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Pierogi Love in Krakow Poland!

1/17/2016

You simply can’t visit Poland and not try their famous dish called the “Pierogi” and Jim and I found a number occasions to order it, telling ourselves we needed to try all the different preparations. The reality was that they are just really yummy. This is a high-carb dish perfect for fueling an afternoon of sightseeing.

While staying in Krakow, we chose to indulge at a restaurant called Chopin which is located right on the market square, Rynek Glowny. We sat at a table on the outside terrace where we had a fabulous view of the historic square, its beautiful buildings, the many elaborately decorated horses and carriages and most importantly, it was perfect for people-watching.

Chopin specializes in authentic Polish cuisine as well as other European specialties, but we were on the hunt for pierogis so we stayed focused even though other dishes delivered to nearby tables also looked very good. Happily, the pierogis when they arrived were absolutely delicious and everything we had hoped they would be!

Pierogi or pirogi (pronounced pi-ROH-ghee) are stuffed dumplings of East European origin. They are made by wrapping pockets of unleavened dough around a savory or sweet filling and cooked in boiling water. The dumplings are usually semi-circular but triangular and rectangular ones are also found. Typical fillings include mashed potato, sauerkraut, ground meat, cabbage, mushrooms, spinach and cheese in the savory version. The savory dumplings are often served with toppings, such as melted butter, sour cream or fried onion.

Our favorite pierogi turned out to be the meat dumplings which are filled with a well spiced very flavorful ground beef mixture. We also tried the “Russian” style pierogi which was filled with mashed potatoes, farmers cheese and fried onions and a version with cabbage and mushrooms.

Fruits and jams including cherry, strawberry, saskatoon berry, raspberry, blueberry, peach, plum, apple and prunes are used in the sweet pierogis. I have to admit, we did not try the fruit version, so we now have a perfect excuse (among SO many others) to return to Poland!

Be sure to try pierogis when you visit Poland. They should not be missed, and sitting on the terrace at Chopin watching the scene in beautiful Rynek Glowny is the perfect way to experience this Polish national dish……and you might even get a serenade!

Learn more about Chopin Restaurant in Krakow, Poland

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St Mary's Basilica in Krakow - A Sacred Space filled with Golden Stars

1/14/2016

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Sitting in Rynek Glowny, Krakow’s large market square, you can’t help but be impressed by the tall beauty of the Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven also known as St. Mary’s Basilica.

According to chronicler Jan Dlugosz the first parish church at the Main Square in Kraków was founded in 1221–1222 by the Bishop of Krakow, Iwo Odrowaz. The church was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Poland. Between 1290–1300 a second Early Gothic church was built on the remaining foundations.

The church was completely rebuilt under the reign of Casimir III (the Great) between 1355 and 1365. The vault (originally built in 1395) collapsed and was rebuilt. The presbytery was elongated and tall windows added. The nave was completed in 1395–97 and the new vault was constructed.

At the same time the northern tower was torn down and rebuilt to serve as the watch tower for the entire city. In 1478 the helmet on the tower was added. A gilded crown was placed on it in 1666, which is still present today.

In the first half of the 15th century, the side chapels were added.

In the 18th century, the interior was rebuilt in the Late Baroque style. All 26 altars, equipment, furniture, benches and paintings were replaced and the walls were decorated with painting by the artist Andrzej Radwański.

In the years 1887–1891, additional neo-Gothic design was introduced into the Basilica.

Though the layers of beauty added throughout the centuries are impressive and make this basilica into a virtual jewel box, in my opinion, the most spectacular part of this fabulous interior are the star covered ceiling vaults, where a golden array of stars shine from a deep royal blue field.

The highlight of this fabulous interior, is the Altarpiece of Veit Stoss, which is the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world and a national treasure of Poland. The altarpiece was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz) who lived in Krakow from about 1477–1497.

Interestingly, a few weeks prior to the outbreak of the WWII and German occupation, the Poles took the altar apart and dispersed it across the country. Unfortunately, the crates were found and the Altarpiece was confiscated by a Nazi unit called the Sonderkommando Paulsen and transported to the Third Reich. The panels were also found and sent to Germany. They were put in the basement of the Nuremberg Castle. The altar survived the war in spite of heavy bombardment of Nuremberg.

The magnificent altarpiece was fortunately discovered by Count Emeryk Hutten-Czapski, of the Polish 1st Armored Division, and returned to Poland in 1946 where it presides behind the high altar of the opulent and impressive sacred space of St. Mary’s Basilica to this day.

