P O L A N D
(Part One)
 

Krakow
 

This was our home in Krakow, the Bluebells Apartments. The view from our second floor rooms.
That's Ralph in the black shirt, waving.		 Here we are enjoying the view of life in Krakow.
 
CAST OF CHARACTERS
With our cousins Paul and Ewa and Mike who traveled from Chicago with us, our cousin Hanna from Zielona Gora, a city in northwest Poland, and her son Wojtek, who is studying at the university in Krakow.		 Mike signals the start of the our walk through the park that rings the old center city.  A small part of the fortress that once stood on this site is still visible.
 
"Krakow was the capital of the country until the 17th century, and one of Europe's richest cities. The Royal Route started at the defensive Barbican and led through Florian's Gate, called "Portae Gloriae", and then into Main Square, now the city's central square. Whichever street we choose we can get to Main Square - the heart of the city, a place attracting tourists with pubs, cafes, music and the hum of people's voices."
Paul & Ewa and Mike
ready to explore the city.		 The Barbican, the first line of defense of the old main square.


We were able to witness a re-enactment of a battle that took place here many hundreds of years ago.


"Krakow's main city gate, Brama Florianska (the Florian Gate), was made insurmountable in the beginning of the l6th century thanks to Europe's mightiest Barbican. The circular marvel of martial architecture is 24m in diameter. Its high walls are three meters thick. The awesome structure, topped with seven turrets, has 130 loopholes in four rows: the lower to be used by artillery, the upper for archers and riflemen. In the past, the Krakow barbican was surrounded by a 30-meter-wide, deep moat. However, if the enemy had forced their way in, they would have found themselves entrapped inside and shot at from all sides. The Barbican was connected with the Florian Gate by a drawbridge and a walled passage." No areas or passageways were off-limits to us,
and we enjoyed exploring this fascinating place.

At left, we are standing in front of Florian's Gate, the historic entrance to the main square and the city center.


Once through the gate, it was a short walk down the street to the city center.

"Krakow’s central Grand Square has been the hub of the city ever since its Old Town historical district got the present grid of streets in the 13th century. The huge 10-acre square, the largest of all Europe’s medieval cities, is a curio in itself. At the same time, it is arguably one of the world’s most beautiful plazas. "




Amid all the history, we were always sure to take plenty of time to stop and enjoy some people-watching, good conversation, and a beer or two.



In Ralph's opinion, Poland is very underrated for the quality of the brew they produce.  Beer has enjoyed a surge in popularity in Poland, and there are a number of very good beers available.


A horse-drawn carriage took us around the square for a look at all the beautiful historic buildings.


This was a very fun day that managed to bring out the kid in all of us!


The regular method of travel around Krakow is streetcar.  Best of all, they are free when Paul and Hanna can't figure out how the pay box works!  We enjoyed a night out in the neighborhood of Kazimierz, once Krakow's medieval twin town, then the capital of Poland's Jewish population from the 16th through the 19th centuries.  Until a few years ago, this area was a crumbling shell of its former grandeur, but is now undergoing a major renaissance and has become Krakow's hottest area for nightlife.  And during the World Cup, the place to go to watch the games on big-screen.




Sunday in Krakow was our day to visit the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill.
"Wawel, the seat of the Royal Castle and Cathedral, lies on a small hill above the Wisla River and it was here that the earliest settlements in the city began, some fifty thousand years ago. It was at the turn of the past millennium when the rulers of Poland took up their residence here, and the palace and castle which survive to present day were built in the 1500's.  Architecturally, Wawel is something of a hodge-podge, with all kinds of shapes and styles jostling for attention, but whatever cohesion it lacks aesthetically it more than makes up for in terms of soul. For this is the spiritual home of the nation."


The legend of the dragon of Wawel Hill is one of Poland's best-loved tales.  This fire-breathing monument to the dragon stands just outside the castle walls, on the banks of the river.  Read the story of the dragon here:
 
http://www.icbleu.org/artur/dragonwawel.htm		 Wojtek and Ralph outside the castle walls.  Wojtek was gracious to be our expert tour guide for all of our sightseeing in Krakow.  We were very fortunate to benefit from his experiences and knowledge of the city.  He is a deep thinker and he and Ralph were able to solve many of the world's problems over a couple Zywiec's while the rest of the pack toured the castle. Marisa and Ralph outside the Wawel Cathedral, located within the castle walls.  Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, spent his formative years as a student here and said his first mass in the 12th-century Crypt of St. Leonard's located beneath this Cathedral.  He spent his entire adult life until he became the Pope in Krakow.


At left, the view of the Wisla River and the city beyond it from the statue of the dragon just outside the castle walls.

It was here at the castle that we acquired our mascot who accompanied us on our dashboard on the second part of our trip.



Enjoying an outdoor dinner at a downtown restaurant after our day at the castle. Paul & Wojtek & Ralph sampling the brews at Krakow's first brewpub, called CK Browar.  Great beers! Wojtek and Marisa loading our suitcases on the bus for Zakopane, our next destination.  We leave Wojtek behind here with many thanks for all his help, and hope he'll be visiting us in the states very soon!


Click the picture below to see our page on
the second part of our trip to Poland.