Krakow/Warsaw/Vilnius - Days 154-158

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 :)

Krakow - Days 152-153

I'm melting in Krakow. The first morning when I stepped off the train was perfect...even a little nippy, but it turned into a sweltering inferno in a matter of hours. It's nothing compared to Florida summer, but enough to zap your energy, especially when you're outside for most of the day.

Yesterday, I took a day trip to one of the most tragic and depressing places in the world - Auschwitz/Birkenau. The largest mass extermination site in Poland is only about an hour and half bus ride from Krakow. There are actually three camps with more than 40 subcamps but only Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau are open to the public and there is a shuttle bus that connects the two. I had visited Dachau concentration camp before in Germany and Auschwitz II was very similar. The structures are very basic with one story brick and later wooden barn style buildings. It's hard to imagine the suffering these people went through, and sometimes it's easier to not imagine at all. The wooden barracks were designed to hold 52 horses and the Nazis crammed about 400 people in there - barely protected from the elements with minimal rations and awful sanitary conditions. Auschwitz is a living museum and memorial so things are left untouched, including the destroyed gas chambers. The Nazis toward the end of the war tried to destroy any evidence of the brutality at Auschwitz and blew up the gas chambers. Today there are just two piles of collapsed concrete. In that way, I have to say that Dachau was more chilling because visitors could actually walk through the intact gas chambers disguised as showers.

Auschwitz I was completely different from what I expected. If not for the history, it would be a nice little community - something like a small boarding school. The brick buildings are three stories high and lined up in grids. The barracks have been converted to exhibitions and each one features a different theme; ranging from extermination and prison life to different Jewish populations who were also deported to Auschwitz. Anyway, after 5 hours, I had had enough and headed back. The night ended on a semi happier note with some football (soccer) watching in a local bar with my host and her friends, but unfortunately Poland lost so everyone went home defeated.

Today is Sunday, which means some museums around the city are free, and Sara and I took advantage. We started off with the Ethnology museum and then I went solo to the History of Photography museum. I love days when the only things I have to pay for are food :)

Bratislava/Krakow - Days 150-151

I finally made it out into Bratislava city center on my third day, but it started with me riding the tram in the opposite direction for a few stops before realizing I was going the wrong way...

Bratislava is gorgeous and despite being only an hour from Vienna, it has a completely different feel. The city is much smaller in comparison and shares more similarities to some of the Balkan capitals with its castle and fortress and central square. At this point in my trip, I'm a little "museumed out" and opted to just walk around and take in the city with some people-watching. Like any historical city center, there are a couple of main pedestrian thoroughfares lined with cafes and I could happily sit for several hours just watching life unfold with a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I still haven't mastered the art of making one espresso last for 30 minutes.

Since Roman was out of town for a conference, I was left alone in his apartment with his entire movie/tv collection, and foolishly decided to start "Californication." Long story short, I polished off the entire season 1 and two episodes of season 2... before having to catch my overnight train to Krakow. He kindly offered to burn the rest onto DVDs for me, but there's no guarantee I won't hole up somewhere and have a marathon instead of exploring whichever city I'm in.

The overnight train from Bratislava to Krakow was the nicest cabin I've ever been in, and at $80, it very well should be. In comparison, my 20+ hour train from Istanbul to Bucharest only cost $50. But this one had only three beds and once again I was the only person. The train left around 11pm and arrived just before 7 am; just early enough for me to find my host's place and drop off my stuff before heading out again. So I've had a 15 hour day on about 4 hours of sleep my first day in Krakow. 

But what a great day it was :) Throughout my trip, I've heard several people say how much they love Krakow and how it's some people's favorite city. Now that I've seen it for myself, I totally understand - it just oozes charm and history without any pretension. The architecture, the people, the food, everything.

I spent the morning walking around on my own wandering around the city center and then met up with my host Sara for lunch at a little vegetarian bar. Food here is delicious and affordable - my favorite combination. Sara recommended a free walking tour of the Jewish quarter and ghetto that lasted three hours! And for any film buffs out there, it also included Oscar Schindler sights, both historical and from the film. Apparently there is some controversy surrounding Schindler and he wasn't necessarily the hero the film made him out to be. Historians concluded that Schindler himself did not draft the list and that some people paid anywhere from $50 to $500 to have their names added. Plus, there were also personal benefits to Schindler, such as no longer having to pay for escorts for his Jewish workers. Despite everything, there is no denying that his signature on that list saved the lives of 1100 people. Another interesting fact: Roman Polanski was a child and Krakow resident during the German occupation and liquidation of the Jewish Ghetto. Unfortunately, his mother was killed at Auschwitz but his father survived another labor camp. Rumor has it, Polanski was asked to direct "Schindler's List" but he wasn't ready to touch the subject matter. However, years later, he did manage to make "The Pianist" which was set amidst the liquidation of the Krakow Jewish ghetto.