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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15 th – April 28 th and May 9 th – May 13 th Part 6 ... Page 1 of 7 © 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved Monday, April 23 rd ... We have only one appointment today ... a concert at “Café Alchemia” in Nowy Plac (New Place) in the Kazimierz district of Krakow. The concert does not start until 19:30 so we stay in ... rest up from the Warsaw trip and basically unwind. At 15:00 we leave Kwiatowa ... take a taxi to the Krakow Central RR station ... purchase our tickets for the ride to Przemysl this coming Saturday (we are leaving for 10 days to Ukraine) ... and, while there, pay a visit to the newest attraction in Krakow ... Galeria Krakowska. Galeria Krakowska ... Poland’s latest mega mall. Covering a space of 60,000m 2 over three floors the project includes 250 retail units with flagship stores including H&M, Peek & Cloppenburg, electronics giant Saturn and an Ahold food market. Roughly 2,000 jobs were created as a result of this 250 million euro investment, while it’s location also promises to change the face of travel in Krakow; hovering next to the train station, with the main entrance hall to the station being incorporated into the mall. A car park holding 1,400 vehicles has been added to alleviate parking problems, and the mall also includes a full entertainment complex, food court and restaurants as well as top- class office space. Further down the line two hotels are expected to be added to the complex. The massive top-level courtyard ... ... the three shopping floors clearly visible here ... ... with ambiance befitting a world-class mall ... ... with conveniences to move the many patrons. We walk the entire complex ... having ample time before the concert ... purchasing a few items ... and noting with alarm at the high prices. This is not an every-day shopping experience ... only for the well-heeled. After 30 minutes we depart and head straight for the Rynek ... only a 10- minute stroll. We take the passageway under Lubich and Westerplatte avenues ... walk towards the Barbakan and Florian’s gate ... and stroll down Florianska Street towards Kosciol Mariacki (St. Mary’s Church) and RYnek Glowny. Here we will make some more currency conversion, shop for maybe a few gifts and then head on over to Kazimierz for an early supper. As promised, a few more facts on Kosciol Mariacki ... St Mary's Tower ... Also known as the Watch Tower, Wake, Alarm or Bugle Tower, it is the only tower in the world at which a bugle has been played every hour for six hundred years for the entire world to hear. To see and to hear these wonders one must climb 239 steps, to a floor 54 m above ground level. The trumpeter takes just two and a half minutes to ascend the tower but visitors do not need to hurry. At the top they will be heartily greeted by bugle players - members of the fire service, perhaps the last magicians of Krakow. Bugles have always been played from Krakow towers and gates to announce the beginning and the end of the day. Travelers had to stay outside the city walls if they were caught by night near Krakow and wait until the gates were opened at sunrise.

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Page 1: Recollections of Poland 2007 - Rozylowicz · Recollections of Poland ... 2007

Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 1 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

Monday, April 23rd ... We have only one appointment today ... a concert at “Café Alchemia” in Nowy Plac (New Place) in the Kazimierz district of Krakow. The concert does not start until 19:30 so we stay in ... rest up from the Warsaw trip and basically unwind. At 15:00 we leave Kwiatowa ... take a taxi to the Krakow Central RR station ... purchase our tickets for the ride to Przemysl this coming Saturday (we are leaving for 10 days to Ukraine) ... and, while there, pay a visit to the newest attraction in Krakow ... Galeria Krakowska.

Galeria Krakowska ... Poland’s latest mega mall. Covering a space of 60,000m2 over three floors the project includes 250 retail units with flagship stores including H&M, Peek & Cloppenburg, electronics giant Saturn and an Ahold food market. Roughly

2,000 jobs were created as a result of this 250 million euro investment, while it’s location also promises to change the face of travel in Krakow; hovering next to the train station, with the main entrance hall to the station being incorporated into the mall. A car park holding 1,400 vehicles has been added to alleviate parking problems, and the mall also includes a full entertainment complex, food court and restaurants as well as top-class office space. Further down the line two hotels are expected to be added to the complex.

The massive top-level courtyard ...

... the three shopping floors clearly visible here ...

... with ambiance befitting a world-class mall ...

... with conveniences to move the many patrons.

We walk the entire complex ... having ample time before the concert ... purchasing a few items ... and noting with alarm at the high prices. This is not an every-day shopping experience ... only for the well-heeled. After 30 minutes we depart and head straight for the Rynek ... only a 10-minute stroll.

