We definitely ended the holiday with a bang. Prague is one of the most magnificent cities we have ever experienced. We checked into our mediocre hotel (Scott’s room gave him flashbacks of the seminary at de la Salle High School) and set out to see the sights…and sights there were, everywhere. The buildings in Prague are magnificent in terms of size, architecture and in most cases, colour. Every direction you look there is another building demanding your attention and making you gasp in awe. We had to sample the local specialty so we stopped for a beer in Wenceslas Place before strolling into the Old Town where even more magnificent buildings stole our attention. The astronomical clock is a very intricate machine and the church that dominates the skyline in the square is very fairytale-esque. As in Kraków, we took advantage of the horse and carriage tour and experienced the city old-style. We dined in a traditional Czech restaurant that was recommended to us by a local and were delighted with our dishes of goulash, dumplings, cabbage pancakes and soup. We then walked back to our hotel and set our alarms early so that we could make the most of Sunday, our last day all together.
After an interrupted sleep due to paper-thin walls and a terrible shower, Teresa decided that her and Michele would splash out for their last night and booked a great deal on a room in a five-star hotel. We checked out of the other place early and headed over to the Kings Court Hotel to drop off our bags. After checking out our plush room and making Scott jealous at our living quarters for the night we took a stroll over to Charles bridge. Once on the other side we treated ourselves to a guided tour in a replica of an original Alfa Romeo. Our guide, Jan, was very cheeky and informative, although his habit of turning around to explain things while still driving had Michele gripping the edge of her seat! We were dropped off at the largest castle in Europe and admired its majesty before walking the beautiful cobble stone streets and finding a lovely little restaurant to have our last meal together as a family.
Driving to the airport was a bit scary as a thickening fog was descending on the night roads. Once again Scott did a great job driving in the low visibility and we dropped the car off at its final destination. Saying goodbye to Scott was difficult as expected, we had grown used to being together as a family once again and the holiday was ending too fast!
The next morning Teresa and Michele awoke in their extremely soft and comfortable beds and went down to experience what can only be
described as a breakfast buffet on steroids. Amazing! We managed to squeeze in some
last minute shopping, one last blow dry and a couple of horseradish Bloody Mary’s before heading to the airport homeward bound ourselves …..

Wenceslas Square, Prague

Read the small print – THC free – what’s the point then?

Checked out of our Warsaw pokey hotel and got on our way to Krakow. We had a Maccas breakfast where there was so much choice. Of particular note on the road was the fog all along the highway which gave the environment a haze that hid the greenery and lovely colours of the landscape but also gave it an eerie and picturesque look. It was a long drive and very slow as we entered Kraków. Scott did a fantastic job of driving in unfamiliar conditions. We had a Maccas stop for breakfast and coffee then the long trip started.
We finally found our accommodation, Atelier Aparthotel and it was in a great part of Kraków and our individual double rooms were super cheap so we stayed for two nights. The rooms are really spacious, centrally heated with nice bathrooms! We made the decision to take Zakopane off the itinerary because it would mean more car travel than sight seeing. We walked down to the main square and although it was only around 5pm, it felt like 10pm because of the darkness and lighting in Kaziermizc square. There was lots of activity and memories for Teresa and Michele from previous visits last century. A magical part of the evening was the decision to take a horse and carriage ride through the old town and past Wawel castle.
It was also Halloween and All Souls’ Day so we noticed a lot of activity around cemeteries and the placement of very colourful flowers on all graves. We walked to the Podgorski Ghetto and felt quite solemn until we discovered a lovely coffee shop.
We were going to Alchemia, a very popular restaurant, in the Nowa Plac for lunch but they were so cool and inattentive that we walked out. Seems this is the Bohemian part of town and service is at a minimum. We did find a couple of lovely Polish restaurants each night for dinner where the service was exceptional and our tips reflected our appreciation. Wawel castle was a highlight. We admired the ground, the chocolate and the views. There was some shopping in the Kraków Galeria and then home to rest our weary feet!
Kaziermizc square is just as magical in the daylight. We enjoyed our time in Kraków together and wish we could spend more time in Poland…… But onward we must go…….

