snap shots

European Culture for less! found this online

"Krakow, Poland: European culture for less"

"During World War II, when air raids were laying waste to London, Dresden, Berlin and other great European cities, Krakow was only lightly bombed. Consequently, it has one of the most spectacularly preserved medieval town centers on the Continent. Visit early enough in fall (it gets quite chilly later) and you’ll also be able to experience its vibrant street life, which in some ways mirrors that of Paris, with throngs of people hanging out in sidewalk cafes and street performers turning the pavements into a daily carnival. There are also superb sightseeing opportunities in the city and beyond, including exquisite ancient cathedrals and synagogues and the sobering Auschwitz concentration camp.

Airfare will easily be your biggest expense, so if you have any frequent flier miles saved up, now’s the time to spend ’em (from New York City, the cheapest gateway to Europe, I’ve found round-trip fares as low as $785 in September and $615 in October). Your costs on the ground will be fairly reasonable, as Poland is not yet on the euro (which is currently trading at near-record highs against the dollar).

Budget lodgings, such as the bland but fine U Pana Cogito (http://www.pcogito.pl/), will run you about $80 a night for a spacious double room with private bath. A charming hotel in the city center, such as the Hotel Karmel (http://www.karmel.com.pl/), will cost closer to $100 per night. Budget $6 per person for picnic lunches, and just $10-$15 for nice sit-down dinners."

This came to our MSN home page, and of course I jumped on it! And in reality it does cost more than they quote. But Krakow is on the map!

Day before Easter

Swieconka, is the Basket Blessing Ceremony, that takes place on the Saturday before Easter.

We sat out in front of the church at the Rynek and snapped pictures of people as they went into St. Mary's. On our way to the square, we pass several churches and each one had a steady stream of basket toting folks. The baskets are filled with items for the Easter morning breakfasts. Bread butter horseradish salt kielbasa cakes, maybe some chocolates, remember lent is over now! These items are sprinkled with holy water and blessed for the families. It was another cold but sunny day, so we lingered around the Easter Market and ate kielbasa and mushrooms and potatoes, soo goood!

first day of spring

Walking up to meet Keith for lunch
I stopped just long enough to take a picture
of the pigeons, since the sun was so bright.

And the crocus are up. Finally some color.

Then a cloud drifted over and the snow swirled!


The snow was gone by the next afternoon.

Hoefully 'real' spring is just around the corner.

65th Anniversay in Plaszow

March of Life "Marsz Zycia"

After being at the Palm Sunday celebration at the square, we ventured out of Kazimierz to an area across the river called Podgorze. I had read information about an event that was to take place there to commemorate the final liquidation of the Jewish ghetto, in 1943.

I'm assuming most of you have seen the movie 'Shindler's List'. I didn't realize until yesterday that Keith hasn't seen it. If you know about the movie, you'll know that it took place, and was filmed here in Krakow. In the district called Podgorze. I hope I get the facts straight, so, in a nut shell, here goes.

Poland was invaded by Nazi's and Soviet Russia in 1939, at the very beginning of World War II. This country lost 6 million people during the war, half of them Jews. Part of the Nazi plan was to have Krakow 'cleaned' of the Jewish people. The General Government of the Nazi's was established in this section of Poland. This quarter of the country was to be the administrative region for racial cleansing. Thus Auschwitz-Birkenau is close by. And the buildings of Krakow are virtually untouched by the destruction of war.

In March of 1941 the Nazis moved 15,000 Jews out of the Kazimierz district of Krakow, across the Wistula River into Podgorze. The ghetto was established and sealed off by a wall, that was built with the forced labor of the Jews themselves. This ghetto paralleled other cities in Europe that were going through 'extermination'. The town held 3000 Poles, so you can imagine the over crowded living space the deported Jews endured. The displaced Poles of Pogorze, were sent to live in Kazimierz.

The Nazis established a forced labor camp in Plaszow, about a mile away from the ghetto and over two years deported Jews there, from the Podorze ghetto.

German businessman Oskar Shindler, somehow, possibly through bribes, persuaded the Nazis to allow him to have Jewish labor at his enamel factory. And was able to save 1100 or so people from certain death.

The final liquidation came between 13 and 15 March 1943. During those couple of days 2000 people were shot, with the remaining thousands being sent to Plaszow or Auschwitz. The Jews had lived in Krakow 600 years, and were effectively wiped off the face of the earth. I found one source online that states March 13 1943 as the first day the gas chamber at Krema II Birkenau was used, when 1,492 women children and elderly from Podgorze ghetto were put to death immediately upon arrival.

So, to commemorate Shindler's efforts, about two dozen Holocaust survivors from Poland, Israel, and other countries were here on this past Sunday, Palm Sunday, March 16. They walked from a square in Podgorze to the Plaszow camp site. Our language teacher said that it occurs each year as the "March of Life". News accounts state that a long with the survivors, a total of 700 took part.

Keith and I were on the hill, Krak's Mound, that is situated between the two areas of Podgorze and Plaszow. We still aren't familiar enough with the city and couldn't quite find the memorial. Although we did find part of the wall that enclosed the ghetto. It is pictured at the top of this entry. The photo at the left is an old picture. The restored wall as it is today is on the right. It's located behind a school, and is part of the boundary of their playground. We couldn't find a sign telling us how to get to it. In fact we had walked up to an area that looked like a cemetery and just happened to see the familiar shaped ghetto wall down below us. I don't think we were the first tourists to find it with out a guide, since the chained link fence was already bent down enough for us to climb down to the wall.

I can't tell you how moving it was to be there yesterday. Very understated, since we never found the hundreds that took part in the march. I think the march happened while we were at the Palm Sunday celebration in Wolnica Square in Kazimierz. The day was definitely divided between two distinct emotions. From the uplifting Easter celebration, to the solemn remembrance of the Holocaust.

The history here is touchable, you can 'feel' it.

And once again we feel blessed to be in such a place as Krakow.

Palm Sunday

These girls were constantly giggling
and dancing around
While holding up the Palma.
One Daddy stepped
in to help steady the tall
Palm Sunday Decoration

All the Kids were very
attentative to those of
us taking photos




The little guys were
not as animated as the girls

Niedziela Palmowa. We walked over to Kazimierz
to see the Palm Sunday celebration.
There were people selling their crafts,
and baked goods.












Some of the cakes were
shaped like lambs,
I'm sure may already
have the head torn off
and eaten before the
afternoon was over!

There was egg painting for the kids.









And the procession of Palmas.
These are the tall floral things the kids are holding.
They paraded up to the stage
and said which school
or church they represented, and there
may have been a compeitetion,
but not knowing
what anyone was saying, it's hard to tell!
A beautiful way to spend a dreary Palm sunday.