We take the passageway under Lubich and Westerplatte avenues ... walk towards the Barbakan and Florian’s gate ... and stroll down Florianska Street towards Kosciol Mariacki (St. Mary’s Church) and RYnek Glowny. Here we will make some more currency

conversion, shop for maybe a few gifts and then head on over to Kazimierz for an early supper. As promised, a few more facts on Kosciol Mariacki ... St Mary's Tower ... Also known as the Watch Tower, Wake, Alarm or Bugle Tower, it is the only tower in the world at which a bugle has been played every hour for six hundred years for the entire world to hear. To see and to hear these wonders one must climb 239 steps, to a floor 54 m above ground level. The trumpeter takes just two and a half minutes to ascend the tower but visitors do not need to hurry. At the top they will be heartily greeted by bugle players - members of the fire service, perhaps the last magicians of Krakow.

Bugles have always been played from Krakow towers and gates to announce the beginning and the end of the day. Travelers had to stay outside the city walls if they were caught by night near Krakow and wait until the gates were opened at sunrise.

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 2 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

What were the tunes played from the city's towers and the Royal Castle of Wawel? We will never know that. It is only known that when Krakow saw the influx of Hungarians in the late 14th c., as Queen Jadwiga, the future wife of King Jagiełło, was about to ascend the throne, a hajnal (bugle-call) came here in a barrel of exquisite Hungarian wine. It came here and stayed to resound in Krakow's skies forever. It was probably first played by Hungarians, and later, when the guards of the Wawel and St Mary's were changed, was taken over by the Poles.

Krakow is a world-unique city in which the medieval tradition of playing a bugle from a tower every hour has survived to this day. It has continued although the performers of St Mary's bugle were by no means safe. Legend has it that the original bugle was interrupted when a Tartar arrow pierced the throat of the musician, taking his life. Another mortal accident on the Tower happened in 1901. Trumpeter Antoni Dołęga managed to play three times: for the King (the window overlooking Wawel), for the Honourable Council (Cloth Hall and Main Square), for the Guests (the Barbican and the Florianska Gate). His fourth bugle (the east window, overlooking the Fire Service Headquarters) was never heard... In September 1939 the Nazi invaders banned the playing of the tune for several months. In 1980, bugs invaded the tower, and thus, for a few weeks the bugle was played from the Town Hall Tower.

Since 1927, there has been no need to come to Krakow to hear the bugle, as it is broadcast by the Radio Krakow. In the buglers room at the Tower, one can see the Marconi tube, more than seventy-five years' old and still operational, which transmits the tune of a golden trumpet to the radio from which it is broadcast to the world. Currently all you need is to turn on the radio at 12.00 noon Polish time and tune in at Radio Krakow and you will hear the finest of Krakow melodies. It is the world-oldest regular musical program!

Who are bugle players? There are people in Krakow, and not only in Krakow, who are able to recognize who plays the bugle infallibly. The city has always had special feelings for the buglers. Originally they were called "the trumpeters from the tower", and were selected from among men of exemplary conduct, of 20-35 years of age, who could read and write. (The first woman to play the bugle from the tower was Anna Kula in 1993). Equally high requirements were set for professional members of fire service, who have had an uninterrupted record of service at the Tower since 1874, i.e. 133 years. During a 24-hour long shift each of the two buglers present plays the bugle 48 times. He precedes each round by pulling the rope of the tower clock. So first the hour strikes and then we hear ... tratatata. Unlike their predecessors, they have no need to watch if an enemy is approaching Krakow, or if a fire has broken out. Their only role is to play as beautifully as they can. They can feel secure - they have a telephone connection with the earth. And, if, God forbid, the Tower caught fire (such things happened) - the fireman, who have had alpinist training, may evacuate themselves on a rope.

Business completed ... we begin our trek to Kazimierz ... leaving Rynek we stroll Sienna Street ... cross Westerplatte ... and at the Main Post Office site take Starowislna Street southeast ... walking perhaps ¾ of a mile to the concert site.

It would have been faster and simpler to just take a tram to Kazimierz but the walk allowed us to see the “old” Krakow from street level ... mingling and jostling with the foot traffic.

We found Nowy Plac square and the venue for the concert ... an older building that has seen (perhaps) glory days, decades ago (left). The place is called “Café Alchemia”. It is in a pub with outdoor seating ... a little grungy ... but we’re

here for a concert not for architectural jewels. We will return later now that we know its precise location. It was only 18:00, and we’re early as planned. We’re hoping to find that quaint little corner restaurant on Miodowa Street where we ate 3 years ago and take our supper there. No luck ... we could not locate it in spite of many repeated circuits around the neighborhood. Perhaps it closed ... perhaps its on another street. Having no other option, we were on the lookout for anything resembling a decent place to eat ... preferably a place that serves authentic Polish fare.

And we found it ... although from the look of the building it did not look promising (left).

Restauracja Polakowski was its name and the posted menu promised a delicious meal at a very reasonable price.

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 3 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

The signage of the restaurant and the clean, but rather sparse, interior was enticing enough ... and besides that, it was getting late, our feet hurt and our tummies called out for something to eat and drink.