Goodbyes with the family were teary as expected (although we’re pretty sure that Fanix the cat was happy to have his home back to normal). It was hard to leave these wonderful people knowing that we live so far apart, considering the amazing time we had and the new connections we had made (we miss you all already!).
It was a long drive to Warsawa. We stopped in Wroclaw and had a coffee and ate some of the foods lovingly packed for us by Veronika and Ely. We decided to continue on to Warsawa and spend 2 nights in a Hotel there instead of having all our belongings in the car each day. We found a budget Hotel which suited our needs in the heart of Warsawa. We walked to Stary Miasto and admired the old and new architecture. There is a large Galeria in Warsaw central but the shops and the prices are the same as London, Paris and Berlin……targeting tourist dollars! It is a lovely city with evidence of ongoing constant improvement! We had dinner at a Polish Restaurant nearby both nights, it was great but it is hard to reach the standards set by the Kiemskis!
We had to be careful when crossing the roads because jay walking is still a chargeable offence in Poland and we actually witnessed someone getting in trouble with the Policja for walking against lights!
We went for a walk in the afternoon at 4:30, it was pretty much dark, as night had set in. We decided to fend off the urge to nap and instead have a coffee across the road. From there we noticed a small shopping centre behind the coffee shop.Michele and Teresa discovered a hair salon and managed to get salon styles for the best price in Europe yet! Although the temperatures have been around 5-10 degrees, there has been no wind or rain to make walking around uncomfortable. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Warsawa and with our new hairstyles we will now look fabulous for our next stop in Kraków!

………..the gifts! We were also given some very thoughtful gifts from the family!
We awoke to be served an amazing breakfast. Eli and Pawel were the most attentive and gracious hosts, we were treated like royalty! It was a frosty morning and we prepared for the day’s activities, Eli ensured that we all had gloves and warm jackets. Using 2 cars we embarked on a drive to Karpac which is a lovely mountain resort. In winter people come here to ski but we just came for the views and the fresh air! Pan Wladyslaw looked really cute in his beanie(hat)!
Scott drove some pretty winding roads behind Eli, who is a lead foot :)) Wladyslaw is always telling her to slow down!
We went for a walk in the crisp mountain air and took a guided tour into the Wang Lutheran church. This structure was made entirely of timber with all timber joins which was sourced from Norway. The guide explained the intricate carvings and history in English(many thanks to Eli and Pawel for this).
Anna brought along snacks like Poncki (Polish Doughnuts) and cheese pastries plus Eli And Pawel treated us to roadside smoked sheeps milk cheese …. It was yummy!
Unfortunately, Amadeusz, Honerata and Milena had to skip school to be our chaperones too! We didn’t have to clear up breakfast because Veronika, Evalenka and Terenia came over to clean up and also prepared the dinner while we were enjoying our excursion. Dinner consisted of an entree of Broccoli cream soup – magnificent and then the Pierogi feast began – Russian like Babcia makes, spinach filling served with garlic cream instead of sour cream and then cabbage and mushroom ones too. There are more stories such as the story of when Wladyslaw even sneakily used the hand break when driving with Evalenka to slow her down while driving too. There was more singing and games and then when we mentioned our trip plans Wladyslaw and Janusz planned out our trip in terms of kilometres and hours using the computer and road atlas! All too soon the day ended and it was time to sleep…..much earlier than the night before.

