Brian's Excellent Krakow Adventure

Café Zakopianka – April 19, 2011

2011-04-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

I had the most enjoyable evening after work on Tuesday. After dropping my things off in my room I headed over to my favorite spot, Café Zakopianka. (http://www.estrada.net.pl/?wiadomosci=13) As we ended work an hour early I wanted to get one more visit in before I left town.

As I walked up at 9:15 p.m., Marek and Ursula were standing in the doorway as if they were waiting on me. They invited me in and I became the sole customer at that hour. They close at 10 p.m. in the off-season.) I ordered my usual and sat down to read the day’s Commercial Appeal. (Yes, the current edition is slid under my hotel room door each day. Isn’t technology wonderful?) After finishing my piwa I told Ursula that this might be my last night here as I was leaving on Friday morning. We chatted a bit and she translated to Polish for Marek. Since he knew that I worked for I.P. he asked me my thoughts on the future of paper. (He is a former actor and a big supporter of artists who print on paper.) He then invited me into another room where he showed me all of the graphic arts that are displayed on paper. In his mind paper would always be around. I agreed with him. Then he went to his laptop and showed me photos of posters that he has created detailing the 185 years of his building and surrounding area. Come June he will have these tableaus displayed under the arcade of his garden. As it will run for three months I hope that I get to return to see it. Then he delved deeper into his digital photo albums and showed me photos of the restoration of the building in 1996-97. I had seen some of them on his Web site but he showed all of them to me.

For historical purposes, the building was constructed in 1826 and served as a coffee shop beginning in 1831. Around 1875 it became a departure point for carriage rides to Zakopane, the mountain and now ski resort in the Tatra Mountains. (In 2005 I took a bus there and it was a 2 hour ride.) I now have learned the origin to the name of his café. When he took possession of the building it had been vacant for six years and had been a pizza place prior to that. He showed me a photo of a sign that said “Italian Pizza” which places the shop to the Communist era.

So, he took upon a complete rehabilitation of the building as it was in, as Marek said, “a horrible and catastrophic” condition. The original owners would be proud of what he had done. But he was not finished. In 2009 he replaced all of the windows and doors and made them full size to restore the building’s façade to its original look. In reality, there were no doors just archways. The architectural design is considered an arcade.

He next showed me photographs of himself by the monument down the path and just north of his building. He was 5 years of age which places that photo to 1960. After talking about the building he went on to show me digital photos of himself as an actor and then of his recent vacations. (Marek is a great photographer with a really good eye for composition and color.) These photos were of his holiday in Gdynia, Sopot and Hel on the Baltic Sea near Gdansk. It looked a lot like the Emerald Coast on the Florida panhandle. He even said that the sand was a beautiful color of white.

Amidst the photos were images of his German shepherd, Hugo. I had finally learned his name. (While I perused the photos Hugo slept quietly at Marek’s foot.) And he also had photos of his two cars and a travel trailer, which he bought in the U.S. The cars are a 1991 Chrysler Minivan and a more recent Jeep Cherokee. He surely loves that van.

It was an interesting conversation as Marek spoke in both Polish and French so I found myself uttering a few words in both languages. Of course, Ursula was the linchpin to this conversation as if not for her I would not have been standing at his laptop for an hour. I had thoroughly enjoyed this time in the company of a proud Pole.

Before I left I typed my blog’s URL into his laptop and showed them where I had mentioned their café last week. Marek was happy to see that.

After saying “dobranoc” I left the café on such a high that I immediately called Toni to regale her with my evening. I had finally peaked behind the curtain of the Café Zakopianka and had been invited into the parlor for a history lesson on the café, Krakow and Marek. And it was a great feeling knowing that I had. In just one hour I had learned the names of Ursula, Hugo and the origin of the name of the café. And it had just been two weeks ago that I had learned Marek’s name. And I owe all of this to Ursula who provided the translation services for me to get to know Marek and his café to the level I had desired since 2006.

I had truly come home again.

Brian Meets Monika and Rob – Saturday Morning – April 16, 2011

2011-04-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

The first Polish national I ever met was Monika Lux-Huserik who was introduced to me by Ellen Meyer. Monika had recently joined I.P. and was working with Ellen on the old EDGE operating model project. She introduced me to Monika and Rob at the 2005 Memphis in May Sunset Symphony at Tom Lee Park. At that time I knew that I would be going to Krakow and told this to Monika. She was quite pleased to hear this and offered to meet for lunch to tell me all about her native land. I subsequently did so and a friendship soon followed. She went on to meet with my training staff to give us some pointers for use in Krakow.

Fast forward almost six years and Monika has recently taken a job in Krakow and she, Rob and their son Robby had moved over here in January. So, on Saturday we met for a walk around the city and lunch on the Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square).

We had an enjoyable time walking slowly around Krakow (Robby was in a stroller) catching up on what had changed in the city as well as their efforts to find a condo to purchase. (Tough going so far.)

After lunch we walked around the Easter Market in the square and then parted. Monika to go home to wash windows and me to have a “piwa”. Travel can be easy at times!

It was good seeing them and learning more about Poland from a local.

Brian Sees the President – Sunday Afternoon - April 17, 2011

2011-04-19T01:30:00.001-07:00

After Palm Sunday Mass I went with my friends, Jacek and Sue, on an outing to the Festival of Palms and Crafts, in Lipnica Murowana, to see the Tallest Palm Competition. Each Palm Sunday this town, about an hour east of Krakow, puts on a competition to see who can make the tallest Easter season palm. Now, over here the palms are not the thin reeds we are used to in the States but rather they are an assemblage of dried flowers with some small amount of palm mixed in. Upon first look one thinks that people are carrying around a magic wand of flowers but in reality people purchase or make these for blessing at Palm Sunday Mass.

But in Lipnica Murowana the people go all out in constructing these edifices. In doing so they use long willow branches, cross-banded by more willow, to create support systems that look like the cables that hold up a suspension bridge. Then they decorate them with flowers. The winner is the person with the tallest palm that can remain upright and this year’s winner stood at over 36 meters, 4 cm. (The statue, hidden by the palms, is of the Blessed Simon (Szymon) of Lipnica raised in 1913.)

Then the winners were announced on the stage set up in the square. And who was passing out these awards but none other than the President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski.

The event is well known in Poland as many people attend and it made the local T.V. news programs. There were even many tour buses and so many cars that we had to park in a field much like one does for the Memphis in May BBQ Contest. The square was full of vendors selling Easter items, local food, arts and craft items and helium-filled balloons of Bugs Bunny and Dora the Explorer. (Another great export of the U.S.!!!)

After leaving, we had a delicious lunch overlooking a castle. I ordered a form of pork goulash served over a large potato pancake. It was the size of a large dinner plate and cost the equivalent of $4.50. Things are surely cheaper in the country.

We next drove toward Krakow and stopped off at a little know sculpture with a tie to Memphis.

Brian Meets Elvis – Late Sunday Afternoon - April 17, 2011

2011-04-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

You may have wondered why you have not heard of any Elvis sightings in the U.S. recently. Well, that’s because he is in Krakow.

On a little side street, outside of the city center, is a tribute to The King, “Elvisa Presleya”. They even named an “avenue” after him, al. Elvisa Presleya. The statue was provided by the Krakow Elvis fan club and is typical of all things Elvis in that there were flowers laid at the base.

I had mentioned this sculpture to Jacek and, since it was along the way home, he took us there. The sculpture is actually a life-size head of Elvis floating in a silicon bath. Someone had also painted his hair blue. (Blue Moon Over Kentucky, Blue Christmas, Blue Suede Shoes. You get it now?) As we stood around for our photo shoot the locals looked at us with bewilderment but I was extremely pleased to get a photo with a man with a tie to Memphis.

Brian Visits Friends – Sunday Evening - April 17, 2011

2011-04-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening I met up with my friends Kinga and Wojciech for dinner in Kazimierz. I On Sunday evening I met up with my friends Kinga and Wojciech for dinner in Kazimierz. I was looking forward to catching up with them as I had last seen them in 2008 and they were subsequently married 11 months ago.

I am happy to report that their greeting card business is slowly taking off and that her architecture business has landed a prominent hotel developer for which she will be the project manager for two of his new hotel projects in Poland.

As for dinner I had a very good stuffed bell pepper which was unlike what Toni makes. (And she makes good ones.) To begin with it was a red pepper that was filled with rice, roasted vegetables, and parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. And they served it with the lid of the pepper propped on top.

After dinner we walked along the new footbridge over the Wisla River and into Podgorze where we stopped at a café to continue talking. It was over dinner that I learned more about the wedding customs in Poland. Although they did not have the three day party that is typical of “country weddings’ they did have a party after the wedding. But before that they had a wedding ceremony at Salwator Church followed by a dinner for close family members. Then it was off to the reception at Przegorzaly Tower. The reception was a long affair beginning at 8 p.m. and ending at 4 a.m. the next day. And Kinga and Wojciech were obliged to be present for the entire 8 hours. Luckily, they had a room at the Tower and were not heading off on a honeymoon immediately. It sounded like a really nice time. And from what I can tell they are very much still in love as they end their first 12 months of matrimony.

After that we walked back towards the Holiday Inn as we talked about their greeting card business. (Shameless plug: http://www.krstudio.pl/kolekcja.html)

It was good seeing them and catching up on 2 ½ years worth of news.

Brian and Toni Vacation in Krakow

2011-04-14T00:48:00.000-07:00

I have returned to Krakow and it is good to be home. I am writing this at the end of a 6 day vacation and the beginning of a two week work assignment.

Toni and I arrived here on the 6th after travelling 21 hours. Luckily, all of our connections went well and our luggage arrived with us. After exiting the airport terminal the first change we noticed was that the taxis had been relocated because of the new multi-story parking garage built in the main parking lot. So, getting to the taxi was actually easier.

Riding in the Mercedes-Benz taxi at 140, k.p.h. that is, is always thrilling. (That’s 87 m.p.h.) After arriving we settled into our room, took a shower, a short nap and out we went to walk and have dinner. But first I had to go to my favorite café, in all of Europe, Café Zakopianka. There I was recognized by Marek the owner who asked how long it had been since I was last there. (His female friend translated for me.) After ordering two of his finest piwo (beers) we settled in with two large Okocims, my favorite Pilsner beer.

Marek had extensively refurbished the main room since I was last here. All of the tables and chairs have been replaced. There are new drapes, a new piano and he uses new plates and cups. He also de-cluttered the place of a few items and no longer has art for sale. In effect, it looks more upscale than it was. And he has raised his prices to boot. A large piwa (17 oz.) is now 12 zloty. ($4.44) That’s almost twice as much as a special I saw on the Main Square. But it is worth it. As of Sunday Toni and I had been there 6 times.

What makes this café so special to me are numerous things. It is one of only three cafes along The Planty. (The park that rings the old defensive walls of the city.) Inside is an intimate setting that recreates cafes of old. There is nice French or jazz music playing, candles on each table, an old espresso machine on the counter, old and new art on the walls, newspapers hanging from the typical rack, and two large windows to people-watch from. And in the nicer weather one can sit under umbrellas on the patio and be even closer to the people and dogs frolicking about. (We were able to do that one afternoon after we circumnavigated the entire two kilometer Planty.) There were several items that remained unchanged. The wood burning stove is still in the corner. One German shepherd is still lounging around although walking more slowly than last time. And the newspaper stand is still there. Oh yeah, and the bike rental place. This Marek knows how to make money.

As Toni and I sat there Wednesday evening we were ensconced in what is so special about Krakow. Magical is how Toni puts it. Here we were thousands of miles from home, in a lovely old café, sipping my favorite piwa while watching people walk by. At one point someone was pulling a suitcase from the direction of the train station and Toni recalled us doing the same when we returned from Vienna in August of 2006. What fond memories. So, now you know why we made it to this café each day.

Toni and I did more than just sit and drink. We did eat some, well, a lot. For Wednesday dinner I wanted to take Toni to a favorite Polish restaurant called Klasyka Polska. Wasn’t I surprised when I could not find it on ul. Tomasza. We walked right past the entrance because the place had changed names. This place made it to the top of my list of Polish restaurants after my colleague and friend Cary and I had dinner there one night in 2008. We started with blini with an assortment of caviar. Now, before you ask about the cost of such a dish let me tell you that the appetizer was about seven dollars. After that night that place became the start of our Polish progressive dinner later in our stay.

So, Toni and I walked into the now named Restauracja w Starej Kuchni. Besides the name the menu had changed and the rooms were decorated in a different way. Toni and I perused the menu and ordered some bigos (a “hunters’ stew” made from cabbage, sauerkraut, juniper berries and several meats) and pierogi (stuffed dumplings that are pan-roasted.) The meal was also served with some tasty bread and an herb butter spread. The food was excellent. The tab, which included two piwo, was the equivalent of eighteen dollars. What a bargain.

By 8 p.m. we were nodding off at the table so we left the restaurant and headed back to the hotel where we collapsed in bed by 8:30. That’s the end of day one.

On Thursday we set out to see what was new and a lot was. We began at the National Museum in the Sukiennice which is the museum in the top of The Cloth Hall. (c. 1555) In 2006 the museum had closed for a complete renovation. The artwork was moved to other locations and the galleries were redone as part of a nine million Euro restoration. And it needed it. What is now available is a top-notch museum with bright galleries, audio guides, video displays and the ability to use your iPod to get info on selected pieces. The museum chronicles Polish art through the centuries and has some impressive artwork. Toni was enamored with several items so much so that she purchased a book with all of the works of art in it.

Added to the Sukiennice is a terrace café that overlooks the Basilica of the Holy Virgin Mary, aka St. Mary’s. This is a must-visit café for the view. This whole package is another example of EU money being put to good use. Well, Norway, Spain and Germany may not think so but I do.

Later that evening we attended a classical music concert in St. Adalbert’s church. (c. 1618.) which is our favorite church as it is one of the oldest in Krakow. Although the current building is from the 17th c. it is built on top of two others dating back to the 10th c. It may also be the smallest church in town as it fits about 40 people.

The music was presented by a quartet of former Academy of Music students and was comprised of three to 5 minute selections from famous composers. We heard pieces from Brahms, Beethoven, Bizet, Chopin and even Frank Lloyd Webber, John Williams, George Gershwin and Glenn Miller! The latter sure could have used a clarinet. All in all a great set of 15 pieces performed in a very intimate and acoustically sound venue. I recommend it.

On Friday we visited the new Rynek Underground archeological exhibit beneath the Rynek Glowny (Main Market). (www.PodziemiaRynku.com) For four dollars we spent 3 hours in this brand new museum. When I first arrived here in 2005 they had just started an archeological dig under the Cloth Hall and the Market Square. For a year I watched them peel back the bricks of the square and expose the original stalls of the earlier Cloth Hall. I watched with great interest as I love archeology and I had heard that they intended to make a museum out of this history. Each time I returned to Krakow I learned more about the impending museum and dreamed to one day visit it. And this time I received my wish.

