Poland - Czestochowa, Torun

Sylvia's parents went along with us to Poland for a week. We set out in our CNG (compressed natural gas) powered Fiat Multipla. They call it the ugliest vehicle in Europe (see picture). CNG is approximately half the price of gasoline (almost $9.00 a gallon) here and works very well. After crossing the Tatra mountains which create the border between Slovakia and Poland, our first stop was the town of Czestochowa. This town is home to the Jasna Gora monastery which has existed since 1382. It is famous for having repelled several assults, including the 40 day long Swedish attack during the Deluge in 1655. It is most famous, however, because its church is the location of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. This is the most famous religious relic for Polish Catholics and one of the greatest pilgrimage locations in all of Europe. It is said that the relic is painted on a piece of wood that served as a table top for the holy family and that it was painted by Saint Luke.

The next stop on our trip was the Torun, which is the birthplace of Copernicus. Unfortunately it rained most of the afternoon while we visited, but it didnt stop us from walking around the Old Town and seeing some of the sights. We visited the famous Church of the Virgin Mary, which was built starting in 1270. Also, we visited the famous Crooked Tower, which is part of the cities old outer wall. It is still structurally stable, so a newer, three-storied building has been constructed inside with the floors offset to ensure that they are level.

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