There is particularly interesting footnote to the history of St. Mary's. On every hour, a trumpet signal called the Hejnal Mariacki "Saint Mary's Dawn"; a traditional, five-note Polish anthem closely bound to the history and traditions of the capital, Kraków. It is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers and the plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. Try to be in the square to hear this unique bell toll!

Learn more about visiting St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow, Poland

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Evening in Rynek Glowny - A Photo Portrait of Krakow's Market Square

1/10/2016

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Sunset into evening is always the most beautiful time to photograph and as we had hoped, it was an enchanting evening in Krakow.

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Learning About Poland's Jewish History in the Kazimierz District of Krakow

1/9/2016

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One of the best ways to see a city is on a guided electric-car tour, and there are many to chose from. They are strategically located all around the old-town of Krakow. We chose to use City Tour to get an up-close view of Krakow. The tour is conducted via multi-seating electric carts but as it turned out, we were the only people on board so it felt like a private tour. The market squares of Europe’s old cities are always amazingly beautiful, but there are always other interesting districts to see also and you shouldn’t miss them.

All of the electric-car tour companies offer a variety of city itineraries but we had already walked much of the old-town, so we chose to venture further out and take a tour of the Kazimierz District (Jewish Historic District) and the WWII Krakow ghetto.

Krakow is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. It grew from a Stone Age settlement into Poland's second most important city. The city dates back to the 7th century and Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Polish economic, academic, cultural, and artistic life. It began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill (location of the royal castle) and was already being reported as a busy trading center of “Slavonic Europe” by 965 a.d. The city is situated on the Vistula River in the “Lesser Poland” region and was the capital of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1038 to 1569. It continued to be a seat of Polish government for centuries.

As we left the beautifully restored center, we found streets filled with every-day shops, cafes, churches and businesses you would find in any neighborhood though many of the buildings had picturesque Bell-Époque facades above the store-fronts adding a venere of beauty to the every-day street scene.

We were struck by the occasional facade that remained obviously unrestored or patched-up ever since WWII. You couldn't help but be reminded of the difficulties and challenges Poland has faced from the end of WWII through the present.

We were welcomed by a busy flea-market as we entered the old neighborhood called the Kazimierz District.

Jews had played an important role in the Kraków regional economy since the end of the 13th century, and they were granted the freedom of worship, trade and travel by Boleslaw the Pious in his General Charter of Jewish Liberties issued in 1264. The Jewish community in Kraków lived undisturbed alongside their Christian neighbors under the protective King Kazimierz III, the last king of the Piast dynasty.

According to general historic record, in 1495, King Jan I Olbracht moved the Krakow Jewish community to the nearby royal city of Kazimierz, which gave rise to a bustling Jewish quarter and a major European center of the Diaspora for the next three centuries. With time it turned into virtually separate and self-governed 34-acre Jewish Town, considered a model for every East European shtetl, within the limits of the gentile city of Kazimierz.

As refugees from all over Europe came to find the safe haven in the Jewish quarter, its population reached 4,500 by 1630. The Jewish leaders petitioned to build walls enclosing their community which was granted and the “Oppidum” Jewish Town, became the main spiritual and cultural center of Polish Jewry, hosting many of Poland’s finest Jewish scholars, artists and craftsmen.

This golden age came to an end in 1782 under Austrian Emperor Joseph II. In 1791, Kazimierz lost its status as a separate city and became a district of Kraków and in 1822, the walls were torn down, removing any physical reminder of the old borders between Jewish and Christian Kazimierz.

Several historic civic and religious sites from this period still exist in Kazimierz.

Former Kazimierz Town Hall originally built in the Plac Wolnica (town square) in the 15th century. The Bell Tower remains from the 15th century. The remaining façade of the building is from the 16th century and designed in the Renaissance style. It is now the Museum of Ethnology.

The Corpus Christi Basilica (Bazylika Bożego Ciała in Polish), located in the old Christian district of Kazimierz is a Gothic church founded by King Kasimir III the Great in 1335.

The High Synagogue (Synagoga Wysoka or Nowa Boznica) is a late Gothic building where the upper floor was turned into a public place of worship in 1563. Everyday secular life went on downstairs. The only original parts remaining from the historic synagogue are the façade with its Renaissance portal, and the remnants of an Aron Hakodesh in the former men’s prayer hall. The building now houses a photography exhibition called ‘Two Faces of the Cracow Jews’ that shows the city’s prewar Jewish community.