Avis does not let you drive their luxury cars into the eastern countries (although they are happy to take your money up front) and so we were given a Skoda station wagon which is still a lovely car (although not the Mercedes E-class that we were expecting). Of course, Scott forgot to bring his actual license so Michele and Teresa had to step up and Teresa drove all the way from Berlin to Lubin. Arrrgghhhhhh!!!!!!!
The roads are magnificent and you find yourself doing 160kmph without any effort on the freeways! We ensured that the GPS was set in English and made good time to Lubin.
Then we got lost. We were due to meet the family at around midday but by this time it was around 2:30pm. We had a little contact with Amadeusz (our new cousin and only English interpreter). The address we had put into our GPS was not correct so we had to find somewhere for Michele to purchase credit to contact Amadeusz. When we did he told us to wait where we were while they came to rescue us. We were met by Kamil, Honorata and Amadeusz at a corner store. Teresa had to try and keep up with Kamil in the car….phew! Luckily it was only about 5 minutes away.
Elzbieta’s and Pawel’s place is magnificent! The family welcomed us with open arms and watery eyes, as were ours, plus the hugs were warm and plenty. Although there were some language challenges we felt an instant connection. In total the whole family was there waiting for us! Wladyslaw and Veronika, Teresa and Janusz, Elzbieta and Pawel, Evalenka, Kamil, Anna, Amadeusz, Honorata, Milena, Damien and Anna with little Kasper (18 people in total including us) plus Fanix the black cat with no tail! Of course, as is the Polish way, a massive feast awaited us consisting of many Polish delicacies – pork schnitzel, chicken nalesznicki, cucumber and dill salad, Bigos, beetroot with horseradish and pickled mushrooms plus mushroom sauce made from the mushrooms Wladyslaw collected. It was washed down with jugs of cherry juice, water or apple juice. And that was lunch! We were not allowed to lift a finger! All four sisters are animated and the life of the party, spontaneously breaking out into songs at times to entertain and break the language barriers. They are hilarious and so easy to get along with!
Teresa is warm and has a smile like Bla that lights up the room! Her husband, Janusz was the official photographer and quietly recorded the proceedings over the two days. Pan Wladyslaw and Pani Veronika cannot do enough for you……..and are always trying to make you eat more…..and more……and more! Amadeusz was amazing as the interpreter……..he’s also very knowledgable about history and wise beyond his years.
Before dinner we were whisked into Lubin for a walk around the centre with a history overview plus visits to churches which were still in mass. There was also a tree planted to memorialise Pope Jan Pawel II with a plaque. Not all members of the family joined us as they were busy preparing the next feast! The two girls, Honerata, 12 years and Milena, 9 years insisted in hanging out with Michele to practise their English and teach Michele Polish. Michele loved this very much.
After our mini-exploration of Lubin we came back to another Polish feast and a night full of singing, drinking and laughter. It is amazing how well we all connected despite the language barrier and it is obvious that the Kiemski genes run deep. Anna had the great sense to introduce games and activities that didn’t require spoken language e.g. Each person was asked to share their particular talent or ‘party trick’. Every one of Anna’s activities had us in fits of laughter. We also had a musical performance from Milena on the flute (magnificent!) and then Honerata on the guitar playing Flamenco style! Amazing!
During our ‘conversations’ we were discussing age and birthdays…..apparently Evalinka was a ‘surprise’ as was Barbara in our family……..we laughed at yet another similarity between the Kiemski families. Not to mention that Wladyslaw is also outnumbered by women as is Mikolaj!
The food during our whole stay was gourmet and abundant. Our days were organised to the finest minute with members of the family having delegated chores to complete so that we were always entertained and came home to another 5 star feast!
It was such a great day and Janusz was busy photographing the event where he will produce a Cd as a keepsake ( yet another wonderful service provided by the Kiemski’s).
We finished by 3.30 am……we haven’t even discussed the Vodka yet….but there were many bottles consumed!!
To be continued……..

Finding our bearings and reading the maps correctly found us trekking to the tower and the Spree river to find the painted wall memorial. There was a long stop at the shopping mall where we went to Galeria, a department store where Michele bought a jacket and Teresa had her hair done ready for Poland. It was the hair salon with fantastic views of Berlin!
Lunch was in the bistro…..more schnitzel and espresso then off for some more shopping in a place similar to DFO, a discount outlet. Teresa bought the coat she had her eye on to keep warm for the rest of the trip!
Finally, after walking for another 40 minutes we found the river Spree and the painted wall. It was an awesome sight steeped in history and culture. There were many tourists visiting this area. We had a stein of Berlin beer on the river and then returned home to prepare for the evening.
Scott brought a plastic spider from home that he has tried to frighten us with but it’s not working! I hope we don’t leave it behind and frighten the daughter of our airBnB host!
Scott’s friend Lucas joined us for the evening and had booked us into a quaint Typical German restaurant where they served Pork knuckles ( no crackly though like in Brandy’s) sauerkraut and beef roulade. Vodka was served in shots!
Daylight savings ended tonight so we have an extra hour tomorrow!
Our time in Berlin was suddenly at a close yet we are very excited to drive into Poland to meet the relatives!

