On the move, on the move.
So my last day in Krakow was also spent taking advantage of the free museum days. Started with the Oscar Schindler factory, which ironically had almost nothing to do with the man himself, but rather the history of Krakow under Nazi occupation. It was spectacular (even if I had to pay). Really modern, detailed, interactive displays with bits of historical information and personal anecdotes mixed together.
Then later in the afternoon came the "Rynek Underground" museum, which is located under the main town square and displayed the layers of Krakow history - literally. You could see the original wooden beams and cobble stones from the founding of the city as well as the original stalls of the marketplace. The most interesting thing was a series of documentary clips, 5 in total, that explained the periods of Krakow from antiquity to its joining of the EU. And between these two museums, I stopped for a portion of pierogies filled with sweet cheese and topped with melted butter and cinnamon...
The next day I took a midday train to Warsaw that was completely not air conditioned, so I arrived all shiny and stinky to my host who was waiting for me on the train platform. Agnes, my host in Warsaw, was probably one of the sweetest people I've ever met :) She's a 25 year old studying both ethnology and finance at two separate universities and decided to take me home to meet the parents, haha. She had to go home to Lublin for some business and kindly invited me to tag along. I never give up an opportunity to experience some authentic family life and jumped at the opportunity. As soon as I met her parents, it was evident where she got her sweetness. They don't speak a lick of English but made me feel so welcome and we were able to communicate with Agnes' help and miming. So we walked around her hometown and also a small town called Kasimierz and ate some local food and drank Turkish coffee. Then the next day evening, we came back to Warsaw and hung out with her friends at a local pub.
I finally got to explore Warsaw on my third day. For a city that was basically destroyed,obliterated, demolished, leveled...whatever word you use, it has really triumphed and rebuilt itself beautifully. The "old town" was rebuilt after the war and granted UNESCO status in 1980. It was fun walking around the city because everything is well labeled and there are plaques scattered everywhere explaining important dates and locations. If Pope John Paul II is the rock star of Krakow, then Frederick Chopin is the rock star of Warsaw. It was cool visiting the church where he used the play the organ as a kid.
Last night I took an overnight bus from Warsaw to Vilnius - 8pm to 6am. Today I spent the day with a local university student called Dovile and will spend the night at her dormitory. It's really basic conditions but I love these glimpses into foreign university life. Vilnius so far is really beautiful - so clean and well laid out with no distinct center. Tomorrow I'll change a host and blog more about the city :)
So my last day in Krakow was also spent taking advantage of the free museum days. Started with the Oscar Schindler factory, which ironically had almost nothing to do with the man himself, but rather the history of Krakow under Nazi occupation. It was spectacular (even if I had to pay). Really modern, detailed, interactive displays with bits of historical information and personal anecdotes mixed together.
Then later in the afternoon came the "Rynek Underground" museum, which is located under the main town square and displayed the layers of Krakow history - literally. You could see the original wooden beams and cobble stones from the founding of the city as well as the original stalls of the marketplace. The most interesting thing was a series of documentary clips, 5 in total, that explained the periods of Krakow from antiquity to its joining of the EU. And between these two museums, I stopped for a portion of pierogies filled with sweet cheese and topped with melted butter and cinnamon...
The next day I took a midday train to Warsaw that was completely not air conditioned, so I arrived all shiny and stinky to my host who was waiting for me on the train platform. Agnes, my host in Warsaw, was probably one of the sweetest people I've ever met :) She's a 25 year old studying both ethnology and finance at two separate universities and decided to take me home to meet the parents, haha. She had to go home to Lublin for some business and kindly invited me to tag along. I never give up an opportunity to experience some authentic family life and jumped at the opportunity. As soon as I met her parents, it was evident where she got her sweetness. They don't speak a lick of English but made me feel so welcome and we were able to communicate with Agnes' help and miming. So we walked around her hometown and also a small town called Kasimierz and ate some local food and drank Turkish coffee. Then the next day evening, we came back to Warsaw and hung out with her friends at a local pub.
I finally got to explore Warsaw on my third day. For a city that was basically destroyed,obliterated, demolished, leveled...whatever word you use, it has really triumphed and rebuilt itself beautifully. The "old town" was rebuilt after the war and granted UNESCO status in 1980. It was fun walking around the city because everything is well labeled and there are plaques scattered everywhere explaining important dates and locations. If Pope John Paul II is the rock star of Krakow, then Frederick Chopin is the rock star of Warsaw. It was cool visiting the church where he used the play the organ as a kid.
Last night I took an overnight bus from Warsaw to Vilnius - 8pm to 6am. Today I spent the day with a local university student called Dovile and will spend the night at her dormitory. It's really basic conditions but I love these glimpses into foreign university life. Vilnius so far is really beautiful - so clean and well laid out with no distinct center. Tomorrow I'll change a host and blog more about the city :)
It is really nice and comforting to know that you have met so many kind hearted individuals that willing to help others on your trip. The world is really a better place in many senses.WL
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