And there was cake for breakfast.
Scratch the skin of Kraków and she bleeds. Listen to Kraków's voice and she is both romantically melodic and hauntingly sad. Look into Kraków's face and she is beguilingly beautiful, generously welcoming, and yet etched with worry lines, eyes reddened by so many tears having been shed.
And there was cake for breakfast.
We had heard much of Kraków but had never before visited. Indeed, our proposed stay would be our first foray into Poland, a country which for us held intrigue and fascination but which also, we suspected, concealed a deeply troubled past.
And there was cake for breakfast.
The Piano Guest House was the perfect choice of where to stay in Kraków. A short walk from the Old Town and run by Madame Ola [a stage name for she is also a cabaret singer] and her two sons, it offers a taste of the real Poland with a quirkiness and a touch of bohemia guaranteed to make any visit a pleasurable experience and one not to be forgotten.
 |
| a glimpse into our bedroom at The Piano Guest House with hats at the ready for an outing |
And there was cake for breakfast.
It could easily have been a scene at the Pensione Bertoloni taken from E.M. Forster's 'A Room with a View' when, upon arrival, Madame Ola swept us up and whisked us into the reception dining room for tea and cake. Mateusz, her son, on holiday from his work as a stage manager and conductor, produced a street map onto which places of interest, restaurants of distinction [he used to be a food critic], and hidden delights were marked with theatrical flamboyance and the confidence of a knowledgeable local.
And there was cake for breakfast.
Our five days were packed with interest, each one launched in glamorous style with the most glorious and delicious of breakfasts. Madame Ola, speaking only French and Russian [apart from her native Polish], draped from head to foot in black, floated among her guests offering black tea, green tea and coffee whilst the breakfast table was laden with all manner of culinary delights sprinkled with red currants which sparkled like rubies in the morning sun. Generous quantities of local hams, cheeses and sausage were supplemented with eggs, patés, yoghurts, cereals, tomatoes, cucumber, fruit and cake.
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| the breakfast table without cake - image from The Piano Guest House |
Cake for breakfast! How decadent we thought, and how lovely.
P.S. For those who are intrigued to see and listen to Madame Ola, then we include a short video, of rather doubtful quality, found on 'Youtube':
P.S. For those who are intrigued to see and listen to Madame Ola, then we include a short video, of rather doubtful quality, found on 'Youtube':
Hello Lance and Jane, I have somehow been missing your blog. Glad to see a post. Hope you are both well. This inn looks quite charming and a wonderful breakfast, even without cake. xo
ReplyDeleteThe Piano Guest House was an amazing and very enjoyable experience and very close to the centre of Kraków which was within easy walking distance.
DeleteWe have had some time away, first in Poland and then in Italy.
Madame Ola is very glamourous; what a wonderful picture you paint of it all. I am so enjoying your fabulous visits to places so different to where I am. Please keep sharing and I hope you're both having a wonderful time. Annie x.
ReplyDeleteMadame Ola has great style and runs her guest house in a quiet, unassuming manner but with great efficiency.
DeleteWe do think of ourselves as very fortunate, Annie, to have Europe on the doorstep with so many interesting countries immediately accessible.
What a wonderful change of scenery and the breakfast spread looks very appetising, although cake for breakfast indeed. Whatever shall the poor eat.
ReplyDeleteWe really did enjoy our time in Kraków, Andrew, and the breakfast did actually see us right through the day to dinner. It would, of course, have been ideal for Marie Antoinette!!
DeleteHow exciting.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to visit Poland and see if I could look up where my family comes from.
And I think cake for breakfast sounds fabulous !
cheers, parsnip
How interesting it is, Gayle, that your family comes from Poland which, on our first visit, we thought to be a most interesting and attractive country. Kraków is lovely and yes, the breakfasts were wonderful.
DeleteAnd I see Madame Ola has, very European, also put Caprese on the breakfast table. Cake for breakfast... not that unusual, actually; in most German hotels you get cake for breakfast on the weekends, and in Italian hotels you get something cake-like (merenda if it is a normal-sized piece, merendina if it is biscuit-sized) every morning. But I trust breakfast as a whole is not served in such style as what Madama Ola offers.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Poland myself, but some years ago, my Dad went on a trip there with an old friend. He still talks about it and how beautiful especially Danzig (Gdansk) was, and everyone so friendly, and the ladies never out in anything less than full make-up and no slobbish attire.
We have never actually stayed in a German hotel, only with friends, and have no particular recollection of the breakfasts which we have eaten in Germany. But we do like the idea of cake being served as a treat at the weekends.
DeletePoland we thought to be a most interesting country and we should certainly highly recommend a visit to Kraków which is a most beautiful and historic city.
Cheese, ham, sausage... I feel like I am back in the old country! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteAll very goodly, Rose. And now we are back to our usual breakfast of a roll and coffee - far less interesting!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance...would you consider writing a travel memoir? This is beyond delightful...your hostess is talented, beautiful, charming!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely experience...Poland is a fascinating country.
Thank you again for conveying your special trip with such flair and joie de vivre....it is an absolute joy to share it with you!
Thanks so much for your visit..the Falls are definitely a must-see if you should decide to visit Minneapolis! :)
All the best,
- Irina
You are so very kind, Irina. Madame Ola was the most gracious hostess - we do not exaggerate - and everything about The Piano Guest House was done with great style but in a slightly unusual way which added to the total experience. So much better, we thought, than a conventional hotel.
DeleteWe were very taken with your post on the Falls - simply wonderful.
What a wonderful experience; a holiday to remember surrounded by such interesting people.
ReplyDeleteHas breakfast cake been added to your shopping list? Would it taste the same?
Poland we thought to be a fascinating country and one to which we will most certainly return.
DeleteSadly, Gaynor, in Hungary there does not appear to be anything quite comparable in the way of breakfast cake.
What wonderful hosts, great inside information and fabulous breakfasts you had!
ReplyDeleteI must admit, when I think about visiting Krakow, I am in two minds given it's painful history, which is a shame because I am sure it is a beautiful city.