In its early days Krakow was a trading center as roads to all of the major cities pass through here. Polish merchants would travel afar to purchase cloth which they would then sell in Krakow. Hence the name, Cloth Hall. But also sold here were metals, spices, food, armament, leather items, candles, etc. Each guild was located in its own building or stall.

And what a job they had done. The museum is entirely underground and covers the area beneath the Cloth Hall and a large swath of the Market Square. (The present Market Square is about 10 feet higher today than a millennia ago.) The first thing you encounter is a movie projected onto a screen composed of water vapor. After that the trail leads you in a chronological history of the previous market squares. At each stop there are English and Polish descriptions. But at others there are touch screens that allow you to page through info in 8 languages. But the real thrill was seeing history. During the dig they had uncovered the original cobblestone paths that crisscrossed the square. Sometimes it was not cobblestones but just rubble that made the path. But these early Poles were engineers too as there were wooden curbs, culverts, fresh water pipes and sewage gutters. Also on display were the burned remains of some of the original wooden buildings. One could see the charred embers that formed the foundations. In another area were the skeletal remains of a burial site. In fact, they had uncovered many cemeteries around the Square. (Each church had its own.) But the best part was the raised walkway over the stalls that formed the largest of the markets prior to the present Cloth Hall. These were the same stalls that I had seen in person as they performed the dig in 2005-06.

The walkway, made of a thick glass floor, was suspended on the thick stone walls that had separated the stalls. Every 20 feet there was a craft-specific station that displayed a multitude of items uncovered during the dig. A very interesting way to display artifacts.

As I left the museum I felt that it was the best one I had seen in all of my years here. The fact that I had seen them uncover this find made the museum far more enjoyable for me. Little did I know back in 2005 that I would be back in 6 years to see the fruits of the archeologists’ labor.

That ends our third day in Krakow. More to come.

Toni Comes for a Visit

2008-10-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

My wife Toni arrived on the 8th and she tried to live in two time zones. Our day was to go to breakfast around 10 a.m., walk around the Main Market Square until noon or so, find a place to eat, and then separate as I headed off to work. On Thursday she stayed up until I returned around midnight and we went out again. That was a very long day for her and she did not do it again. So we changed it to eating breakfast, walking around until lunch, then I meeting for dinner around 5 p.m. after which I returned to the office. Work was slow enough that all of us there from the States had been able to get out for dinner each evening.

But over the weekend we stayed busy. On Saturday we went to the Metropolitan Restaurant for a traditional American breakfast. We next did something really interesting. They have recently

opened the cellar of St. Adalbert’s Church on the Main Market Square.
This is the oldest church on the Square as it even predates the Square itself. The interesting thing about this visit underground is that you can stand on the original ground of the Square as it was in the 11th c. This level is 4 meters below today’s elevation. That’s right, over that period of time, and mostly over five centuries, the Square has risen from its original elevation. I was never able to get an answer why until this weekend.

As you can imagine, the centers of towns in those days had open sewers, farm animals grazing, and freshly-killed animals being sold as food. All of that filth created a stench. So how they dealt with it was to cover it w/ dirt and lime. Over the years the ground was elevated. It is most pronounced in the cellar of St. Adalbert’s as the original door is now a great distance below the

Square today.

When I was living here in 2005-06, there was a major archeological dig along two sides of the Cloth Hall. It was interesting then to see the original buildings, with their stone arches, uncovered as they dug. But what I had thought were cellars were actually the ground floor shops of an earlier period. All of this is explained quite well in this subterranean view of the Square. A 2 zloty (80 cents) English pamphlet complements the excellent exhibit below ground. Also on display are three skeletons. Like any old church, there was a cemetery around this one. There is also a scale model of the two previous churches on this spot which allows you to view how the churches looked with what remains of them today. Pretty interesting.

But my favorite part was the cross section of the 4 meters of height difference. What they did was to dig a clean trench from the sterile soil layer up to the original ceramic tiles of the Baroque period church. Then they labeled each layer with the century and what comprised it. So on top of this sterile soil was backfill for the first wooden church, then rock for the 12th century church, then more fill and rock for the current Baroque period church. It went all the way up to the

ceramic tiles that were once the floor of this church.

There are plans for a major underground museum below the Square to highlight this period in time. They hope to have it open in 2012.

On Sunday I took Toni on my Schindler’s List tour of the Kazimierz area of the city. Kazimierz was originally separate from Krakow, and an area where the Jews lived. The wall separating the two cities was torn down and they became one. It was from this area that the Nazis deported the Jews to the Jewish Ghetto in Podgorze. Much of this area was shown in the movie so I took Toni from site to site. We started w/ the alley below the apartments where the Nazis evicted the Jews and threw their belongings down below. Then there was the staircase where the little boy hid under to escape detection. We visited some of the synagogues that were destroyed and paid our

respects at the New Cemetery. This cemetery was destroyed during WWII and rebuilt after the war.

We also walked along the trendy shops, bars and restaurants that have repopulated this area over the past few years. (I have seen a large change in just my three years of coming to Krakow.) After a late lunch outside we headed back to the Main Market Square for some more walking around. (As if we had not done enough already.)

Later that evening we had our anniversary dinner at a fine restaurant on the Square called Pod Krzyzykiem (Under the Cross.) There has been a restaurant at this location since 1634. I had called for a reservation asking for a quiet room to ourselves and they reciprocated with that and some top-notch service. The highlight of our meal was the Chocolate Soufflé that is the best chocolate dessert in the city.

As the moon was waxing towards its fullest we walked around the Square one more time then headed home to rest up from a long weekend of touring.

For her remaining two full days in Krakow, Toni shopped and walked some more and we met for dinner each evening. On Wednesday I escorted her to the airport. It was a tearful goodbye. She arrived home at 7:30 a.m. Krakow time on Thursday, about 25 hours after we awoke Wednesday morning.

In full discloser I am writing this at O’Hare International where I await my final flight home. But let me tell you about the end of my week.

On Friday I said my goodbyes to my colleagues in Krakow and left the office around 8 p.m. I still had some packing to do and I wanted to get a few hours of sleep before my 4 a.m. wake-up call. The first thing I did was to visit my favorite place in all of Krakow, Café Zakopianki. This was the last place I visited on the last day of my living in Krakow in December 2006. It was also the

place that Toni visited everyday while she was here.
I wanted to have the most recent image of this place in my mind to look fondly upon back in The States. There is something special about this place that draws me to it often. It is designed like a French café as its Polish owner spent a good amount of time in France. (He only speaks French and Polish.) He plays mostly French music (remember the Singing Nun?) and sells French magazines. It is one of only three cafes located on The Planty and it has an outdoor courtyard that faces the park and the people who stroll by. (It did not hurt that it was 75 yards from my flat when I lived there.) So it was here that I wanted to savor my last piwo in Krakow. With French music in the background, candles flickering on the tables and my favorite Okocim in hand I sat as the sole customer on that rainy and cold final night in Krakow.

After an hour of contemplative retrospection I walked up to pay the owner for my beverage. With my best Polish I said “To jest moj numer yeden café w Cracovia.” With apologies to my Polish friends it was my best translation for “This is my number one café in Krakow.” With tears in my eyes I disappeared into the cold, rainy night of autumn in Krakow.

It was a great 3 ½ weeks in Krakow made better by Toni being with me for a week. It was actually a better time than I had assumed it would be. The project implementation, I was a part of, went far better than any of us had predicted. And I was told by several of my Polish co-workers that they were glad that I was there to help them through it. That made me feel good. I was able to meet up w/ my friends Kinga, Wojtek, Sue and Jacek. I was also able to visit my favorite café many times over and I experienced some new things in the city. And the weather was very nice for most of my stay.

As I have said before, if you want to visit the most magical city in Europe, one that did not have to be rebuilt after WWII, go visit Krakow. Everyone who has comes away with the same warm feelings that you see expressed above.

Back in Krakow - October 6, 2008

2008-10-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

(Statue of Adam Mickiewicz - romantic poet and national hero.)

I have been here 12 days and it’s been mostly work. But, that is the reason for being in Krakow. My colleagues and I are supporting the implementation of a new operating model for my company. In laymen’s terms that means a new computer system and processes for customer service, inventory management, paper machine scheduling, transportation management, billing … well, you get the idea.

Our role is to answer questions and help find resolutions to the problems that come up. We work U.S. hours which has us getting to the office at 2 p.m. local time. (We are 7 hours ahead of CT.) We have shifts and we work until 1 a.m.

It’s a very talented and complementary group of people that are here with me. And fun people to boot. Each of us has a unique sense of humor which helps to keep our spirits up. Let’s face it; it is tough working these hours and being away from home for so long. Everyone is doing stints from two to four weeks. For those with children it is especially difficult. Some check with home prior to their children heading off to school and some call home after their children arrive home. Some use Skype w/ a web cam and some write daily e-mails to each child. Everyone seems to manage in their own way.

But enough about work.

Since I have returned there have been several events going on in either the main or small squares. The ECCO shoe company hosted a walk-a-thon to benefit some of their global causes. There is also a film festival being promoted with a large movie screen suspended in the main square which is showing short films shot around Krakow.

I have made it to a number of new restaurants as well as many of my favorites. One of the new ones was Buena Vista in Kazimierz, a Cuban restaurant. It had good food but nothing to write home about. (Hmmm, I guess I am doing just that.) After dinner I got to thinking about how many ethnic restaurants I have been to over here so I have compiled a list. They are:

Italian, Polish, Ukrainian, Provencal (French), Greek, Cuban, Asian, Thailand, Brazilian, Georgian, Hungarian, Japanese, Jewish, Mexican and Spanish.

My Cuban dinner was with my friends Kinga and Wojtech. We had a nice dinner that included a conversation on the U.S. financial crisis and the Presidential elections. These are common themes with every meal I share with a local. Although they do not have much of an opinion on the Wall Street mess they do on the upcoming elections. I won’t get into politics here but when I asked who they would like to see elected they each responded with the same name and for the same reasons. (I had asked this question of three other Poles over the past month and received the same answers. So last week I asked another Polish friend why all of the answers were similar she said “I guess that’s what the media is telling us”. Food for thought for those of us who will be voting next month.

Whew, got out of that discussion without naming names.

On Sunday I had kawa with my church friends, Sue and Jacek. Their daughter started her first year of college last week. That’s right, last week. Thursday was orientation and Friday the first day of class. Although that is 6 weeks late by southern U.S. standards they do go through the end of June.

(Photo of the Adam Mickiewicz statue with St. Mary's Basillica in the background.)

Now that school is in session the city center is more alive w/ the influx of approximately 120,000 students. This is a city 756,000 people. (Poland has over 38 million) So an influx of that many students livens up the place. When we first arrived here two weeks back we had trouble finding establishments open at 1 a.m. Now we just follow the people to the pubs catering to the late crowd. By now some of you are thinking “they are going out at 1 a.m.?” Let me put it to you this way. Work ends between midnight and 1 a.m. for us. As we did last Friday we headed to the city center to meet up w/ other colleagues celebrating a birthday of one of the customer service reps. That put us there around 1 a.m. At 3:30 I said to my friends “I have to get going or I’ll sleep the day away”. So three of us left and the others stayed behind. By the time we walked through the door of the Holiday Inn it was 4 a.m. Instead of saying “dobry wieczor” (good evening) or “dobranoc” (good night) I said “dzien dobry” or good morning. The clerk gave me a wry smile.

Now let me put this into perspective. I was home just three hours after leaving work. If you left work at 6 p.m. (1 a.m. Krakow time) and arrived home at 9 p.m. would you think it was very late? I don’t think so. And for the others who stayed until 5 a.m. it was just 10 p.m. to you.

For half of us this was a later than usual night as we are usually back by 3 a.m. So now some of you are thinking “is it safe out at those hours?” As I walked back at 3 a.m. last Wednesday I looked around and said to the others “look how many people are out at this hour”. And so it is every night. They say that New York is the city that never sleeps. Having been there also I would say that Krakow sleeps for just one hour.

(Pam, Mary Jane, Luke, Kelly and Cary enjoying an al fresco lunch in Kazimierz.)

Small World Story Part 4

2008-10-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

This story took place on March 14, 2008

For our last night in town the director of the operation, Ken Daniels, took Jason and I out to dinner at a local tapas bar named Bodega Marques Winiarnia. This is really a wine shop w/ a tapas bar out front. During the evening of sampling tapas and various wines another couple recognized Kenny and struck up a conversation. It seemed that they were “ex-pats” from the U.S. also. Kenny had met the husband at a Chamber of Commerce function at the Radisson Hotel a while back. So the three of them proceeded to engage in conversation as Jason and I listened in. It was during this exchange that I had a feeling of déjà vue. I picked up that the couple was from Texas and that he was on a short-term assignment over here w/ a U.S. company. So I asked if they were from Houston and they said no from Dallas. Then I asked if they had transferred over at the end of 2006 and they said yes. Then I asked the husband if he worked for Sabre Systems and he said yes. This is where the lyrics to “It’s a Small World” come in. I then went on to say that the wife had been to my flat in November of 2006. Now, before you go thinking the wrong thing, she was accompanied by her real estate agent and my building’s administrator. She had come to look at my flat as a possible one for her and her husband. (They subsequently located to the west side of the Glowny Rynek.)

She then remembered meeting me and was amazed that I had remembered her.

She was now one more penny in my bank of small world stories.

Restaurants, Cafes, Pubs, Oh My

2008-10-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Dateline: Krakow 18 October, 2008

Earlier Post: Krakow 2 March, 2008

I hit my 118th restaurant on Saturday at the beautiful La Fontaine. I have been keeping this list since February of 2006 as a place to find restaurants when someone new comes to town. Over the months locals have complimented me on what I was doing. A while back my friend Basia told me that she refers her friends to my blog when they are looking for a place to eat. And the concierge at the Radisson SAS said that he was going to tell his fellow concierges about it as he agreed with a lot of what I wrote. Kind of makes me happy that I can give something back to the city that has meant so much to me.

Original post:

The guidebooks will tell you that there are over 400 restaurants, pubs and cafes crammed into the confines of the old town. Overall, I, and others in my group, have found the food to be very good to excellent. I have eaten cuisines here that I have not had in the Memphis area. E.g. Polish, Hungarian, Provencal and Corsican. My intent is to list the places I have been to for the benefit of others who follow. The establishment's name is followed by the type of cuisine, comments about the food and atmosphere and price.

Restaurants in Poland are places w/ food that have waitress / waiter service. A self-service establishment with food is called a "bar". Restaurants begin this segment. Cafes and Pubs to follow later.

Total Restaurants Visited: 129 (September / October additions in bold.)

