Friday, July 16, 2010

Kraków Friday Afternoon


Jason Johnson read the Auschwitz-Birkenau blog and, having nothing else to do between 3:12 p.m. and 3:17 p.m., put together a very funny 3 minute 39 second video about our time together in Sicily in 2008, which he calls "Sicilian Livin' 2008," to cheer us up.

Jason is just so incredibly creative and gifted. It did the trick!

If you are interested in seeing this clip, click on:

After the sobering experience at Auschwitz-Birkenau in the morning, we needed to try and get ourselves back on the vacation mode mentality despite the lingering thoughts and the continued, severe heat.

A good meal sounded like the right start for our comeback.


Bar Mleczny

A Polish government subsidized "Milk Bar," they offered us traditional specialties at very good prices.



Great looking Lithuanian soup

This cold soup looked really good until I realized that there was a hard boiled egg floating in each bowl.

"Here's looking at you, kid!"


"Two bowls of borscht, please."

While Laurie went with the side salad surprises, I went with the meat pierogi.

We found walking the streets of Kraków to be an awesome assault on your sense of smell. The blessed aromas of onions cooking mixed in with whatever dishes were being made were second only to Italy!

A distant second.


The Jewish Quarter

It is hard for me to believe that less than 100 Jews still live in Kraków given the size of the old Jewish Quarter in the Kraków's Kazimierz section.

Since our hotel was in Kazimierz, we decided to explore the area in the late afternoon.


Antique Sewing Machine

Outdoor Café Tables

Now that's a first.


Near the Old Synagogue

In the background, people are still enjoying life as they run through one the Kraków Fire Department's "Hose Off the Heat" campaign stations.


Jewish restaurants still dot the Kazimierz


The Wall of the Old Jewish Cemetary


Brian FitzGerald and Michael Contreras'
favorite Kazimierz pub


Love on the Old Synogogue's steps

What is that figure lurking in the background?


I had to go through the K.F.D.'s spray

It was my civic duty to support these brave men!


The view from our eating spot in Kazimierz


Click on this photo to enlarge it

That red and black message machine in the background says that the temperature was 36.5˚C at 6:30 p.m.

That's 97.7˚F!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And humid.


Poland's National Beer


I wonder how many times
Paul Petrich
has stayed at this hostel?


"I'll meet you at the corner of . . ."


One Hot and Tired Flower Seller


Laurie roaming the streets
looking for a bargain

Again.


I love medieval pageantry


Your shoes and plastic shopping bag
should ALWAYS match


Reflections


"Come on guys, the chicks are this way!"


Beat the heat with a cold dessert!

That's my motto.


Young love on Rynek Glówny Market Square


Cyrano's is such a great story

Don't know what this has to do with Poland, I'm just going with the flow.


The price of a romantic ride is not cheap

I must say that all of the horses pulling these carriages around the Old Town were magnificent looking animals.


Horses have to have new
shoes sooner or later


Now, THAT'S a pig roast!


"Blood orange if you have it,
limone if not, please."

Italy's greatest invention, GELATO!

Nothing beats the heat like two or three of these babies.

The Old Town area was coming alive just as we were wearing down. It was a full and exhausting day.

Indeed.

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