cheaper than water on the menu, only in Germany!!  

Roasted Duck

Augustiner Beer

Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle

On day two we spent the day at the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles.  We took a tour from Munich, when we met in the morning our tour guide told us that she couldn’t guarantee that we would be able to see the castle from a distance.  We were momentarily bummed but “wutch you gonna do”, so off we went?  When we arrived in Hohenschwangau, the village the castle overlooks, it was raining and really foggy, this rain quickly turned to sleet, and the sleet turned to snow.  It snowed for a long time and the castle looked really cool in the fog.  Then after our tour when we came out of the castle it was clear, there was even a bit of blue sky.  So we got to see the castle in lots of different weather!! 

King Ludwig II grew up in the Hohenschwangau Castle, well actually a house next to the castle.  He had the Neuschwanstein Castle built in the 19^th century.  The castle was never actually finished because he died prematurely.  This is the castle that Disney based its castle off of.

Hohenschwangau Castle

House where King Ludwig grew up.

Neuschwanstein Castle

Inside it was beautiful as well very intricately painted and King Ludwig’s love for fairytales and swans is evident everywhere.

Painted walls in the Throne Room

A picture of Jesus above throne as the King of Kings

Mosaic floors

We were lucky because they day we visited the lookout bridge was open so we could get some more great pictures!!!