Jane & Rog’s Eastwards Coddiwomple

Jane and Rog

You said 'It was too hot for the Folk Architecture Museum, but we did poke around one of the famous wooden churches.'

That was a pity as we found it most interesting. Also the little pub/restaurant outside the entrance gate on the left was a good find, to the extent that we returned there a couple of days later just to eat there.

My apologies for not coming back to you re. suggestions for the area; I have been busy despatching Basia and her Sister back to Turkey, well Sister 'back' and Basia to guide her through the airport due to failing sight. Basia will return here next Sun.

II then looked for my 2022 'log' but cannot find it. I think that now you are already North of the area we toured. Sorry.

Happy trip up to Lithuania.

Geoff
 
nicholsong said:
Jane and Rog

You said 'It was too hot for the Folk Architecture Museum, but we did poke around one of the famous wooden churches.'

That was a pity as we found it most interesting. Also the little pub/restaurant outside the entrance gate on the left was a good find, to the extent that we returned there a couple of days later just to eat there.

My apologies for not coming back to you re. suggestions for the area; I have been busy despatching Basia and her Sister back to Turkey, well Sister 'back' and Basia to guide her through the airport due to failing sight. Basia will return here next Sun.

II then looked for my 2022 'log' but cannot find it. I think that now you are already North of the area we toured. Sorry.

Happy trip up to Lithuania.

Geoff
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Thanks. The real problem with the heat is the dog. It was over 30 when we arrived there - just too much for him. Hopefully cooler weather is coming.
 
cliffanger said:
We’re at Hereford, so I booked an appointment to see Samuel Johnson’s 1746 Dictionary of the English Language close up.
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No, it’s a neologism :-( I love the concept but I don’t think the word is onomatopoeic enough.

Also, did you see a first edition Johnson Dictionary? We have an nth edition quarter folio which is brilliant. It was a Christmas present from Jane to me back in the day.
 
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Jane And Rog said:
No, it’s a neologism :-( I love the concept but I don’t thing the word is onomatopoeic enough.

Also, did you see a first edition Johnson Dictionary? We have an nth edition quarter folio which is brilliant. It was a Christmas present from Jane to me back in the day.
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Yes - a first edition printed in 1755.
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It was a brilliant experience.
 
After some drying machine issues (takes Euro 50 cent coins, needs two of them, we have one, we’re in a non-Euro zone country), we decided it was just cool enough to walk into town (29.5 degrees). The van, on hook-up, was at a much more temperate 23 degrees for Flynn.

We walked up to town in time for the last underground tour. This was a 40-minute jobby through 30-odd connected cellars beneath the Old Town. The cellars – originally used for storage and sometimes for shelter during times of conflict – were built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The deepest point is about 12m below ground, but at times it feels like more, because of disorienting twists, turns and (have you forgotten?) the dodgy fibula, which makes stairs a bit of a slow process.

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The tour was totally in Polish, so we missed almost all, no, let’s say all, the interesting information. I wish they had an audio guide for English speakers. There were some cool audio-visual bits too, but again, all in Polish.

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Afterwards, we had a drink on the square, which was a fantastic spot for people-watching.

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Dinner was a bit of a risk - Rog had found the local posh place on Tripadvisor, and local posh places can be a real mistake - loadsa money for overcooked meat and blobs of gel. This was not that mistake.

We started with a glass of the local plonk.

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We both started with mushroom tartare that was supposed to be kangaroo tartare. Either it had hopped off, or there was a misunderstanding, but it was delicious.

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Mains for us both was goose breast. Cooked pink, totally yummy.

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The cooking was so good I broke my usual habit and had a pud. Raspberry sorbet, white chocolate mousse (not sickly sweet as usual) and scattered with lovely things like salty sugared pistachios. Yum.

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Rog had local cheese. “This is amazing,” he said, “Try this.” He was right, it was much better than any lunch cheese we’d had for a while. We asked the waitress what it was. “This is Compte, this is Roquefort, and this is a nice ripe Camembert.”

