Katie and Tommy: Around the World

Likely the single best part of the last two weeks has been getting to spend so much time with my family. We joke how long it takes us to get through meals, especially at my grandmothers, because in addition to the enormous heapings of food and seemingly endless number of courses, we end up always spending well over an hour just talking!

On Wednesday, I got to experience just a bit more of this as I traveled to Tarnow, my mother’s hometown, so that I could spend a few hours visiting with my uncle. Katie decided she’d spend the day birding. We were thrilled to discover upon awaking that the temperatures had dropped just enough to turn the morning’s precipitation into snow. During my ride over, I was also a bit surprised at how relatively expensive (16zl) the ticket was to Tarnow, so when no conductor even came around to check it, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of…disappointment.

Though it has been almost four years since I was last there, I was able to retrace my steps and find the apartment without any trouble. I was hoping to meet with my uncle to, amongst many things, interview him about the history of our family and obtain some details regarding the patent of nobility bestowed upon my French great-great-great grandfather at Lviv (now Ukraine, then Polish) by Napoleon during his siege on Moscow. When my grandfather had to escape Lviv from the oncoming Red Army, he left all of the pertinent documents relating to his great grandfather’s knighthood in the attic. As he learned several months later when he returned, the documents were destroyed by the soldiers in accordance with the Marxist belief that anything which resulted in class difference was unhealthy for society. (My grandfather was amused, however, to see numerous dug-up holes in the yard that the Soviets had left when they were looking for the family’s material values. My grandfather had the insight, however, to not only bury them vertically, but horizontally as well. So, drop as many holes as they wanted, they never did find the gold that he hid because it was left under the house’s foundation.)

After I had sufficiently dried my poor uncle’s throat and taken enough pictures of relevant ancestral portraits we went to the cathedral for daily mass and afterwards got a small lunch. My uncle pointed out to me how so many banks comprised the total number of shops on Tarnow’s main street. Truly, it seemed as though every third store was in fact a bank. He told me that these banks had a reputation for being predatory loaners, posting a profit after having smugly convinced someone (often elderly) to agree to a high-interest loan. Once we had parted and I had boarded my return train I felt as though I simply closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was pulling into the Krakow train station.

Katie and I had a rather large lunch with grandma and just spent the afternoon hanging out in the apartment before going to Margaret and Peter’s to visit and go for some Chinese food (we didn’t eat much!). It is worth mentioning that Gosia and Peter are quite experienced mountaineers. They have climbed Mt. Blanc and Mt. Elbrus and have plans to climb Lenin’s Peak in Tajikstan in the near future. They had wanted to take us on a day of hiking in the Tatras. When I told them that I had never been to Morskie Oko (The Eye of the Sea), we decided to spend Thursday hiking there in the National Park. I must say, in many ways the scenery was more spectacular than that of Switzerland’s. Since it is a national park, it is protected from the encroachments of civilization. I will let the pictures do most of the talking. Since we arrived late that night and since we had a few things to take care on the internet, Gosia let us sleep the night off in their living room.

During breakfast we watched slideshows of some of their most recent climbs, as well as their wedding. We arrived back at my grandma’s for lunch and afterwards, went out for some coffee at the nearby mall to celebrate my birthday. At one point, she asked me what time it was and I explained to her that I lost my watch in Switzerland. She promptly replied that she had a present she’d be willing to give me if I accepted– my grandfather’s old watch. Though the leather strap should probably be replaced to avoid another loss, it is exciting to be wearing it, even though it is barely even humidity proof and must be wound up every 24 hours.

In addition to getting me a haircut, the night time was also spent out on a final walk around the Rynek as well as stops to two of our most cherished Krakowian establishments– the E. Wedel drinking chocolate cafe and the “kielbasa van,” a small streetside establishment consisting of two men grilling kielbasa for 7zl, near the flea market.

