The next day I climbed to the top of the tower for the opposite view, but it was the middle of the day, instead of after sunset, so not quite as impressive lighting-wise.

Posted on July 3rd, 2021 under Poland. Tags: blue hour, buildings, krakow, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, panorama, photomerge. Comments Off on St. Mary’s Cathedral and Krakow’s Old Town Square

Wieliczka Salt Mine (near Krakow, Poland)

Nearly everything in today’s photo is made of salt, including most components of the chandeliers, the statues, wall carvings, and floor.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine is usually crawling with tourists, but because of Covid-19 the number of people entering the mine chambers has fallen off considerably. 800 or so steps are descended on the tour. Luckily, an elevator is available to get you up and out at the end. I asked our tour guide how many times a day she has to walk all of those steps, and she told me 2 or 3 times a day before Covid and just 2 or 3 times a week since the mines reopened during Covid.

For a photographer, like me, this was an optimal time to take the tour as my photos of the place aren’t filled with tourists.

Posted on July 1st, 2021 under Poland. Tags: krakow, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, Wieliczka Salt Mine. Comments Off on St. Kinga’s Chapel in the Wieliczka Salt Mine

Planty Park encircling Old Town (Krakow, Poland)

Krakow is full of surprises and Planty Park is certainly one of them. An entire (oval-shaped) Old Town wrapped in a lovely old park that changes (with works of art, statues, ponds, bridges, flower gardens, etc.) as you walk or ride your bike through it? Count me in!

If you are from the USA… Imagine if Golden Gate Park or Central Park weren’t boring rectangles but encirclements of districts of the city, and you’ll get the idea.

Where in Planty Park did today’s photomerge come from? The building on the far left is the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre.

Posted on June 29th, 2021 under Poland. Tags: krakow, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50, photomerge. Comments Off on Planty Park

Benedictine Abbey in Tyniec across the Vistula River

I rented a bike and rode almost 20 miles on Thursday. The ride was good except for the heat. My weather app said something like 88°, feels like 96°. With the humidity and bright sun, it felt more like 100° to me.

Anyway, my halfway point was here. After visiting the abbey, instead of taking the same route home, I hired a guy with a boat to take me and my bike across the river for this view before heading back to Krakow Old Town on the northern side of the river.

Posted on June 26th, 2021 under Poland. Tags: buildings, krakow, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50. Comments Off on Tyniecki klasztor zza Wisły

Krakow blue hour

Posted on June 25th, 2021 under Poland. Tags: blue hour, buildings, krakow, Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens, Nikon Z 50 Z50. Comments Off on Krakow Old Town Square