Turns out the cheese chooser was local, not the cheese.

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We definitely recommend Restauracja Widnokrąg. The cost was similar to a single course and a few drinks in our local gastropub.

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Jane And Rog said:
Here’s a map of all our campsites in Poland so far. We’re heading more in a northerly direction now.
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Eons ago I led a convoy of 13 small MH to invade Poland, to meet a Russian convoy of owners and based ourselves at https://tamowa.pl/ if you are going toward Gdansk.

Enjoying your journey btw
 
Jane And Rog said:
Surprisingly similar looking to ours which was published 30 years later (and two years after Johnson died)

View attachment 917441
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OMG - that’s brilliant!

I looked for Oats, Honeymoon, Warmingstone, Statesman and Stateswoman.

The librarian (Jennifer Dumbelton- what a name for a librarian!) was very keen to find all the words, but we weren’t allowed to touch it!

Edit: He was commissioned to write it in 1746 and finished it nine years later, so the first edition was 1755 (or MDCCLV as the first page says!)
 
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Jane And Rog said:
Have not looked up Honeymoon but as soon as we get back… :)
Also great:
Lottery: a tax on fools.
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I love the entry for oats …
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Apparently (so Cliff says), a famous Scot’s reposte was ‘that’s why England have the best horses, but Scotland has the best men’ :rofl:

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Coddiwompling day 22: as you were

Trigger warning: this post contains graphic images of a middle aged man eating beef burger. Delicate readers should turn their screens to black and white.

The start of our fourth week sees us not moving. Again! We liked the town, the campsite and its American sized tumble dryer so much we decided to stay another day. Flynn and I walked west up river. The site is really well positioned. Ten minutes from town (20 if you have a dodgy flipper) and five minutes from open countryside next to the river. I even got to visit the market on the way home although it was just packing up so I didn’t buy anything.

IMG_8188.jpeg

Dog who has never seen river before.​

Washing clothes and walking dogs done, we went up into town to visit Sandiomierz Cathedral (or, to give it its full Catholic name, Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the diocese of Sandiomierz). The cathedral was built in 1360 but inside it’s full on baroque mad. Even better it’s a mix of catholic and orthodox mad baroque.

IMG_9423.jpeg

Bling!
IMG_8202.jpeg

Particularly disturbing putto. There were more.​

There are 12 friezes around the nave picturing the Martyrologium Romanum (i.e. how the saints died) from our non-exhaustive review none of them opted for “peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family”. The saints are all numbered by the day of the month too - legend has it that you can predict your own death by finding the matching saint. Me: beheading by Tartar. Jane: unclear, possibly burning but possibly also beheading by Tartar. We are reconsidering our trip to Turkey in the winter.

IMG_9418.jpeg

Me, third from left, regretting dissolute life.​

The cathedral’s notice board had a warning about these false idols you should be careful about carrying.

IMG_8206.jpeg

Danger will Robinson!​
The peace symbol is labeled “In occultism, a sign of the fall of Christianity, a pagan sign of black magic. In Satanism, used during sacrifices for the celebration of black masses” ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

The Poles are very religious. When we were wandering round the cathedral there was a service on in one of the side chapels (it is Monday) it was full to overflowing and everyone could sing in tune without a musical accompaniment. The singing in Polish was lovely - any CofE vicar would give his Lent Chasuble for such participation. Similarly, here’s the turnout at Sandiomierz Cathedral when local boy Karol Józef Wojtyła became John Paul II.

IMG_8196.jpeg

Top Pope.​
Then out to lunch. Sandiomierz has a lovely square surrounded by cafes. We selected the terrace of the Lapidarium which, if it were in Germany, would be the Rathauskeller since it’s housed in the town hall cellar. I had a burger and Jane had okroshka - a cold cucumber soup, something we haven’t had since leaving Ukraine.