Poland’s oldest synagogue “Stara Boznica” was built in the early 16th century next to the 14th-century city walls. It was destroyed by fire in 1557, and the exterior of the brick building was restored in the Renaissance style. The interior is basically Gothic. The Nazis damaged the synagogue and turned to a warehouse, they also executed 30 Polish hostages at its wall in 1943. The synagogue was restored in 1955-1957. Since 1961 the Old Synagogue has served as a museum of Jewish history, culture, and tradition.

Isaac’s Synagogue (Synagoga Izaaka or Boznica Ajzyka) was funded by a local banker Isaac reb Yekele. The baroque structure was built in 1644. It was refurbished in 1857 and was again damaged by the Nazis during German occupation of Krakow in the WWII. The synagogue was reconstructed in the 1970s and the 1980s. It now houses a video-and-photography show titled ‘In Memory of Polish Jews’.

Synagoga Remuh is the smallest of the Kazimierz synagogues. The Renaissance building was erected in 1558 beside the Jewish cemetery of the same name which was established in 1533 and closed in 1800. The name commemorates rabbi Moses Isserles Auerbach (born circa 1520, died 1572) a.k.a. Remuh (RaMa), who was a religious writer-philosopher of international fame and son of the synagogue’s founder.

His tomb is located in the adjacent Remuh Cemetery. The synagogue and the cemetery, were both devastated under the Nazi rule. They were restored in stages from 1956-1968. The synagogue is the venue for religious services for orthodox Jews in Krakow. The interior boasts its original Aron Hakodesh, a Renaissance stone cabinet for the Torah.

The Remuh Cemetery, also known as the Old Jewish Cemetery of Kraków, is an inactive Jewish historic cemetery established in 1535. The New Jewish Cemetery was founded in 1800 on grounds purchased by the Jewish Qahal from the Augustinian Order. It was enlarged in 1836 with additional land purchased from the monks. The cemeteries hold the grave sites of many notable Polish Jews and were greatly damaged and desecrated during and after WWII.

A small park provides a place to reflect and meditate upon the tragic fate of 65 thousand Polish Jews during WWII.

Our next stop was the Krakow ghetto. The Jewish inhabitants of Kazimierz were forcibly relocated in 1941 by the German occupying forces into the Krakow ghetto just across the river in Podgorze (not, as often believed, in the historic Jewish district of Kazimierz).

The Ghetto was surrounded by the newly built walls that kept it separated from the rest of the city. All windows and doors that opened onto the "Aryan" side were ordered to be bricked up. Only four guarded entrances allowed traffic to pass in or out.

Fifteen thousand Jews were crammed into an area previously inhabited by 3,000 people who used to live in a district consisting of 30 streets, 320 residential buildings, and 3,167 rooms.

You can still find surviving portions of the ghetto wall to this day.

The only working pharmacy enclosed within the Kraków Ghetto belonged to Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Polish Roman Catholic pharmacist permitted by the German authorities to operate his "Under the Eagle Pharmacy" there, upon his request. The scarce medications and tranquilizers supplied to the ghetto's residents (often free of charge) contributed to their survival.

In recognition of his heroic deeds in helping countless Jews in the Ghetto during the Holocaust, he was bestowed the title of the Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem on February 10, 1983.

Above photo credit: Macieias at pl.wikipedia

From 30 May 1942 onward, the Nazis began systematic deportation from the Ghetto to surrounding concentration camps.

Jews were assembled on Zgody Square first and then escorted to the railway station in Prokocim. The first transport consisted of 7,000 people, the second, of additional 4,000 Jews deported to Belzec death camp in 1942. In 1943, the final 'liquidation' of the ghetto was carried out. Eight thousand Jews deemed able to work were transported to the Plaszow labor camp. Those deemed unfit for work (about 2,000 people) were killed in the streets of the ghetto. Any remaining people inside the ghetto were sent to Auschwitz.

Needless to say, Jim and I were sad and quiet at the enormity of the history we were seeing on this part of the tour. A Stunningly poignant monument stands today to commemorate this terrible suffering.

The last historic site we visited before returning to the old Kasimierz center, was Krakow’s fabled Oskar Schindler's Factory of Enameled Vessels ‘Emalia’. It has been turned into a modern museum devoted to the wartime experiences in Krakow under the five-year Nazi occupation during the World War II. The museum takes up the sprawling administration building of the defunct plant in the city’s industrial district of Zablocie on the right bank of Wisla river.

Oskar Schindler (28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974) was an ethnic German, industrialist and member of the Nazi Party. He is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and munitions factories. It is said that by the end of the war, Schindler had spent his entire fortune on bribes and black-market purchases of supplies for his workers.

