Polish Salt Mine

[gray_marian]

Poland - Wieliczka Salt Mine - Travel Video - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRCP3IXwwK4 Cached
The Wieliczka Salt Mine is the oldest, continually working mine in the world. The mine was established in 1044 AD. What also makes this mine unique are the ...

[Rodney Mills]

Marian,




I just found your thread and it brought back many memories. My wife and I visited Poland in 1990 to visit her very distant cousins. It was a fantastic experience. While there, we visited the salt mines and it is huge. There are many carvings, mostly of a religious theme, done by the miners over the years.


In 1986 I had had enough of work and retired. As had my wife. Five years earlier we decided we would retire and "drop- out". Well we were able to do it in three years. We spent six months of each year in Australia and four to five months backpacking around the U.K. and Europe for thirteen years.


We have had two visits to Poland and are planning to visit again next year--sans backpacks. Our first visit we left by train from Dusseldorf, West Germany (then), having obtained a visa at the East German consulate to travel through East Germany (We still have them).



My wife' 8th cousin or so, her husband and their three kids met us at Krakow train station. The cousin and I could communicate via German and her husband spoke broken English and acted as our unofficial tour guide. After an introductory mandatory belt of polish vodka, we were off and running.


One of his friends was an exec. at the salt mine and had a staff member give us an insiders look at the mines, seeing areas not allowed on the traditional guided tours. Another friend of his did the same thing for us in Krakow's Wavel Palace. We both sat on the bed in the one-time Kings royal suite and wandered through the out-of-bounds royal apartments.


The only sour note was Auschwitz, a truly horrible experience.


We hiked in the Tatra Mountains, so beautiful. Will do it again next year.


Our next trip was in 1992, what a difference, food was plentiful, stores were stocked. We are both very curious to see the changes in Poland since our last visit.


Thanks for your thread, you've brought back wonderful memories.


I had hoped to attach a couple of photos from the mine, but for some reason, long forgotten, there are none in my photo album, however, I do have picture postcards of interior mine scenes.


We have been told many times by envious friends that we were/are the oldest "drop-outs" or "hippies". Had we have waited and retired at the "normal" time we could never have done or seen what we have seen, backpacking and living in a camper van would be tough at sixty five to eighty....No regrets for slinging it in.



Once again thanks for sending me back down memory lane.


Cheers, Rodney

[gray_marian]

#2, What a lovely response Rodney thank you. Delighted to learn that both you and your wife have wonderful memories of trips past, even better there's more to come.Should you find yourself travelling via Scotland you will be most welcome here. I'll pm my email address.Marian