Saturday morning was spent on a rather poor tour of Collegium Maius (“Please, let’s walk quickly through this gallery filled with fascinating, antique scientific instruments and let me instead leave you in this dull room for 15 minutes as I bore with you with trivial details regarding the University’s faculty senate meetings.”). More of the day was spent at my Aunt and Uncle’s apartment as we chatted and ate cake. We had noticed that a number of flower stands had appeared the previous day but we were unsure of their significance, other than they all seemed to be selling tulips. At this small party we learned as Peter brought enough tulips for all the females, as March 8th is traditionally known as “Women’s day.” Katie brought the tulip back and gave it to my grandmother who accepted it, laughing and asking us if we had bought it or acquired it from someone. Once we had explained the circumstances she laughed once more saying that it was a holiday made up by the Communists and she was glad we hadn’t supported it by spending any money! After we said our good bye’s, we walked down the four flights of stairs one final time and caught a taxi to the train station where we boarded our night train to Budapest.

I was sad to be leaving. It was wonderful getting to spend time with Margaret, Adam, and all of my other family members. It was about time we got back into our traveling routine though, so in some ways, we were ready to move on and see the rest of the world!

Pictures added to Krakow album

Of all the places we are going on this trip, I have been looking forward to visiting Poland the most. Partially of course, this is because it is Tommy’s home country and I was excited to see where he grew up and meet his family. But it’s also because of everything I have learned about it since meeting him. I don’t think Poland is a place most Americans know a thing about, and I’ve been happy to learn that it is a fascinating place.

For one thing, I think it is safe to say that Krakow is hands-down the most magical city we have visited thus far. Our first day here, Tommy acquainted me with the many local stories and legends: how one of the brothers who built the towers of St. Mary’s church killed the other, and the knife is hanging up in the Cloth Hall; how a brave chef (or was it a shepherd?) slew the dragon of Wawel Castle by feeding him spicy food and causing him to drink until he burst; how the hourly hejnol commemorates the sacrifice of a brave trumpeter who warned the city of an invasion and was shot with an arrow; and how one of the queens of Poland threw her engagement ring into the earth and where it fell, the immense Wieliczka salt mine was found.

Perhaps I also love Krakow because I am with someone who knows these legends and speaks the language. I’m trying to learn myself; I walk around clasping my “Teach Yourself Polish” book and trying to make sense of signs and conversations. It isn’t the easiest language, but I’ve just about mastered introducing myself and asking how to find the nearest bank. Also, staying with Tommy’s grandmother is like being home; we might never want to leave the comfortable beds and home-cooked meals. Polish food is also a treat; I can’t get enough of the cabbage and mushroom stuffed pierogi. There is also some fun street food, like toasted bread covered in spicy mushrooms and cheese called zapiekanki, and rings of dough called pretzelki which are apparently descended from the ancestral bagel, which originated in Poland.

I could go on with some more fun Polish trivia, but for now I’d better get to our activities over the past few days. Last Thursday morning, we went with Tommy’s grandmother to clean up his grandfather’s grave. I was touched and pleased by what I saw at the graveyard; every single tomb was covered in candles and flowers placed there by family members. Apparently visiting the gravesites is a much more regular activity here than it is in the States, and All Saints Day is a particularly important holiday on which this is done. There were many other people visiting the cemetery at the same time as us, and outside there were vendors selling artificial flowers and fresh candles. We cleaned up the tomb and bought some new ones to decorate it with. After we finished, we went to Tommy’s cousin’s apartment and had a big family dinner that evening.

Friday we visited the Wieliczka Salt Mine I mentioned earlier. This immense underground mine is now only minimally active, and has become a popular tourist destination. Deep under the earth, miners created statues and chapels, all made out of salt. It is pretty spectacular to see.

Saturday we visited the Czartoryski Museum, which has a very nice collection of art and artifacts, including Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine, its most famous piece. There was also a very nice section of ancient Greek and Egyptian artifacts. We went from there to a big supermarket with Tommy’s cousin Margaret, to buy some ingredients to cook dinner for Tommy’s family. We left the store with several bags of food, but we were a little nervous. Some things aren’t quite the same as in the States, and we must have spent several long minutes in the dairy aisle trying to figure out what the Polish equivalents of heavy whipping cream and cream cheese were.

