Nikielkowo

Summer time is a great time for travelling and visiting new place. It is however also a great time to visit family and friends. Today, I will take you to a farm that is located in a tiny little village (if you want to find it I recommend that you type into your GPS the coordinates: 20.5705 E, 53.8069 N) and looks very modest at the first sight. But do to get fooled by the first impression.

Next to the entry you will meet some typical farm animals. A turkey, proud of its necklace ...

... a few goats and sheep ...

 ... or some rabbits.

But then it becomes less typical. Pigs are black and hairy.

Cows are red-hair and even more hairy.

I was told that this species of cows comes originally from Scotland - the proud Highlanders collect the winter "fur" and weave it into kilts. The Highland cattle can be recognised by the long horns. The calves are obviously born hornless.

Even birds are hairy here! Just look at this chicken.

In Nikielkowo you can meet many exotic birds. Do you know how those ones are called?

No, it is not an ostrich. It is its Australian cousin emu. It is smaller and its neck has blue shades.

Then come the parrots.

The farm in Nikielkowo is really large.

This is a must if you want to meet the Polish fallow deers.

They can be easily recognised by the white spots. This one is a young one, with small antlers. They will grow with time to become large as a man's arm.

Just next to it you will find a neighbour of the emu - a kangaroo. It looks quite small but actually only one species of kangaroos is taller than humans, all other are compact sized.

Other continents are also represented in Nikielkowo. Nutrias come from North America. Do not try to caress them, their teeth can cut large pieces of wood and could cut your fingers as well.

This hunchbacked cow is called zebu and originally lives in India.

Speaking of humps, there is also a dromedary on the farm. A dromedary is a camel with one single hump. Two-humps are the characteristics of a bactrian.

European beasts of burden are represented by this nice donkey. I was told he can be really stubborn but he has kindly agreed to pose to some pictures.

I hope that you have enjoyed this sunny afternoon that we have spent in Nikielkowo. Now I let you walk around on your own - I need to pass greetings from my Mum to cousin Randy.

Bardejov

In the North of Slovakia, close to the Polish border, lies Bardejov. Although not much bigger than Goniądz, this small city is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List, so among around a thousand most beautiful places in the world.

The city walls are still impressive.

The moat was changed in a pavewalk, but its stones look medieval.

Just next you will meet one of the fortified towers.

Behind the walls first you will enter the Jewish district.

Its heart is obviously a syngogue.

But the center of the city is this spacious Market Square. To fully aprecciate its size you should remember that the perspective is lying. The distance between the Town Hall, the building in the square's center, to the church behind is only a bit smaller then between me and the Town Hall.

The market square is surrounded by the burghers’ houses, dating from the first half of the 15th century. What is unique for Bardejov, is that the house construction is gothic, with the high steep roofs, but its ornaments are Renaissance, with ancient style portals. 

The same is with the Town Hall, the first Renaissance building in Slovakia, ...

... with its ornamented bay staircase.

Behind the Town Hall stands the tallest building of the city, Basilica Minor of St. Egidius.

Its interior is full of light and the gothic flank altairs.

Although not as big as in Kraków, they are very impressive since you can come very close and admire the details.

The main altair directs your view to the sky.

Notice the beautiful gothic arcs and the rosetta behind the pipe organ.

The gothic staircase window's ornaments are astonishing.

If you are brave as me I advise you to take the risk and climb the stairs.

You will not only see the church's roof, ...

but whole world heritage city, with the Town Hall, the market square ...

and houses that surround it, ...

and even the tower we have seen at the beginning.

So if you are not afraid of height go and visit Bardejov!

Illusion Farm

If you are in Warsaw on a sunny summer day it becomes sometime difficult to breathe. In such a case I would recommend you to take a trip to a place that is just 1.5 hour drive from the city - the Illusion Farm.

This is a place specially designed to put the magic at your fingertips. Like this water tap - the water is flowing out of it, even though there is no pipe bringing the water, the tap is literally floating in the air.

So do these plastic balls.

Obviously, when you come closer you will feel the air blown from the cones. The magic of physics. Like in this Newton's cradle.

Look, there is a flying house, like in the movie "Up!". Inside the house, all is organised under a steep angle, it is truely amazing. I had really difficulties to walk inside, not even mentioning taking pictures.

This is not the only weird house on the farm. This one is attached to a pivot and is actually rotating. With people (and horses!) inside.

A large part of the attractions is related to illusion created by mirrors.

Unfortunately inside the mirror labyrinth it is pretty dark and the pictures are rather poor.

But there is another labyrinth that stands in full light.

Easy one, you say? Well, just go and try.

Those of you who have found their way out can move on with me to see the remaining part of the park.

Watch out for the giant octopus! It has already sunk more than one boat.

The Illusion Farm is animal-friendly. They even have a camping for rabbits and other small animals.

Look! My cousing George.

Sorry friends, I need to chat with George about his new girlfriend. I propose that you explore the remaining attractions on your own. Just be careful not to fall into rabbit wholes or it may turn out that you will suddenly become smaller and smaller. If you find a table bigger than you it means that something is not entirely right.