Up before dawn once again ( which is before sunrise at 8.30am) and farewelled our lovely host Ron to catch a cab to Schiphol and onto our next destination – Berlin!
Scott flew in from London and we realised that the last proper family holiday we had together was at Crescent Head in the 90s.
Our penthouse apartment has countless flights of stairs and no elevator……thank goodness Scott was there to carry Mutti’s bag……and there’s no smoking or wheezing! The apartment is spacious, centrally heated and has lovely views……of yet another tower – Berlin’s Telekom tower!
We sorted the rooms and sleeping arrangements before setting out to find the Wall (Mauer). We found a lovely restaurant which served traditional German fare where we enjoyed meatballs, schnitzel and dumplings plus cucumber & dill salad like Babcia used to make. Washed down with steins of beer.
Walking, walking, walking to find the wall…..we found some sections of memorial sites with plaques and history but not the Mauer we were looking for. We ended up in Potsdam Platz and bought some essentials from the Lindt shop. We walked around and took in the scenery and typical German architecture.
Dinner was at a little Polish restaurant we discovered down the road from our apartment ( yes, it’s in Berlin but the language practice was worthwhile). The food itself was a highlight…….they brought out bread in a basket with what looked like mashed potato but turned out to be pork dripping……Michele and Scott were both introduced to a very old tradition that they realised was quite delicious! Then there were cheese pierogi (almost as good as Babcia’s), salmon pierogi in Lobster sauce, Bortcsh with dumplings, ham croquettes and Bigos. (OK……Teresa tried the Bigos and is probably over her childhood phobia about this delicacy). We enjoyed interacting with the waitress who could speak German and Polish but very little English and we entertained her with our attempts to communicate in any of these languages! Flash forward to what it will be like when we meet the family in Poland!

The sun does not rise in this country before 8:30am either. We woke up to an overcast day, although no wind or rain. Wandering the streets looking for a place to have breakfast we found that it is not a commonly offered meal at many restaurants and cafes, but we managed to stumble upon a lovely little outlet where you could buy healthy and organic produce for eat in or take away called Stach. The workers were once again extremely welcoming and friendly. We selected cups consisting of yogurt, granola, fruits and nuts and enjoyed our mandatory espressos before heading off to find Anne Frank’s house. We did not have to walk far, however, the queue was ridiculous (and we’ve seen the photos in the book) so we decided not to go in and walked to the Van Gogh museum instead. Walking the streets, it was a delight to take in the local scenery and culture, which is very different to ours back home. The buildings are tall and very narrow, and on a slight angle, with steep stairs that lead upwards and also to doors that are below street level. It is a very pretty city. The cobble stone roads open up into the more common tar roads once you get further away from the canals and we noticed that there are lanes for bikes, trams and cars going both ways, this is a city that knows how to do transport!
Once we reached the Van Gogh museum we realised that we were not going to avoid enormous queues anywhere (and we’ve seen his pictures too) so we resorted to wandering the streets and enjoying the sights. We found a place for lunch that was just magnificent in food, service and atmosphere with the added bonus of a resident pussy cat and free wifi! After a bit of shopping we found the Albert Cuyp, which are apparently the biggest and most famous markets in Amsterdam. What a treat! We walked and walked and walked and the markets seemed to stretch forever. Teresa bought a scarf but we mostly window shopped as we plan to do most of our shopping in Poland. On the way back we walked past Anne Frank’s house again but she is a very popular girl and the line had not shortened a bit! We did stop in to Stach again to treat ourselves to some gourmet chocolates and were greeted with warm and familiar helloes from our new BFFs we had made that morning.
After such a long day of walking a couple of Baileys were in order before settling in for the night.

