Poland: August 28. At Poznan

We started this day with a Polish language lesson. I am definitely the weak link when it comes to the language! I am, however, the only one in the class who started learning the language just this summer. And some of the students have been speaking it all of their lives!

We drove to the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral on Ostrow Tumski Island, the largest cathedral in Poznan, and said to be the birthplace of Christianity in Poland. There has been a church here since the middle of the tenth century. 

Many Bishops are buried here, and the reclining marble images are a sign of the times in which they lived and died (the 1600s and 1700s).

There are remnants of the earlier churches in the basement, with some of the cairns dating to the time of the Romans

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After lunch  we toured Old Town Poznan and then had some free time. This was a real bonus, since we've been joined at the hip for 4 days!

The Town Hall, above right, was built in the 16th century. Twice a day two billy goats come out of the tower and butt heads. Of course we were there at 3 PM for the show! The billy goats are part of the ancient lore of Poznan, and can be seen in souvenir shops throughout Old Town.

A group of dancers entertained us as we were waiting for the van back to the hotel.