Nuns and Gnomes...

Corpus Christi is being celebrated in the city today, so all the shops shut and the city is very quiet as we stroll to the Cathedral. A service is well underway, with a hundred or so outside the big open doors, those who could not fit inside, amongst them lots of nuns. Everyone is silently praying. We wander on around the cobbled streets of this pretty area, returning 1/2 hour later to the Cathedral. There are now thousands filling the streets. The hundreds of nuns are on their knees on the cobbles. Still all silent. The bishop and a chanting white robed male choir emerge, and everyone else sinks to their knees. We join this enormous congregation as we slowly walk the streets to another two churches where a short service is held again.


Always only unaccompanied beautiful chanting - no other noise from the growing crowd. The traffic and trams are stopped by police and army. After three stops, we are too hot under a cloudless sky to carry on, and leave this mass of folks, our clothes smelling of incense.
After a coffee we carry on exploring. There are charming 6 inch high metal statues of gnomes, in various poses, scattered around the city. They are semi-hidden, so a sport of spotting them has developed. Our hotel has one lying asleep on a window cill.


There are grander, fine modern statues all around the city too.


The former Salt market square is now a flower sellers market. There are lots of such pedestrian/ cyclists only zones that make it so pleasant to stroll the city. Parks, like manicured natural woods, and avenues along the river have plenty of places to sit and people watch. We spot a lady tram driver, hop out of the cab of her full tram, and alter the points so she can rattle off down a side route.

Location:Wroclaw