After a self-serve breakfast, we headed out to Opole, a city of over 125,000 and once the capital of Upper Silesia, itself having a colorful history spanning over 1000 years. Silesia, since medieval times, has changed hands countless times and has been fractured with pieces belonging to Moravia, Bohemia, the Austrian Hapsburg Empire, Prussia, German Empire, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany, Germany and Poland--it's enough to make your head spin.
Along the way, an Opole TV Crew caught up with us for an interview. I caught them in a few pics, too. The waymarkers also began to have an international flavor. As we neared Opole, we walked along the north/northwest flowing Oder River. It, in fact, becomes the border between Poland and Germany for quite a stretch. We landed a small but adequate room at a Jesuit educational facility on a "donativo" basis. We'll stay two nights to do an excursion tomorrow to the medieval town of Paczków, also called "Polish Carcassonne" or "Silesian Carcassonne" thanks to its well-preserved medieval fortifications (I've seen Carcassonne in France and am ready for a real treat).
The modern statue I've included honors the warriors who fought for the independence of Upper Silesia. It was so imposing and beckoned me to capture its image!