Remaining in contact with many of the Jews he had met during the war, Schindler survived on donations sent by Schindlerjuden from all over the world. He died on 9 October 1974 and is buried in Jerusalem on Mount Zion, the only member of the Nazi Party to be honored in this way. For his work during the war, in 1963 Schindler was named Righteous Among the Nations, an award bestowed by the State of Israel on non-Jews who took an active role to rescue Jews during the Holocaust

Oskar Schindler, his factory, and the fate of its Jewish workforce feature prominently in the museum. Roughly a sixth of the museum’s permanent exhibition is dedicated to them. The rest shows prewar Krakow, the German invasion in 1939, Krakow as the capital of Poland under the Nazi occupation, the sorrows of everyday living in the occupied city, family life, the wartime history of Krakow Jews, the resistance movement, the underground Polish state, and lastly the Soviet capture of the city.

It is also now host to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow in the former workshops and a branch of the Historical museum of the City of Krakow.

Sadly, we did not have time to go into the museum on this particular tour (though you can book a tour that includes entry to the museum) because we had planned to visit the museum later. As with all trips, time can mess up the best of plans so we were not able to get back to the museum. It is now on our “have to get back to here” list!

Since 1988, a popular annual Jewish Cultural Festival has drawn people back to Kazimierz and re-introduced Jewish culture to a generation of Poles who have grown up without Poland’s historic Jewish community and the tours of this ancient community have educated tourists from around the world.

Since 1993, there has been an effort to restore important historic sites in Kazimierz and a booming growth in Jewish-themed restaurants, bars, bookstores and souvenir shops. Recently, Kazimierz along with Krakow, is having a small growth in Jewish population including some Jews returning to Kazimierz from Israel and America.

Below: Szeroka Street

Kazimierz is a part of the city of Krakow that is vibrant, historic and so interesting and is definitely a part of the old city that you should not miss!

Learn more about visiting the Kazimierz District of Krakow

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Bracka 6 - A Lovely Luxury Apartment in the Center of Krakow

1/7/2016

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In planning our stay in Krakow Poland, we decided it would be fun to stay in an apartment rather than a full service hotel. It has always been a fantasy of ours to stay in apartments throughout Europe so when Apartmenty Bracka 6 caught our eye on the internet, we had to book it. It was everything we could have hoped for and more!

Apartmenty Bracka 6 is located just off the main market square (Rynek Glowny) on a pretty street called Ulica Bracka, within easy walking distance of many sites, shops and restaurants

We arrived during a music festival which made parking a little bit of a challenge because the side streets were filled with parked cars and we found it difficult to find a place in front of the apartment to temporarily stop.

Fortunately, we had called the apartment office of Bracka 6 just before we arrived in the city and the friendly receptionist was waiting for us in front of the apartment to give us directions to the parking area. The tiny parking lot was located about a block away and to our great relief, when we reached it an efficient worker helped us park. Parking is always important, because it greatly affects your hotel experience and we were pleased with the arrangements at Bracka 6.

Apartmenty Bracka 6 is an intimate group of luxury apartments located on the 2nd floor (American 3rd fl.) of a beautiful historic building. We understand there is a lift available, but we climbed the three flights of stairs carrying our luggage and managed to survive.

We were thrilled when we entered our flat to see that the apartment was spacious and lovely. It was modern and stylish with a full sitting room, well equipped kitchen and separate bedroom. The bed was very comfortable and everything was sparkling clean which are important requirements for us along with good internet access and a safe, both of which were also provided.

As typical Americans (we like our bathroom privacy), we were a little surprised to see that the pretty bathroom was enclosed in glass, open to the rest of the apartment. Fortunately, the toilet and shower areas are actually secluded behind strategically placed walls and the overall effect makes the apartment feel even more light and spacious.

We were also very impressed with the security at Bracka 6. Since the reception is not open twenty-four hours a day, a card key provides access to the apartment building, then again to the 2nd floor hallway and then also to your particular apartment so you can easily come and go with a feeling of safety at all hours.

Several excellent restaurants and bars are conveniently located on Ulica Bracka and we tried a few of them which we will review later. A number of these establishments are also open for breakfast and we enjoyed an excellent breakfast each morning right across the street from our apartment!

Well located, comfortable and stylish this apartment-hotel was everything we had hoped for. We loved our stay at Bracka 6 and would highly recommend it for your stay in Krakow!

Click here to learn more about how to stay at Bracka 6 in Krakow Poland

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The Mandala Hotel in Berlin - An Oasis of Peace in a busy city!

12/20/2015

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Often, when we are spending a couple nights in a large city in order to catch a flight at the end of a trip, we opt to stay at a full-service business-modern hotel and the Mandala Hotel in Berlin met and exceeded our expectations.