Yes, Penny, Kraków does have a very tormented and tragic past but do not allow that to put you off for it really is the most beautiful and historic of cities. We could not, though, bring ourselves to go to Auschwitz - too terrible.
DeleteSuch a beautifully written post. My husband, whose ancestry is Polish has often said that he would like to visit his grandparent's hometown. Alas, the opportunity has never arisen.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a big fan of Polish cuisine, I do love their baked goods. My mother-in-law was a wonderful baker and that is how she won me over.
Thank you so much, Arleen. How very interesting that your husband's family originate from Poland and we do so hope that one day you may be able to travel to what is a very attractive country.
DeleteIn addition to the cakes(!!), we could not have enough of the most delicious beetroot soup which we thought very different from the Russian version.
How delicious - cake for breakfast! My kind of place to stay. And I am simply thrilled, as a Hat Ambassador, to see your hats waiting and at the ready for a fabulous day gallivanting about.
ReplyDeleteThe Piano Guest House is certainly unique and, in our view, all the better for that. We think that you would have been intrigued, Virginia.
DeleteThe hats were in fact very much needed as each of our days in Kraków was exceedingly hot!
Well now. :) It seems like you two had a lovely stay indeed. And you are too right, Poland has such a troubled past that isnt made better by today's government at all. -.- Im not a native of Krakow, but I have been there plenty of times and I must admit that it is a fascinating City. :) A great choice! :)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
We were so pleased, Kasia, with our choice of The Piano Guest House as somewhere to stay in Kraków for it was, for us, wonderfully quirky. And the City itself we found to be hugely interesting with many exceptionally good museums and galleries. Far too much to see on a single visit.
DeleteI thought you captured the tragedy and resilience of Krakow and Poland quite beautifully. What other nation has, as the first line of its national anthem: "Poland has not yet perished"
ReplyDeleteKraków is indeed something of a tragic city and one feels it very keenly when walking around the Jewish Quarter. We found our visit to the Schindler Factory, a superb museum documenting the history of Kraków from 1939 - 1945, especially moving. We could not though face Auschwitz.
DeleteCake for breakfast sounds like a lifestyle step in the right direction, however bad the day became after that one could always ponder that at least you had cake for breakfast. As ever a wonderful description of your time with Madame Ola, you really have a gift for meeting the most interesting people.
ReplyDeleteThe breakfasts were, to put it simply, suberb, Susan, and always beautifully presented and very, very plentiful.
DeleteMadame Ola was charming and presented us with a CD of her singing on the morning we left.
You lead the most interesting life and you meet people that most of us will never have the chance to. It's so nice of you to relay it to us;)
ReplyDeleteWe consider ourselves to be most fortunate in life, Launna, something about which we hope always to be aware.
DeleteAnother lovely description of your trip, Jane and Lance. I have never thought of Poland as a holiday destination given it's history but that is such an out of touch view really...and I have no qualms eating cake for breakfast - panettone is our favourite when they are in mass supply during Christmas. xx
ReplyDeleteIt was, as we have said, our first visit to Poland but we very much hope that it will become one of many. Kraków is only six hours by road from Budapest so is very easily reached and it is the most attractive of cities.
DeleteWe are delighted to learn that you are also into eating cake at breakfast time!!
I am so pleased you posted the clip of Madame Ola; despite bad connection speeds I really enjoyed watching and listening. Then I re-read your post and had a face to put to the description, which was great fun. The Piano Guest House sounds wonderful, so much nicer than an hotel. Cake, plus one of your travel reports - what a delightful, gentle, start to my morning. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this very generous comment, Elaine.
DeleteWe loved everything about The Piano Guest House and Madame Ola could not have been kinder or more charming [with or without cake!!]. It is a pity that the clip is of such poor quality for it does not do her justice.
Oh wonderful Jane and Lance - another delightful visit where you have graciously transported me to another world filled with history and delectable delights, not to mention ... cake for breakfast. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe are so pleased that you have enjoyed this very small 'window' on Kraków, Rose, a city which is full of charm and with much to see. We very much hope to return.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance - what a delightful, and very well composed post. I love your headers 'And there was cake for breakfast' .
ReplyDeleteOften it is the small differences and the people that one meets which make for memorable moments when travelling, but it takes a special eye to be able to capture the essence as you have done.
We rather thought that it would make a change from some of our other posts, Rosemary. We are glad that you like it.
DeleteYou are so right when you say that it is so often the people who one meets on one's travels who make it all so very special. You too must find this so.
Madam Ola is all the reason in the world to go to Poland. How in the world did you come up with this idea? Certainly not TripAdvisor!
ReplyDeleteYes, Paul, Madame Ola is reason enough to see Kraków and we plan to make a future visit when it would time with one of her cabaret performances. Surely this would be Edith Piaf with an Eastern European flavour. Perfect, non?
DeleteOur Hungarian friends, Zoli and Viktor, found the Piano Guest House and, although initially they had some slight misgivings, for us it was love at first sight!
It sounds and looks too good to be true :o) But you definetly know how to have a most charming, interesting and great vacation! I enjoyed reading and seeing you post, Jane and Lance :o)
ReplyDeleteHappy week to you dear friends
Love
Natasha
Thank you, Natasha, for your most kind comment. We never stay in the usual 'chain' hotels which we find anonymous and lacking interest. Off the beaten tourist track, there are always individual characters to be found, we believe. Madame Ola is most certainly one of those!!
DeleteEnjoy your week!
Comment vous avait sur votre voiyage c`est tres interesent!! :O) Moi j`aitait jamait dans Pologne!! J`ai pancait pas cur Pologne comme sur le payis ou on peux passe des bnnes vacances!!! :O)
ReplyDeleteWith love from Moscow!!
xxx Maria xxx
Poland is most definitely worthy of a visit if not several. It has an interesting if at times violent history but Kraków contains some absolutely glorious architecture which we are certain you would love.
