Pennies from Poland

I paid 5 zloty to attend an antique sale on the Rynek Maly on a recent Saturday. I have been looking to purchase a piece of Polish history so that I can have more than memories of my experience here. I have been thinking about an old map or book so thought the antique sale would be a good place to look. What I found was something different. Pennies. A box of U.S. Wheat Pennies all of which are older than me.

I have collected coins longer than I can remember. It probably started when my grandfather Walter Issing gave me an 1897 coin from El Salvador. That led to me acquiring almost 100 foreign coins from over 50 countries outside of North America.

But this box intrigued me as its oldest coins were from 1917 and there were two of them from that year. At home I have a set of those cardboard tri-fold coin folders used for storing Lincoln pennies. The pennies I need to complete the set are the early years. So this box held out the chance that it might allow me to finish my collection in one fell swoop.

When I first approached the man and asked “Ile” (how much?) he replied 300 zloty. That was way too expensive for what amounted to 104 pennies, and I told him so. So I left for a while then returned to explore the box some more. I asked if I could buy selected coins and he said “Nie”. But he did reduce his price a bit. So I milled about some more and he said “let me count them for you”. (I now knew that he spoke English.) As it turned out he had lived in Chicago (of course) and Groton, Connecticut (of all places.) So he told me about his life and I showed great interest. All the while I was looking through his extensive menagerie of Americana. That’s pretty much what this guy had – American trinkets. After 30 minutes of me coming and going he dropped his price to a final 140 zloty, threw in a Polish coin and I said “sold”.

I know that I probably paid too much for the 104 coins in that box. But I look at it as a chance to repatriate some coins that belong back where they were minted, the good old U.S. of A.

I am still in search of a piece of Polish history and am off to a flea market next week where an old guy sells Polish cameras.

Stay tuned.

The Christening

At Mass last Sunday they had a Christening. Since I had been to three weddings over here it was nice to see a different sacrament being bestowed upon someone. The family most likely belonged to the parish. (In Poland you belong to the Parish that your home is located within. And you can’t register at another Catholic church outside of your parish.)

The baby girl seemed quite old for a baptism as she looked to be three months. The ceremony was rather quick and involved the Godparents. There was no baptismal font as Father poured the water on her head and the Godmother caught it with a towel. And of course the little girl winced. There was also the application of the chrism (holy oil) to the forehead.

From what I could discern it was like other baptisms. But I am not an expert as I only know about being at two of them and one was my own.

Fall is Here

Walking home from church today I finally realized that autumn has come to Krakow. As I turned off of ul. Poselska and onto The Planty, my eye caught the splendid beauty of nature screaming that winter is coming; the colors of fall. I stopped in my tracks. As I looked right along the path that weaves through The Planty I saw nothing but splendid golds and yellows. The hard rain of the morning had knocked a million leaves off of the trees and onto the path completely obscuring the black asphalt. And not a person was in site making this one of those photo opportunities that does not repeat itself. I gasped in awe at this image and realized that my camera phone would not do it justice. So I briskly walked home and grabbed my real camera and returned to the same spot. But alas, in just 15 minutes of no rain, people began to flock to The Planty and my chance at a photo sans people had been dashed. I waited around for 10 minutes but there were just too many people out for a Sunday stroll. So I left. But I soon returned and had the chance to snap these. Although there are some people in the frame, they are just small images.

The rest of the day alluded to the season with heavy rain, blustery winds and a high temperature of only 59 F. I hope it stays this warm until I leave for Memphis on November 6th.

Brian Bicycles to Slovakia

On the 14th of October I bicycled to Slovakia, specifically the Dunajec Gorge on the Polish-Slovakian border. I took this trip w/ my friend Tulio, an avid cyclist. (He wore his cycling gloves.) We rented bikes for $1.00 an hour and headed off to Slovakia.