Akropolis: Greek. ul. Grodzka 47. Very good and inexpensive.
Amadeus: ul. Sw. Krzyza. Polish. One of the finest restaurants in Krakow. Beautiful cellar decor, very good food and expensive.
Amarone Ristorante: Polish and European. Street level room has a V. romantic atmosphere w/ candle chandeliers. Expensive.
Ancora: ul. Dominikanska 3. International but w/ a Mediterranean slant. One of the best meals I have had in Krakow yet very expensive. A great experience as it is pretty on the inside in an austere kind of way. Extensive wine list.
Anytime Sandwich and Pizza Bar: Pizzas, sandwiches, etc. Inexpensive.
Aqua e Vino: Italian. Located in a cellar. Very good. Moderate.
Arial: Jewish. Good. Inexpensive.
Arlecchino Ristorante: Italian. VG food. Moderate.
Avanti: ul. Karmelicka 7. Italian. Very good and fancier than the prices showed. Moderate.
Bagelmama: ul. Podbrzezie 2 in Kazimierz. Excellent bagels. (Owner is from Huntington, Long Island... 20 minutes from my hometown.) Also serves burritos and other Tex-Mex dishes. Inexpensive.
Balaton: ul. Grodzka 37. Hungarian. Delicious and inexpensive.
Bambus: Glowny Rynek 37. International. I had a very good Thai coconut soup.
Bar Smaczny (Stop Bistro): ul. Sw Tomasza 24. Polish. VG and inexpensive.
Bodega Marques Winiarnia: Spanish wine bar which serves mostly tapas. Wine store also. VG and expensive.
Bohema Restauracja Artystyczna: ul. Golebia 2. Polish and very good. Moderate.
Bom Fogo in the Holiday Inn: International. Good. Moderate-high.
Boogie Cafe: ul. Szpitaina 9. International and very good. Moderate.
Botanica: Vegetarian. Good and inexpensive.
Buena Vista: ul. Jozefa 26. Cuban. Nice atmosphere. Has a tapas menu. Moderate-expensive for what you get.
Brasserie: French, so the guidebook says. Lots of other dishes. I had curry chicken w/ rice and it was VG. Moderate.
Buda i Pest Restauracja and Winiarnia: CLOSED. Pijarska 9. Hungarian and excellent. Located in a cellar and serves fabulous food. Moderate.
Bull Pub: Maly Rynek. Traditional English pub in the heart of Krakow. Great choice of pivo but only sandwiches and appetizers. Inexpensive.
Cafe Nobelesse: Polish. VG food. Moderate.
Caffee Carmen: CLOSED. Polish. VG food and inexpensive.
Carlito Restauracja: ul. Florianska 28. Italian and very good. Nice interior similar to Trattoria Soprano as it is owned by the same company. Moderate to expensive.
Casa Della Restaurant: Italian. Great pizza, OK pasta. Inexpensive.
Chimera Salad Bar: Polish self-service bar. Good food. Inexpensive.
Chlopskie Jadlo: Peasant Polish. VG food. Inexpensive.
Cherubino: Polish and Tuscan. VG. Romantic. Moderate.
Chimera Salad Bar: Traditional Polish in an intimate setting. VG. Expensive.
C.K. Browar: Microbrewery w/ great beer served in 3 liter vertical pipes which are paraded out to your table by the staff. I do not remember the food. A recent return to this pub has rated it VG for food.
C.K. Dezerter: Central European. Good and moderate.
Cosa Nostra: ul. Dajwor 25. Italian. Excellent food in an inviting atmosphere. Moderate in price.
Crepe Nalesniki: Mikolajska. Inexpensive pancake (crepes) place. VG food.
Cul-de-Sac: Polish. VG. Expensive.
Da Pietro: Italian. Excellent Pizza. Less than stellar service. Moderate.
Del Papa Ristorante: ul. Sw. Tomasza 6. Italian. Excellent food in a pretty interior. Moderate. In my top 3 Italian. Return often.
Domowe Przysmaki: ul. Slawkowska. Modern "milk bar" w/ tasty pierogi and low prices.
Dookola Swiata: ul. Szewska. Modern "milk bar". Tasty and inexpensive.
Dynia: ul Krupnicza. Italian and other cuisines. Great courtyard and good food. Inexpensive.
Edo Sushi: Yes, sushi in Krakow. Considered the best place for sushi here. Seven of us ate there and agree that it is VG. Expensive.
El Paso Restauracja: CLOSED. Tex-Mex. VG bowl of chili. Moderate.
Europejska: ul. Rynek Glowny 35. Polish. Good and moderate.
Farina: Polish and Italian seafood. Romantic atmosphere in an old mansion. Moderately-high in price. Best chocolate cake in the city. Too bad it took me three years to taste it. Will return.
Farinella: Spanish and Italian. Good and moderately-high.
Folia: Rynek Glowny 30. International. I had a very good garlic chicken in a tortilla. Moderate.
Foodology: Polish lunch place. VG. Inexpensive.
Gospoda C.K. Dezerter: Polish. Good and inexpensive.
Grill 15/16: Outside dining under a roof. Good. Moderate.
Grill Cafe (Kawiarnia Grill - Kramy Dominikanskie): ul. Stolarska. Polish, good and inexpensive.
Guliwer: Provence-style. Excellent food in a pretty atmosphere. Moderate-high.
Il Calzone: Italian. Good food but nothing ordinary. Moderate.
Ipanema: Brazilian. VG food. Inexpensive.
Jeff's: American in the Galeria Kazimierz. OK food but not good service. Moderate.
Karczama Rzym: ul. Tyniecka 118 H. Polish and Good. www.karczmarzym.krakow.pl
Karwiarnia U Literatow: ul. Kanonicza. Polish and good. This is the place where the Wawel Cathedral bell ringers hang out.
Kawiarnia Bankowa: Rynek Glowny. Cafe that serves omelettes that everyone raves about. Moderate.
Kryjowka Pub Grill Cafe: Polish and Italian. Good food but the best part is that they have a Karaoke night.
Kuchina i Wino: ul. Jozefa 13 in Kazimierz. Polish and very good. Moderate-high.
Lemonday: Pl. Na Groblach 22 (Pod Wawelem Hotel). International. VG food but poor service on Sunday night. Moderate.
La Fontaine: ul. Slawkowska 1. French restaurant housed in the prettiest cellar in Krakow. Expensive but good food.
LaStrada: ul. Stradomska 13. Italian. VG and inexpensive.
Leonardo: Italian. Exc. food in a great cellar atmosphere. Moderate-high. In my top 3 Italian.
Lowcy Smakow Explorers' Restaurants: CLOSED ul. Karmelicka 14. International. Most extensive menu I have seen over here. Polish, Mexican, Thai, Southwestern, and more. Good. Inexpensive-moderate.
Loza: Pasta and other dishes. VG. Moderate.
Magma Restuaracja: ul. Szeroka in Kazimierz. Polish. Good.
Metropolitan: American. Best hot breakfast and filtered coffee in town. Moderate.
Miod Malina: Italian and Polish. Very good and Moderate. Had one of the best bolognese sauces I have ever had.
Morskie Oko: ul. Jagiellonska. Polish, good and inexpensive.
Nic Nowego: A modern Irish pub that serves a VG hot breakfast. Moderate.
Nostalgia: ul. Karmelicka 10. Polish. Good and inexpensive. First place I had ever eaten blood pudding.
Officyna: Emphasis on Italian but many other cuisines. Has live jazz music at 9 p.m. each night. Good and inexpensive. Behind Tri-Be-Ca.
Oldsmobil Pub and Restaurant: Polish food in an American-themed restaurant. Very Good. Inexpensive.
Orient Ekspres: Cuisine from Paris to Instanbul. VG. Moderate-high.
Padre: ul. Wislna 11. Italian. Good and inexpensive.
Padva Ristorante: Italian. VG. Moderate.
Paese: Corsican. Very nice interior and delicious food. Mid-priced. My favorite.
Paparazzi: ul. Mikolajska 9. Pub food. Good service but OK food. Inexpensive-moderate.
Piwnica Przy: Italian & located in the cellar of a former convent. Good and inexpensive.
Pizzeria Cyklop: Italian and mostly pizzas. Good food and inexpensive. Lasagna, large salad, pivo and a tip = $10.00.
Pizzeria Pasaz: Rynek Glowny 10. Italian. Pizza was just OK. Inexpensive.
Pod Amorem: Italian and mostly pizza that is just OK. Inexpensive.
Pod Aniolami (Under the Angel): ul. Grodzka 35. Polish. Great atmosphere but I was here with such a large group that I did not enjoy it. But others rate it highly.
Pod Grodkiem: ul. Jagiellonska. Breton cuisine of Poland. Good food and inexpensive. Worst service of any restaurant in the 13 months I have been here.
Pod Gwiazdami Restauracja (Under the Stars): ul. Grodska 5. Polish. Very good food but expensive.
Pod Komimkiem: Traditional Polish cuisine. VG. Inexpensive: 3 piwo, 3 bowls of pierogi, 3 plates of oven roasted potatoes and one bowl of onion soup. All of this for just $18.00. And they have billiards tables for $3.00/hr.
Pod Krzyzykiem (Under the Cross): Rynek Glowny 39. Polish and VG. Dali-esque interior. Expensive. Best chocolate soufle in the city.
Pod Oslona Nieba (Under the Cover of Heaven): ul. Grodzka 26. Best kabobs in town. Other items also. Inexpensive.
Pod Papugami: ul. Sw. Jana 18. Irish bar in a cellar. Had lunch of Frytki and Zakapianki. Good. Great atmosphere too.
Pod Roza (Under the Rose): ul. Florianska 14. International. Great food and superb service but very expensive.
Pod Sloncem (Under the Sun): Rynek Glowny. Polish. Great cellar atmosphere and good food. Moderate.
Pod Winogronami: Sw. Jana 1. International. Ate outside and the food was very good. Moderate.
Poezja Smaku (Poetry of Taste): ul. Jagiellonska 5. Polish. VG. We ate in a beautiful courtyard. I had gruel. Extensive menu. Moderate.
Polakowski: ul. Szeroka 1 in Kazimierz. Polish. Good food and neat interior. Moderate-high.
Polskie Jadlo Folwark: ul. Sw. Krzyza 13. Very good Polish folk food. Inexpensive.
Polskie Jadlo Klasyka Polska: ul. Sw. Tomasza 8. Excellent Polish food. Started w/ blinis w/ black caviar, moved to mushroom soup in a bread bowl, tasted some Wiener schnitzel and ended w/ pierogi. Moderately priced.
Radisson SAS Restuarant: Continental. Best breakfast buffet in town. Expensive.
Ratuszowa: Rynek Glowny 1. Polish. OK. Outdoor eating at the foot of the old city hall.
Razzy Dazzy Jazz Restaurant: CLOSED. ul. Sw. Tomasza 11. Polish. Great Greek salad, not so great goulasch, terrible service. (May have been the worst service in my 15 months here.)
Restauracja Florianska: ul. Florianska 43. Excellent. All types of food including Thai. White linens. Expensive.
Rooster: Think Hooters in Krakow. Good and inexpensive. Not that I would frequent this kind of place, of course.
Salt & Co. at the Radisson SAS Hotel: Great chicken club sandwich w/ Okocim on draught.
Sioux Steakhouse: American western. Did not like it 2 of my last 3 times there.
Slodki Wentzl: Rynek Glowny 19. Ice cream parlor with outside seating. Beautifully presented deserts.
Solfez: In Radisson SAS. In November and December they feature Thai food on the weekends. It was excellent and also the spiciest food I have tasted in Poland. Expensive.
Someplace-Else at the Sheraton Hotel: American. Great fajitas and Death by Chocolate. Expensive.
Sphinx: Galeria Krakowska. Middle-Eastern and good. Moderate.
Sphinx: Rynek Glowny 26. Middle East meets Poland. Good and moderate.
Sukiennice: Polish. OK. Moderate.
Szabla i Szklanka: Hungarian and Polish in a romantic candle-lit room. VG. Moderate.
Szara Kamienica Restaurant: Rynek Glowny 6. International. Very upscale w/ VG food. Expensive. Outdoor seating.
Szara Kazimierz Restaurant: ul. Szeroka 39. International cuisine in a less formal setting than the original. VG food and expensive. Outdoor seating.
Szlacheckie Jadlo: Polish. VG food and a famous flaming sword main course. Moderate-high.
Szoberowska Restaurcja: Maly Rynek 6. Polish. Very good. The goulash soup was fabulous. Moderate.
Taco Mexicano: No refied beans, Mexican rice or ice in the Magaritas. Worst meal I've had here.
The Olive in the Sheraton Hotel. International. Great Easter brunch. Expensive.
The Piano Rouge: Rynek Glowny 46. International. A cellar location with great live jazz music and good food. Moderate to expensive.
Tivoli: ul. Stolarska. Italian, good and inexpensve.
Trattoria Soprano: ul. Sw. Anny 7. Italian. Best lasagna Toni has ever had and I make good lasagna. Great interior design. Now my #1 Italian restaurant. Moderate. Return often.
Trattoria Pod Winogronami: ul. Sw. Jana 1. Italian and on the Main Square. Very good with tables outside. Moderate.
TriBeCa Coffee: American bar food. Good and inexpensive.
U Szkota: Scottish. Cellar atmosphere. VG. Moderate-high.
U Babci Maliny (Raspberry Grandma): ul. Szpitalna 38. Polish. The decor upstairs is Polish farmhouse and downstairs is Polish mansion. VG and inexpensive.
Vega: ul. Sw. Gertrudy 7. Vegetarian. Good and inexpensive. $5.00 for dinner.
Vulcano Ristorante and Trattoria: Italian and Polish. I did not like my pork roll but will give the place one more chance. Inexpensive.
Wentzl: French and Polish. VG. Expensive.
Wisniowy Sad: ul Grodzka 33. Russian. I had a very good stew and some Ukranian beer. There was also a classical guirtarist named Yuri who was very good. Moderate.
Zakopianka Cafe: ul. Sw. Marka 34 (On the Planty.) French cafe. My favorite place in all of Krakow. Great outdoor terrace and an inside room that makes you feel like you are sitting in a French cafe. Being a cafe it has a limited menu. Moderate. http://www.estradakrakowska.com/
Zdarzenie Restauracja: pl. Mariacki. Polish and good. Inexpensive.

Brian in Krakow to Work - Part II

2008-03-11T03:19:00.000-07:00

I am typing this while sitting on the main Market Square enjoying a caffe latte and the sun. Of the four weekends I have been here one has been gorgeous, one cold and rainy, one bitter cold and windy and this one. It is around 50 degrees but the sun is helping to bring out the people in droves. Let me try to paint a picture.

During this past week we noticed that more and more of the cafes were receiving their spring shipments of tables, chairs and umbrellas. Each new day found a few more restaurants w/ their furniture waiting to be unfolded like the buttercup blossoms I saw today in the Planty. It was like the anticipation one has for the first day of snow good enough to go skiing. I kept hoping that my last weekend here would be the weekend to get back out in the square before I had to return home.