Finding an empty table we waited for the waitress to take our order ... but it did not take long to learn that there is no waitress ... this is a “you order – you pick up – you clean your table – you return your dirty dishes” kind of place. Scanning the menu we picked our entrees ... I ordered at the register ... paid for the meal ... and waited until the entrée was placed near the register for me to pick up and carry it back to our table. No big deal ... because what we ordered was:

Barszcz z uszkami (beetroot soup with tiny dumplings) ...

Kotlet z ziemniaki (pork cutlet with smashed potatoes) ...

Bigos (hunter’s stew) ...

... and of course beer, wine and mineral water.

... finished off with a heaping plateful of nalesnikis (crepes stuffed with cheese topped with sour cream.) Best find of the day ... excellent Polish fare, authentic in preparation and taste.

After finishing our meal ... the walk to Café Alchemia

was slow and labored ... the meal was ’heavy’ (as is so common in Slavic countries). We met up with Iwona, our hostess, purchased the tickets (that were reserved, and priced at 30zl, or $11, each) and proceeded to

the bowels of the café ... and I mean the bowels. The venue was at a low level (basement) ... past other diners and smokers ... behind a curtained entrance ... and extremely small and cramped (left.) The performace was called “Krolowa nocy” (King;s night) and the performer was a fellow named Janusz Radek, accompanied by a three-piece instrumental group. The performance was basically a parody that I could not follow or understand ... it was totally in Polish and my comprehension was minimal at best. Still, the music was interesting and the selections sung were melodious and resounding. Wish I had a clue of what it all meant. The performance lasted until 21:20 ... and we left immediately at its conclusion.

Iwona took a taxi home ... we did the same. It was a quiet and relaxing day ... the supper excellent ... the concert, well, different. Lights out at 22:30.

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 4 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, April 24th ... Ahhhhh ... a day of rest ... doing the laundry ... lying on the upstairs bed just letting the aches and aching feet melt away. We have absolutely no plans for toady. We promised ourselves that this Polish-leg of our long 7-week trip would be less hectic and much slower in tempo. And that’s the way the day progressed. We did however leave the house for a spell. We took the free bus to Tesco shopping mall to do some light shopping ... mostly food items, beer (that’s also food), wine (also in the food group) household items and a couple of “house gifts” for our hosts ... for giving us the full, use of their house for such a long time. Bus #6 stops just a hundred meters from the house ... it is a 25 minute ride to Tesco. We complete our shopping ... take the free bus back and settle in for the evening. Dolores opts to fix a standard meal on any trip ... spaghetti. So that is what we had ... spaghetti, salad, wine (Chianti, purchased early), and some ponchkis (Polish pastry).

Our spaghetti meal ... home made and delicious ...

... main entrée ...

... complemented by a garden-fresh salad and Chanti wine ...

... and ponchkis ... sorry, but not home made, but still tasty.

Neglected to say ... while taking the bus to Tesco we encountered our neighbor Wieslaw on the same bus. The verbal exchange was light and nothing of any significance. We mentioned in passing that today is our “free day” ... no plans ... and we are staying in just relaxing. Big Mistake!

At 17:00 Wieslaw stops by the house inviting us over for supper. We advise him that we just ate and have to beg off the invitation. He leaves understanding the situation. He calls a few minutes later ... inviting us over for “dessert” ... nothing else. We accept.

At 18:00 we stroll on over to Wieslaw’s and Renata’s house (next door) ...

... we are welcomed cordially into their living room ... (noting the setting for a “dessert” evening!)

Only to be told that the “dessert” is a “light supper” ... nothing big, just some kurczak (chicken), ziemniakis (potatoes), and kukurydza z serem (corn with cheese). Did this really surprise us? NO!

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

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© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

Accompanied by some of Krakow’s best vodka ...

... which our hosts enjoyed sharing with us.

Ending with the ‘most necessary’ of entrees ... dessert (home made for sure) and tea.

The Stasikowski hospitality has no bounds ... this is the warmest and the most generous of people one could hope to encounter. One cannot say “no” to any of their invitations. The balance of the evening was spent in spirited conversation ... a mix of half-Polish, half-English. Renata and Wieslaw have spent time in America so their English is quite passable. Wieslaw spent two years in Kenya and regaled us with anecdotes, and photos, of his time there. Both have RV’ed, actually by personal car, all over Europe including the Middle East (Turkey). They slept in their car (mostly), camped out where and when necessary ... weather permitting, and bandits not a problem. His tales of traveling to Russia before the borders were opened up were filled with head-shaking experiences, especially with security people who watched this “foreigner” along his entire route. And they did this when their income was so low that one wondered how it was possible. Well ... bartering was how. Both would buy cheap goods in one place ... and barter, or exchange, them for higher priced goods or services elsewhere ... to repeat the process on each leg of their journey. Wieslaw particularly liked to barter in gold (Turkey) and money. That is how they were able to travel virtually every year ... exploring new cultures and new continents ... at virtually no out-of-pocket costs. However, this (bartering) was not that easy to achieve as border crossing were tenuous with guards and customs and “smuggling” was an accepted “game” but prone to heavy penalties if uncovered. Such were the good times, according to Renata ... when life was poor in cash

but rich in experience. Our memories are many ... our recollections still vivid ... but the times have passed when these things are no longer possible or practical. Pity the younger generation ... they do not have the opportunity to live life on the edge. I agreed. We discussed our plans for this coming Thursday ... visiting an ethnographic park west of Krakow. We left at 21:00 ... tummies bulging again and or heads buzzing a tune from all the Cracovian vodka.