The hotel is located in an area of Berlin filled with contemporary architecture right at the junction between former East and West Berlin. It is also where the Berlin Wall used to run right through Potsdamer Platz and up to the famous Brandenburg Gate, a short walk away.

above photo credit: dooyoo.de

It is right across the street from the famous Sony Center and very close to Berlin’s brand-new shopping mall. It is also within walking distance (or a short metro ride from nearby Potsdamer Metro Station), to many of Berlin’s tourist sites.

The sleek, artistic, Asian influence of the hotel’s design envelopes you in a relaxing contemporary atmosphere as soon a you enter the hotel.

After turning in our rental car at the airport, and taking a taxi to the hotel, it was a relief to find that our suite was a lovely quiet oasis with every amenity we could hope for, including a wet-bar, large desk area, and comfortable sitting room.

The bedroom and bathroom were spacious, beautifully designed and sparkling clean. One note: be aware, the mattress is definitely on the firm side (I personally prefer a soft cushy mattress) but it was not uncomfortable.

After freshening up, we headed to the bar/lounge area for an glass of wine, where the bar-tenders were friendly and attentive.

Since we had only one full day before leaving Berlin and we had the misfortune to be there on a Monday when the majority of the museums and palaces are closed, we put the excellent concierge to work with our many questions about what sites might be open. They were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and went above and beyond to get answers for us!

Though we didn’t have time on this trip, the hotel spa is always one of my favorite places and ONO Spa on the hotel’s 11th floor provides a relaxing place to enjoy their fabulous treatments.

above photo credit: https://www.themandala.de/en/location/mandala-in-berlin/

The delicious breakfast was held in the beautiful FACIL restaurant. Located on the hotel’s inner courtyard, its floor-to-ceiling glass windows flood the space with light, creating a peaceful dining experience. FACIL in the evening is a 2 Michelin star restaurant with creative cuisine provided by chef Michael Kempf.

above photo credit: ubivo.de

Even though we were only at the Mandala Hotel for two nights, we were definitely pleased with the hotel and our stay there and would recommend it to those who prefer to stay in a modern business style hotel.

Click here to learn more about staying at the Mandala Hotel in Berlin.

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Delicious Schnitzel by the Spree River at Brecht's in Berlin

12/19/2015

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Jim and I love to spread the word when we find a really wonderful restaurant, and this is just what we found at Brecht’s Restaurant, located beside the Spree River in Berlin.

We began our evening with drinks at one of the terrace bars beside the Spree, where I was able to enjoy my favorite summer cocktail, an Aperol Spritzer as we relaxed and watched the tourist filled riverboats float by.

Eventually, as our hunger grew, we began to eye the restaurants across the street from the terrace, and we decided to explore Brecht’s, which is an ivy covered beauty with large windows opening out toward the riverside terrace.

The interior of the restaurant is an elegant quiet oasis which was just what we needed after a busy day riding the crazy labyrinth of the Berlin transit system and enjoying the lively terrace café. During our time there, piano music added to the lovely atmosphere.

We ordered a delicious red wine, anticipating that we would both be ordering the Wiener Schnitzel and we weren’t disappointed with the 2012 Umathum Neusiedlersee, from Austria.

The wine was fantastic and the tasting notes I have found perfectly describe its characteristics. “Grown in mineral rich, stony soil in the country surrounding the village of Frauenkirchen, a very warm and dry soil adds a mineral taste. The resulting wine is dark red with purple rim, peppery and fruity aromas in the nose, on the palate cherries and spicy notes with impressions of chocolate, fine, mild and full-bodied finish.”

While we waited for our meal to begin, munching on fresh artisan bread with flavored butter and a summer tomato Amuse-Bouche we enjoyed the view out the large open windows.

For our appetizers, Jim chose the mussels and I chose the fried goat cheese croquettes. They were flavorful and very delicious......

....... but the absolute star was the Wiener Schnitzel accompanied by tangy traditional warm German potatoes. It was super tender and the breading was light and crisp. Easily, the schnitzel was among the best we have ever tasted!

Brecht’s combines sophisticated and loving preparation of Austrian classic dishes with seasonal creative cuisine and a large selection of modern international dishes. We really enjoyed our meal and would highly recommend stopping by to experience the food, atmosphere and fun riverside location.

Click here to learn more about dining at Brecht's Restaurant in Berlin!

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Fun and Gaming at Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resort

12/17/2015

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Sometimes the holidays provide the perfect time to get away for an overnight or weekend to someplace you have been planning to visit but never quite got around to and it is always more fun when everything is decorated for Christmas!