DeleteMadame Ola speaks fluent French so that would be another bonus for you!
I felt like i was reading a warm script today you write with such beauty. It sounds like a wonderful place full of interesting people. I always learn a little more about life after visiting you. dee x
ReplyDeleteHow very generous of you, Dee!
DeleteWe do find people endlessly fascinating and it is often amazing what lives people lead if one only gets into conversation and listens to their stories. We believe that we have not even scratched the surface with Madame Ola and her sons yet, so there is every reason to return!
Dear Jane and Lance, what a well constructed post! I particularly like the opening lines - such brilliant imagery. I cannot help but recall Spielberg's Kraków from 'Schindler's List'; such a chilling landscape.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the video, I was actually curious about Madame Ola's looks and imagined her as a Miss Havisham in black, of course minus the tragedy.
P.S. Love the handsome hat couple in the first picture!
We are delighted that you have enjoyed reading the post, Suman. Kraków is such an interesting and complex mix of contrasts,it was difficult to think of a way to capture the essence of the place. We do so appreciate your generous comment.
DeleteWe visited a marvellous exhibition in the Schindler Factory which covered the time of Kraków's German occupation. It is all exceedingly well done, very much in line with Spielberg's film.
Madame Ola is a very attractive woman in our eyes and her genuine concern for her guests endeared her to us enormously.
Even if your posts are sporadic,
ReplyDeletethey are always interesting like this one.
Enjoy your time in Krakow and possibly other places in Poland.
We simply just cannot cope, Ann, with posting any more frequently. And, when should we fit our adventures in if we were to permanently be behind the keyboard?!!!
DeleteWe have now returned from Kraków, but fully intend to return and discover more of Poland.
Mme. Ola exhibits such a dramatic flair and obvious concern for the comfort of her guests. It probably derives from her background in drama--Poland has given the world so many great singers and actors. It is too bad that in the U.S. the entire country has been reduced to a ridiculous stereotype.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, Jim, Madame Ola definitely makes every appearance a performance and all to be savoured with delight!
DeletePoland has indeed given the world so much in terms of its culture. Indeed, we were treated on the car journey there to the many works of Chopin, Polish of course, which our friends had downloaded specially for the occasion.A delight!
It all looks divine. I have never been to Krakow or Poland for that matter. It feels terribly homey and comfortable. I look forward to hearing more about it from you!!
ReplyDeleteKraków was absolutely delightful, Deana, and the Piano Guest House was the perfect place to explore the many treasures that the city has to offer. We shall write more of our visit in a future post.
DeleteA wonderfully romantic guest house! Your hostess sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteYes, Poland, though wonderful, IS slightly odd. I went to Wroclaw/Breslau in 1999 and found it delightfully quirky. Need to return very soon.
The guest house did suit us perfectly and Madame Ola was all that we could have wished for and more besides. We now have the taste for further Polish adventures and need to decide where next. However, Kraków still has much to reward a second visit we feel.
DeleteHow exciting to have visited Poland in 1999. We are sure that many changes would now be apparent should you decide to go back.
Good Morning Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteYour opening paragraph about Krakow and her character is in keeping with my opinion of this beautiful city, which I have yet to visit. Then you introduce Madame Ola and her joie de vivre. You seem to have found the heart of Krakow at the Piano House. I can just imagine how you contributed to the energy and joy by your presence at breakfast each day
I love the video and of beautiful Madame Ola, a very gifted woman.
Helen xx
We are certain that you too, dearest Helen, would find Kraków to be full of interest and fascination. It does have a sad history, but the glorious architecture and generously welcoming Polish people more than compensate and ensure that one cannot wait to return.
DeleteBreakfast was like a Chopin symphony with Madame Ola conducting the piece and introducing each culinary delight as a new instrument to the overall performance. It was just as if we were characters in a 19C novel, the heart of Kraków indeed!
Having met so many really charming Polish people who are living and working in England, I am keen to go there one day. I'm sure the city is beautiful but perhaps burdened if not blighted by its tragic past. Thank you for this atmospheric post, and for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteWe are certain that you would find Kraków both beautiful and fascinating. You really should visit there one day and we are pleased to have reawakened your interest.
DeleteYour intriguing description of Kraków in the opening paragraph makes me want to visit there. That, and the cake!
ReplyDeleteKraków is complex and all the more delightful for that. A treat too good to miss in our view.
Delete'Madame Ola, speaking only French and Russian [apart from her native Polish], draped from head to foot in black, floated among her guests offering black tea, green tea and coffee whilst the breakfast table was laden with all manner of culinary delights sprinkled with red currants which sparkled like rubies in the morning sun.'
ReplyDeleteSWOON! This passage steals my heart. What am I going to do now without a heart, I ask you? This, after you made me melt and sigh all over the breakfast table with the image of your hats readied for an outing.
Sigh, my dear Jane and Lance. Sigh. (In the happiest possible way.)
Sending you, and the enchanting Madame Ola, buckets of affection across land and sea.
Dearest Suze, we fear that you 'lose your heart' several times a day....and we do so love you for it!
DeleteThe hats were vital as it was so very, very hot at the time of our visit. With a name like ours, however, we can surely never be too far away from a head covering to keep up appearances if nothing else!
Wishing you the loveliest of breakfasts ....and cake!!!
This is such a beautiful post Jane and Lance. For some reason, it almost brought a tear to my eyes - it is your poetic and generous writing that did it.
ReplyDeleteI just love how you embrace and celebrate the different and the other.
Thank you for this beautiful post!
Have a lovely rest of the week.
Red
We are thrilled that you enjoyed reading this post so much. Your kind and generous words are so very much appreciated and mean a great deal.
DeleteIf it is quirky, offbeat, unusual or just downright strange then, generally it holds a fascination for us. Sometimes this gets us into trouble but, more often than not, it brings some wonderful adventures and introduces us to some amazing characters! Vive la différence!
Indeed, vive la difference! That's what makes life worth living!
DeleteTo which we echo, yes, yes and yes again!!