It was a clear morning, although still very dark at 7am when we left our Parisian apartment to catch a taxi to get on the train from Paris Gare du Nord station to Amsterdam Centraal. We decided that a taxi was the preferred method of transport to the station and it was another way to see Paris.
We caught the Thalys train which took us through Belgium to get to the Netherlands. Green lush countryside and lots of wind farms again. The weather became cloudier as we headed north. The train stopped at Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol before reaching our destination and we noticed that no matter where you go there is always graffiti (and the “F” word is used just as prolifically). The train ride was very comfortable and a wonderfully fuss-free way of travelling between countries (no baggage or passports checked at either end!).
When we reached Centraal Station in Amsterdam we caught a cab to our lovely little boat house. Ron, the owner, is definitely a character and we warmed to him straight away (he lives with his girlfriend in a houseboat at the rear). We got some tips from him and then headed into town to explore. First stop, lunch at the cafe Winkel, which purportedly made the best apple pie. We enjoyed baked ham and goat cheese panna cotta with parsnip chips (sorry Janelle, definitely photo- worthy but we were too busy talking to the Scottish couple next to us that we forgot), before indulging in the cafe’s signature dish, which did not disappoint. We have noticed a stark contrast in demeanour between the Dutch and French toward us as tourists. The people of The Netherlands are friendly and more than willing to speak in English to us.
We walked the streets to get our bearings. There are some beautiful big buildings in the heart of the city, which of course are owned by the big banks of the world. The Dam Square was very busy, full of tourists, buskers and cobble stones. As you walk the streets you get wafts of weed coming from the “Coffee” Shops and there are a lot of docile young men walking around. We navigated our way around, dodging bicycles, and using the multiple canals as points of reference. An ice cold Jaegermeister shot and a Cointreau was enjoyed on the water, although the ice cold breeze meant that we did not stay for too long. After taking in some more sights we then found a supermarket to buy some nibbles for dinner and headed back to our boat house on the marina. We sipped Heinekens, compliments of Ron, at our little table overlooking yet another canal before heading inside out of the cold and having a relatively quiet night in.

Decided to visit the Notre Dame by foot today but it was also time for a hair update. We found a salon on the way and both got the Paris look to take us through to our next destination.
The weather was colder and windier with some showers ( not good for new hairdos!). We walked for many kilometres past shops, hospitals and more shops until we stopped at a cafe for espressos. Here we were given the wrong directions to get to the Notre Dame and walked a kilometre in the other direction and then had to retrace our steps.
We had a lovely lunch in a quaint cafe and we have noticed that bread is always provided with meals, although there is never butter or oil served with it, and the bread is like a sourdough and generally served in a bucket-like tin. Also when drinks are served there is usually a bowl of nuts or chips to accompany them. Espressos are the norm and a glass of water is often served with the coffee. We have morphed into Parisians and enjoy our espressos very much.
When we reached Notre Dame it started to rain and we had to take cover in the crypt. Once the weather eased we went up and joined the short queue(because of the rain) to enter the cathedral. We lit a candle wishing all family members good health. It is a beautiful building and by the time we exited the weather had cleared so we could walk completely around the building and admire it’s many intricate details.
The long walk home involved dodging rain and wind and debris (smashing down onto the footpath in front of us…..hurricane Gonzalo remnants!) and we decided to buy some local wares to enjoy in the comfort of our apartment and enjoy the glittering tower. One thing we have not mentioned yet that is definitely worth doing so is the shower in our little apartment. While the cabin itself is very small and pokey, the shower rose lights up when you turn it on and proceeds to change colour as you shower. It’s perfect disco light backing for people like Michele who likes to sing in the shower!
Au revoir Paris! Next stop Amsterdam! The Parisians keep warning us not to smoke too much!