It was a great fall day in Eastern Europe, with sun, little wind and temps around 60 F. The route we took runs through the Dunajec Gorge where the river passes between two mountain ranges of the Beskid Mountains. (Part of the Carpathian Mountain chain.) This bicycle path was carved out by German Cartesian (Carthusian) monks who founded the nearby Red Monastery in the 14th century. As I cycled and looked up (don’t try this at home) I saw the breathtaking limestone cliffs and luxuriant greenery. Some of these cliffs are 900 feet tall. Floating in the river were wooden rafts that people had hired to float downriver. They were piloted by men in rustic Slovakian attire that, except for the cameras on the tourists, made it seem like a period of time in the 1800s.

The cycling was relatively easy as the monks chiseled a level path that ran parallel to the river with only two hills along the way. With each turn a new sight was revealed that showed that autumn was in fact here. After about 6 miles or so of this path we turned around so as to return the bikes before sundown. Cycling the opposite way now opened up a new series of windows into the beauty of Slovakia.

Going to and from Slovakia we had to show our passports which were duly stamped. At the end of the day we ate supper on the outdoor porch of a restaurant situated on the banks of the river. We reminisced about our day and regretted that we had not discovered this place sooner as it would be worth a second trip.

My Trip to Budapest, Hungary

I had the chance to spend a weekend in Budapest with my friends Jim and Shane. It was a sweet deal as Shane had secured a room using his Marriott and Hilton points so my largest expense was for my flights. But after searching the Internet for a few days I was greatly disappointed as I could not find a flight lower that $600.00 round trip. On the Saturday before I stopped by a travel agency in Krakow and secured a direct flight for $250.00. I was now ecstatic as my trip to Budapest was to become a reality.

I flew out on Friday October 7th and landed before 7 p.m. I queued for the taxi and waited patiently as I was 8th in line. As luck would have it, the taxi stand clerk realized that the next taxi was also going to the Hilton so she moved me up to be with two men from England.

After meeting up with the guys in the room, we headed out to see the city at sundown, (A note about the room. It was the finest room I had ever stayed in. There were 3 levels, two TVs, 1 ½ baths, a queen-sized bed and a living room with a pull-out sofa bed. I was assigned this bed and you can figure out the rest.)

Budapest was formed from 3 cities that were later joined. The Danube River separates the Buda side from the Pest side. The Hilton was on the Buda side of Budapest and was built next to the ruins of a 14th century church. In fact, the ruins are incorporated into the hotel and serve as an outdoor patio for special events. That first night saw a wedding and reception being held there.

As we walked along the parapet of the city we were able to view the Pest side illuminated by the colors of the setting sun behind us. It was beautiful. Across the Danube we saw the Parliament, the same one you saw on the news just a few weeks back during the coverage of the riots in Budapest.

Although those riots were over with there still were active outdoor rallies taking place around the city. We could even hear one from our position. This was also the 50th anniversary weekend of the October 1956 Budapest Uprising. Just like in Warsaw, Poland the Soviets sent in tanks and killed a slew of people. So between the two events there were lots of Hungarian flags being carried around. We even saw a parade of cars carrying banners of what looked to be the Communist party.

We walked off the hill and over the Chain Bridge to the Pest side as we were looking for a specific restaurant to have dinner in. But first we stopped at a sidewalk café along a pedestrian street to sample some fine Hungarian beer. What, you never heard of Hungarian beer? Well, Hungary is better known for its wine industry but our first sample of local piwo was good.

So there we sat watching the tourists and listening for English being spoken. After a while we realized that we had watched the same two women walk by about 4 or 5 times. They just seemed to be walking the stretch of the street looking for someone. They were well-dressed and sort of blended in except that by their third pass we had noticed them. We discussed them and then put it out of our mind. But after leaving the café and walking further up the street we began to be approached by several ladies asking us for a smoke, or to buy them a drink or even a meal at a local place. It then dawned on me that in Rick Steve’s Guide to Eastern Europe, he mentions that the prostitutes in Budapest employ a similar tactic to attract their customers. And this was on a busy tourist street. So, chalk up another first in my life; being propositioned on a street by a hooker.