DeleteOh how my husband and I have enjoyed your post this morning, both of us grinning and smiling at each other as we watched the video of the gracious, 'Madam Ola', how wonderful she is!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to live in Poland for a good while must be about 33 years ago now, it is very beautiful, and I remember its people with great affection. Alas I never reached Kraków, and I DO remember those breakfasts, there was usually cake, although during the time I was there things became pretty frugal when changes were afoot with Lech Walesa. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
The moment I realise there is a new post I speed over to your site Jane and Lance to be enchanted!!
Hugs to you both, Jane xx
We have the most marvellous image now of you both dancing round the breakfast table to the sultry tones of Madame Ola!
DeleteYou would surely, we think, notice some considerable changes over the 33 years since your last visit to Poland. But, how exciting it must have been to have gone there at that crucial point in the country's history.And, cake for breakfast even then. That shows the wonderful resilience and hospitality of the Polish people. We were charmed by them!
Your photograph of the room with the beautiful lacy window panels, and the lace covered table with summer flowers and hats thereon...that immediately told me you all had stayed in a very very special place. All other words and pictures confirmed this.
ReplyDeleteI have a dear friend who grew up in Warsaw and so have heard much about Poland over the many years of our friendship. She used to return there regularly from her London home, but as family members passed away, these trips have dwindled. Poland is a very fascinating place.
Thank you also for including the video of Mme Ola's performance. That was icing on the cake. xo
We love the idea, Frances, of Madame Ola being the icing on the cake! Perfect!!
DeleteThe Piano Guest House certainly was very different from the innumerable bland hotels that one finds the world over. Although not situated in the best part of town, it was within easy walking distance of the Old Town and more than made up for its situation by the generosity of its hospitality. It was run with the care and attention that only family run establishments can do, with all its quirky individuality too.
Kraków has certainly ignited our interest in seeing more of Poland so return visits are definitely on the cards!
When you first said that you would be visiting Krakow I took a 'virtual' look at the city having previously had an impression that Poland was somewhat drear, its history punctuated by foreign invasions, partitions and unruly Diets.
ReplyDeleteIt appears to be a beautiful city and your report shows it to be well worth the visit, especially if one is able to stay in the bosom of Madame Ola.
One simply has to stay in the 'bosom' of Madame Ola as you so perfectly put it. No visit to Kraków would be complete without it.
DeleteKraków has wonderful architecture, interesting museums, good restaurants, very pleasant walks and plenty of cafés. In addition, we cannot recommend the exhibition at the Schindler Factory highly enough for its ability to convey the history of the city in a most fascinating and yet not over sensationalised way.Four days were simply not enough.
cake for breakfast is as lovely as eggs for supper!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Gina! And why not?!!
DeleteI wanted to climb into the photo of the room at Mme Ola's - then I wished to be in the audience as she sang. There's something so tantalising, mysterious, elegant (and so much more, but I won't go on) about Polish culture. From the little I've experienced I don't think it has much of the Danish hygge or German gemutlichkeit, but certainly a good dose French savoir faire and a very eastern appreciation for 'presentation'. I don't think there's anything quite like Polish national pride......or cheekbones.
ReplyDeleteWe are so pleased that you too feel something of the Polish spirit conjured up by The Piano Guest House and, of course, Madame Ola herself. The whole experience of staying there, so very different from a more conventional hotel, was absolutely magical and full of atmosphere that it would not have mattered at all what Kraków was like. In the event it too was lovely and we should highly recommend a visit.
DeleteWhat an enchanting place to stay...the lace curtains stole my heart...and the wonderful breakfast ~ Wow!
ReplyDelete'Enchanting' is exactly the right word, Adrienne, for both The Piano Guest House and Kraków itself. We certainly plan to return for there is so much more yet to see.
DeleteWhat an enchanting getaway you found! Both tables look simply lovely. And the video is enough to share that Madame Ola has a wonderful, warm voice and seems to be the kind of person that one would have a pleasant conversation with. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe appeal of The Piano Guest House for us was its relative simplicity and it was exactly as if we were staying in someone's home - which of course we were.
DeleteSadly our conversations with Madame Ola were somewhat restricted as our French is very rusty, our Russian limited, and our Polish does not exist at all. But we managed!
Oh my goodness, I don't know how you did it but you seemed to have waltzed into a Chekhov play and taken all of us with you! I could see, smell, taste and practically feel your surroundings and the involved characters. What an incredibly beautifully written post. The first paragraph gave me goose-bumps and made me want to put my arms around the entire town. Let alone Madame Ola! I dare not watch the video however for fear of that particular song being stuck in my head for hours to come...
ReplyDeleteGros, gros bisous from hot Arles where the curtains are faintly blowing in the breeze,
Heather.
Oh, Heather, you are so right!! It was exactly as if we were in a Chekhov play and that is, of course, in part what made it so delightful. We are so pleased that you have immediately recognised and sensed it all, as we knew that you would!
DeleteThe history of Poland is so very sad, so much akin to Hungary, with some of it too much to bear. We could not for a second face the prospect of Auschwitz. Too, too terrible.
All is stillness in Budapest and horrifyingly hot!
It looks like a wonderful place to stay and very welcoming. There are the hats again! Are we spotting a trend?
ReplyDeleteIt was, Marilyn, such an atmospheric and interesting place in which to have stayed. We loved every minute of our time there.
DeleteYou have indeed a keen eye! It is not an intentional trend but now you have sown the seed of an idea!!
Madame Ola has special aura about her. I have a weakness for cakes, so the breakfast is intriguing. Thank you for the glimpse into such a posh and glamorous lifestyle, Jane and Lance.
ReplyDeleteYoko
You would, we are sure, have really enjoyed the breakfasts at The Piano Guest House, Yoko, and everything was so attractively presented and beautifully served. We feel ourselves so fortunate to have experienced it all.