Wednesday, April 25th ... Another no-rush day ... stayed in until mid-day. Plan for today is to visit another museum ... followed by dinner at the Zembala house in Nowa Huta.

We make arrangement to meet Iwona at 13:00 at the entrance to the museum. We take a taxi ... through the heart of Krakow ... to John Paul Avenue and make the effort to locate the museum proper. It is on a side road, off the main road, and market poorly. The taxi driver was a little flustered at not being able to gain entrance but finally, after making a u-turn, managed to do so. We waited at the main gate for Iwona to arrive.

Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego w Krakowie ... Polish Aviation Museum ... a large museum of old aircraft and aircraft engines. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Airport

Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny..

The collection as of 2007 consists of over 100 aircraft, including sailplanes and gliders and some 200 aircraft engines. Several of the aircraft displayed are unique on the

world scale. Some of the exhibits are only in their initial stages. Waiting at the main gate ... entrance fee is only 2 zl. per person.

The museum has three exposition halls and the full outdoor display of static aircraft. We will visit it all.

Not aircraft but field artillery near the exposition hall.

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 6 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

The first exposition hall holds aircraft from period 1909-1920 ... here Dolores and Iwona read an information placard on one of the aircraft:

Among the well-known aircraft displayed is the Sopwith F.1 Camel (1916) ...

Among the open-air static displays are ...

Suchoj SU20 (1972, USSR, fighter)

Mikojan MIG-21F (USSR, 1955, fighter)

WSK TS-11 Iskra bis B (Poland, 1958, two seat trainer)

In another exhibition hall are displays of gliders and more aircraft.

On left is the Cessna UC-78 Bobcat (USA, 1941)

PZL S-4 Kania 3 (Poland, 1958)

TS-9 Junak 3 (Poland, 1946, trainer)

Moving on to the Silnikow (engine) hall, we view all manner of engines ... from piston to ram to jet ...

The one thing that was very noticeable in this hall was the strong stench of oil ... oil that was either leaching from the various engines or oil used as a preservative in coating the engine components.

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Recollections of Poland ... 2007 April 15th – April 28th and May 9th – May 13th

Part 6 ... Page 7 of 7

© 2007 Ed Rozylowicz, All Rights Reserved

Jet engines ...

The museum itself is small by comparison to ones I visited elsewhere, like the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, USA, but there was enough variety to hold my interest, especially the old aircraft and the engines. We spent only 90 minutes here ... posing for one compulsory photo.

Iwona had to leave as she had classes to teach that evening. We ... took a taxi to the Zembala house for our visitation ... stopping to purchase flowers on the way.

The evening was pleasant as we continued our conversations of a few days past. The supper was light, tasty and satisfying.

For memory sake ...

Maria and Francis Zembala with Dolores ... (Maria is Dolores’ first cousin).

BY 20:00 we begged to be excused and left for Kwiatowa. It was another delightful visit ... for we do not know if another visitation or another trip to Poland can be possible. We treasure such moments.

Before we end this narrative ... have to tell you of a funny incident on our way back to Kwiatowa this evening.

We instructed the taxi driver to take Zakopianska Street (near City Center) to Kwiatowa ... as this route is very familiar to us and we can direct the driver with precision to the house. Near the intersection of Zakopianska and Tischnera (just off City Center), as we’re sitting at a stop light, the driver next to us asked the taxi driver how to reach a particular street. The taxi driver told him to go straight on Tischnera and when he reached Zakopianska to keep on going a few blocks, his street would be on the left. The light changed, we drove a hundred meters on Tischnera and turned left on Zakopianska. We drove on for about 3 miles until we made the turn off to our house. We weaved in and out on the side streets until we were a block away from our house when all of a sudden the driver (who asked for directions) pulled alongside us. He misunderstood the instructions given by the taxi driver and simple followed us for 3 miles. The look of surprise on his face was one of shock when the taxi driver told him he made a mistake. Not sure if the other driver was confused, mad or just plain peeved, but he peeled off to find his way back to Tischnera. Moral ... never ask a taxi driver for directions when the driver is in a hurry to deliver passengers ... especially stuck in traffic. A wild end to a pleasant day.