Day 2/3 - To Hell and back! !!!

I couldn't write this post soon enough! Ever since I was a kid and got my first map of Poland i always wanted to got to Hel.... right at the end of the Polish world. We weren't going to miss out on this opprtiunity.....will we make it backfrom Hell and tell about it? What is life like in Hel? Going to hell sounded like a fun thing for once.

Well let me tell you, Hell is a fishing town built at the end of a 35km spit. There is just one way to get there! Stright down! No Joke! When we were driving down the spit I kept asking Ania why it always felt that we were going downhill? Just felt really crazy!!! It also got progressively mistier and spookier.... until we reached Hel....then it was sunshine all round! Reality may be a little inverted... ;-)

Where is Wally & where is Hel?

You can also fly to Hel in style

Above s Hel's coat of arms. It has a key and two stars. Below we have Vatican's coat of arms that has two keys. Seems it's easier to go and unlock Hel.
You can draw your own conclusions.
;-)
A conspiracy?
No, just a coincidental joke.

Hel is a place of rest and relaxation for the seals at least. below... it makes them snigger when thya see you in hel.

The tip of Hel, awesome!

Walk the plank in Hel.
or
Go to Helkamp! Looks cosey!

Main street in Hel can bee eeeriee at night. The fog descends and the whole place changes character! Abve our little restaurant.

Local CFA in Hel. Seems like Hel fire needs putting out when it gets too hot! Strange! I would have thought - the hotter the better.

Above we have the remains of the previous hell in Poland. The communist experiment sponsored by the elite obviously didn't work for people's benefit. Relics abound in certain spots.

Next few shots are of post WW2 defence bunkers etc. that have fallen into disrepair or tourist guides hands (above)

c

Walking to the tip of Hel.

Making a phone call to our kids from Hell.

"Vacant room" in Hel, the best hell has to offer.......forget any decent views. Just 4 brick walls. (and a one way door I think)

The Port of Hel @ nite!
Scary!

Pirate ship in Hel

Old polish warship - floating museum.

Now the good and bad news about hell.

We made it back from Hel, no coming back from hell.
As any good firefghter knows sooner or later the fire goes out as it runs out of fuel.

The good news is that from the biblical perspective Hell is not an everburning, tortoure ridden place as portrayed by majority of faiths and folklore - Jesus referred to hell as hades (grave) and Ghenna - a place where rubbish and everything else to be destroyed is burnt. It was also a real place outside of Jerusalem where stuff was burnt in the Valey of Hinom.

So cheer up.... Hel in Poland is a great place to visit..... and if you don't want to vist hell you need to get to know Jesus who paid the price to keep you out of hell.

No place like Hel!

Cheers

Across Poland in 4 Days! - Torun

Torun, a magical city, founded in the 13th century by the Teutonic Kights, copped little bombing in WW2 and remains pretty much as it was. We Spent a bit of extra time in Torun courtesy of a cracked suspensions spring on the Golf, not to menion the stray nail in the rear. Must say the German spring did well to endure 7 years on the Polish roads! One starts to understands the road issue when you realise that Pland in pretty much the main link between East and West. 60 tone trucks travel east west, 32 tonnes being the limit, big fines don't seem to stop them damaging the roads in this tough climate. It's like driving a 4WD in smooth ruts and when teh rain falls it's aquaplaning at 120!

Anyway..... Torun was magical, the birthplace on Nicolas Copernicus who stood up to the clergy and said we (the Earth) is not the centre of the Universe... the same "principle" challanged in us tends to cause a few a problems! The town is also famous for its "pierniczki" gingerbread of all sorts and all natural fillings. few pics supplied. Was too late to take pics of he ones we purchased as they dissapeared too quickly!

Golden Donkeys stroll the city square - Town Hall - Old Square

Typical street with renovated historical buildings.

Copernicus Statue.....not sure what was going on in town that week.

Got lucky and climbed the town hall clock tower on a drizzly day!

Torun is simply beautiful!

One of Ania's shots.

Library lintel

An old radio we used to have in the 60's and listened to "Free Europe"
In a local restaurant

Torun by nite from the bridge. We styed across the river.

One of the main entry gates!

Local fresco of Torun in a local sreet. I wish we had the time to walk each one.

Soap by the kilogram, just like pizza in Italy!

Top and bottom - 15th century (House of choclate / coffee shop of course) with original ceiling paint job! Dulux don't make paint like they used to!
Prices were equivalent to the class of this palce.

Why use pots?

Teutonic knights - scourge of Poland from 1200 till early 1400 when they got defeated and had to pay homage to the King of Poland. The king that let these guys in in the 13th century will have a lot of explaining to do! ;-)

The last teutonic knight (Krzyzak) at the bottom of the Castle Well

The remains of teh teutonic castle that Toruns Citizens burned down and destroyed due to the opressive nature of the Order. The decision by the local Council to never rebuild the castle, stands to this day. (even for tourist reasons) Yet the dungeons remain and lots to see. We got a personal tour of the underground.


Bye, bye lovely Torun with all it's butique and jewelry shops. "Ania"