Day 13: Krakow, Poland. Today we visited the Jewish quarter, starting at Plac Nowy, basically an open-air flea market with food stalls. Here I was introduced to what is apparently the best zapiekanki (Polish flatbread kinda like pizza, but better) around – amazingly good stuff! We also visited a synagogue which had been turned into a very good museum. By this time my ankle was really acting up, so I took it easy and had a coffee in a cafe while the others carried on to some more Jewish history sites. Later I rejoined the others and spent some time at the Christmas market and wandering the Old Town. We had supper in a local “milk bar,” a carry-over from Communist days – basically a place to get really cheap, filling food, and lots of it. Tomorrow we’re day-tripping to Zakopane, a mountain village in the Tatras Mtns.
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| Entering the Jewish quarter |
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| Jewish quarter |
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| Some of the buildings in the Jewish quarter are abandoned and run down |
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| The morning market at Plac Nowy |
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| The morning market at Plac Nowy |
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| The morning market at Plac Nowy |
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| Jewish synagogue museum |
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| Jewish cemetery |
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| Jewish cemetery |
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| Jewish quarter |
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| Jewish quarter |
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| Jewish quarter |
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| Old medieval gates to the city |
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| It was pretty surreal to hear a local guy crooning cowboy songs (complete with a country twang) in a heavy Polish accent near the old city gates. |
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| Part of the old medieval city wall |
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| Juliusza Slowakiego Theater |
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| The dragon Smok Wawelski, the namesake of Wawel Castle |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market: stand selling pottery from Poland’s southwest region |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market – food vendor |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market – it’s worth visiting for the food alone |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market |
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| Krakow’s Christmas market / Rynek Glowny square |
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| Bazilika Mariacka (St. Mary’s Basilica) |
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| Bazilika Mariacka (St. Mary’s Basilica). Every hour, a trumpeter plays the famous “Heynal” song out of the top windows |
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| Rynek Glowny square |
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| Locals enjoying cafes on the edges of Rynek Glowny square |
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| One of many cheap-but-delicious restaurants where you pay for your food by weight. Love that translation! |
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| Florianska Street decked out for Christmas |
