Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica, Zywiec Brewery, Mt. Zar

Heading to the bottom of Mt. Zar in funicular

View from Mt. Zar

Nave of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica

One of basilica chapel's domes decorated in folk style

Model of Zywiec Brewery

This morning we met Wlad as planned and were off through the outskirts of Krakow and into the countryside.  First stop was Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Basilica, visited by Pope John Paul II on his Poland tour. It is a pilgrimage site for Polish Catholics, and is beautifully decorated inside.  Then it was on to a funicular ride to the top of Mt. Zar, in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains.  Last but not least was a visit to the Zywiec (pronounced Jiviets, more or less) Brewery where we heard (in Polish) how beer is made there before sampling some, and being given some very handsome Zywiec glasses to take home.

Krakow & Weiliczka Salt Mine

Window box, autumn in Krakow

The Weilizcka Salt Mines are very old, and everything below ground is made of salt, except for the wooden support network which holds things together safely.  It covers a huge area, and we saw only a small part of it on our 2+ hour tour.

Salt chandelier, Weiliczka Mine

Support beams, salt mine

Salt mine chapel with salt chandeliers

Last Supper, carved in salt.

More Krakow

After visiting the Weiliczka Salt Mines in the afternoon (see next post), Wlad took us on a quick tour to Kazimierz, the old Jewish section of Krakow.  Made famous in the movie Schindler's List, Kazimierz is a quaint area that is currently being restored and is becoming a trendy section of town.  We were able to get into a couple of old restaurants there, thanks to Wlad's knowledge.

Ariel Restaurant from "Schindler's List" movie, Kazimierz.

Wyspiansky window, Franciscan Church, Krakow

Window near altar, Franciscan Church

Wyspiansky window, City Hall gallery, Krakow

Wawel Cathedral, Krakow

Restaurant, Kazimierz district, Krakow

Sept. 20, Krakow Old Town

A rainy day today, but we met our local guide, Margaret, who took us to Krakow University, where Copernicus studied, and which dates to the 14th  century.  We especially wanted to visit the Franciscan Church near Wawel Castle where we saw the spectacular windows designed by Stanislaw Wyspiansky in the early 20th century....controversial at the time, and in Art Nouveau style.  More photos of his work appear in the next post.  Wawel Hill, site of the castle and Krakow Cathedral, sits on a prominent hill and overlooks the central city.  We only visited the courtyard, which reminded us of some we had seen in Italy last May.  We returned to the central square in the old town and saw the daily opening of the altar sculpture, covered in gold leaf in St. Mary's Church, then heard the trumpeter play the patriotic tune of the Heynal again at noon.

Wlad will be our guide and driver for the next 8 days. He is enthusiastic, funny, and knowledgable. We are so comfortable here in Krakow - friendly people, lots of English spoken, interesting sights. Too bad we planned for only one day!

Courtyard at Krakow University

Old Town Krakow on a rainy day

Wawel Castle Courtyard, designed by Italian architect

St. Mary's Church in Rynek (main square) Krakow

Stained glass window, S. Wyspiansky, Franciscan Church, Krakow

Sept 19 photos

Beet soup with dumplings

Flower shop near hotel

Sukiennice (Cloth Hall) in Krakow Old Town

Shop inside Cloth Hall

The Trumpeter of Krakow

Arrived pretty well on time despite leaving Toronto over two hours late. Our taxi was waiting for us, and we had a good chat with the young fellow driving. Our hotel is excellent.....clean as a whistle and wonderful staff at the desk. This is a lovely old city that feels very authentic, not all duded up for tourists, though there are lots of travelers here. Delicious dinner of a variety of Polish dishes in a small restaurant near the hotel, then to bed for a well-deserved sleep. We did hear the trumpeter playing on the hour of the big church in the square,

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17 September, 2012
Monday

We are ready! All packed with suitcases zipped, backpacks stuffed, passports and e-tickets accessible. We'll stay with friends on the mainland tonight and thay'll drive us to the airport in Saint John in the morning. Another adventure that's been on Bryant's bucket list for a while. Our itinerary includes Krakow, the Carpathians, then easterly and north to Warsaw; nine days in Poland. Then we'll fly to Minsk, Belarus, and travel there for five days, including a couple of nights at a farmstead near Pinsk in the southwest. We fly back to Warsaw and home October 5 to Saint John, getting back to the island the 6th. Hope to blog as often as we can.



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