So here I am on Sunday sitting at one of the few tables that was available at this hour. I estimate that only a quarter of the cafes have put out their umbrellas and tables so seats are at a premium. I was not able to find a table at my favorite side of the square (the north) as that side had the direct sun. In fact, some of the umbrellas were up to deflect some of it. But I did find this spot facing the “head” (BTW…that head is of St. John the Baptist and the original marble carving of him is in a basilica in Rome.) For those who have been here you know where I am sitting. For the rest of you here I am across from this artwork:
So let me bring you up to date.

Yesterday I met up with my church friends Sue and Jacek Mleczko for a day of sightseeing outside of town. We began by driving out to the Klasztor Kamedułów w Bielanach or Bielany Monastery which was built c. 1602. This is a monastery of 10 men that admits women visitors on only 12 specific days of the year. As this was not one of them, Sue had to wait outside the main door as Jacek and I toured the compound.

This order of Carmeldolite monks is a hermetic order where only a few speak to people from the “outside”. They are quite self-sufficient as they have a garden and build much of what they need to subsist. They even go without electricity in their quarters but Sue did buy a postcard of one monk wielding a string trimmer, but it was fueled by gasoline.

Once through the door there is not much to see. We were greeted by a courtyard with the church in front of us. A look at the buildings that encircle it show the centuries of age they are. We next walked through the large doors to enter the sanctuary which was a lot more austere then I had imagined. There was no way near the amount of gilding that the churches in town had but as Jacek pointed out it was way more then most churches in the States. There were chapels all along the left and the right. Then in front of them were pews of just 8 feet in width. That left about 80 percent of the sanctuary floor vacant as a dance floor on New Year's morning. There were no signs of any folding chairs so I cannot explain why the floor was so bare. They do offer daily Mass and several Masses on each holy day of obligation.

We took the obligatory photos and left through the same door. Once outside the compound we found that the doorman had brought out a selection of postcards which Sue made some purchases from. While she was waiting on us she read up on the history of the Kamedułów religious order and learned that there are only 10 of these in the world of which two are in Poland. She also told me about the visit in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. One of the postcards showed the Pope in his “papa mobile”.

We walked away slowly wondering what would make a man decide to give up the comforts of the world and live in utter seclusion for the rest of his life. It’s just too easy to say that he has a very deep love of God. There must be more.

We next drove over to the Tyniec Abbey to see another monastery. (http://www.krakow-info.com/1tyniec.htm) This one is also located on the Wisula River but is more of a tourist attraction as it has a café, bookstore and gift shop. You sometimes hear about monastic orders that have businesses that generate income to sustain the order. The Trappist monks in Belgium who produce ale come to mind. Well these men sell many products such as candy, wine, bread, books, candles, relishes, etc. Not all of it is made there but some is.

This Benedictine abbey, originally started in the 11th C., is located on a bend in the river where there is a high outcropping of stone. Seen from the other side it seems to rise from the rock. We first entered the sanctuary and were greeted by a pulpit ablaze with black and gold. In the choir area we could see about 18 monks praying and in the pews about that many people sitting in quiet solitude. Some were even reading their bibles. So we sat down and waited to see what was going to occur. When I said it was quiet I meant that it was very quiet. In fact, and I thought of this while I was there, you truly would have been able to hear a pin drop. I have never heard such quiet in a church. Usually there is someone coughing, or turning pages in their book or some child banging on the pew. Well there was none of that. It was as quiet as a morgue. But soon the monks began to stir and one approached the altar, bowed and then began to chant. He was answered by some others. They chanted back and forth for only a few minutes then they individually approached the altar, bowed, and walked out of the choir area. After that most of the people in the pews left the sanctuary. I later asked Sue and Jacek what that was about but they were not sure.

We next wandered over to the stone wall of the abbey and took in a view of the river which wove serpentine-like around the rock outcroppings. We made the obligatory stop at the gift shop where we bought some items and then we stopped by the restaurant but there were no available tables.

We then left the abbey and drove to the Rome Rooster for a late lunch. Interesting name you may say. There is a legend that a Polish man sold his soul to the devil in exchange for never returning to Rome. When the devil found him in this bar called Rome the man jumped on his rooster and flew all the way to the moon. Supposedly the first man on the moon.

After lunch we returned to Krakow and to the home of Sue and Jacek. Their live on the property of the nursery they own. I walked around and saw that it was quite like any small nursery in the U.S. There was a gazebo surrounded by a pond and pavers marking the paths. I recognized English ivy, rhododendrons, conifers, tulips, pansies, and even railroad ties lining the beds.

Soon after dusk we took their daughter to a baby sitting job and then we drove over to the Sanctuary of Devine Mercy in Lagiewniki. This was the church that employed Pope John Paul II when he was just known as Karol Wojtyla. It is currently a site for pilgrimages to Blessed Sister Faustyna. She saw a vision of Christ in red, white and blue and had a painting commissioned to recreate her vision. So many people flock here that the church built a tremendous sanctuary and surrounding campus to handle them all. Not to be sacrilegious but it was a bit like Graceland with the “you are here” maps and the gift shops.

As the evening wore on Sue and Jacek took me back to the hotel where we bid “do widzenia” I look forward to seeing them again in the fall.

I am on the last week of my month adventure of work and play in Krakow. Check back again in a few weeks for my final posting.

Brian in Krakow to Work

2008-03-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2008

It’s always such a long trip to Krakow. From the time one leaves the house for the airport to the time one arrives at the hotel in Krakow it is 22 hours of forward motion and an advancement of 7 time zones. And most of us do not get any or enough sleep on the plane. Maybe I had 3 hours over the Atlantic. But when we arrived we were greeted by the fields covered in a light dusting of snow which made us want to get out and about. So we freshened up, took power naps and headed off.

Two of my colleagues had never been to Krakow so I took them on a brief tour of the major points. That included a stop at an Irish pub located in a cellar. Then it eventually became 7 p.m. when we met for dinner at a Polish folk restaurant that had delicious food. By 9 p.m. I was dozing off at the table which was my sign to head home. So off we went to our hotel for a good rest.

On Sunday three of us went to Mass and met for an afternoon of sight-seeing. I took them from the Barbican to Wawel castle. We then had a nice dinner and called it a day.

I am in Krakow to help with the implementation of my company’s new SAP operating system and the process changes that go along with it. This new “operating model” will manage the orders, paper machines, transportation and a host of other processes at International Paper. Since we are supporting customer service we are working their hours which are 2 to 11 p.m. Because of the late start we try to hit a nice restaurant before work as we have food delivered for our dinner. Our first two weeks of work has been easier than we had imagined.

On Saturday the 24th I was on my own as the others took a tour to Auschwitz. I walked 6 miles taking photos of the insides of many of the churches I had visited before. Here are a few of them:

(Above: St. Adalbert's: oldest church in Krakow 11th C.. Left: Holy Trinity Church b. 1872. Original foundation from 1250 A.D.)

On Sunday I met up with my friend Mike and led him on my version of the “Schindler’s List” tour. I had taken this tour in 2005 so tried to hit the high points of it. Along the way we looked inside some more churches including the Church of Corpus Christie. On display there are photos of many of the important documents including the royal wax stamp approving of the building of this church around 1400 A.D. Since we were in Kazimierz we would made our way over to the Remuh Synagogue & Cemetery on ul. Szeroka. This active synagogue dates back to 1553 and the oldest tombs date from the 16th century.

(Above: The wall around the Remuh Cemetery that is made of broken headstones. Below: the cemetery.)

(The bridge in Schindler's List that led the Jews to the Jewish Ghetto.)

After Kazimierz we walked along the Vistula River and towards Wawel Castle. You should have seen all of the people. It was like being at (insert any name here) Stadium right after the game is over.

By the time we made it back to the hotel we had walked almost 10 miles.

During the past week we ate and worked each day leading up to the this weekend which finds me working from my hotel room. Just as well as it's been cold, wet and windy. The windiest I have ever seen it over here.

I apologize if this is more mundane than normal but this is a working trip. Please stay tuned for more to come….

Brian Returns During Advent Time

2007-12-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Check out the Web cam views of:

The Rynek Glowny (Main Market Square): http://www.krakow.pl/kamera/rynek2/

The Barbakan (Original entrance into the walled city: http://www.krakow.pl/kamera/barbakan/

December 8, 2007

I am composing this while crammed into a coach seat on the Lufthansa Munich to Charlotte flight. I am at hour 6 of this 10 hour journey over “the pond”.

Last Thursday was the last night in town for Alison so we decided to celebrate by having a progressive dinner. It was good way to go back to a good restaurant and try two others all in one night. I wish that I had thought of this back in 2005 as it was a fun night. In the interest of full disclosure this was Cary’s idea.

We returned to Polskie Jadlo Klasyka Polska for appetizers as their Russian blini w/ black or red caviar were sinful. If you have never had blini it is basically a pancake, like we are used to in the States, covered w/ a dollop of sour cream and then the caviar. It has been a long, long time since I had blini. So long ago that I think I was a just a child in New York.

These blini were perfectly done but did not seem to be made of potatoes as Cary and I thought they should have been. In fact, they looked and smelled like buttermilk pancakes right off the griddle. You know golden brown with those dark rings and an aroma that smells like Sunday morning. Regardless of what the flour was they were fabulous. This is the reason this restaurant was on our itinerary for the evening and we were not disappointed.

After our appetizers we strolled over to Szara on the Rynek Glowny to have their hamburger as many have said that it was one of the best in the city. It had been over a year and a half since I had been inside so I did not notice the change immediately. But after being seated in the second room for 5 minutes I blurted out “what happened to the bar?” The waitress then told me that they took over a storefront to the right and moved it there which gave them more room for diners. The other change was that they did not have the hamburger on the menu so we had to choose several alternate dishes that were still very good. One other thing I noticed was that this was still an expensive restaurant, what with the prime piece of real estate they occupy. For example, we ordered a “duzy” (large) of Tyskie piwo (a local beer) and noticed that it was 14 zloty, exactly twice as expensive as where we had just come from. Now I remembered why it had been 18 months since I was last there. But it was a delicious dinner, with great atmosphere and service and entertainment in the form of a man wearing a skirt. He was from Scotland so I guess it was OK. (My apologies to my colleague Angus.)

After dinner we crossed the Square to have the best dessert in town, a chocolate molten lava cake at Pod Krzyzykiem. When I was in town last May Toni liked it so much that we went to the restaurant the next night just to have the dessert. But as we walked in we noticed that it was eerily quiet. We were then greeted by two waiters who apologized by saying that the restaurant was closed. (It was 10:30 p.m.) It was then that one of them recognized me as being from International Paper and said that during the winter they close earlier than normal. While I was living in Krakow this was a popular restaurant for its food, ambience and service. The interior is a bit “Daliesque” and it also includes a glass-covered floor over a model of Krakow. Pretty cool.

So we bid them adieu and promised to return at another time. (Unfortunately, we did not.) Off we went to the only other restaurant I knew that had a similar dessert, Da Pietro. It was here that Alison tried honey vodka and we ate their version of the dessert called chocolate soufflé. It was a good alternative just not as good as at Pod Krzyzykiem.

We strolled out of there around midnight and into the Square to take some photos of the beautiful Christmas lights.

The city has installed, and was still installing when we left, a new set of lights throughout the Square and down the side streets. On each street leading to the Square they hung, from building to building, large green garlands accented with shiny, colored balls. And hung directly over the street center a large lit bell. Think of the scene in It’s a Wonderful Life where Walter Bailey is running and yelling through the decorated streets of Bedford Falls. This is the type of decorations that Krakow uses which is something that we are missing in the Memphis area. Memphis has white snowflakes hanging from the lampposts. What’s so Christmas-like about snowflakes? (Time to get off of that soapbox.)

In one corner of the Square is a live Christmas tree that stands about 20 feet tall and is strung with LED lights and silver ornaments. This picture is of Cary and me standing in front of it.

After getting several good photos we parted company as Alison had an early flight in the morning. It was a fun and gastronomically-satisfying evening as it was a way to sample three good restaurants all within walking distance of each other. In Memphis I had done this once in the Cooper-Young area but there aren’t too many other locations where this would work.

On Friday we left work about 6 p.m. as Cary wanted to do some shopping at the Christmas market set up in the Square. Then we made a stop at my favorite café then off to another fine dinner. After a final walk around the Square, to take some more photos, we returned to our hotel as we too had an early flight.

It was nice to return to my favorite city. I was able to see many fine friends and colleagues and do what I like to do best, talk and eat. I am fortunate to be able to visit Krakow from time to time and will be back for a month beginning February 17th. Be sure to check back here in late February for my next installment.

I wish you all a Boże Narodzenie (Merry Christmas) and a Happy New Year.

December 6, 2007

I met Father Zbigniew Krysiewicz (O.D.) for kawa on Wednesday at a little cafe called Siesta. He is the priest who leads the sole English-speaking Mass in Krakow. When you first meet Father he looks like he is from Ireland and sounds like he is from England. But he hails from a small town outside of Gdansk.

We spent the hour speaking about the history of Poland and the war years. We also touched on what makes people from the UK different than those from the U.S. I learned that he will be coming to Oregon in March to officiate at the wedding of a friend of his. It will be his first trip to The States.

We had such a nice time that we agreed to meet again when I return in February.

December 2, 2007

I spent yesterday visiting a few museums I had not made it to in the past. The first was the Pharmacy Under the Eagle just outside of Kazimierz. This was the only "apteka" that was within the boundaries of the Krakow Jewish Ghetto created by the Nazis during WWII. The owner chose to minister to the Jews instead of relocating and was eventually awarded for it after the war. (He literally received a medal for his efforts.) His pharmacy became a place where the intelligentsia could meet and foment their resistance. Many others hid there to later escape. It was akin to being a stop on the American Underground Railroad.

The second museum was the Galicia Jewish Museum in Kazimierz. Toni and I had come upon it in May but did not have the time to visit so I made it a point to do so this time. It is filled w/ 135 photographs aimed at "keeping alive the memory of Jewish life in the south of Poland after the Holocaust" and it does just that. In addition there is an excellent set of placards that describe the period of time around when the Nazis herded the remaining Jews into the Jewish Ghetto. I learned a lot about the Polish Jewish resistance organizations, one of which had its roots in the local Boy Scouts organization. Here you had a disparate group of youth organizations that eventually banded together for the purpose of creating foment against the Nazi party in Krakow. They had several successes in Krakow but not quite what they had in Warsaw where a similar organization held off the German army for 30 days, before being annihilated. (That was the impetus for the Germans destroying 95% of Warsaw.)

