The Last Hurrah

Szczawnica, Poland - In case you're wondering, it's pronounced shchavnit'sa and it's a village in the Pieniny Mountains. And - in case you're wondering - the Pieniny are a picturesque range in the Carpathians in southern Poland.

For our last weekend in Poland, we decided on a mountain getaway - two days of hiking, rafting and drinking mineral water with curative powers.
These curative powers are not a myth. Jerry had a miserable cold when we arrived; but after a day of sweating it out in the sauna and replenishing his fluids with "St Stefan" mineral water, he was like a new person. Here is the lady who mixed up the magic potion.

We chose Szczawnica because it's supposed to be less touristy than some of the better known mountain resorts in southern Poland. As we strolled down Main St, with its hotels and hokey souvenir shops and horse-drawn carriages, we had to smirk: Good thing we didn't go to the touristy place.
My favorite feature was the series of flower sculptures depicting the local fauna. Click here to see my photo essay.
Anyway, it really was a wonderful weekend. We went on long hikes on both days. The second one was supposed to be a short hike to see the sunrise, but we got a little "sidetracked" and it ended up being a long hike.
At least we saw the sunrise. Today we are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary, so according to tradition, we get up to see the sunrise wherever we are in the world - even if it happens at 4am.
This afternoon we spent a delightful two hours floating down the Dunajec River, enjoying gorgeous views of the river gorge with the Tatra Mountains as a backdrop.
The raftsman was quite a ham. He had the boat in stitches for the much of the journey. Too bad we couldn't understand what he was saying.
We finished off with a lunch of grilled trout, straight from the Dunajec river. It was flaky and fresh and so flavorful, washed down with a cold Zywiec. Honestly, I think this was the best meal I have had in Poland. (No wisecracks about Polish cuisine, please!)