On Saturday we began the day w/ kawa and apple cake in a local coffee shop. We then climbed Gellert Hill to the Citadel so that we could see the beautiful panorama of Budapest. The hill is the highest point in the city and it was a bear to climb. Although there was a paved path, it was still brutal for the three of us. (And I walk four miles a day in Krakow.) At the top is The Citadel which was built in 1851 by the Hapsburgs to demonstrate their control over the Hungarians. At the tip of the Citadel is the Liberation Monument which was built in 1947 as a symbol of peace and victory over fascism.

After descending the hill we crossed the Chain Bridge to the Pest side where we remained for the duration. We explored the old parts of town, stopped at a café on a beautiful pedestrian way, visited a 550 year old church and then headed back to the room to get ready for the evening.

That night we had a traditional dinner at a recommended restaurant. And of course, while in Hungary, one must have Hungarian Goulash which we did. But the highlight of the trip was to come; a nighttime cruise on the Danube. The ship consisted of both indoor and outdoor seating, so we chose the latter. The fact that each seat had a blanket was a plus as it was in the 50s by this time. The premise of the trip is a float up and down the river passing the major points of interest in the city. While passing the sites, a large flat-screen monitor showed video of the interiors of the buildings we were passing. And all the time there was an audio tour piped to us via the headsets. The city is pretty during the day but it really stands out at night. Someone recently told me that it was in the top five cities to see at night. (Let me guess the others: Paris, New York, Vienna and ?)

After the cruise we visited a few local establishments to enjoy getting ripped-off when buying refreshments. (Not really, but I am still mad for tipping the barman and then realizing that the price we paid included service. Learning #1…always ask for a receipt before paying.)

As the evening came to an end, we ran into an American who proceeded to mention some other places we should check out. But as Shane and Jim had an early flight the next morning we went to the room instead. (I think his name was Bill.)

The next day I went out for breakfast as I had a 2 p.m. flight. Although it was cold, I ate my eggs at an outside café while I watched the early risers and shopkeepers going about their routines.

Budapest is a great city with a lot of history. Compared to Prague, the architecture was not as pretty. But the river made it special in its own way. Compared to Vienna it was not as sophisticated or cultured. But compared to Krakow, it played second fiddle.

(The Castle on Castle Hill.)

My Trip to the Mall

On Thursday September 28th, the newest mall in Europe opened and it’s called the Galeria Krakowska. This was big news for Krakow as they’ve been working on the site for as long as I’ve been coming here. It’s at the crossroads of two major streets right outside of the Stare Miasto (Old Town) area and 5 minutes from my office and my flat. It is also right next to the main railway station so should pull in a lot of tourists on their way into Krakow. So with all of the hype, I decided that I would head on over to the mall and experience yet another first time activity – a mall grand opening.

Walking inside you would think that you are entering any new mall in the U.S. It has 3 floors with 270 shops and 1400 parking spots. (I am reading from the promo material.) Of the 9 restaurants in the food court, 4 we know from the U.S.: KFC, Subway, Mandarin Oriental and McDonald’s. Walking around the mall one sees many names that look like they are taken right out of anywhere, U.S.A. There is a Levi Strauss and Co. shop right next to a Lee Wrangler store. Then there is Benetton, Burlington, Hilfiger Denim, Timberland, Athlete’s Foot, Reebok’s, and of course, Nike.

Some of the differences are the preponderance of cafes. There’s even one that serves hot chocolate which is actually melted chocolate that is served like hot cocoa. (They serve hot milk on the side.) The melted chocolate comes from a fountain much like a champagne fountain at a special event. And then there are no less than 12 lingerie stores. Not that I was counting, of course. Okay, I was counting. (They sure like their lingerie in this town, or so my colleague Tulio has been heard saying.)

The mall is part of an office and hotel complex. I.P. is set to lease space in the office section for its I.T. organization. The offices are located above the shopping floors allowing you to peer down to the stores. The parking is on the top two floors and is accessible by taking the escalator as if you were going to another floor of stores. The exterior of the building is illuminated internally so that each night finds the skin basking in a different color. Sort of like the spire of the Empire State Building and the exterior of the Alliance Arena in Berlin.

I am not a big mall person so I don’t find myself getting over their much. But it is a convenient place for lunch as the training team has found over the past month.