DeleteI love being able to live vicariously through you......have not been to Poland...oh what a lovely dream to be able to travel there. Listened to Madam Ola......not bad if I do say so myself!! lOL
ReplyDeleteJo
We should highly recommend a visit to Poland, Jo, and Kraków is not only an extremely beautiful city but one which is also steeped in history. And of the many marvellous churches, we have only skimmed the surface.
DeleteAs for Madame Ola....wonderful in every way!
What an amazing guest house! And as for the cake - when in Rome....
ReplyDeleteIndeed you are right. And why not? What is more, we shall return for another bite!!
DeleteThank goodness for characters like Madame Ola! What a treat. The Piano Guest House looks wonderful. I think if I mentioned cake for breakfast to my husband, he would be on the next flight there!
ReplyDeleteWe could not agree more, Tracey. She has such a presence, is talented as a singer, a modern linguist and a very capable and charming business woman. And her cake is excellent too!
DeleteI am always drawn into your wonderful post from the beginning and today's is no different. "And there was cake for breakfast", a beautiful and almost decadent image. The bedroom in the Piano Guest House with the lovely lace curtains and tablecloth, and your hats perfectly place on the table transported me to another place and time for a few moments this morning. And then there is Madam Ola... how I would enjoy to be a part of the audience.
ReplyDeleteThis is so kind of you, Bonnie. But really we have only described what was there. What we particularly liked were all the very personal touches - the flowers in our room, the invitation to sit in the garden, the facility to make coffee or tea whenever we chose, the genuine desire on Madame Ola's part to make us feel really welcome in what is, after all, her home. A wonderful experience.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteisn't it interesting, stayings with artists? (I have that joy in London). Poland is such a beautiful and lively country, so full of heart. (AND very risky drivers, my oh my). Thank you for sharing with us this beautiful post&pictures!
PS: I love both your hats on that table with lace!
We do so agree, Britta, about the joys of staying with artistic and creative people. They do so add an extra dimension to life. Poland is a wonderful country and the people so friendly and hospitable - and we survived without being knocked down!!
DeleteHave hats will travel!! Also, it was very hot!
What a great place to be......welcome home...glad to read you here....love Ria...xxx...
ReplyDeleteIt was all very wonderful, Ria, and somewhere we should thoroughly recommend.
DeleteLooks like you found the perfect place to stay during your visit. Like the pic of the Hattatt hats ready for action :-).
ReplyDeleteWe should certainly recommend The Piano Guest House if ever your travels take you as far as Kraków.
DeleteAs for the hats, well......!!
Dear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteI have been abscent now and again during these summer days.
But, here i am once again enthralled by this most charming of posts.
You delight us not only with your lovely creative poetic stories of your travels, but also wonderful photos.
I have a couple of Polish friends, and they are very interesting people.
Poland has so much history.
thank you for sharing your stay at The Piano Guest house and sharing the super video clip of Madam Ola.
one of your followers wrote: It reads like a page out of Chekov.. how well put .. so true.
your blogs capture me every time..
Thank you Dear Jane and Lance.
Happy week to you both and also for leaving such inspirational comments on my posts.
xxx val
But how wonderful to have been away, Val, and we have so enjoyed reading of your recent travels to parts of Europe which are quite unknown to us and which we should certainly visit for their beauty and history.
DeleteWe found the Polish people to be delightful, not least Madame Ola, and we too have a young Polish friend, recently married to a Croatian, and who will come to supper tomorrow night where, we are certain, the conversation will turn to Kraków, the home town of Kasia.
And we wish you, dear Val, the happiest of weeks.
This sounds a lovely place to stay over, but I have never had cake for breakfast :) Good to have you back blogging again. Stay well, Diane
ReplyDeleteActually, Diane, it was a new experience for us too but one which we rather relished. Thank you. We trust that all is well with you.
DeleteAll that lace - so beautiful and inviting and romantic!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Rubye, the lace very much contributed to the overall atmosphere and was completely in keeping with the style of The Piano Guest House.
DeleteWhat a splendid woman, a wonderful performer, clever, interesting, and giving your stay in Poland what sounds like a most memorable flavour. I will remember her if I ever go to Krakow.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely all of these things, Jenny, and more besides. And certainly, if you ever find yourself in Kraków and are looking for somewhere to stay, then we should highly recommend Madame Ola's guest house.
DeleteThank you for including the clip of Madame Ola which reveals much of her personality. Reading your wonderfully descriptive (as ever) post brought memories to mind of an Amsterdam guest house I once stayed in, owned by a fascinating Russian émigré, where pride of place was taken by an ornate samovar - much to my delight.
ReplyDeleteI am also of the opinion that corporate hotels are to be avoided (likewise air travel) and would much rather stay in a smaller, more intimate and inspiring place. From your photos, the Piano Guest House appears very fin de siècle, my cup of tea (or piece of cake) absolutely.
I did wonder if you would find Kraków to have the same haunting sadness that Budapest does. I would like to visit the city myself one day, particularly for its association with the Blessed John Paul II.
Now, Joanna, your Amsterdam guest house sounds to be exactly our kind of thing, and how exciting and romantic to be run by a Russian émigré. Life is full of riches and, clearly, samovars!!
DeleteCorporate hotels we loathe and air travel we avoid if at all possible. Occasionally needs must. Yes, The Piano Gust House would, we are sure, appeal to you enormously as, we think, would Kraków which haunts in a slightly different way from Budapest.
Much is made of the city's association with John Paul II and there are several places to visit which are particularly connected with him.
What a captivating post.... for me it was the thought of those sparkling redcurrants on a breakfast table that made my eyes sparkle.
ReplyDeleteThe redcurrants on the breakfast table, largely intended as decoration, really did sparkle, Cathy, and were an idea certainly worthy of copying. They looked particularly good draped alongside the butter!
DeletePetits fours for breakfast, the ideal place to stay. Madame Ola sounds like a dream too.
ReplyDeleteOnly the best and most good where Madame Ola is concerned. She could do much for Skegness or Scunthorpe!!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance: Thanks for including the video! Madame Ola is charming and she certainly sets a sumptupous table. What a lovely way to be introduced to Kraków!