The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina had been on our radar for years and we were lured by the fact that it was so close (only 2 hours from our home in East Tennessee) and promised an evening of fun in the casino.

Even though the casino was calling out to me, we did actually spend time checking out the hotel and enjoyed our lovely room as well. We were pleased to find the accommodation very nice and the bed was extremely comfortable. The bathroom was modern and sparkling clean.

The Casino Resort is made up of three towers of rooms with shops on the lobby floors of the towers and connecting corridors featuring local artwork, which lead into the central lobby area. The casino, spa and meeting rooms are accessed via walkways with lovely views, that lead from the lobby.

above photo credit: 1320am.com

I have to admit, I love casinos and I love gambling, so I had a pretty nice time. The casino was large, with lots of slots, a video-card-game bar, and a number of gaming tables. Since Harrah’s Cherokee is a Native American casino, the alcoholic drinks are not free as they are in Las Vegas, so cocktail waitresses circulated throughout, offering drinks for 5$ each.

above photo credit: https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/casino/table-games#.VnMcGzbSlPY

The resort has a large performance venue with a constant variety of entertainers. You can view the schedule and reserve a ticket online. For those who wish to go out and play in the evening, Essence Lounge, the Harrah’s Cherokee nightspot, presents some of the very best lounge acts and live DJs.

For those who love to shop, the resort also has a variety fun shopping opportunities.

And there are lots of delicious goodies to shop for also!

The Casino Resort also has some really good restaurants and cafes that cater to catching a quick bite such as the Selu Garden Cafe or the Lobby Cafe, UNO Pizza, and Johnny Rockets, which are among the several choices available.

You can also find upscale dining experiences at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Brio Tuscan Grill, or Asian cuisine at the Noodle Bar. We chose to enjoy a delicious Italian lunch at Brio Tuscan Grill. The setting was elegant, the service impeccable and the food very tasty.

**I have to be truthful here…… Jim wanted to try the Chef Station Buffet for dinner, so I graciously gave in and unfortunately it was as unappealing as I expected it to be. The setting is basic diner and the food we tasted was mediocre at best which was surprising considering how nice the other eating venues were.

Hotel amenities include the fitness room that is open 24/7, an indoor pool and a new outdoor pool featuring a zero entry pool, cabanas and bar area. You can also relax enjoy being pampered at the Mandara Spa.

above photo credit: https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/things-to-do/the-pools#.VnMlozbSlPY

The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is not only all about gambling. It is well located for booking Smokey Mountain year-round activities like hiking, whitewater rafting, canoeing, and some of the best trout fishing in America. You can also golf at the Sequoyah National Golf Course. If you are interested in the culture and history of the Cherokee, be sure to visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian or the Oconaluftee Indian Village.

above photo credit: https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee/things-to-do/local-attractions#.VnM67DbSlPY

The Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is a fun place to visit, especially if you enjoy gambling, but even if you simply want to relax at the pool and spa, attend a performance or book some of the exciting Smokey Mountain activities it is definitely an interesting destination!

Click here to learn more about visiting Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort!

Author’s note: Please be aware that since Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort is a casino property where smoking is allowed, there is a very faint smell of cigarettes throughout the hotel. This bothered me, but would not necessarily prevent me from staying there again.

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The Pergamon Museum - Fabulous Even Without the Altar of Pergamon

12/7/2015

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Ever since my university days, studying art-history of the ancient world, I dreamed of seeing the Altar of Pergamon located in the world famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin.

The Pergamon Museum is situated on the Museum Island. It was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930 and was built as a three-wing complex. The museum now houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung (Antiquities Collection), Vorderaisatisches Museum (Middle Eastern Museum), and the Museum fur Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art).

You can imagine my disappointment when upon arriving, we found that the Altar of Pergamon, the focus of our journey, was closed as part of the extensive renovation the museum will be undergoing until 2017.

Fortunately, the museum also holds other amazing archaeological treasures that soon captured my attention. Since the museum flow is currently altered, you are greeted, after entering, by the great and beautiful Ishtar Gate.

The Ishtar Gate which was dedicated to the Goddess Ishtar, was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebucadnezzar II around 575 BCE. It was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the city. This massive entrance structure is tiled in bright glazed bricks of stunning shades of blue, yellow and orange and brown, portraying a parade of young bulls, lions and dragons representing Babylonian deities.

Lions are associated with Ishtar, a goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. The bulls are associated with Adad, a weather god, and dragons with Marduk, the chief god of Babylon.

