September 29, 2013

#114 Wawl Hill

Wawel Hill

Situated on a rocky hill above the Vistula River is the Royal Palace and Cathedral of Krakow.  It was the home of the home of the Polish Royals for more than 500 years (until the end of the 16th century when Warsaw became the capital).  


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The cathedral was built in 1364 and was the seat formerly held by Archbishop Karol Wojtyla from 1963 until 1978 when he was elected as Pope John Paul II
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For centuries Polish kings were crowned and buried here, as well as the nations heroes and martyrs.
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Chapel of Blessed John Paul II

The Sigismund Bell is the largest of the bells in the cathedral tower and was cast in 1520.  The bell weighs 13 tons and required 12 bell-ringers to swing it.
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The staircase was truly terrifying.
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But the view was amazing.
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Unlike Warsaw, Krakow was spared during WWII (the Nazis used it as their local headquarters) and contains the largest collection of tapestries of their kind in Europe.
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Dragon's Den
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The Dragon's Den is a legendary cave in the western slope of Wawel Hill. The oldest legend of the dragon appears around the turn of the 13th century.  There was a ferocious and dreadful monster who lived in the cave and demanded cattle each week for his appetite.  If the cattle were withheld the beast would kill the same number of people. King Cracus secretly called his sons to him and told them of a plan to rid themselves of the monster.  The boys agreed to do as their father asked, and instead of cattle they place cow hides filled with ignited sulphur in the cave.  When the beast ate he was destroyed by an internal fire. 

Immediately after the monster's death the younger brother attacked and killed his older brother, ensuring that he would assume the kingdom from their father.  He told the father that the beast had killed his brother - the father happily accepted this lie.  Soon after the son assumed the crown his crime became known and he was forced into exile - banished forever. The great city that rose up on the rock known by the name of his father instead of him.

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The area surrounding the castle is very touristic.  You can buy stuffed dragons, dragon puppets, and other trinkets.  And of course, every once in awhile you see someone dressed up like a pint offering free pivo (beer)!
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I didn't have the free beer, but I did stop and have a waffle with nutella, delicacies and whipped cream.
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"What are delicacies,"  you may ask.  Apparently in this case they were raisins.
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September 27, 2013

#113 Rynek Glowny

Rynek Glowny

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It's the largest and most authentic medieval market place in Europe - it was established in 1257 and is dominated by the "cloth hall" built in the 14th century.


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St. Mary's stands in the corner where each hour a trumpeteer sounds a clear, broken-off solo, legend has it that the original trumpeteer was shot through the throat by an arrow and that is why it still comes to an abrupt finish.
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Also on the square is Wierzynek, opened in 1364, it may be the oldest operating restaurant in Europe.  
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Y'all that strudel was so good!

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This was a bit too heavy on the lime and too light on the mint for me.

The reality is this square is ringed with cafes, restaurants, shops and some of the best people-watching ever.  I went there every single day while I was in Poland; I would choose a restaurant and just watch the world float by.  It was spectacular.

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Except for the last day when I sold out and ate at the Hard Rock...at least I sat outside.

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So what do you do for a living?  Oh, you know, I dress up as death and stand outside a church.

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The pigeons there are crazy.  They know immediately when someone has food and they all converge!

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You can take a carriage ride.  I don't know if they use small pox blankets. Those might be exclusively reserved for use in the carriages around Temple Square.

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You can listen to this guy play an awesome rendition of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor on the accordion.

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Or listen to this girl play haunting songs on her violin.

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You can speculate about the guy in the lime green polka dots.

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Marvel at this guy and his tiny bike.

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When this lady yells at you, "NO PHOTO" - you take a stealthy one and post it on the internet.  On the intimidation scale she fell above the Pig Lady at Pike's Place, and below the Amish guy and his cow

And on a rainy day in Poland you can eat delicious soup and drink coconut hot chocolate. 
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