Częstochowa

So this is the second incarnation of this post which I accidentally deleted!

In between Krakow and Warsaw, we camped in a wonderful little campsite near a town called Tarnowskie Gory. It was by the far the most sociable of the places we have camped despite its size. We met three separate sets of dutch campers and enjoyed an evening, a beer and a boardgame with them.

Unfortunately since leaving Krakow I had been feeling quite unwell so the first few days I spent in the hammock reading a book.

It was from here that we had travelled to Auschwitz. We also visited Tarnowskie Gory and had an amazing icecream for the equivalent of £1.. surely the best medicine. We also discovered the Silesian museum in Katowice. A super interesting find that had even Stuart and I wondering around the art gallery part! It also has a museum exhibit dedicated to the history of Silesia the area of Poland that - I did not know - we were staying in. The highlight though was the temporary exhibition room made up of mirrored walls and floor named “reflections”. Not sure what we reflected on but was a great spot for funny photos.. not quite sure that was the point but its what we got out of it! We also squeezed in a trip to the IMAX in Katowice to watch the new Spiderman movie. Very funny film and one I would highly recommend for Marvel fans out there.

Checking the weather forecast on the penultimate day of our stay we decided to pack up early to avoid the torrential rain waiting on the horizon. Such a great decision as it gave us the chance to pack up a dry tent and an extra day before arriving at Warsaw which we spent in Czestochowa. The Jasna Gora monastery here houses a shrine to the Black Madonna. It is a place of catholic pilgrimage.. which you cannot really describe our 5 mile walk to and from the hotel.. nevertheless I found it a very moving place.Read more