That evening, we attended a soccer match in town, Wisla Krakow verses Widzew Lodz. Apparently football in Poland can get a little violent, as was evidenced by the police squads decked out in helmets and shields as we entered the stadium. For this reason, apparently the officials even have lists of fans on visiting teams who they will not allow into the stadium. This turned out to be a problem on Saturday night. I’m not quite clear on what happened, but apparently enough of these people showed up that the officials decided not to let any of the visiting fans in at all. When the Wisla fans found out, they decided to boycott the game and most left during the second half. I kind of thought that was actually good sportsmanship on their part. While they were still in the stadium, the Wisla fans probably could have out-cheered even the LSU student section. It was fun. We finished the night by having pizza with Tommy’s cousins.

Sunday morning we went to a weekly flea market near the apartment. The vendors sold a wide assortment of things we would never want or need, but Tommy did find the one item he was searching for, a Solidarnosc pin from the 80’s. After lunch with Tommy’s grandmother, we headed over to Margaret’s to cook our big meal. It took the entire afternoon, and was a bit more challenging than we anticipated. Converting from ounces and cups to the metric system meant that everything was destined to be a little too soupy or a little too thick. Several of our ingredients were not quite what we thought they were, although they were luckily close enough that the food still tasted fine. I think the family enjoyed it. Everyone was especially amused by Tommy’s Polish translation of the name of our Mississippi Mud Pie dessert.

The next day we had a sobering morning in Oswiecim, or as the Germans called it, Auschwitz. I knew it wasn’t going to be a happy visit, but I thought it was important to go there. There is a certain sense of those terrible events that can only be attained by standing there, where they actually happened. There were actually three camps at Auschwitz: the original camp, an industrial work camp, and the death camp. The latter two were mostly destroyed by the Nazis at the end of the war to try and conceal some of the evidence, but the main administrative camp is preserved almost untouched. This is the one that was there the longest; the horrendous extermination camp with the large gas chambers was built later. Still, it was the sight of many unbearable atrocities. The buildings which held prisoners have been converted into a series of museums, some preserving the camp conditions as they were, others gutted and filled with stark displays of photographs, brief descriptions, and many German documents which offer chilling proof of the events that occured. As I said, a sobering visit.

Yesterday we spent the morning in a much more comforting locale, the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Lagiewniki with Tommy’s grandmother. The Divine Mercy painting on display here is probably familiar to many Catholics. Near the small convent and chapel, an immense modern church has been built. The inside is huge and starkly white, and there is an observation tower from which there is a nice view of Krakow.

From there, Tommy and I took a tram to Wawel Castle, where we toured the armory, cathedral, and crypts. The armory had some nice displays of weapons and treasure, and the cathedral was packed full of the elaborate tombs of kings and saints. We climbed the belltower to see the huge Sigismund Bell. That evening, we went out for sushi in Kazimierz.

The last few days have been a wonderful rest from our constant traveling, and I’m sorry we’re leaving Krakow so soon.

What a fantastic past few days it has been! So much so that we nearly forgot about the blog!

Arriving in Krakow on Monday morning was fascinating because so much has changed since my last visit. The area around the main train station looks almost entirely different than it did 2.5 years ago, when I was last here. Another amusing thing has been my family’s reactions to my arrival and time in Poland. Many relatives have been terribly concerned if I’m going to “find my way around,” whether it be walking from the train station to my grandmas or doing a day trip to Czestochowa– we made it just through Africa and now in a country where I not only speak the language but have also been to several times people are so concerned! It has been a bit amusing!

Nevertheless, as it was so early in the morning when we arrived and we had our packs, we ended up just taking a taxi to my grandma’s apartment, 2 miles away, so that we could save our energy for exploring later that afternoon. I’ve threatened my grandmother repeatedly over the past few days that she is risking us staying with her in Krakow for the next 4 months because she is spoiling us so badly! Between the heaping amounts of food on the table at every meal, her adamant refusals to help her clean the dishes (“the dishes might fall off the counter if you try helping me!”), and the wonderfully soft down comforters and pillows which she lays out for us at night, we are completly recharging our batteries for the next 4 or so months of travel.

After our enourmous breakfast, we headed out to the Rynek in the center of Krakow’s Stare Miasto. Everytime I arrive in Krakow, I always walk to the Rynek in the same way as ancient traders did in the Medieval Ages, by the Barbican fortification and through the Florian Gate. One thing Katie has enjoyed about Krakow has been all of the city’s legends. When we entered the Rynek, I pointed out to her the dual towers of St. Mary’s Basilica by telling her the story of the two brothers who were competing to see who would build the higher tower, only to have the brother with the shorter tower to murder his sibling with a knife. In fact by one of the Sukiennice, (Cloth Hall) entrances, one can see the knife that was used in the murder plot! (not real) And of course, Katie got to hear the Hejnal mariacki, played every hour from the top of St. Mary’s to commemorate how a brave trumpeter warned the city of an impending Mongol attack in the 13th century.

