The Blaus - South America and Europe

22nd of October - Krakow, Poland

We arrived in Krakow by train from Berlin and we were somewhat concerned about theft and personal safety on the train because our guide book warns of cases of train passengers on this route being gassed and robbed while sleeping in their compartments on overnight trains. For this reason we didn't want to let our backpacks out of our sight, so when there wasn't enough space for our bags on the luggage rack above our heads, we put them in the seat behind us instead of in a storage area in the next car. For nine hours on this train, every time someone new boarded and tried to sit in the seats behind us a Polish woman across the aisle from us fended them off. It was obvious that we didn't speak Polish, so she did all the talking for us. She smiled and winked at us each time and was so kind to help us.

The attendant came around with the refreshment cart to offer drinks or sweets and we declined as we always do because treats on the train are too expensive, but he insisted that we take something and then whispered that it was free of charge. He must have sized us up and known exactly the type of backpackers that we are...he spoke our language.

When we arrived in Krakow we took a taxi to our hostel and tried to negotiate the fare from 15 zlotys to 10. The taxi driver insisted on his price and we were freezing outside the station in the dark so we settled on it. When we arrived at the hostel he only asked for 10 zlotys. This was a true gesture of generosity and honesty, and in months of traveling we have never had an exchange like this one with a taxi driver. The time we spent in Krakow showed us that Polish people are some of the kindest that we have encountered in Europe.

Krakow is a beautiful city that was completely spared by the destruction of WWII that reduced Warsaw to rubble, so the old town looks very much like it has for hundreds of years. Krakow dates back to the 7th century. It boasts the largest medieval town square in all of Europe, which is surrounded by interestingly designed buildings that make for a unique skyline, a clock tower and spires of churches. Krakow similar to Prague, but there are very few tourists and there is a presence of an underground artist community in dark and tucked away jazz clubs, cafes and bars that we poked our heads into. Krakow seems to be the hipper, more cultured little sister to Warsaw. Wawel Castle is one of the main attractions of the city and it sits atop a small hill near a bend in the river.

We spent a day walking around Kazimierez (the old Jewish quarter) and visited synagogues, museums, and cafes there. The Jewish community in Krakow were forced out of the city and relegated to Kazimierez long before WWII. Then during the Nazi occupation of Poland, the Jewish ghettos of Krakow were set up in this area. The movie Schindler's List was filmed here, and this part of Krakow has become a popular center for tourism and education about Jewish culture and the Holocaust. It makes sense that this historic area functions this way because of its proximity to Aushwitz. We went into a Jewish museum housed in the oldest synagogue in Poland to learn about traditions, rituals, customs, holidays, sects and the history of the Jewish population in Krakow. We went to a synagogue that was screening documentary films of life in the ghettos in Krakow and in Warsaw. The films were created from footage recorded by the occupying German forces. The most moving film we saw was called Requiem for 500,000. It was difficult to watch. We went to a traditional Jewish restaurant and ate chicken knedly, farfala, latkes, and sabbath soup for lunch and then had coffee and a yummy cookie that was flat, chewy and made with nuts, toffee, chocolate...Billy's mom makes these, but we can't remember what they're called.

On Saturday it was sunny and warm, so we spent the day outside getting lost in the backstreets away from the square. Most of the action takes place on this square, where restaurants and cafes set up outdoor seating and locals hang out in the sun. We walked into bakeries to take a whiff of all the fresh baked goods, popped into cafes and bars in search of the perfect pierogi, wandered around parks crowded with people and bright with fall colored leaves in the trees and green grass all around. We saw two weddings taking place at two different churches around town. One was a very traditional event with some attendees in traditional peasant dress. There were baskets of flowers and fruit and a very elegantly dressed bride in a white fur coat and a 40s style hat with netting. The bridesmaids were wearing crimson, floor length dresses and the flowers were rich fall colors.

On the train leaving Krakow for Warsaw we had difficulty again finding a place to store our luggage, and this train was so cramped and crowded that it was almost impossible to maneuver around inside the cars with our huge backpacks. Luckily the compartment next door was full of nuns without any baggage. They looked trustworthy enough to watch over our backpacks for the short trip to Warsaw.

posted by The Blaus @ 4:24 AM