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You were warned.​

Then a bit of touristing. We failed to buy jewellery made from local zebra flint or a carved wooden Christmas decoration.

IMG_8211.jpeg

Toot! Laaa!​

We did buy a delicious pistachio doughnut and a burrata and raspberry ice cream.

IMG_9431.jpeg

Sadly I was not served by the lady in the logo.​

We sat around the van all afternoon, wondering if the repetitively warned of thunderstorm would arrive and clear the humidity. It didn’t so at about six, we walked up the hill, had a few beers overlooking the square and then a pizza. The pizza wasn’t very Polish but it was very good.

IMG_8219.jpeg

The pizza was less funny than the wait.​

Codiwomple rating: Jednorożec!

Ankle report: Due to high levels of interest we must stop supplying free updates here. Further information on the failing flipper will be available on Jane’s Only Fans page for paying subscribers.
 
Gina M said:
I was a bit worried there at what I was going to see:ROFLMAO: My ankle was a torn ligament which I was told was worse than a break so maybe that's why it took so long for mine to recover.
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Yes, I sprained the same ankle at the top of a hill in the Lake District three years ago. At least it was a proper climb, not a dog amble. But it was more painful over the first few weeks than this is to be sure, and a torn ligament must be worse again.
 
Sandiomierz is a really nice. I snapped this last night as we walked back to the van.

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I don’t understand why it’s not in more guidebooks: It’s not busy. What tourists there are here are nearly all local.
 
It was heavy rain and cooler when we left Camping Browarny behind having enjoyed our stay but with a fairly hefty bill of €72 for the two nights.

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It was grey and just mizzling a bit when we parked up at Palace Krzyztopor. Lucky, as Flynn was banished from improving his knowledge of Polish history (currently, not so dissimilar to ours), and had to stay in the van.

IMG_9449.jpeg


The castle/palace was commissioned in the 1600s by Krzysztof Ossoliński and apparently incorporated his love of magic and astrology.

IMG_9460.jpeg


The castle was designed to embody a calendar, with four towers representing the four seasons, 12 halls for the 12 months of the year, 52 rooms for the 52 weeks, and 365 windows for 365 days – plus one to be used only during leap years. Some cellars were used as stables for Ossoliński’s 370 white stallions, and are adorned with mirrors and black marble. The crystal ceiling of the great dining hall is believed to have been the base of an enormous aquarium.

IMG_9456.jpeg


Sadly, Ossoliński was barely able to enjoy his playground; he died in 1645, only a year after the castle was completed. There’s a lesson here for all of us - I bet you are dreaming of your aquarium-based dining hall (I know I am - I’m thinking sharks, mainly) - but get over it and just enjoy a nice sit in the sunshine and listen to the birds tweeting.

Talking of death, next up on our travels was the Klasztor Misjonarzy Oblatów Maryi Niepokalanej (say that three times after a couple of beers).

IMG_9462.jpeg


This was exciting mainly for the chance to pay 50p to visit the crypt and see the mummified remains of nobleman Jeremi Michal Korybut.

IMG_9475.jpeg


His teeth are looking OK. Mine look considerably worse even after several months of Colgate White, and paying the dentist a fortune for bleaching gel.

We’d somehow managed to miss lunch again so we were both a little peckish when we packed up in a car park just outside Kazimierz Dolny. £2 for the night - bargain.

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I rushed (hobbled) into town to catch the shops while Rog gave Flynn another walk.

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There were a couple of better shops, but mostly it was tourist tat and I was glad that I’d bought my striped flint bead at the castle for a mere £3 - and a striped flint pebble to split and tumble once we’re back home.)

The town square was pretty though. I chose a cafe and primed Google Translate with “a dry white wine please” while I waited for Rog.