I couldn’t stop thinking “I am gazing up at the same gate portal that Nebuchadnezzar, his army and his priests walked through”

Interest in Mesopotamian and Babylonian archaeology intensified in the late 19th century and the excavation of the Ishtar Gate ran from 1902 to 1914. The recovered bricks were eventually restored and reassembled in Berlin and the reconstruction was completed in 1930.

In its original form, the Ishtar Gate would have opened out to the grand Processional Way. The parade route was a brick-paved corridor over half a mile long with walls over 50 feet tall (15.2 m) on each side.

The walls are adorned with over 120 sculptural lions, flowers, and enameled yellow tile patterns. The Processional Way was used for the New Year's celebration, down which priests and celebrants would parade statues of the deities. The Processional Way lead to the temple of Marduk.

These glazed brick walls now line a long museum hall where you can sit and take in the beautiful designs.

During this period of intense German archaeological excavation, a number of artifacts were unearthed and brought back to Berlin for display.

Above and Below: Human–headed winged lion (lamassu), 883–859 b.c.; Neo–Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II -Excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia

Above: Inscribed Mesopotamian Stele - 8th - 14th century

Above: Part of facade of the Temple of Ananna in Uruk - Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq
Each figure holds a vessel. Commissioned by Kassite ruler Kara-indash in 1413

Above: Bird-headed hybrids (Assyrian. Apkallu) with buckets and cones, Reliefs from the Palace of Assurnasirpal II at Nimrud (modern Iraq) 883 - 859 BC - Alabastar - Many of these reliefs portray the king surrounded by winged protective spirits, or engaged in hunting or on campaign.

Above: Lions of Sam'al (southern Turkey) c. 800 BC

Above: Basalt Relief 8th century - Sam'al / Zincirli (Southwest Asia),

Above: Hunting Scene c. 750 BC - Syrian

Above: Stele of King Kilamula dated from the second half of the 9th century

The Ishtar Gate is not the only impressive architectural antiquity in the museum. The Market Gate of Miletus is sequestered in an immense corner room dedicated to the display of Hellenistic architecture and sculpture. The room is accessed through the portal of the Ishtar Gate and is equally spectacular.

The Roman gate was built in the ancient Greek city of Miletus (modern day Turkey) in the 2nd century AD, most likely during the reign of Emperor Hadrian about 120 to 130 AD. Before the Persian invasion in the middle of the 6th century BC, Miletus was considered the greatest and wealthiest of Greek cities and the gate provided entrance to market or Agora (Greek).

The gate is made of marble and is about 30 meters (approx. 98 ft.) wide, 16 meters (approx. 52 ft.) tall. The two-story structure has three doorways and a number of projections and niches. At roof level and in between the floors are ornate friezes with bull and flower reliefs. The structure's protruding pediments are supported by Corinthian and composite columns.

Already ancient, the gate was destroyed in an earthquake in the 10th or 11th century and what was left of the rubble was covered over the centuries. Work on a series of excavations in Miletus occurred from 1899 through 1911. In 1903, the Market Gate of Miletus was again excavated and from 1907 to 1908, fragments of the gate were transported to Berlin. Kaiser Wilhelm II, was so impressed that he ordered the gate's reconstruction at full scale "like a theater backdrop" in the Pergamon Museum.

Across from the Gate of Miletus is the Trajaneum Hall (stoa) of Pergamon and the Cartinia Tomb from Falerii. The rounded structure at the front center is the Cartinia Tomb from Falerii, Italy; it dates to the third quarter of the 1st century AD. The stoa dates to ca. 114 - 129.

The other Greek and Roman artifacts in the room included beautifully crafted columns with capitals, lintels, pediments, sculptured figures, mosaics, and grave stele.

Above: Mosaic Floor - also from Miletus, depicts Orpheus, dating to the second century AD. An important figure in Greek religion and mythology, Orpheus was known for his ability to charm birds, animals and even humans with his music. He is often depicted with a lyre.

We eventually found our way to the Islamic Art section of the museum. After the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo it is the oldest and one of the most important collections of its kind in the world showcasing a comprehensive collection of masterpieces of art and applied arts and objects of material culture stemming from Islamic societies as well as the Christian and Jewish communities living among them.

Above: The Allepo Room 1600 - 1603 - intact room paneling from receiving room of Allepo Syria dwelling House Wakil. Commissioned by a Christian merchant named Isa b. Butrus ("Jesus, son of Peter") is mentioned in inscriptions. In an inscription he is called simsar.

