Photo Story
The Summer We needed to Escape
The mountains didn't know there was a pandemic. They were as beautiful as ever.
A Pandemic Road Trip Through Central Europe
Görlitz Medieval Gate, Germany
By July 2020, my wife and I had reached a point familiar to millions of people around the world.
For months, our lives had been defined by routines that felt increasingly small. The same four walls. The same streets. The same news reports that seemed to bring little certainty and even less encouragement. Like everyone else, we were dealing with the realities of a world that had suddenly become more complicated.
We missed our freedom.
We missed the simple act of setting off down an unfamiliar road. We missed discovering places we had never seen before. We missed conversations with strangers, evenings in unfamiliar cities, and the feeling that comes from knowing tomorrow’s experiences have not yet been written.
In short, we missed exploring.
So after months of waiting, researching changing regulations, and wondering whether travel was even realistic, we made a decision.
After a few weeks of deciding what was safe and where to go we packed the car, loaded our cameras, and headed east toward Poland, Our ultimate destination The High Tatra’s, a mountain chain in Slovakia.
What followed became one of the most memorable journeys of our lives.
Our first stop was Görlitz, Germany.
Under normal circumstances, crossing into Poland on foot would have been entirely unremarkable. A bridge over a river. A quick walk. Another country.
In the summer of 2020, it felt different.
The pedestrian crossing between Germany and Poland had only recently reopened, and walking across that bridge felt surprisingly meaningful. Something that had once been routine suddenly felt like an adventure.
I remember standing there realizing how quickly we had come to appreciate things we once took for granted.
A spontaneous journey.
An open border.
The simple freedom to go.
St. Florian Gate (Brama Floriańska)
Kraków: More Than a Tourist Destination
We Loved Krakow!!
Normally, the city’s famous squares and streets are filled with visitors from every corner of the world. During our visit, the atmosphere felt different.
The horse-drawn carriages were still there.
The cafés were still open.
Locals and visitors still gathered to enjoy summer evenings.
Yet everything seemed slower.
More personal.
More authentic.
Speaking of personal and authentic, we spent two nights at the IHG branded The Hotel Indigo Krakow – Old Town by IHG a 4-star boutique hotel housed in a 19th century offering artistic interiors inspired by Polish painters, a Michelin-recommended restaurant, and a central location near the Florian Gate. What a delight!!!
The headlines of 2020 often focused on what was closed.
Through my camera lens, I found myself noticing what remained open.
Life had not stopped.
It had simply slowed down.
Onward to the High Tatra’s (Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia)
Crossing into Slovakia was almost anticlimactic. There was no dramatic moment, no grand gateway announcing our arrival. Yet mentally it felt significant. We were leaving behind the routines that had defined our lives during the pandemic and entering a place where nature dictated the pace.
The High Tatras soon appeared in the distance.
They were exactly what we had hoped for.
The mountains didn’t know there was a pandemic. They had no awareness of border regulations, infection statistics, or lockdown debates. They stood where they always had, indifferent to human worries and as beautiful as ever.
Morning light revealed ridgelines stretching across the horizon. Forests climbed the lower slopes while peaks rose sharply above them. In places, clouds drifted lazily through the valleys, creating scenes that looked almost unreal.
For a photographer, it was impossible not to stop.
Next Stop: Bratislava
We included a stop in Bratislava to visit friends and were delighted with our overnight stay. We lodged at the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel, Bratislava a fascinating, centuries-old historical gem and the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city. The hotel has 168 classically furnished rooms and suites, some of which feature comfortable underfloor heating in the bathroom. And of course there is The Mirror Bar: 25th in the “World’s 50 Best Bars. My wife would return to Bratislava in a heartbeat just to stay here again. it was a short stay but great to visit old friend and tour the old city near the hotel.
Last but not least: Karlovy Vary
Famous for its thermal springs, was a special request to visit from my wife a Ukrainian who speaks Russian and is an expert on Russian History. The Russian love for Karlovy Vary began in the early 18th century with Tsar Peter the Great. He visited the city for a spa treatment in 1711 and 1712. Many other Russian spa guests followed, and in 1893 one of the most beautiful Russian churches St. Peter and Paul Church (Chrám svatého Petra a Pavla) were built in the upscale Westend district. The church was built in the old Russian, Byzantine style and, with its five magnificent, gilded onion domes, is an architectural highlight of the city.
It was almost entirely financed by donations from the Russian nobility. Inside is a valuable majolica iconostasis, originally made for the World’s Fair in Paris. To this day, it remains an active spiritual center for the local Russian-speaking community.
For my wife it was like a visit to “Mecca”. many of the hotels and shops are owned and operated by Russian speaking people so it was a special delight for her.
The Road Home
Every journey eventually reaches its final stop.
What began as an escape from the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic had become much more than a simple road trip. From the historic streets of Kraków to the tranquil beauty of the High Tatras, from an evening with friends in Bratislava to the elegant spa promenades of Karlovy Vary, each destination offered something different. Yet together they provided exactly what we had been searching for: perspective.