One striking story detailed in the museum was chronicled in a book called Justyna's Diary. It was about a young set of lovers, involved in this resistance, who pledged to each other to surrender if the other was caught first. The man was arrested first and so Justyna turned herself in. While they each were in separate trucks, heading from separate jails but to the same execution point, their fellow prisoners revolted and overcame their captors. The only people to survive were this man and women. They soon reunited and continued their resistance efforts. But the man was again arrested and soon so was Justyna. They were later executed together but their graves have never been located.

It was a powerful story for me which is why I regaled you with it. Although I write often about the fun things going on here it is humbling to be ensconced in a culture that has had it hard for several millennia.

Now moving onto a happier note again.

I attended Mass at St. Giles (Idziego) church which was the first time in a year that I was here on a Sunday to do so. Wasn't Father surprised when he walked in the door and saw me. As usual I was put to work saying a reading. After church I went to a cafe on ul. Kanonicza (the oldest and prettiest street in Krakow) for some kawa and to catch up with my friends Sue and Jacek and their children. Karwiarnia U Literatow cafe is also known as the Bell Ringers' Cafe as the men who ring the bell at Wawel Cathedral come here. In fact, their mugs (piwo, I think) are hanging on the wall. We had a nice visit and made promises to get together again when I return in the first quarter of 2008. I am looking forward to it.

November 30, 2007

I met my friend Kinga for dinner last night at Del Papa and we had a wonderful time catching up. She is currently working on her professional architect certification so I was fortunate to get time on her calendar. It was a very nice evening discussing the recent political climate change in Poland. (A new Prime Minister was elected into office which was a change of party and one which the younger generation was glad to see take place. The PM won by something like 70% of the vote.) I sensed some pride in her as she was able to participate in that important democratic responsibility called voting.

November 29, 2007

Since I am working U.S. hours the office begins to close at 11 p.m. CET. And since 11 p.m. is like 5 p.m. in the U.S. no one is ready to go home. So, last night a large crowd of my colleagues (3o maybe?) met at the club du jour called Pauza for a little wind down time. It was good catching up w/ so many people I had not seen socially for about a year. There was even an employee from Capital One there. (We produce the paper for their statements and "opportunity mail". For those of you at IP it is 55 lb. Accent Opaque.) The place was not crowded and the DJ played some good music so it was a nice time. I had numerous good conversations with a number of friends and spouses of theirs. The best part was that I did not have to wake up until 9 a.m. so it was a late night. (But not too late Toni.)

November 28, 2007

I returned to Krakow this week for a two week business trip. We were greeted upon arrival, not by any familiar faces, but by a winter wonderland of white snow clinging to grey trees. If you

can picture any European city clothed in snow you can visualize what the city of Krakow looks like.

I had dinner in my favorite Corsican restaurant last night. It is named Paese and has great atmosphere and even better food. I had pumpkin soup and a hearty dish of beef, artichokes and cous cous. It surely warmed the innards as I gazed out at the heavy snowfall we were experiencing.

I feel right at home again especially after running into a set of Polish friends and fellow church members. Sue and her husband Jacek. I met them at Paese where they were sitting next to me. I gazed over at the table next to me and recognized the man. It soon dawned on me that it was Jacek and so that woman must be his wife. They were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. I had not seen them since I said goodbye last December.

What a small town Krakow is. I am not even here 6 hours and I already run into someone I know from the community. It's like I never returned.

Brian Takes Krakow by Segway

2007-06-14T10:27:00.001-07:00

When I left Krakow last December there were no plans for me to return but since I never say never, I hoped that the opportunity would come along again. So when I was asked to conduct 9 training sessions there I looked at it as an opportunity to get reacquainted with the city I grew to know and love. So last month Toni and I made the long voyage “over the pond” and arrived in Krakow on a Sunday morning.

We chose the MEM to ORD to KRK itinerary on Polish Lot which had us land at 9:15 a.m.. The nice part about this itinerary is that there is one less connection and the elapsed time from leaving home to the hotel is 15 hours. So after freshening up and taking a power nap, we headed out to the Main Market Square for something to eat. After a kabob at the best kabob place in town, we walked around looking for signs of things that were new. After a light supper we returned to the hotel as our earlier naps only delayed our bodies’ need for sleep.

Monday was a vacation day so after a late start we ventured out again to see what museums we had yet to tour. One that we did visit was called the Burgher House and is located across from St. Mary’s at pl. Mariacki 3. The house dates from before the 16th c. and represents the typical Polish bourgeois houses from the 17th to early 20th centuries. It is well done and worth the 6 zloty.

For the remainder of the week my training sessions began at 2 p.m. which afforded us the luxury of sipping kawa and enjoying a fresh pastry along the Planty. Our ritual was to purchase the pasties at a bakery on ul. Florianska and then head over to Café Zakopianka a.k.a. the Planty bar. A little later we would stop for a light lunch and then it was off to work for me and Toni would head out to walk around Krakow. After my day of training ended I would text Toni and we would meet in a café before heading out to dinner.

And this is how it unfolded for the four days that I worked in Krakow. Over the course of the week we ate at 4 new restaurants and revisited some of our favorites.

On Saturday we had a full day so we were out early to do those final few things we wanted to accomplish before returning to The States on Sunday. One of the things is shown in the photo to the left. While out on the square on the first Sunday we saw two Segways roaming around advertising their rental. We did not give it much thought then but later that week we went searching for the business. Even after inquiring w/ the hotel concierge, two tourist information centers and a search of the Internet we were no closer to finding the place. Then on Saturday we were in the square again and there was the same guy passing out flyers. This time we spoke w/ him and he directed us to the Krakow Hostel where the business was housed. So off we went to rent the conveyances for a short ride. But you just couldn’t give them your passport and be off. No, the rental included a guide who went with us just in case we had any problems. (Like wanting to steal them as they cost around $3000.00.) So after a 10 minute training session we headed off with Alberto to a jaunt around the Planty.

For the uninitiated, the Segway is a two-wheeled electric vehicle that balances the rider via a set of gyroscopes and a computer. To go forward you lean forward, to stop you stand upright. Leaning back allows it to go in reverse and turning is facilitated by rotating your wrist on the handlebar, much like a motorcyclist applies the throttle. So, eventually we gained the hang of it and we headed off to the Planty. But the most interesting part of the trip were the many, many stares we received as we rolled along. In fact, I am smiling about it as I type. And if people were not staring at us they were running us down to ask about them to which Alberto had a brochure to dispense. The most unnerving part was when we returned to the square and had to maneuver around the people and cars that were clogging the streets. But alas our fun had ended and we returned to the hostel to settle our bill. It was well worth it as it truly was fun and so very different from anything else we had ridden.

Later that evening we met up with my friend Kinga and her boyfriend Wojtek for dinner at Miod Malina. Being it was warm that evening I made reservations for a table in the courtyard where we had a very nice meal. It was fun to catch up with Kinga and meet Wojtek who is now employed by International Paper in Krakow. After dinner we strolled over to the Hotel Stary where we went to the rooftop bar for one final drink in Krakow. The Stary is a boutique hotel and was listed in Conde Nast’s Traveler magazine as one of the top new hotels in the world. The view from the roof is of the Main Market Square looking toward St. Mary’s so it was a fine way to spend our final evening in town. All in all it was a great night made better by meeting old and new friends.

But alas, our trip came to an end as we headed to John Paul II International Airport. But when we arrived it was a zoo. We were there 2 hours and 10 minutes prior to our flight and we made it to the gate at the posted take-off time. Luckily, or so we thought at the time, they had not started the boarding process yet. When we did get on the plane we discovered that we were in the first of 3 busses worth of people. So while we thought we were late, two thirds of the plane was later than us. So by the time the plane lifted off we were an hour late. And with a tight 90 minute connection at O’Hare, we knew that we would miss our flight; which we did. So instead of departing ORD at 4:40 p.m. we were on the 9:30 p.m. flight. By the time we made it to our house it was 11:45 p.m. and we had been awake over 24 hours straight with nary a nap. A tough way to end a trip but the memories of the trip made up for it.

So what did I think about being back there again? It did feel different returning as a tourist. I had a conversation w/ my co-workers Irena and Will this winter when they were in Memphis. They commented how they liked Krakow in the winter after the tourists had left. And I laughed and said that I had felt the same way when I lived there. The city has a completely different feel to it when it’s just the locals milling about. Now I know how the locals in The Hamptons feel when the jet-setters return to their New York City mansions after Labor Day. So as I walked about w/ Toni zigging and zagging around the tourists, I longed for those winter days when it was just the pigeons and a few of us hardy souls.

As I put this week of my return trip behind me I would have to agree w/ Tom Wolfe that “you can’t go home again”.

Brian in Krakow - Final Thoughts

2007-01-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

As I write this I notice that a month has gone by since I left Krakow. During this period I have had a lot of time to reflect on what living in Poland has meant to me. Here are my thoughts.

People in Poland are just like you and me. They have families, jobs, homes, want to relax after work, and do care about their fellow human beings. What makes them different is that their mother tongue is something other than English. Period. If you think about Americans, there is not one typical example. We are different from each other by looks, religion, ancestry, age, and where we live. (As a former New Yorker living in the South I know about this last one…..) So to say that people are different around the world is to say that they are like us but different.

Now, living in Europe is different than living in most of the U.S. As I have written elsewhere in my blog, living here means accepting small apartments, small washing machines, small cars … you get my drift. Whereas so much of the U.S is “super-sized” most of Europe is not. But you can live in smaller surroundings because things are more efficient. You recognize that with the cars here but the same is true of the appliances. Take my combination washer-dryer. It was not two units stacked on top of each other but one machine the size of a dishwasher. It first washed the clothes, and then dried them. And it had a mechanism that determined the weight of the clothes and then used an appropriate amount of water. Sure, that feature is in washers in the U.S. but I bet it was first used outside of the States.

Traveling to other countries was also easier. Of course, other countries in Europe are like the states in the U.S. Whereas we think nothing about driving across state lines, Europeans travel to other countries almost with the same ease. Be it by rail, car or plane, most of the Poles I worked with have traveled extensively. With such an excellent rail system in Europe, this is how many of them traveled. And with the recent influx of discount air carriers, many are now flying. (I flew to Berlin for about $62.00.) All of this travel makes their passports look dog-eared compared to mine. But mine is getting that way also. While on this assignment I made it to seven countries: Poland, France, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia. Not too shabby.

I took in a lot of cultural events as I had the time and, quite frankly, enjoy doing so. Since I lived within the city center it was easy to visit a museum on the weekend or attend a concert after work. My only regret is that I never made it to the Philharmonic. Actually, I made it to the ticket counter for a popular performance but it was sold out. But I did enough other things to make me feel that I acquired a sense of the cultural scene.

Because I immersed myself in my environs, at times I truly did feel like I was a life-long Cracovian. True, I didn’t understand most of the language but I did get by. Like most others there I did my food shopping at the corner grocery store. In many of these places you had to ask for the items from the shelves behind the counter. (Reminds me of the local delicatessens on Long Island.) And because there was only so much I could carry, I did my shopping several times a week. (Doing this reminded me of what I learned about Parisians when I took French in high school.) But shopping frequently did allow me to buy freshly-baked bread often as it was so good.

All of my walking around town (I averaged 4 miles a day) also allowed me to live like the locals. Be it to the cleaners, the grocery store, the drug store or to church, I was in there with everyone else. Getting around by feet allowed for total immersion in contrast to going by car which is more like bypassing everything. Walking is one of the activities I truly miss now that I am home in Tennessee. I have taken four walks along the greenbelts around town trying to keep up the momentum of walking. But it is difficult because as a nation we don’t walk places, we drive. And around my town, someone walking looks like their car has broken down. But I will do my best to force myself to get out and about by feet. I don’t want to gain back those five pounds I lost.

The thing that stands out the most in my mind are the coincidences that surrounded me often. For example, I saw my Polish instructor Kinga in more places around town than I saw anyone else. And then there was the week that my high school’s European travel group was staying at the hotel I was in. I even was able to see a priest I had not seen since I graduated. I also met a man who had been an intern at one of the IP paper mills in New York. I first saw him in church and then he sat next to me in the square. That’s when I started the conversation that uncovered the IP link. But the one that stands out the most is befriending two Americans, not far from my flat, who wound up being members of my church in Collierville. We had never met each other but had a lot of friends in common. All of these chance meetings of Americans has me believing that a lot of people are traveling to Europe and Krakow has become a tourist hot spot.

As I exit my Krakow Adventure and re-enter the American lifestyle I would like to thank a few people for making this trip so special. First of all to Toni for agreeing that she could live without me for awhile. Next, to my managers for asking me to lead the training project that was the reason I went to Krakow. Third, to all of you who told me how much you enjoyed reading my blog and living in Europe vicariously. When I first told some people that I was going to write a blog, they looked at me quizzically. But that did not deter me and your comments made it even more fun to do. Fourth, to all of you locals who have helped me with directions, translations, taxis, etc. You have been friendly and a friend so you get a special thank you. And finally to God for keeping me safe. Well, mostly safe as there was that visit to the hospital emergency room. But since I was released later that day I guess I was being held in his hands after all.

I started this final posting by talking about the similarities between Poles and Americans. I can even replace the word Poles with Europeans or any other group. My time here has allowed me to make an observation which I can sum up with this next statement. I truly believe that if more people traveled internationally, and did so with open eyes, there would be a lot less hatred, violence and war in this world.

If any of my words have made you interested in traveling to Europe, Poland or Krakow, I’d be glad to help answer any questions you might have. Just drop me a line.

With that I say “do widzenia” (goodbye). It’s been a great ride.

Piwa I have Sampled

2007-01-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

While in Europe I have had the opportunity to sample different types and brands of the local staple call piwo. Or, as we call it in the States, beer.

(Beer is a generic name for beverages made by fermentation of extracts of cereal grain, particularly barley, or other starchy material. Beer is a beverage known since antiquity and next to wine is probably the oldest of prepared food drinks. In modern times the countries of northern Europe set the style of beer as it appears today. In fact, the words "beer," "brewing," and "lager" are all of German origin.)

Almost every restaurant, pub and café sells piwo on tap as well as in bottles. The ubiquitous Polish beer is a Pilsner. The Czech Republic is the cradle of Pilsner with the name coming from the town of Plzen (Pilsen) in the province of Bohemia. It can be described loosely as any golden-colored, dry, bottom fermenting beer of conventional strength. Now back to Poland.

There are 4 major piwo brands in Krakow. Ranked in my preference are Okocim, Tyskie, Lech and Zywiec. Most places here have only one on tap so they advertise their beer with a sign outside. But since I like to try new things, I would often sample a beer just because it was new to me. So, what follows are the piwa I have sampled over the past 17 months.