Above: Archaeological Finds from Samarra in Iraq, Residence of the caliphs 836-892 AD

Above: Prayer Nitch 1226 - Iran

Above: Alhambra Cupola, a fourteenth-century wooden ceiling that once was part of the famous Islamic palace in Granada, Spain. Made from hundreds of pieces of intricately carved and painted wood,
it is one of the earliest and finest surviving Nasrid ceilings.

Above: 13th century glass - Mamluks

Above: Prayer Nitch, 13th century - Seljuks of Rum - Turkish

Abvoe: Basin and Pitcher 1251 - 1275 Ayyubid Dynasty - Iraq Brass with gold and silver inlay

Above photo: Curved Knife - Qajar period (1796 - 1924) from 1st part of the 19th century, Iran - Depicts the Shaw wearing a European hat, with two sons and royal household

Above: Carpets, 16th century - Ottoman - Turkey

The Mshatta Façade is the star of the Islamic Art section of the museum. This impressive architectural façade belonged to the 8th century Palace of Mschatta whose ruins are about 30 km south of the Jordanian capital Amman. It was a winter desert palace and probably dates to the era of the Caliph Al-Walid II (743-744).

Mshatta's decor is particularly interesting in that it suggests the early Muslim community was attentive to distinctions between secular and sacred space. While most of the decoration filling the zig-zag shapes along the facade's walls are populated with animated creatures entirely in keeping with secular elite residential décor, one side lacks animals of any kind. This is the qibla wall, on the side facing Mecca, along which was located the qasr's mosque.

Even though we couldn’t see the Altar of Pergamon (already planning to go back in 2017!) and the collection on view was abbreviated due to the renovation, the Pergamon Museum is wonderful and well worth the long wait to get inside!

Our tip…. Show up at least 40 minutes before opening time to get toward the front of the line and if in summer, to beat the heat!

Also, if you have the time in your itinerary, plan at least three days, to visit all the museums in the complex. Visiting even one will be exhausting, so spreading them out over a few days will make them much easier to take in. Overload is never fun!

Click here to find out more about visiting the Pergamon Museum in Berlin!

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Ka De We - Berlin's Iconic Shopping and Food Hall

11/22/2015

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If you love shopping and find yourself in Belin, Germany, the “attraction” you absolutely want to add to your itinerary is the grand department store Ka De We (Kaufhaus des Westens) located in the Kurfurstendamm.

The Kurfurstendamm or “Ku’Damm” for short, is an area that lies along the boulevard with the same name. The far eastern end of the boulevard was the center of the former West Berlin and this is where you will find the grand old department store Ka De We.

above photo credit: Jochen Teufel via Wikimedia Commons

Ka De We is purported to be the largest department store in Europe and if is definitely impressive. It was built in 1907 designed by Emil Schaudt and has been extended several times. It has a reputation for being an exclusive store with high-end goods. The store brochure exclaims “… over eight floors, you will find luxury boulevards, three floors of fashion, a beauty world, culture and entertainment, home and living nad the legendary gourmet floor…”

I have to agree with the brochure, to me, the most impressive and fun part of the store is its food hall. I have been to the famous food hall in Harrods of London and this one easily rivals that legendary place.

A gourmet’s paradise, Ka De We is said to have the largest collection of foodstuffs in Europe.

Fresh meats and sea-food chilled on ice are ready to take home and cook. Rows of beautiful fruits and vegetables including exotic choices from around the world call out to you.

Hundreds of varieties of tea and coffee line the shelves. There are over 2,400 wines (my particular favorite!) to choose from.

Counters filled to the brim with collections of lovely cookies, pastries, cakes and tarts draw you to them and the smell of the dozens of cheeses and meets at the deli counter absolutely makes you drool.

And don’t forget the confections! Chocolates and sweets of all kinds smell and taste divine.

These are only a few of the many gastronomic items on sale and you can easily spend hours exploring the fabulous food hall. The thing that most delighted me were the several bars and food counters where you can eat fresh, delicious food. You can have a coffee or glass of wine, a simple bite of champagne and oysters or a full traditional German meal or even try something more exotic. There is also a restaurant in Ka De We called the Wintergarten enclosed by a large atrium.

above photo credit: "KaDeWe winter garden in Berlin" by Piro - Own work.
Licensed under Public Domain via Commons

We decided to go traditional at a food counter, and had delicious bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut. My mouth waters even to think of it now! Dining at Ka De We is unique experience and lots of fun so be sure to add it to your list. After you refuel you are ready for more shopping!

Click here to learn more about visiting KaDeWe Berlin!

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The Pergamon Museum - Fabulous Even Without the Altar of Pergamon

Ka De We - Berlin's Iconic Shopping and Food Hall

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