I had arranged to meet my parents at 1:00 PM over Skype, so before we dropped in to an internet cafe we through we’d go checkout Wawel Castle. On the way, however, we went to the US Consulate to get Katie some more visa pages for her passport, as she is quickly running out. It was a much more pleasant experience in comparison to Cairo. There were no lines or “please take a number.” We simply walked up a window and the gentleman working behind the desk just told us to come back in an hour or so! Katie spent that much time just getting through security and sitting in waiting rooms at the Cairo embassy!

That afternoon, Adam and his wife Marta picked us up from my grandmother’s and we went over to Kosciuszki’s Kopiec to get some nice sunset views of Krakow. Though I had been up there many times before, I hadn’t before noticed that directly in line with the Wawel Castle, about 15 miles away, were enourmous (and ugly) coal plants. Adam told me that the Communists placed them there on purpose so that whenever Krakowians looked out from the Kopiec they would be reminded of the “glory of Communism.” We spent the evening eating pierogi and reminicing with my cousin Adam at his apartment.

On Tuesday, we spent the morning hours in a cafe, Katie studying her Polish and I reading my book. Since we had been mildly disappointed by the marching figurines at the astronomical clock in Prague, I took Katie over to the Collegium Maius where we got to see their clock, which we thought was far better. We visited the Bishop’s residence, where Karol Wojtyla lived before he became Pope John Paul II. There was a display of pictures of him in the courtyard, as well as a statue.

After a sunset stroll past Wawel Castle, we caught a bus to Adam’s apartment. I have been very surprised by how expensive Poland has become. Part of it is due to the weak dollar but part of it may be due, I wonder, due to inflation (a one-way bus ticket now costs about $1.10, a price expensive even by US standards). Adam took us in his car to Nowa Huta (literally, New Steel Mill) which was a planned city built in the Cold War to be a model of a utopian, Communist town. One thing that was missing from the plans was a church. Despite innumerable complaints and protests from the locals (including a famous outdoor mass held by then Bishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla, on Christmas Eve that was almost interrupted by army soldiers that surrounded him and the congregation). In the mid 70s however, a church, that would be known as Arka Pana (The Lord’s Ark) would indeed be built.

It is by any account a truly remarkable church. Every detail of its design was intended to snub the Communists. The entire building is built around a theme of suffering and redemption. The exterior of the church was built as a model of Noah’s Ark. During our visit, we encountered a nun who upon learning we were visiting from the US, insisted on taking us around the Church and explaining its many intricacies to us. An enourmous statue of Christ fills the center of it. It was created from a small clay crucifix that was made by a Catholic interred at Auschwitz. The Tabernacle, shaped like a moon, has supposidly a moon rock that was donated by the US government. The chapel downstairs contains a stone from St. Peter’s Basilica, a gift from then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla. Another chapel contains a statue of Mary built from shrapnel from the Battle at Monte Cassino. Adam dropped us off that night near the Rynek and we got steamy cups of drinking chocolate before walking back to my grandmothers.

Since it was supposed to be raining on Wednesday in Krakow, we decided to spend the day at Czestochowa at the monastary of Jasna Gora. This is the home of the painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa, and is considered one of the holiest shrines in Europe. There are several legends and traditions associated with the painting, as you can read in these links. The new museum there housed historical treasure and gifts left there throughout the ages, as well as many things donated by Solidarity members, including Lech Walesa’s Nobel Peace Prize. John F. Kennedy donated a ring that can be seen in the treasury. We ended up spending more time there than we had originally planned, praying and visiting their museums. We returned back to Krakow around 9:00 PM.

We will write about the last couple of days soon, including our visit to the Wielicza Salt Mine, but check out our pictures.

Photos from Krakow

And some videos we have uploaded:

Car Trouble on Safari

Elephant Encounter on Safari

Birquash Camel Market