ReplyDeleteThe video does, Mark, or so we feel, give a little insight into the kind of person Madame Ola is and she certainly sets a very good table! Kraków is lovely.
DeleteYour first paragraph is stunning. Poetry. So deep and thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteI love your hats, and The Piano House and cake for breakfast!
Marvelous post!
That is so kind of you, Jen. We rather wanted this post to be a little different from others we have written.
DeleteThe hats accompany us everywhere, particularly in the hot weather which we had in Kraków and are still experiencing here at home.
Krakow is indeed a woman....such lovely food and such attention to detail....She was very good to you......
ReplyDeleteA wonderful city, Susan, and one to which we very much hope to make a return visit as there is yet so much more to see.
DeleteLovely place to stay, and I must be quite decadent myself, I do not mind having cake for breakfast myself! Or is that just being a snob? :-)
ReplyDeleteNo, we should just think of it as being deliciously decadent!
DeleteWhat a lovely trip report, love the hats waiting to embark on a day out and the sparkling berries upon a bountiful breakfast spread. As I read your description of Madame Ola I did not imagine her to be as she was then presented in the youtube video, quite the glamorous creature with a touch of Angelica Houston about her. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, Madame is quite the attractive diva, we agree! We had not thought of Angelica Houston, but now that you mention it....
DeleteThe hats were essential wearing as each day was searingly hot and Kraków really has to be seen on foot.It is the most magical of cities and we are sure that you would be enchanted by it too. the Christmas Market is particularly well known!
Oh Lance and Jane, when I think of Poland I think of Chopin. How romantic. While enjoying that colorful breakfast, there should be Nocturne no.5 in the background :). Madame Ola est tres jolie et elle a une tres belle voix. I am so excited to discover your next destination...
ReplyDeleteWe agree!Chopin is perfectly suited to Kraków we found. So romantic and melodic with a hint of the melancholic, just as the place itself.
DeleteWe are pleased that you enjoyed looking at Madame Ola. Definitely bohemian with a wonderfully sultry voice, we are sure that you would love her!
I have also been intrigued with and fascinated by Poland, but hesitant to visit. My granfather was from Warsaw (left for England in the early 1900s).
ReplyDeleteThis post is wonderful and encourages me to start with Kraków (which I've heard from relatives is wonderful). Maybe we can even stay with Madame Ola. Jerry can speaks Russian with her and I can remain silent for once!
We really would recommend that you visit Kraków, especially given your Polish roots. It is a fascinating city with a wealth of wonderful architecture and a relaxed, café society feel. Its history is a turbulent one but the Schindler Factory now houses an excellent interactive exhibition which is not to be missed.
DeleteStaying with Madame Ola is reason in itself for going. We would try to time our next visit with a cabaret performance since that would just make it perfect!
oh it has all been said....and I add....I truly enjoyed this post
ReplyDeleteWe are so pleased that you enjoyed the post. Thank you for your kind comment.
DeleteI want cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
ReplyDeleteYou do seem to find the most interesting and theatrical places to stay.
Sx
That sounds deliciously extravagant, just how we imagine you to be, dearest Miss Scarlet.We are sure that you would love Madame Ola and her guest house. It is all so theatrical, as you rightly say, and one has the feeling that some latter day Byron may just pop in at any moment!
DeleteWhat a luscious stay at such a welcoming, gentle place! I'd expect fringed shawls on the piano and the faint strains of moody violins.
ReplyDeleteAnd of COURSE there was cake---it’s practically a staple here when we have guests, especially small ones. I even translated your oblong platter of red and white into a Caprese, which I’ve been craving ever since we planted these tomato plants and this huge pot of basil.
Just the name “Krakow” immediately conjured the avid page-turning of THE TRUMPETER OF KRAKOW, read in third grade, and taken to myself as a hauntingly memorable tale---I repeated the word “heynal” as an eight-year-old’s mantra for ever so long. My first exposure to the vivid past of Poland has been a haunting one.
And somehow, I dramatized the story into WAY more pathos, as “the broken note” reached the epic proportions of the trumpeter’s having been cut down in mid-song, as he valiantly remained at his post, warning of invading hordes. I forever find myself prinking up most literature with my own imaginary ramblings---it's a grievous fault.
Your travels and ordinary days are just the ones we’d plan for ourselves, hoping for such luck in the finding as yours, for the out-of-the-ways, the do-not-misses, and such memorable events and people as you so effortlessly encounter. And I thank you for this standing invitation to such delightful adventures.
Indeed, there could very easily have been fringe shawls on the piano and the chair legs could equally have been draped!
DeleteHow very splendid that you know of, and appreciate, the history of The Trumpeter of Kraków who still, to this day, as we are sure you are aware, breaks off mid note as a reminder of a troubled past.
It is the everyday events, the people watching, the discovery of the unexpected which for us, as for you, make up the essence of all foreign travel and it is in these aspects which we so much delight.
I was wondering and wondering about the cake for breakfast, ha you had me going there, let them eat cake and all. The lace curtains and tablecloth in the bedroom are so serene looking, what a wonderful place to stay. I'll have to give a listen to the youtube.
ReplyDeleteThe cake for breakfast was actually very delicious and something of a change! However, there was much else besides.
DeleteAs for all the lace, something of the 'house style' as there was much in evidence everywhere.
Singing in a language other than English for me is always a treat and this was one put me in a relaxed and happy mood, thanks for the listen.
ReplyDeleteWe are so pleased that you enjoyed Madame Ola's singing. It is a pity that the visual quality of the tape was not rather better.
DeleteYour ability to find wonderful places to stay is unmatched, Jane and Lance. I loved this post with its beautifully-captured atmosphere and glimpse into a unique establishment. The phrase "And there was cake for breakfast" will echo in my mind for some time....
ReplyDeleteThe Piano Guest House was, we assure you, Perpetua, a chance find on the internet which turned out to be excellent in every possible way and so much more enjoyable than staying in a large, impersonal hotel - something we avoid if at all possible.