Poland:
Okocim
Warka
Lech
Redd’s
Tyskie
Zywiec
Namyslow

England:
Bombardier

Hungary:
Borsodi
Gosser
Dreher Classic

Czech Republic:
Gambrinus
Pilsner Urquell
Primus
Vratislav Premium
Staropramen
Branik
Perta

Holland:
Heineken

Ireland:
Guinness
Murphy’s Irish Stout

Germany:
Hofbrau
Paulaner Hefe-weibier
Hubertus Brau
Berliner
Landskron
Airbrau
Ayinger
Veltins
Andechser Klosterbiere
Duckstein
Beliner Kindl
Franziskaner Weissbier
Schneider Weisse
Schultheiss

Denmark:
Carlsberg

My Final Week

2006-12-04T02:19:00.000-08:00

I am writing this at the beginning of my final week in Krakow. At this point in time there are no plans for me to return but anything is possible.

It’s a lot different being here when training is not going on. All of my trainees are now full-fledged customer service personnel and are doing real well. I am here from 2 p.m. to Midnight to help answer system and technical questions but I am not getting many. So I have been using the time to finish some projects not related to this Global Customer Service Center training program. After work we often go out as we are wired from work. Think about it, our Midnight is like your 5 or 6 p.m. Do you go straight to bed?

This past weekend there was a party Friday night, I went to the movies on Saturday night and there was an end of the project Sunday brunch at the Sheraton Hotel. The movie I went to see was Babel, starring Brad Pitt. I had wanted to attend the cinema for a year now and was happy that the opportunity finally materialized. Whereas the American movies shown here are in English with Polish subtitles, this movie was in 4 languages as it took place in Morocco, Hong Kong, Mexico and San Diego. So there were four spoken languages plus sign language. And the movie had Polish subtitles. I would like to tell you how awful the movie was but that would be unfair as I did not understand 4 of the languages in it. Let’s just say that its title says it all. On a side note, over here one can reserve actual seats in the theatre via the Internet, which we did. What a great concept!

On Sunday I went to my church for the last time and said goodbye to the priests and my parish friends. After Mass I had kawa with Julie and Jack, former residents of Pennsylvania and Ohio who have been living in Europe for 23 years. Jack works for Delphi as their Global Chief Engineer. They are a real nice couple that I was sad to say goodbye to.

Later that day I went to the Sheraton brunch which is a good cross between an American brunch and Polish food. There were lots of serving stations including shrimp and fish cooked-to-order. It was such an enjoyable time that after 4 ½ hours we were all still there. It was a really great way to wind down the project and to recognize the project members who are still around. (When I went there with Toni for Easter Brunch I taught them how to make a mimosa.)

Later that night I met up with the newest Americans to arrive in Krakow to help w/ the Go-live of our remaining customers. They will be here until December 20th.

In between all of this activity I have also bid farewell to locals that I have interacted with over the past 17 months. On Saturday it was the waitresses and the manager at the Metropolitan Restaurant. This was my Saturday morning hangout as it had the best breakfast in town. Each Saturday I would arrive to complete my Polish homework while sipping Kawa filterwona Z gorącym mleko (filtered coffee with hot milk.) After my homework I would always order a big breakfast. They have the best French toast I have ever eaten.

So I am going out in a flurry of activity. Many people have asked me how I feel about leaving. My stock answer is “bittersweet”. Although it has been a lot of fun, my job here is finished and Tennessee is calling my name. (Actually, Toni is.) The tearful goodbyes have already begun and more are before me.

Check back next week for my final postings.

Brian is in Krakow One Last Time

2006-11-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of being Stateside I am back in Krakow for my final bow. That's right, the moving company is packing me up on Wednesday December 6th. At this time I have no plans for returning, although I would like to. Who knows what the future will hold as I never thought I'd being living in Europe let alone Krakow.

The weather is quite nice with highs in the mid-50s F. and sun. The exact opposite of when Toni and I were here last November.

Check back after the weekend for more info.

Pennies from Poland

2006-10-29T07:22:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Brian (and Toni) in Vienna

2006-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

In August, Toni came to town for two weeks and we went to Vienna for 4 nights. Actually, 3 ½ nights but I’ll get to that.

We decided to take the train because of our long driving road trip to Prague. To me the train ride was wonderful. Since there were no 1st class accommodations we bought 2nd class seats which meant that we sat in a compartment w/ 4 other strangers. At least Toni and I had window seats.

The trains in Europe are different than the ones on Amtrak. Let me draw you a picture. You enter the train from either end, pass through a door and you have before you a hallway that runs the length of the train. The wall to the left of you is all windows. Then to the right are about 10 compartments, each holding 6 seats – 3 on each side. In effect, you face across from each other. Each compartment has a door, curtains, a window that opens, shelving for your luggage, lighting and a heater.

The trip was just 6 hours and passed through the Czech Republic before getting to Austria. At each border the train stops at a station and the border police come on to check our passports. Also, the lead car, the one w/ the electric motors, is replaced by a car of the country we are in. The crew changes also so this takes about 25 minutes. We whiled away the time by looking out the window, reading and eating some great sandwiches we had brought along. (Toni bought 2 sandwiches at her favorite Piekarnia (bakery) on St. Florianska Street in Krakow. She then augmented them w/ some more cheese and tomatoes.)

We arrived in Vienna about 7 p.m. and took a short taxi ride to the pensioner where we were staying. After checking in we went out to find a restaurant. Because there is little English on display in Vienna (they speak German) we wound up in a restaurant that was Middle Eastern. Not what we wanted for our first meal in Vienna. But we ate there anyway as we were famished. After dinner we walked around for awhile as to acquaint Toni w/ shopping opportunities for the next day.

On Tuesday we had a typical European breakfast of cold cuts and cheese on great-tasting rolls, cereal, OJ and coffee. The coffee is better in Vienna than in Poland. (Sorry.) After breakfast we headed out to see what Vienna had to offer. Our first stop was the TI (Tourist Information) office located near the State Opera House. We signed up for one of those open-air tour busses that make the rounds of a city as it was a good way to get a lay for the land before heading out. We next went to the Hofburg Palace then stopped for some Kaffee and apple strudel. Then we went to St. Ruprecht’s Church, the oldest in Vienna. Then dinner at an outdoor restaurant, followed by some wandering around. A good first day.

(St. Rupecht's)

(Oldest stained glass window in Vienna.)

On Wednesday, the highlight of the trip for me was our visit to Karls Church. It is not the oldest (1713) or the largest (St. Stephen’s Cathedral is) or the prettiest. But what made it unique was that they were restoring the ceiling paintings and you could go up there to see it up close and personal. The tour included an audio guide that traced the history of the church and the significance of the various alters and chapels. But the last stop on the tour was the chance to take the service elevator up to the platform from which they are restoring the artwork. Once up there you could practically see the brush marks, we were that close. Then by ascending another 4 stories we were able to walk into the lamp of the cupola. (The lamp is that windowed dome at the very top of the cupola.) Once there we had a great 360 degree view of Vienna. This visit to the top was the highlight of my trip because I had always wanted to see the restoration of a church ceiling. I must have read something about it in Popular Science back when they were redoing the Sistine Chapel.

(The main altar in Karls Church)

Next to the Karls Church is the City History Museum where we spent the next few hours learning about Vienna’s history in chronological order. And of course it started w/ the Romans settling there first just like they did in so many other parts of Europe. (But not Poland.) In the museum they had the original sandstone statues from the exterior of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (c. 1400). During a later restoration of the church’s exterior they moved the statues indoors because they were being worn down by the acid rain of the day. (Caused by coal being the primary source of heat.) So here we were looking at statues that were hundreds of years old.

We next went to the Hofburg New Palace Museum because Toni wanted to see the musical instrument collection. (Toni used to play the clarinet.) There was an audio guide here also but what was really neat was that we could hear songs played by the actual instruments we were looking at. They had hundreds of instruments beginning w/ the earliest forms of percussion up to a PC for composing music. In between were things we had never seen before and enough keyboards to stretch from Vienna to Krakow. There was even the violin that belonged to A.W. Mozart’s father.

But that was only one third of what was there. A just as fascinating exhibit was that of the armor. I have never seen as many sets of armor as I had here as there were a hundred or so sets. And some sized to fit small children. And then there was the only surviving set for a horse. It was composed of a metal head piece and a large straw-filled sack that fit over and under the horse’s head. Picture an inner tube. The sack was filled w/ straw so it wouldn’t survive a lance thrust but it did offer some protection.

We ended this day w/ a great meal at a restaurant that author Rick Steve’s recommended.

On our third and final day we visited Schonbrunn Palace, which rivals Versailles in France. This was originally the home of King Maximilian II going way back to 1569. It is known for its finely-sculptured gardens, its large maze and its Neptune fountain. The rooms are adorned much like they were when the palace was last inhabited somewhere around the end of WWI. And they even showcased the first indoor plumbing of the palace. Picture an outhouse but inside.

(Brian in the rear of Schonbrunn Palace.)

(Neptune Fountain)

After leaving here we headed back o the city center where Toni ventured out to shop and I found a quiet outdoor café where I enjoyed a bit of reading along with a fine Austrian beer. We then met up at another recommended restaurant, this one outside, where we had some great food and local street entertainment. We then returned to our hotel, picked up our luggage, and went to the train station. You see, were had reserved a couchette for two for our trip home. The train was scheduled to leave at 10:30 p.m. and arrive in Krakow at 5:15 a.m.

The ride home was interesting. The couchette was as wide as two camp cots. It had 3 bunk beds but only two were set up. It had a table, cabinet, and a window. It was a muggy and slightly warm evening so the wind through the window was only partly satisfying. I did manage to fall asleep a few times but not until after the third passport check as we left the Czech Republic. It seemed so much like Soviet Russia to be awoken by a hard knock on the door and a shout of “passports” as the border police made their way through the car. We arrived late in Krakow about 6 a.m. (Very unusual for the always punctual Polish transportation system.) We then walked the ten minutes to my flat where we crashed until Noon. Although it was not the most comfortable night of our trip there is something to say for waking up in the city where you live and realizing that you don’t have a 6 hour train ride ahead of you.

All-in-all another great European city that I can recommend. Besides its beauty it has lot of history as well.

My Bicycle Ride with Tulio and Tracee

2006-09-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Several weekends ago I rented a bicycle, along with my friends and colleagues Tracee Walls and Tulio Bertorini. For $5.00 each we had access to the three bikes for 3 hours.

It was a great September day albeit with a strong wind. Since Tracee had not ridden a bicycle since she was a kid we let her get used to it by driving around the Planty. But she confirmed that old adage, “you never forget how to ride a bicycle”, as she soon was starting and stopping without falling down.

We next ventured down to the Wisla River where there is a great bike and walking path that runs for miles. It follows the meanderings of the river and darts in and out of several neighborhoods so it provides variety as well as sights. We did this for a few hours until we felt the wind change and the skies darken. That’s when we turned around and headed back to the center of town where we returned the bikes.

It was a great day for a ride and one that Tracee will long remember as she had forgotten how much fun a bike can be.

What a Small World - Part 4

2006-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

On August 5th, I was wandering around aimlessly trying to fill the void in my life while I was waiting on Toni to arrive the next morning. It was a beautiful day, almost fall-like in temperature. The sun was shining, it was in the 70s and there was a steady wind blowing. As I walked toward Toni’s favorite Polish restaurant (Caffee Carmen) I saw a couple eyeing the menu board and looking to see if it was open yet. Then I heard the women say something in English so I said “the food is good”. So a conversation was started about them being on a tour and doing their own thing this Saturday. You see, they had Rick Steve’s book also so were off to have themselves a better tour. So, as I always do when I meet an American, I asked where they were from. Wasn’t I astounded to hear “outside of Memphis” to which I said “I am from Collierville” and they said “we too”. So, they next asked me what I was doing here and I told them that I was managing the training of 145 new customer service reps of IP. So they asked me if I knew Ann Costello, and I replied that I did. (They are good friends with Ann and her husband Paul.) Well, they were here because Ann has been here twice on business and had told them that they should visit. They next said that they were going to 5 p.m. Mass as they would be leaving early the next morning. So I asked what church they belonged to in Collierville and they said The Church of the Incarnation which happens to be mine also. So then we started to exchange names of parishioners to see if we had any friends in common. We hit upon two: Paul Galluzzi, who Don knew through the Knights of Columbus and me through Scouting and Jeff Salentine who Toni sold her previous car to.

After a good 10 minutes we traded names and parted. Vicky and Don Goodin off to walk along the Wistula River and me off to an antique sale. After they left I thought back to a story my parents told about an encounter they had in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. They were on one of those 3 week tours of Europe back in the 1980s. As they were milling about the square they ran into a couple from their parish, Holy Family in Hicksville. That couple was there on a different tour. So here it is 25 years later and I enjoyed a similar experience.

Yet another (number 4) example of how small the world has become. And also why cities want to attract large companies. The spillover effect is good for their coffers.

Brian's Second Language

2006-08-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am taking Polish lessons and have been since February. As they say, when in Rome…or is that Krakow. Actually, one of the biggest disappointments to me of being here is that I cannot read anything. I just love to read … billboards, bumper stickers, sides of trams, shelves in stores, cereal boxes, etc. So my thought was to take lessons so that I could more easily get around. I asked around and my friend Ewa suggested her good friend Kinga as my tutor. In exchange for my lessons Kinga gets to practice her conversational English. Kinga is an architect at one of the top architectural firms in Krakow and is well-studied. For her English practice she brings articles about Slobodan Milošević, the Sadam Hussein trial, architectural styles, fabrics and cooking. (She seems to be a good cook.) My part of the evening finds me practicing my Polish colors and numbers.

As for my lessons we practice pronunciations, verb / noun / adjective agreement, and writing. Then I get homework, which I actually look forward to doing. (I can’t believe I am writing this.) My homework consists of exercises in the student’s book (reminds me of first grade) as well as a writing assignment. Yes, I am writing stories usually on an assigned topic. Last week it was using all of the colors I had learned to describe the courtyard where we meet for lessons. A previous week it was to describe a woman in a Chanel ad Kinga gave me. (She tries to make the lessons interesting.)

So by now you probably want to know how am doing. Others would say well. Often the wait servers comment that I speak Polish better than they speak English. But I never buy that as they can communicate and I can only speak. My biggest obstacle has been learning my numbers. They say this is the most difficult part of learning a language. And nouns have different endings based on the number that is attached to them. E.g. it is one piwo, two, three and four piwa, five through 10 piw. Then it repeats based on the last digit of the number. Age, as in number of years alive, has a different format. It is one rok, two, three and four lata, 5 through 21 lat, 22 through 24 lata, and then it repeats the lat and lata from there. Now, don’t get me wrong, English is a very difficult language to learn. But many Polak and Polka (male and female Poles) have told me that it is more difficult than English.

Overall, I have made progress in these 6 months as my pronunciation is often accurate and I do know my colors. Well, the ones in that Crayola 8 box for sure

Recap of July, 2006

2006-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday July 30th and it’s been 2 weeks since I returned to Poland and a lot is going on. Here are some miscellaneous ramblings from afar.