IMG_9483.jpeg


Dinner was excellent at Akuku, which sounds Japanese and wasn’t. Rog had noodle soup and hammered pork, and I, flustered, ordered double beef - tartare, which was really pretty and tasted great too, and beef cheek on buckwheat and red cabbage, perfectly cooked.

IMG_9489.jpeg
 
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Jane And Rog said:
Coddiwompling day 22: as you were

Trigger warning: this post contains graphic images of a middle aged man eating beef burger. Delicate readers should turn their screens to black and white.

The start of our fourth week sees us not moving. Again! We liked the town, the campsite and its American sized tumble dryer so much we decided to stay another day. Flynn and I walked west up river. The site is really well positioned. Ten minutes from town (20 if you have a dodgy flipper) and five minutes from open countryside next to the river. I even got to visit the market on the way home although it was just packing up so I didn’t buy anything.

View attachment 917807
Dog who has never seen river before.​

Washing clothes and walking dogs done, we went up into town to visit Sandiomierz Cathedral (or, to give it its full Catholic name, Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the diocese of Sandiomierz). The cathedral was built in 1360 but inside it’s full on baroque mad. Even better it’s a mix of catholic and orthodox mad baroque.

View attachment 917809
Bling!
View attachment 917820
Particularly disturbing putto. There were more.​

There are 12 friezes around the nave picturing the Martyrologium Romanum (i.e. how the saints died) from our non-exhaustive review none of them opted for “peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family”. The saints are all numbered by the day of the month too - legend has it that you can predict your own death by finding the matching saint. Me: beheading by Tartar. Jane: unclear, possibly burning but possibly also beheading by Tartar. We are reconsidering our trip to Turkey in the winter.

View attachment 917810
Me, third from left, regretting dissolute life.​

The cathedral’s notice board had a warning about these false idols you should be careful about carrying.

View attachment 917811
Danger will Robinson!​
The peace symbol is labeled “In occultism, a sign of the fall of Christianity, a pagan sign of black magic. In Satanism, used during sacrifices for the celebration of black masses” ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯

The Poles are very religious. When we were wandering round the cathedral there was a service on in one of the side chapels (it is Monday) it was full to overflowing and everyone could sing in tune without a musical accompaniment. The singing in Polish was lovely - any CofE vicar would give his Lent Chasuble for such participation. Similarly, here’s the turnout at Sandiomierz Cathedral when local boy Karol Józef Wojtyła became John Paul II.

View attachment 917812
Top Pope.​
Then out to lunch. Sandiomierz has a lovely square surrounded by cafes. We selected the terrace of the Lapidarium which, if it were in Germany, would be the Rathauskeller since it’s housed in the town hall cellar. I had a burger and Jane had okroshka - a cold cucumber soup, something we haven’t had since leaving Ukraine.

View attachment 917818
You were warned.​

Then a bit of touristing. We failed to buy jewellery made from local zebra flint or a carved wooden Christmas decoration.

View attachment 917819
Toot! Laaa!​

We did buy a delicious pistachio doughnut and a burrata and raspberry ice cream.

View attachment 917821
Sadly I was not served by the lady in the logo.​

We sat around the van all afternoon, wondering if the repetitively warned of thunderstorm would arrive and clear the humidity. It didn’t so at about six, we walked up the hill, had a few beers overlooking the square and then a pizza. The pizza wasn’t very Polish but it was very good.

View attachment 917822
The pizza was less funny than the wait.​

Codiwomple rating: Jednorożec!

Ankle report: Due to high levels of interest we must stop supplying free updates here. Further information on the failing flipper will be available on Jane’s Only Fans page for paying subscribers.
Click to expand...

The first photo of the Cathedral made me feel YUK! Such Idolatry.
Jane And Rog said:
And in the latest news headlines, we have a repeat of the bag incident. Men, pah. Brains like sieves, etc.
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That is why I will not carry a bag. House keys in left pocket. MH keys in right. Wallet in right hip. Coins and comb in left hip.