DeleteMy dear Jane and Lance, I thought Madame Ola's performance was absoultely delightful. When I think about the word, Bohemians, I thought about the life of French poets Rimbaud, Paul Verlaine and of course, the drawing room of Charleston where the Bloomsbury Group used to gather. After reading this post, I believe we should also add the artistic citizens of Kraków under the Bohemian group. I'm absolutely charmed by their eccentricities and idiosyncrasies. I wish I was a fly on the wall. It sounds a lot of fun. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. With warm wishes, ASD
ReplyDeleteOh, ASD, we are so pleased that you listened to, and liked, Madame Ola's performance. And how splendid, but not at all surprising, that you make all the connections which you do here. We really believe that you would delight, as much as we did, in everything about The Piano Guest House which has a charm rarely to be found in today's world. And Kraków id the most beautiful of cities which, one day, you must surely visit.
DeleteMadam Ola and cake - the perfect antidote to the dullness of relentless heart here in the states. Hats off to you both (oh, I see you've already taken care of that part) for a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteBoth Madam Ola and the cake certainly added a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the whole proceedings. Your 'hat' comment made us laugh!!
DeleteHow did you find the Piano Guest House? It looks an amazing place to stay and must have added much to your first visit to Poland. What a wonderful breakfast!
ReplyDeleteSarah x
The Piano Guest House was a chance find on the internet, Sarah. We wanted somewhere within easy walking distance of the Old Town, which it is, and somewhere a little different, which it is, from a 'normal' hotel.
DeleteWhat a wonderful, fun time! Cake for breakfast- a wonderful idea!
ReplyDeleteWe really did have a marvellous time, Lisa, and would recommend Kraków to anyone.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you had a lovely stay in the home of Madame Ola, with great hospitality and delicious cake ... thank you for the beautiful video.
Have a nice month
Olympia
We enjoyed ourselves enormously, Olympia, and certainly plan to return, possibly around Christmas when there is, or so we are told, a rather splendid Christmas market.
DeleteWe do so hope that you are enjoying the summer.
I've been on a brief trip Krakow but I'm ashamed to say I don't remember much beyond the attractiveness of the city, the life and vigour of the jazz clubs we haunted, and the overwhelming emotional darkness of nearby Auschwitz. Love, Alec xx
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolute delight to hear from you, Alec. We rather feared that you were lost to us for ever in the mists of the Blogosphere [and we have no email address for you!!].
DeleteAs it happens we were not in the jazz clubs(!!) but enjoyed the City hugely. However whilst we 'did' the Schindler Factory - now an excellent interactive museum - we could not face Auschwitz.
Hi there Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteAnother cultural delight that was a joy to read and what an adventure for your first stay in Poland. Where I live in England, there are a lot of Polish people and I'm hoping they might teach me a little Polish.
I'm getting the impression there was cake for breakfast!
All the best and with that, I shall trundle back to my site.
Cheerio.
Gary
Poland, from our initial foray, Gary, is a fascinating country and the people who we met delightful. When we are in Brighton we are conscious of the large number of Polish people there, some of whom have opened Polish shops. We will take more notice on our next visit.
DeleteYour impression is correct, there was cake for breakfast!!
In a tiptoe back online for a moment(offline mostly for this month, trying to reinvent myself, so hard, so hard!), The Piano Guest House looks like a must stay place--though may I venture out that I think Madame Ola is better off elsewhere than sur le pont d'Avignon?
ReplyDeleteHow kind of you to comment, Susan, when we know you to be officially 'off line' at the moment. We were entranced by both The Piano Guest House and Madame Ola, on or off of that bridge!
DeleteCake for breakfast? Now that's as it should be ... perhaps not every day - thereby voiding the act of all decadence and rebellion but certainly every OTHER day yes? :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, it certainly made for an interesting change and not what we usually have at home. But then yes, the idea could be adopted but maybe every other day as you suggest!!
DeleteWait, all these people think cake for breakfast is unusual?
ReplyDeleteWe recognise for Fred, used to dining in style, this is nothing unusual!! For the rest of us, unadulterated excitement!
DeleteDear Jane and Lance, life is all too short; I think cake for breakfast, and every other meal, a necessity!
ReplyDeleteKrakow and Budapest are my favorite European cities. When next I go to Krakow, I would love to stay at The Piano Guest House.
Carpe diem, Sandra, is always good advice and if cake presents itself at breakfast, then so be it!!
DeleteWe could all stay at The Piano Guest House when you are next in Europe - and what fun that would be.
I love to follow your travels and hear tales of your journeys! What a lovely and most interesting hostess and deeply moving city to visit. And.....perhaps we all should start our day with a little cake!
ReplyDeleteHow very kind of you. Madame Ola could not have been more welcoming or kinder and we are certain that all her guests must feel the same way.
DeleteBut is there always cake? That we failed to ask!!
Poetic stuff about Krakow:) Sounds intriguing...now I just have to go there. One of the remaining spots in Europe I haven't visited...yet:)
ReplyDeleteThen we should most definitely recommend a visit, Mark, for it is not only an exceedingly beautiful city but one which is also full of history.
DeleteReads like a scene from a movie. I would love to see a pic of you two in the hats!
ReplyDeleteI want cake for breakfast, too.
;)
Alas, as we all know only too well, one cannot have one's cake and eat it. But that aside, we have been feasting on the most delicious Fran's Chocolates which Thomas and Rachel gave us. Who needs Polish cake?
DeleteWhat a beautifully paced post. Cake for breakfast is surely the ultimate refinement, and the cakeless breakfasts of my own past will now be swept under the carpet, expunged from my memoirs, as from tomorrow at dawn my faltering morning steps will lead me daily to a three tier cake stand, amply stocked with suitable delights. There will be kedgeree as well, of course, for pitiable house guests who are unable to embrace change.
ReplyDeleteOh, to have kedgeree for breakfast is the ultimate in country house living, although we should have expected nothing less from Maison Mise where clearly the better days of the Raj are reproduced on a daily basis. Please may we be pitiable house guests?
DeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for this post, Jane and Lance. It's almost like visiting the Piano Guest House and Madame Ola alongside my favorite peripatetic duo. :)
ReplyDeleteI really do enjoy viewing the world through your eyes.
Thank you, Yvette, for such a warm and generous comment. Oh, if only you could visit the Piano Guest House, for we are sure that it would be exactly to your liking. And, Madame Ola, well, she is a star!
DeleteSo lovely that you stopped by, dear Jane and Lance! I did not want to offend with the artist vs. intellectual quote (I sure hope I didn't), but it seemed like such an interesting thought.
ReplyDeleteI hope it is not too hot chez vous...
Enjoy your weekend!
xoxo,
- Irina
How could you have caused offence? It is a wonderful and most interesting post.
DeleteBeastly hot here!! Kellemes hétvégét!
(One never knows) ;)
DeleteSending a cooling breeze to you....
Just as beastly here! :))
All cooling breezes are most welcome, thank you, although they do not appear, as you must find too, to do very much!
DeleteAnd again we are guaranteed the perfect place to stay should we visit Kraków soon. Madam Ola's breakfast table looks rather like my Polish mother-in-law's, although the latter clearly falls short as there is never cake. There are, however, sweet poppyseed rolls spread with cream cheese and honey, so I'm not complaining. Who needs lunch, or dinner for that matter, after a full Polish breakfast!
ReplyDeleteYes, Annie, the breakfasts did indeed make sure that we were never hungry during our long days of sightseeing. How interesting that you have a Polish mother-in-law and how wonderful her breakfasts sound to be.Clearly, this is all part of the culture!
DeleteHello Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteI guess you are near to so many places, each with its own history and culture, you could be living out of your suitcases and still only scratch the surface of the world around you.
So much of what's 'new' these days is simply the latest commodity, so it's a delight to see a little of Poland here, a little of somewhere away from the major highways.
And yet life as you've revealed it is touchingly familiar, warm and normal. Thankyou.
You understand completely, as we knew that you would, Faisal, the pleasure to be gained from being off the beaten track and having the opportunity to experience the everyday as it is presented in a foreign country with a very different culture. Always a joy, as for us is the privilege of being able to live at the heart of Europe with so much available just down the road, so to speak.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeleteKrakow, for me, summons up images of bohemian artists and war time subterfuge. The air of history must be palpable when strolling through the streets. Your lovely pension confirms my imagery. How exciting!
Di
X
It is a city reverberating in the kind of atmosphere which you describe, Dianne, and The Piano Guest House was certainly in keeping with it all. Kraków is a city well worth visiting.
DeleteKrakow sounds like an interesting city. The sense of history there must be almost palpable. As others have said, you do live in a wonderful location for exploring the world. Thanks for sharing your explorations with us.
ReplyDeleteKraków is indeed a most fascinating city and would certainly merit several visits for we felt that we had but scratched the surface on this first trip.
DeleteWhen we first came to Budapest, we felt that it was ideally placed within Central Europe as a perfect starting point for going to so many places in so many different countries. And, so it has proved!
I have not been to Poland, but in the judgement of people I respect, Krakow is the most beautiful and historically interesting city of all. Where do you start with the Old City - the castle, Royal Road, palaces, churches and synagogues, And ohhhh the theatres.
ReplyDeleteKraków is, we feel, incredibly rich in terms of its architecture, its culture, its Art and its history. One is reluctant to declare it the most beautiful as it is the only city in Poland which we have seen in any detail. However, it is absolutely enchanting and beguiling in every respect and is, therefore, any extremely difficult act to follow.
DeleteThe breakfast table looks inviting!
ReplyDeleteAnd each day there was something extra and new added. Everything totally delicious, as you may imagine.
DeleteIt sounds like an interesting visit
ReplyDeletewell
is there a more interesting thing than a " deeply troubled past" ?
...and anything more attractive than cake for breakfast?
I don't thing so... ; )
We found Kraków to be an absolutely fascinating city, Demie, and its 'troubled past' has, of course, helped to form its interesting present.
DeleteDear Jane and Lance,
ReplyDeletehow grand you are! Susan and I have long thought so and your previous post and this one most certainly confirm our view. How wonderfully decadent your journey through life is, cake for breakfast is indeed the ultimate in indulgence.
I would love to accompany you on your travels, but only as a small - very small - fly on the wall or perhaps in your luggage, although I doubt that such vulgar creatures would survive for long in your exalted vicinity. How kind that one of you is now not just an idea in my head, but a photographic image.
I absolutely adore the way you describe your sojourns, E.M. Forster indeed.
Not grand at all, dear U, but so very fortunate as to know so very many interesting people of many different nationalities and to have the opportunity to travel, although for now we restrict ourselves to Europe, to places which appeal to us on account of their history and their culture.
DeleteAnd how we should love to have you both as travelling companions to add your undoubted insight and knowledge into wherever we might find ourselves. We shall be in Venice later this month. Are you free?
We were so sad for you about Benno's death and nothing we can say will alter it or bring him back. But a good life was had. And we do trust no offence was caused over the petunia comment - we think it unlikely!!
What an Ode to Krakow, ! cake for breakfast ? Im in.
ReplyDelete'Ode to Kraków'! How delightful is that, and something to be worked on. Can we leave the symphony to you?
DeleteHello Jane!
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish you could come for lunch!!!
My Lebanese Grandmother used to set a breakfast table similar to Ola's.
It was always so special to sit at her table!
Your posts are amazing, a real treat!
xxoo
Oh Terri, how we wish that we could come for lunch with you. What fun it would undoubtedly be!
DeleteAnd, how fascinating to learn that you had a Lebanese grandmother. We are quite certain that to sit at her table would have been a very special culinary delight!
Krakow and The Piano Guest House and your hosts, all sound so inviting.
ReplyDeleteKraków was an absolute delight and the Piano Guest House could not have been better for a stay there. We shall, most definitely, return!
Delete