Had my first really big “Polish flat party” last Friday. The Polish version of a flat party is when someone offers up their apartment (flat) as a place to meet and everyone brings their own food and drink. Makes it kind of easy on the host. So that’s what I did when I invited my training class of 31 people and my training staff to my flat. Most of the class showed up so I had about 40 people there at one point. We had the music blasting and people dancing in the living room. It was a warm evening so the balcony was filled with people.. Then around 11:30 p.m. someone announced that we were walking over to the Market Square to go to a Salsa dance club so off we went. At 1:30 a.m. I left leaving a good number of people behind. All in all a fun time and one I would like to do again. (FYI … the apartment was not trashed. But I did have a lot of glasses to wash on Saturday.)

(The guy on the left is my friend Jim Montague. He wanted me to write that he was "dancing" and does not always look like this. Jim is from Hernando, Mississippi (via Memphis). Need I say more?)

My friend Ranae Owens of Franklin, Virginia was here on business for a week. The last time I saw her she had just started dating Heyward Owens and now she is married, has a cute 11 month old boy named Walker and a new job as an Inside Sales Rep at I.P. Needless to say we had a lot to catch up on. Her visit started out with a tour of the city provided by my friend Kinga Raczak. Kinga is a wealth of knowledge of Krakow and its history. We started at the Barbican made our way along the Royal Way, went through the Market Square and ended w/ a tour of the cathedral at Wawel Castle. A great 3 ½ hours that brought the city to life for the six of us. Since this was my third official tour of the city I am now qualified to lead them for others.

Went to the wedding of my friend Gabriella to a Canadian named Leon. It was held in the St. Stanislaw Cathedral on Wawel Hill and it was a beautiful ceremony officiated by the priest at my church. One of my co-workers, Renata, sang the Ave Maria. She is a trained singer and it was beautiful. The Mass was in both Polish and English which made it much more enjoyable. Gabriella sure was special to have had her wedding in the cathedral where the Polish Kings and Queens were crowned.

It's been very hot here. Two Saturdays ago it hit 95 degrees F. Now, for many of you that might not be as hot as where you live but for a place that does not have a lot of A/C is was very hot. It was so hot that some of the employees came to work early because their flats did not have A/C. And everyone was complaining about not getting any sleep. But the heat wave has passed and it will be in the 80s by mid-week.

And finally, Toni comes to town in August and you know I am looking forward to that.

That's all for now.

Brian in Deutschland

2006-07-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

In May, I traveled with my friend Mark Kiszelewski throughout Germany on an 8 day train and walking trip. Of all of my friends, I have known Mark the longest having met him at Onteora Scout Reservation in 1977. He was on his fourth summer as a staff member and it was my first. We became friends and through much relocation we have kept in touch. In fact, I twice stayed at his house in California while I was on vacation. Last summer, after speaking with me while I was in Krakow, he made up his mind to take a summer vacation in Germany and Poland. It was to include me both as a travel partner and as a base of operations while he was in Poland.

So on May 6th we met in Berlin where he was waiting after 4 days of touring around Frankfurt and Berlin. Our plan was to visit numerous German cities and I had a 5 day Euro Rail Pass to make things easier. We did not have room reservations for every night which left us with some flexibility which came in handy.
Berlin is a great city. We started our adventure together with a visit to an outdoor café for a local brew. There are a lot of different beers in Germany and we were going to sample as many as possible and collect beer coasters (mats) as souvenirs. After visits to a few cafes we chose an outdoor restaurant for my first taste of local German fare. (For the record, I am half German and half Irish. My mom, Eleanor Fuger, was an excellent cook of all cuisines but she was famous for her sauerbraten. My sister, Bettianne, and I continue to make it in our respective homes.) So sauerbraten it was and it was delicious. After dinner we found a local bar and restaurant to continue our collecting of coasters. An interesting use of paper was seen in Berlin. Most cafes served their beer w/ a beer doily, for lack of an official name. The doily was affixed to the stem of the glass and, I suspect, was designed to catch the dripping head of the beer. So we began collecting them also. (It’s always a good job to “consume” paper goods as it requires a restocking and an eventual order for a paper company.)

On Sunday we took a walking tour of Berlin which included the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and a museum dedicated to the German Resistance Movement. I always heard of the French resistance but never the German counterpart. Well, there was one. If you remember about the assassination attempt on Hitler then you’ll want to know that this “palace” is where the plot was hatched.

On Monday, we took the train south to Goerlitz where we had reservations at a pensioner. (All throughout Europe there is this type of lodging that provides a simple room, private or public bath, and a continental breakfast, all for a great low price. We paid 65 Euros a night in Berlin.) Goerlitz is on the Polish-German border astride a river. After the war, Poland was able to acquire about a third of the former German Republic. After doing so the Germans were forced out and the city on the Polish side became mostly Polish. But the German Goerlitz was a city that was frozen in time. Our visit there uncovered no other Americans. Of all my travels in Europe this was the place where I had the most difficulty speaking in English. But that did not stop us from ordering beer and some great food. (Greek, Italian….Europe is really cosmopolitan.) Goerlitz has not been discovered yet but its beauty and age make it a prime destination if you will be in that part of Germany.

On Tuesday we boarded the train for Bacharach along the Rhine River. The Rhine Valley is beautiful. Between the ancient castles, the pretty river and the lovely countryside I can see why people flock here. We stayed in a chalet and had our best breakfast so far. Since we were in the Rhine Valley we decided to sample wine from the valley. (Man cannot live on beer alone.) For dinner we wound up in a ground-floor restaurant that had some great food. Just in time too as the rain came down hard. After dinner we walked around the town a bit and then headed home.

On Wednesday we hit the train again this time towards Kohn (Cologne) where we made a day trip of the city. (While waiting for the train, we met a couple from Dayton, Ohio. Their children had gone to Chaminade High School … in Dayton. I always knew there was a Chaminade there and was glad to meet someone w/ a tie to me.) After hitting a local Internet café we toured the Kohn Cathedral. This is the largest cathedral in Germany and was extensively damaged during WWII. It is beautiful. The nave soars to 140 plus feet and is designed that way to make one feel small in God’s presence. It did. A while later we were back on the train headed towards Fussen.

Train travel is a great way to go. We had purchased first class passes so were often in some really nice trains which had better accommodations than planes. Some cars had seats around a table and some had seats like in an airplane. There were also headphone jacks and electrical outlets. The conductor would even take your order for something from the restaurant car. And they went as fast as 254 KPH, that’s 158 MPH.

Next was Fussen where the “Cinderella” castle is located. Supposedly, Walt Disney himself used this castle to design his Cinderella Castle in California. The area also has other castles and is a big ski area as the mountains are huge. On this day we took 6 modes of transportation: train, truck to get up the mountain, horse-drawn carriage to come down off the mountain, local city bus, luge and our feet. That’s right… luge. Mark and I took advantage of a ski slope that had a summer luge in operation. It’s a sled with wheels that runs down an aluminum culvert. It goes quite fast. Ask Mark about his airborne ride and the scrape on his arm. He almost added a mode of transportation: ambulance.

On Thursday we trained it (is that a verb?) to Munchen (Munich) where I would end my week’s trip. Munchen is a bit different than Berlin and there is a rivalry between the cities. Think Memphis and Nashville. Munchen is known for its beer production and we were there to sample it. On that afternoon we took a walking tour of the city. It started with the glockenspiel on the Marianplatz (Mary’s Place as in the BVM.) We then visited an assortment of old churches and buildings. One thing that seemed odd, compared to Krakow, is that much of Munchen was rebuilt after the war, but in the style of original construction. So you were not always seeing original structures. (After WWII the cities voted on how they would reconstruct. They chose either the architecture of the most recent buildings or the latest, or modern, architecture. Berlin chose the 1950s and Munchen chose how it was originally. Munchen made the better choice.)

That evening we took a tour of 3 breweries that included sampling of the beverages. The six major breweries in Munchen follow the German Purity Law which states that no artificial ingredients may be added to the brew. And this explained why neither Mark nor I suffered any bit of hangover each morning. In fact, we were discussing it that morning and now we know why. The tour also included an up-close look at the Paulaner brewery from the kettle to the refrigeration room. After that tour we headed to the famous Hofbrau House for one last beer. (By this time we were full.) The Hofbrau House is famous the world over for its beer hall, beer garden and good food. There are private tables that families or organizations buy for their personal use. There are also beer mugs, locked up in cages that long-time patrons receive for their patronage. But what finally drove us out of the place was the cigarette smoke. So off we went to our rooms to rest up for one final day.

On Friday we took it easy and walked around the city and sat in a number of cafes. It felt good to slow down and not have to worry about catching a train to somewhere. Then Saturday came and we parted ways. Mark to Prague and me to Krakow.

Mark later came to Krakow where he spent the week at my flat. That’s a set of stories for another time.

All in all a great trip, made even better by Mark’s excellent tour planning and guiding. I was finally able to see the country of my ancestors and to explore the sites of WWII. I hope to take Toni there in the future.

If you would like to see the rest of my 70 photos, just send me a note: Brian_Issing@hotmail.com and I'll send you a link to Kodak Gallery.

Thanks Mark.

Things I Have Done Around Krakow

2006-06-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Other than the typical touristy pursuits, I have availed myself of the opportunities that Krakow has to offer and have attended various events while living here. What follows is a list of them in chronological order:

Attended the cinema and saw Babel.
Attended a harpsichord and organ concert at St. Marcina XXVII Church.
Attended a jazz concert at Harris Piano Jazz Bar.
Attended a baptism at my Church.
Attended three weddings of different co-workers.
Attended a reception held by the American Consul General Kenneth Fairfax on the occasion of the 230th Anniversary of the U.S.A. Mr. Fairfax took the time to eat at our table.
Classical Music Concerts. Almost every week there are performances in three of the oldest churches in the city center. I have attended a total of 5 of them including: A. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, A. Mozart, and J.S. Bach and Friends. They are quartets and quintets that sound marvelous with the acoustics of these old churches.
Went bowling.
Took a 15 mile bike hike over the hills and through the woods. Was sore for 3 days.
Gone dancing.
Took a 15 mile day hike up past Kosciusko Mound to the Krakow Zoo and back home again.
Karaoke on numerous occasions. The play list contains as many American and British songs as you see in the States.
Heard The Chamber Singers of Valdosta State University. (See below for more.)
Attended an organ recital at the Academy of Music.
Played billiards.
Played paintball at a real army training center. This took place one evening in May with a dozen guys including one pyrotechnic hobbyist. We were given camouflage overalls, a helmet with face shield, one gun and 4500 paintballs for the group. The first field of battle was a man-made series of huts and walls on a couple of acres. But the highlight was the second arena, a hold-out from the Communist era. Picture a bombed-out village or a police firearms training center like what was in “Dirt Harry”. Just one and two story buildings made of concrete. No windows and lots of burn marks. Now add the noise and light from the group’s “pyro” and the adrenalin gets to pumping. We played several different types of war games including a Capture the Flag activity. And just as the last of daylight was fading (about 9:30 p.m.up here) we had a final every man for himself shootout. And as luck would have it, or is it skill, I was the last man standing as my ammo lasted the longest. But much worse than the occasional sting of the paint balls were some of the most vicious mosquitoes I have ever encountered. Worse than a night camping along Sardis Lake in Mississippi. Regardless of those types of welts we all agreed that it was a great night.
Attended a performance by a Swedish choir named “Voces”. On the weekend that the Pope was here I attended a concert by this group in a beautiful Franciscan church built in the 1800s. The performance was a celebration of the life of Fr. Maximillian Kolbergo, the priest who, while at Auschwitz, exchanged his life for the one of a Jewish man who was to be executed. I had visited this church before and was astounded by its beautiful altar and extensive gold leaf. But the sound this choir made was enhanced by the acoustics of the magnificent nave and I just could not believe my ears.
Went to Mass with the Pope. (See below.)
Took a six hour train ride to the north of Poland:

Things That Are Different Here

2006-06-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is a list of observed differences between Europe and the U.S. I do not editorialize on them, just list them.

Dry cleaner tags are stapled on to places like the piece of pocket that is inside of the pants or to the collar tag on the shirts. The staples have a unique shape that allows them to be removed with your fingers.
Workmen and workwomen, e.g.: street cleaners, building supers, construction workers, where overalls.
They clean the glass panes in the streetlights in the public parks.
They cut the grass in the public parks, rake the grass and leaves, and dispose of it.
They don't starch mens' shirts. My salesperson at Joseph A. Banks in Memphis said that starched dress shirts is an American thing.
In newer hotels, one must place your room key card in a slot on the wall to turn the electricity on.
Building floors are numbered differently. First floor in the U.S. is zero or main floor here. Second floor in the U.S. is the first floor here.
Copier and printer paper is taller and narrower. 8.3" x 11.7".
They use 2 hole punch paper not 3.
They don't use file folders to store paperwork.
Time is in 24 hour or military time. No a.m. or p.m.
Restaurant napkins often are as thin as tissue paper.
Diet drinks are called "lite".
Name Day takes the place of birthdays for older people. Each day on a Polish calendar has the name(s) of people on them. Most everyone is named after one of these people. When this day comes around they celebrate their name day by sharing food or candy.
You have to ask for ketchup w/ your French fries and often have to pay for it. Even in McDonalds. (Not that I go there, of course.)
You pay your restaurant tip in cash%

Brian Sees the Pope

2006-05-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

On the last weekend of May, Pope Benedict XVI came to Poland to “walk in the footsteps” of Pope John Paul II. After spending a day in Warsaw, he arrived in Krakow on Friday evening. At about 8 p.m. I was walking through the main market square and I noticed all of the people waiting for the Pope’s motorcade to pass by. Not being able to understand the local media I did not know what time he was scheduled to arrive so I just waited. It was interesting to observe the crowd as they waited for him. It was a quiet and reserved crowd, or maybe the better word would be reverent. No one was yelling, and not much loud talking either. Cell phone chatter was to a minimum. But at 9:30, when the motorcade came down Grodzka Street, they erupted into cheers and waved thousands of their yellow and white Papal flags. And as luck would have it, or was it divine intervention, the Pope and his entourage passed by my spot 2 times. Of course, he was in his Popemobile, or as they say in Europe, “papamobile”. And there was a large phalanx of security and media vehicles. So around the square he went once, waiving like you’ve seen all Popes waive. Although I had a good view, it was interesting to watch the reply on TV the next day. I saw the replay on the monitor of the television studio that had been erected on the square. I was able to watch a local anchorwoman lead the news program while reporters cut in from different parts of the city. I did see far more on the replay than I did on Friday night. But it did not matter because Sunday was the big day.

On Sunday I attended Mass with the Pope. My closest million friends and I assembled on the Blonia (think Central Park in NYC) for the 2 ½ hour Mass. If you have ever seen images of Cracovians assembled for prior Papal visits, or on the evening that John Paul II died, then you saw them on the Blonia. Free tickets were available from the churches around town so I picked up 3 of them so that Ken Daniels and Kate Dailey, two other ex-patriots, could also attend.

