Over the River and through the Woods

Friday, October 5, 2012

We returned to the Warsaw airport to pick up a rental car -- our wheels for the rest of our trip.  Then, it was on the road to Krakow.  En route, we resolved an early conflict between our GPS and our old-school paper map with a look at Google Map’s directions, and we proceeded without a hitch.  The ride took us through forested areas and great expanses of agricultural land; it was pretty but, for the most part, it was two-lane travel.  The flatness of Poland’s terrain predominated, and it was not difficult to understand why invaders throughout history have trampled it as an easy path to conflict and conquest.

We were delighted with our modern apartment, just outside the old town, and soon set off to explore.  A short walk brought us to Krakow’s Market Square, the largest in Europe.  Entering it, we were wowed by the enormous space, and then realized that we were only seeing half of it!  The historic Cloth Hall, of considerable size itself, sits in the middle of the square, preventing the possibility of seeing the entire square from a ground level vantage point.

The Old town is encircled by the Planty, a leafy park.  We strolled along it and climbed Wawel Hill to see the Royal Castle and cathedral grounds.  While Krakow was the historic capital of Poland, Warsaw was reestablished as the capital when Poland became independent  after the first World War This meant that Krakow was spared the enormous destruction of the German war machine.  The citizens of Krakow had no need for the extensive postwar rebuilding and recreation.

Descending the hill, we had a brief look at Kazimierz, the center of Jewish cultural life before the horrors of World War II changed it and its population forever.  The neighborhood is once again home to a Jewish population, historic synagogues are holding services, and restaurants feature kosher food and Klezmer music.

Before we faded completely, we returned to the Old Town and the Market Square, full of shoppers, people watchers (and the people they watch!), flower stalls, churches, musicians (including one with his own grand piano!), locals and tourists.  With a walk through the market stalls in the Cloth Hall and a plan to return tomorrow, we headed “home” for the evening.