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Been here twice, loved it both times.
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I have been here twice and loved it both times. Krakow is so relaxing. People out with their families, taking a stroll by the Vistula. Children running around the grounds of Wawel Castle. Artists selling their paintings in the street. People-watchers sipping a beer at cafe tables in the square. And the lovely, haunting sounds of the trumpter from the church tower high above. Krakow has it all....nice people, beautiful sights, a sense of art and culture, good prices.
In Rynek Glowny, Krakow's main square. Poland is a beautiful, relaxing, friendly country...I heartily recommend it.
The two towers of St. Mary`s (Kosciol Mariacki, circa 1220) are uneven because of a bitter rivalry. Two brothers were commissioned for its construction, one for each tower. Each attempted to build his higher and grander. The younger, who ended up second, couldn`t get over his defeat and killed his brother with a kinfe. Overcome by remorse, he then sank the knife into his own heart. The weapon remains in the church as a remembrance.
You can hear the Hejnal (I don`t have the Polish characters to type that correctly--
it means `bugle call`) at this church. Every hour the bugle call is played on a trumpet from the higher tower to the four quarters of the world in turn. Intriguingly, it breaks off suddenly in mid-bar, commemorating a surprise invasion. The trumpet call is an extremely sad but beautiful sound. Sit in the square with a beer and enjoy its plaintive loveliness.
Empathizing with a sculpture called "The Weary Traveller," in Krakow's train station.
We took way too much baggage, of course.
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On the train to Poland, I demonstrate the drawbacks of Eastern European toilet paper.
(Hint: it's not pleasant stuff.)
An expansive square built in 1257, Rynek Glowny is one of the biggest and best town centers in Europe. My most vivid memory is of all the pigeons and the flower carts. On my first visit, the light was disappearing, and I had just a few minutes to walk through the stalls in the Sukiennice (cloth hall) before the shops closed. A wonderful, magical place.
I still haven`t been inside Wawel castle, which dates to 1000, but the grounds are extremely pleasant to visit. The rear of the castle, near the river, seems to be a beloved gathering place. On each of my visits to this castle I saw lots of families and cute Polish children out in the sun just enjoying the day and the peaceful atmosphere. There is a statue of a fire-breathing dragon that supposedly lived under the castle hill until a smart prince chased it out.
My friend Tiki on the Vistula
(Above and below) More shots of Rynek Glowny
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