Wawel Castle - Krakow, Poland

A place where Polish kings and queens resided before the 1600s. Pictured here is the cathedral within the castle walls. This cathedral is where Pope John Paul II was the archbishop before becoming Pope. There are many artistic features within these walls along with tombs of famous and important Polish kings, generals, and saints.

Today was our annual visit to Bob's residence. All is good. He wants everyone who knows him to see how beautiful he has helped make the gardens of the castle.

The Dragon's Lair - underground caves of the supposed Wawel Dragon.

The Legend says:

Once upon a time, many centuries ago where the city of Kraków now is in Poland, there lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill under Wawel castle, a most horrible fire-belching dragon.

His name was to become The Dragon of Wawel.

The Dragon slew the innocent towns-people, and devoured their grazing cattle in nearby meadows. Nobody could stop the dragon and prevent his hideous deeds.

King Krak, The King of Kraków, desperately worried by the tragic situation in the city, promised whoever could slay the dragon would, as a reward, marry his daughter and sit on his throne after his death.

In vain the bravest knights and other contenders tried to kill the creature. But even before they could draw their swords, they too were destroyed by the flames of this horrible beast!

But, one day a poor but valiant shoe-maker named Skuba hit upon a brilliant idea.

After much thinking and experimentation, he decided that he would use all his skills to prepare a special meal for the dragon by stuffing a ram with sulphur and tar. He then quickly placed this specially prepared ram at the cave's entrance and ran to a safe hiding place while the dragon devoured the ram.

The dragon's throat burned from the sulfur and tar, so he ran to the nearby Wisla river for relief. The dragon gulped down so much water that he burst with a great bang, thus setting the town and the surrounding countryside free from its grip of terror.

The town was saved! And as promised Skuba married the Kings daughter and the pair lived happily ever after…