where it rains
Somewhat groggy start to the day occasioned by the copious amount of wodka dished out in between courses at dinner last night. Was a very good night out. Many thanks to Elisa Jasinska for organising. Pleased to discover this morning at breakfast that everyone else was also feeling the effects.
Today it is wet and miserable in Krakow. The building site we look out upon from the bedroom window is deserted, it being Sunday, and very wet. I doubt there would be much building going on even had it been a working day. Wonder what they do on wet Sundays hereabouts.
On the advice of the receptionist, Richard has gone to the shopping mall next to the hotel to buy a hat. Assuming it is open. Maybe that’s what people do on wet Sundays. Bet it’ll be packed. Lots of bored looking yooves hanging around.
At 12.30 we are going on a guided tour of the city in large golf buggy type vehicles. Everywhere we went yesterday probably except being sat down and with someone actually telling us what we are looking at. “The building on the right is the church of St Stanislau the pious” etc
The hotel appears to be a lot quieter this morning. It’s been full of very noisy Jewish boys who have been in the habit of knocking loudly on each others’ doors shouting at those inside. They may have moved on. Now the hotel is filling with not quite so noisy Euro-IXers. It will get noisier as the day goes on.
The St Stanislau bit was a pure guess btw. He may have existed but it just sounded right for the purpose of this post. St Stan for short.
Still got a bad cough btw. Makes my voice sound all gravelly. At least it sounds like that to me. I was born under a wandering star.
…
Back from the Sunday afternoon social. A golf cart ride around Krakow. Although it was somewhat of a whistle stop tour viewed through the heavy plastic sides of the cart (not nice weather) you did get a very good feel for the city. It also explained the existence of the Jewish Quarter. When the Jews were expelled from Krakow in the middle ages all they did was go to the next town of Kazimierz which was only a few hundred feet away. Odd that they would establish another town so close. I guess in those days towns were very self contained.
We moseyed along to the Ghetto which was very thought provoking. During WW2 the Jews were moved out of Kazimierz and over the Vistula to the Ghetto where thousands of them were eventually murdered by Nazi firing squads and others carted off to concentration camps.
Also saw Schindler’s factory. Hadn’t seen the film so didn’t know the story of how Schindler saved Jews by “employing” them. Being on his list of employees was a life saver.
Lunch was at 14.30 in a very atmospheric old Polish restaurant called Ogniem i Mieczem. No booze fortunately. I think we had all had too much vodka the night before. Walked back to the hotel in the rain and we are now relaxing in the room.