And it was less than a 5 minute walk from our hostel. AWESOME.
We spent all of Wednesday, as well as a few evenings, exploring it's streets and revelling in it's charm. It is an absolutely enormous square, the largest in all of Europe, and during WWII the German Governor General had his headquarters in Krakow. That's why it was spared the destruction that the rest of the country experienced.
In the middle of the square (roughly the size of 12 football fields) is a long building called the Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) with souvenir shops on the ground level, an art gallery upstairs and a cafe that extends onto the terrace.
Looking in:
Looking out:
More of the Sukiennice, by night and in the early morning hours...
The view from the cafe terrace, left to right:
This is what we were enjoying along with the view:
More sights from the square:
I love, love, LOVE wrought iron. So it's no wonder that I have so many pictures of lamps, gates, and such.
Because I'm guessing you're not interested in 18 shots of that sort of thing, here are just two of my favorites.
I also adore red geraniums, and they were in abundance. Give me a window that has been weathered and abused through the years and stick some geraniums and sheer white embroidered curtains with it and I can't help myself. It calls to me and I simply must take a picture of it! :-)
Another ornate facade:
Krakow's University:
Pete found the statue of Copernicus, and a little courtyard ajacent to the University, where there were a few sciency things. Apparently all the wrought iron and geraniums weren't sufficient for him. :-)
Pete, his brother, and mom took a road trip to Hungary in one of these cars when the boys were young teenagers. Pete said that even then, when he and his brother sat in the front, their shoulders touched.
A milk bar is an establishment from the communist era. It is basically a restaurant that serves simple, Polish staple dishes at rock bottom prices. Ordinary folks, homeless, drunks, and tourists who want to step back into bygone days are the usual customers. We happened to walk past this one at 7am after we had just finished breakfast.
We had discovered an open air farmer's market 2 blocks from our hostel, so each morning we walked there for some Turkish style coffee--you let the grounds settle to the bottom--along with some delicious Polish breakfast bread/pastries. I hesitate to call them pastries, because they only have a hint of sweetness. Some fruit, a little bit of soft cheese, and/or poppyseed paste. (I didn't take a picture though. Too busy licking my fingers.)
Another smaller square adjacent to the Main Market Square:
Cobblestone E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E
And finally, there is a tree-covered park that surrounds the entire Old Town. A refreshing spot to escape the sun, ride bike, people watch, or take an evening stroll.
3 comments:
Love experiencing Poland through your eyes and the beautiful pictures - thanks for sharing with us!
Breath-taking!! I hope everyone takes the time to view the pictures enlarged. They're stunning.
Refresh my memory - was Pete born in Poland? At what age did he come to the states? How emotional was this trip for him? There's something about that picture of him kneeling and reading a plaque that brings me to tears.
Aunt Jeanie,
Yes, he was born in Poland, and he was 14 when they moved to the States in 86. (Communism ended in 89.)
I wish I would have snapped a picture of him in front of his childhood home, with his primary school across the street, but we drove by it quickly on our way to his grandmother's the night we arrived, and I was too tired to realize we might not make it back.
This isn't the first time he's been back. They visited once in the early 90's and then he and Tek were there in 99.
As for whether it's emotional for him, um...he's a pretty typical Eastern European. LOL. :-)
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