I've let myself go a bit!

So somehow it's January 2020 and I've missed a complete year and a half of blogging. The longer I let it go the harder it is to resume - it reminds me of trying to keep a diary when I was a kid.
So, I thought I'd summarise some of my travel and outdoor active highlights to bring things up to date.
In the second half of 2018 I did my usual stints leading holiday walking tours for Explore in Amalfi and the Dolomites. Marion and I also spent some time in Cornwall and then had a two week trip to Poland, beginning in Krakow.

St Mary's Basilica, Krakow

Saint Mary's Basilica, Krakow

In Krakow

In the Jewish Quarter, Krakow

Krakow is a really good city, historic and vibrant, cultured and educated - we loved it. It's Jewish Quarter is a fascinating glimpse into history, but combined with a visit to Auschwitz to pay respects, we were both affected and upset by the holocaust. These words are totally inadequate to describe our response - I could not bring myself to take photographs here.

Sign in Krakow

On other days we wandered the city, visited art galleries and drove our to take a tour at Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Salt Mine church, dug from salt crystals

Salt crystal chandelier

Bas reliefs carved out of salt

For our second week we moved to Zakopane, on the northern edge of the Tatra mountains. We spent most of the week walking the countryside. We had some frustrations as access to the Tatry National Park is regulated to protect the environment. I support this wholeheartedly but signposting to public transport would be welcome for visitors who want to walk here.

Fieldfare

House in Zakopane

Tatry Mountains

I finished this trip with a completely self indulgent day, leaving Marion whilst I went climbing with Jakub, a local climbing guide. We had a 3 hour walk to climb an easy, but aesthetic rock line - 6 pitches of lovely granite, high up in a mountain valley.

Granaty

Czamy Staw Gasienicowy (the lake)

 

On the climb

Climbing above Czamy Staw Gasienicowy (lake)

Climbers on a ridge

That was our Polish trip in August 2018.