This and That Check In

More mums are blooming in the yard.

I haven't done an exercise check in for a while, so I thought it was time. I continue to attend classes 4-5 times per week, unless there is something else on the schedule, such as a doctor's appointment. I like the line dance classes I go to and am becoming more comfortable each week. However, I wouldn't say that I like the rest of the classes. I go because they are good for me, and I don't seem to be able to push myself as hard as I need to when left to my own devices. I tried that for years, and an organized class is what I need. And now that I have the flexibility in my schedule since retirement, I can do them regularly.

However, in this morning's class, I pulled something in my groin and couldn't do some of the exercises. Hopefully, it will correct itself before too long, and I'll be back to my regular aches and pains.

Here are a few more things that have been happening around here recently.

Yesterday, Theo came over and we cooked a pot of split pea soup together. After having it for lunch, we each had a good amount to eat this week. The time before this, we made pizza beans (lima beans with a pizza twist). We still have some of those in the freezer.

After lunch, Theo casually mentioned that they were having
a family day at work, so off we went. They had lots of food and games,
but Ward was most interested in learning about the pallet jacks.

Last weekend, Ward and I volunteered to help with therapy dog certifications. The dogs and handlers have to go through a series of tests before they can go out into places like schools and hospitals. Our part was to help simulate the places they go to. For example, Ward was the grumpy old man with a walker, and I was a loud arguer. I loved watching how eager the dogs were to please. This was Zoe, a 9-year-old golden retriever who was being recertified. Recertification happens every two years.

On Friday, we planted a new crepe myrtle tree. It didn't look so big or heavy
in the nursery. I'm glad we paid for delivery, and Ward was able to dig
the planting hole where he had to cut through big roots and rocks. 

Another color of mum in bloom, along with pollinating visitors.

That's about all I can think of for now.

Until next time...

Ward Goes to Poland, The Salt Mines

 Ward recently took a trip to Poland. He is sharing some of his travels here.

As soon as I decided that I was going to Poland, anyone who had any knowledge of the area said I had to visit the salt mines. I had been in coal and lead mines before and wasn't sure I needed to visit another kind of mine. However, we dutifully added it to our agenda. In my wildest imagination, I couldn't have guessed what the salt mines were like. 

Salt has been known to be present in the area since Neolithic times, when briny springs were discovered. Evaporation methods were used to harvest salt for preserving meats and as a form of currency. (During that time, many transactions were paid using salt, which is why nowadays, the term “salary” is used to describe earnings.)

There are several large salt mines in Poland. The oldest and best-known is the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. We visited this one. It was definitely unique, but parts of it did remind me of limestone caverns I've visited, like Luray Caverns in Virginia.

The entrance to the Wieliczka Mine.

The Wieliczka Salt Mine has many large caverns that were created with tunnels and shafts connecting them. Over the centuries, miners created statues and carvings in the walls depicting religious scenes and famous people. These are the main tourist attractions now. They created several chapels where Catholic masses are still held today.

This mine has produced salt since the thirteenth century (1200s). In the Middle Ages, the Wieliczka Salt Mine generated one third of the Kingdom of Poland’s income under King Casimir III the Great (he reigned from 1333 to 1370). Tourism began in the late 1700s, and dignitaries started visiting the mines, and they were developed more and more for tourism as time went on. Mining continued into the 1990s. 

The mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978 and remains a major tourist attraction today.

You have to go down a stairwell to get into the mine. There were 300 steps to get to the main tourist level. I twisted my knee on the first day, so I am happy it held up for all the steps. There is an elevator to get out of the mine.

We walked down old corridors of the mine. Salt walls, salt floor, salt ceiling.

Part of the mine had been turned into a museum. This diorama exhibit shows the early days when salt was processed from brine.

At one point, horse-drawn sleds brought salt, miners, and tourists out of the mine.

Some of the exhibits were carved from salt.

There were many salt statues of kings, saints, and famous people.
This one is Nicholas Copernicus.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, famous in his day,
traveled throughout Europe, including Poland.

There were many religious scenes carved in the walls.

There were even four chapels in the mines where they hold services.

This is an overview of the ballroom, which you could rent out. Notice the carvings in the walls. Carvings were everywhere. Chandeliers were made of halite (rock salt) crystals.

After this visit, I understand why this is on everyone's must-see list.

Until next time...