What else does one need? Anything else goes in Basia's bag - she has less holes in her sieve.
 
Jane And Rog said:
It was heavy rain and cooler when we left Camping Browarny behind having enjoyed our stay but with a fairly hefty bill of €72 for the two nights.

View attachment 918187

It was grey and just mizzling a bit when we parked up at Palace Krzyztopor. Lucky, as Flynn was banished from improving his knowledge of Polish history (currently, not so dissimilar to ours), and had to stay in the van.

View attachment 918191

The castle/palace was commissioned in the 1600s by Krzysztof Ossoliński and apparently incorporated his love of magic and astrology.

View attachment 918192

The castle was designed to embody a calendar, with four towers representing the four seasons, 12 halls for the 12 months of the year, 52 rooms for the 52 weeks, and 365 windows for 365 days – plus one to be used only during leap years. Some cellars were used as stables for Ossoliński’s 370 white stallions, and are adorned with mirrors and black marble. The crystal ceiling of the great dining hall is believed to have been the base of an enormous aquarium.

View attachment 918193

Sadly, Ossoliński was barely able to enjoy his playground; he died in 1645, only a year after the castle was completed. There’s a lesson here for all of us - I bet you are dreaming of your aquarium-based dining hall (I know I am - I’m thinking sharks, mainly) - but get over it and just enjoy a nice sit in the sunshine and listen to the birds tweeting.

Talking of death, next up on our travels was the Klasztor Misjonarzy Oblatów Maryi Niepokalanej (say that three times after a couple of beers).

View attachment 918194

This was exciting mainly for the chance to pay 50p to visit the crypt and see the mummified remains of nobleman Jeremi Michal Korybut.

View attachment 918195

His teeth are looking OK. Mine look considerably worse even after several months of Colgate White, and paying the dentist a fortune for bleaching gel.

We’d somehow managed to miss lunch again so we were both a little peckish when we packed up in a car park just outside Kazimierz Dolny. £2 for the night - bargain.

View attachment 918231

I rushed (hobbled) into town to catch the shops while Rog gave Flynn another walk.

View attachment 918234

There were a couple of better shops, but mostly it was tourist tat and I was glad that I’d bought my striped flint bead at the castle for a mere £3 - and a striped flint pebble to split and tumble once we’re back home.)

The town square was pretty though. I chose a cafe and primed Google Translate with “a dry white wine please” while I waited for Rog.

View attachment 918227

Dinner was excellent at Akuku, which sounds Japanese and wasn’t. Rog had noodle soup and hammered pork, and I, flustered, ordered double beef - tartare, which was really pretty and tasted great too, and beef cheek on buckwheat and red cabbage, perfectly cooked.

View attachment 918222
Click to expand...
At last - a relic! :rofl:
 
Maybe you already do and I have missed it but just in case; you should write and publish travel books , you write it all down so beautifully, your audience could be huge, thank you for taking the time to take us on your journey 👍😎
 
nicholsong said:
The first photo of the Cathedral made me feel YUK! Such Idolatry.


That is why I will not carry a bag. House keys in left pocket. MH keys in right. Wallet in right hip. Coins and comb in left hip.

What else does one need? Anything else goes in Basia's bag - she has less holes in her sieve.
Click to expand...
See, woman carrying man’s stuff. Not fair! Which is why Rog has one, even though it’s a tiny little thing.

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Dutch 68 said:
Maybe you already do and I have missed it but just in case; you should write and publish travel books , you write it all down so beautifully, your audience could be huge, thank you for taking the time to take us on your journey 👍😎
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Thank you, but you are far too kind. My (Jane) only publishing fame is a technical book about Symbian OS. It had a readership of literally tens of people.
 
Same happened with my terrier a few nights ago he came across a hedgehog in the garden and was just barking at it as he couldn't pick it up because it was rolled up in a prickly ball, hedgehog 1 dog 0 :giggle: (y)

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