We met at Kate’s apartment at 7:30 a.m. and proceeded to walk to the Blonia. No map was needed as everyone just followed the crush of people doing the same. In fact, there were so many people that we just walked in the streets, much to the chagrin of the drivers. When we arrived at the park we realized that we were at the opposite end from where our assigned section was. To give you an idea of the layout, the park was cut into pie-shaped sectors and everyone had a ticket for one of them. The problem was that we had to get from 3 o’clock on the dial to 10 o’clock. So we decided to take the straightest path but were turned back after awhile because we were not allowed to pass through sector “E” to get to “A”. So we backtracked and made it to one of the half-moon roads that bisected the pie shapes. Then we hit a major roadblock. The security force was linking arms to close off the path because they wanted to get a security vehicle through. But you know what a crowd does when it can’t go any further. It continues to press against the obstacle because the people in the back do not know what is going on at the front. (Do you remember that infamous Who concert in Cincinnati on December 3rd, 1979?) At about this time I had flashbacks to my second, and last, New Years Eve in Times Square and the plate glass window of the Burger King that I almost went through. (Now you know why it was my last.) But back to the crowd. At about this time the guards opened up a path to allow us to exit the main path so we walked to the back and eventually made it to the entrance to our sector. But there were so many people standing in it that we decided to walk further back to get a spot of grass to sit on. We wound up in an uncrowded area with a good view of the large TV screens and the altar to the left of us. All of that and we still had 20 minutes to spare until the 9:30 Mass.

The Mass itself was full of pomp, pageantry and reverence for God. There was a very large symphony orchestra that performed some beautiful music. There were introductions of the President of Poland and other dignitaries and words of thanks for people who made the event possible.

The Pope made his opening prayer in Polish but did the remainder of speaking in Italian. His homily was translated into Polish as he spoke. Then came Holy Communion. During the Eucharistic Prayer, hundreds of priests and altar boys (no girls) spread out among the masses and prepared to give communion. Then towards the end of communion, I saw people leaving in droves and thought that they were trying to beat the crowds out of the park. But they weren’t, they were flocking to the fence line to get in position to see the Pope pass by one more time.

As the Mass ended we made a fast walk for the road out of the park and back to the center of town. After a couple of detours we finally made it to a good lunch spot where we sat and watched the people go by hoping the crowds would die down by the time we finished. But they did not. It is hard to imagine a continuous stream of people for more than hour. The largest crowds I remember of late have been the ones for the Beale Street Music Festival each May. But at only 50,000 people it was more like a gathering than a crowd.

As I write this I am digesting the experiences of the weekend. Here I am 5,163 miles away from home and I have the opportunity to see the Pope and hear him celebrate Mass. His tour to Poland was billed as “his following in the footsteps of John Paul II”. But Pope Benedict was not the only one following in someone’s footsteps. You see, in 1964-65, New York City hosted the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadow Park. (If you saw “Men in Black” you saw the fairgrounds that had been used.) I remember attending the fair but years later my mother told me that the night after we went; she and my dad went back to attend the Mass that Pope Paul VI celebrated. So 40 plus years later I have walked in the footsteps of my parents.

For those who are interested, what follows is the itinerary of Pope Benedict’s visit to Poland:

The Vatican release of the May 25-28, 2006, apostolic trip to Poland, was made public April 26, and includes papal visits to: Warsaw; Czestochowa, the site of shrine of the Black Madonna; Krakow; Wadowice, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II; Kalwaria Zebrzydowska; and the former Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.

Friday, May 26. Benedict XVI will celebrate morning Mass in Warsaw's Pilsudski Square. In the afternoon, he will travel by helicopter to Czestochowa where he will visit the Shrine of the Virgin of Jasna Gora and meet with religious, seminarians and representatives from Catholic movements and institutes of consecrated life. He will then travel to Krakow where he will spend the night in the archbishop's place.

- Saturday, May 27. The pope will celebrate a private Mass in the archbishop's palace in Krakow before traveling to Wadowice, where he will visit the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the house in which John Paul II was born, and later meet local inhabitants in the town's Rynek Square. He will then visit the shrine of the Virgin of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, and upon his return to Krakow, visit the shrine of Divine Mercy and Wawel Cathedral, and, meet with young people in the city's Blonia Park.

- Sunday, May 28. Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in Blondie Park, and pray the “Regina Coeli,” before traveling to the former concentration camp and the center for dialogue and prayer at Auschwitz and participating in a prayer meeting in memory of victims in the former concentration camp of Birkenau.

Photos:
#1 - During Mass. #2 - People watching from Kosciusko Mound. #3 - The Papa Mobile as the Pope arrived for Mass. #4 - Looking out over the sea of people estimated to be between 1 and 1 1/2 million people.

Dinner with Three Ambassadors from Africa

2006-05-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

On April 8th I was invited to a dinner by my friend and Polish colleague, Ewa. It was a dinner that was the culmination of the business meeting for the Zimbabwean Students Association in Poland, as well as on the occasion of a Zimbabwean National Holiday. Just like you are wondering now, I wondered why there was this association in Krakow. The Zimbabwean Students Association in Poland links together African students from Zimbabwe who are living in Poland while attending the university on a scholarship. One of its aims is to popularize African culture in the Polish academic environment.

Now, how I came to attend this function. Ewa had been invited to this dinner by her friend Tapiwa (Errol) Muzawazi who was the president of this association. She had met him a year earlier when he was attempting to break the Guinness record for longest public speech. (He went on to do it at 88 hours.) The dinner took place in the local pub attached to the Jegellonian University dormitory in Krakow. (Think a college rathskeller but only nicer.) We arrived soon after the end of the meeting part of the program and in time for dinner. Upon entering the room we were greeted by Tapiwa who invited us to sit at the dais. What an honor it was as the table had an assortment of special guests. Sitting across from me were the ambassadors to Poland for Zimbabwe, South Africa and Angola. Each was there, from Warsaw and other cities, at the invitation of the Association. After the introductions we were invited to an adjoining room to sample a traditional Zimbabwean meal. Included, in the buffet, was rice, a side dish like mashed potatoes, beef stew, chicken wings, bean salad, meatballs, and a few items that I have forgotten. All in all some very tasty food that was not much different from anything else I have eaten.

After dinner the lights were turned down and the DJ began playing some great dance music and the audience got into it.

Overall it was yet another unique Polish experience for me and one that I will not soon forget.

What a Small World – Parts 2 and 3

2006-05-22T03:50:00.000-07:00

Part 2: In August of last year I was staying at the Radisson SAS in Krakow. One morning while leaving breakfast I saw 4 high school aged men speaking English. Since my mother tongue is a minority here I stopped to ask if they were from New York. One replied “yes”. So I said “Long Island?” and he replied “Mineola”. So I said Chaminade High School?” and they all said “yes”. It seems that my Alma Mata had their yearly trip through Europe and they just happened to be staying at my hotel. All 142 of them from Chaminade and Bishop Kellenberg high schools. They were on their way to the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany and were staying in Krakow for 3 nights. I told them that I had graduated in 1978 and they were astounded to be hearing that so many miles away from Long Island. We parted company and I went off to work. When I returned that evening more of them were milling about so I went looking for Father James Williams, S.M., the president of Chaminade. It seems that he was aware of my encounter earlier that morning and was interested in meeting me. He invited me to dinner but I declined for a previous engagement. (I regret not rearranging my schedule.) After speaking w/ Father James I took the elevator up to my floor where I ran into Father Keenan, who was at Chaminade when I was. After some talking I went to my room to call my sister Bettianne to tell her the story. I also spoke to her husband Peter Carioscia, Jr. This is where it gets better. He told me that he had spent one week that summer w/ a Chaminade student who was on the trip. So I went back down to find Andrew L. and learned that he was in his room. I then called him to introduce myself. He must have thought I was a stalker or something as he was tongue-tied. After a minute of conversation we hung up and went our separate ways. Once again, if this doesn’t prove that the world is getting smaller………

Part 3: In March I was sitting in the Rynek Glowny (the main market square) writing post cards. It was a bright, sunny day and many people were out and about. I noticed one person looking for a place to sit down and realized that he had been at Mass w/ me earlier that day. I offered him the seat next to me and moved to make some room. I told him that I recognized him from church and we started talking. He introduced himself as Charles Ranado working for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He was working in Warsaw for 2 weeks and came to Krakow for the weekend. We exchanged stories for a bit then I told him why I was here. He smiled as I said International Paper so I knew something was up. He went on to tell me that he had worked four summers in the Hudson River Mill in Corinth, New York. He also had a grandfather who was a member of the papermakers' union and another who was in management at the mill. We talked a while longer about the papermaking industry and then we parted ways. Yet one more small world story.

(The Cloth Hall in the Rynek Glowny.)

(The old City Hall tower in the Rynek Glowny.)

Holiday in Praha

2006-05-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

(Looking at Praha Castle from the center of town.)

Most of us grew up hearing and saying “Czechoslovakia” But in 1993 the Velvet Revolution allowed for the peaceful dissolution of this country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In effect, this returned them to an earlier set of independent countries.

In April, Toni and I went to Praha (how the Czechs spell Prague) for 3 days and what follows is my travelogue.

(One of the oldest buildings in Praha.)

The first mistake we made was to drive a car. When deciding how to get there I was told that it was only 6 hours away by car or 9 hours on the overnight train. But since I had the company pool car at my disposal, I saw this as a good way to go. Hey, we Americans always think of the car first. Well, living here as long as I have, I should have known that this was not the ideal way of getting to Praha. But I plotted the directions on Via Michelein.com, verified them w/ a local and off we went.

Well, we left an hour later than planned. Next, we stopped for gas and fluids which burned another 20 minutes. (BTW, it took $60.00 to fill up the Opel Omega. And I did this twice.) Once we made it out of Krakow we started to hit the construction sites. It was like driving on Highway 63 towards Hardy, Arkansas. You see, a lot of EU money is pouring into the new EU countries and Poland and the Czech Republic are major beneficiaries of it. So every few miles, or so it seemed, we had to slow down, or in two cases stop dead for 5 minutes. In one of those cases they were felling the trees that lined the two-lane country road which required them to stop the traffic as they yelled “timber” (or its equivalent in Czech). (On our trip home we counted 13 spots where we had to slow down for construction.)

After all of that we made it to the border crossing which looked like a highway toll station. We presented our passports, had them stamped, and on we went.

(A canal in Praha.)

The Czech countryside is full of pastures w/ small hills in the background. It seems like they grow lots of hay as the fields are full of haystack frames. As we traveled we continued to pass through construction zones that required us to reduce our speed from 150 to 60………kilometers per hour. That’s 99 miles per hour. Can you say zoom, zoom? And there were people passing me!!!!! There is a maximum speed limit in Poland of 130 K.P.H. but there did not seem to be one in the Czech Republic. But I can see the questions forming in your minds. No, I did not try to determine the top speed of the Opel as it was the company car after all. But the car handled really well. In fact, it seemed to hunker down and stick to the road at those speeds. (They do know how to build them over here. The Opel was originally a German built car but GM bought them a long time ago. The Omega is considered a large car here but it is a little smaller than a Ford Taurus.) But back to the drive. The highway to Praha was recently built and looked like it could have been lifted from any new interstate in the States. They seemed to be putting the finishing touches on it which caused the slowdowns. With all of that behind us we finally arrived at our hotel at 5:30 p.m., 9 hours after beginning. After checking in I went on a 45 minute hunt for a parking spot. After much frustration I found a garage under a department store and walked the 10 minutes back to the hotel. (Two days for $65.00. Ouch.)

(The Astonomical Clock. Over 500 years old but mostly rebuilt after WWII.)

After all of that we had a well-deserved drink while we planned our next day. Since we were using Rick Steves’ book Best of Eastern Europe 2006 we took him up on a tour company to use and booked the 8 a.m. Good Morning Praha tour. Although it was an early rise, the delight was that it was just Toni, Me and Ewa our guide. The added bonus was that the other tour groups were not out and about yet which made for a very quite and enjoyable morning. The tour consisted of the Jewish Quarter, a tram ride up to the Prague Castle, a kawa (coffee) in a local café, a walk across the Charles Bridge, several churches and numerous other sites. After almost 4 hours Ewa left us in the old town area which allowed us to go out on our own.

(Looking at Praha Castle from the Charles Bridge.)

Praha itself is a beautiful city founded in the 9th century which makes it older than Krakow. It is located in central Bohemia an area known for its lead crystal and art glass and has 1.2 million inhabitants. It does not have one main square like Krakow but has several distinct centers worth exploring. So that’s what we did. Six hours later we decided to café hop to try different Czech piva (beer). (There is some very good pilsner style beer here. And at 80 cents per half liter how can you have just one.) Sometime after 8 p.m. we went to an authentic Czech restaurant recommended by Rick Steves. It was housed in an old building outside of the main tourist zone and augmented by an old guitar player who was really good. After dinner we returned to our room tired and full of food and memories.

(In the Praha Castle courtyard. Fountain is over 500 years old.)

Overall, the trip was very good and Praha is a great city to visit. It owes its mystique to its history, the beauty of the buildings, the food and the beer. Although we would have liked an additional day in Praha, both Toni and I were looking forward to returning to Krakow, which to us is a better and more magical city.

(Brian as a work of art.)

Great Ideas for Export to the U.S.

2006-04-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Being able to reserve actual seats at the movie theater via the Internet.
Shopping carts with all four wheels that turn. Works quite well in getting around that woman w/ the 3 kids blocking the aisle.
Deposits on shopping carts so that they are always some by the entrance and none in the parking lot
Portable credit card readers connected to the register in restaurants so that your card never leaves your side.
Traffic lights that turn red and green simultaneously to alert you that the light is about to turn all green.
Great public transportation that everyone uses.
True energy conservation. …….. Hall lights that are on motion sensors are in alleyways, hotels and apartments. Compact Fluorescent Lamps are used everywhere. They just don’t talk about energy conservation, they live it.

What a Small World - Part I

2006-04-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

My flat is located next to the Music Academy so I often hear tunes wafting from the windows. As I walk by it most days I also read the posters that announce upcoming shows. One that caught my eye in March was for the “Chamber Singers” of Valdosta State University (VSU), Valdosta, Georgia, U.S.A. It was to be at the academy’s hall on Podwale Street.

So, on the evening of March 17th, I wore my green (it was St. Patrick’s Day) and traipsed over to the hall. The hall, more like a ballroom than an auditorium, looked to be in a former palace. Picture inlaid wood floors w/ rosettes, a stage for the orchestra, or in this case the singers, and a second story promenade for viewing the activity below. The hall was filled w/ wooden chairs so I took my seat in the middle. While sitting there I observed what looked to be the person in charge, possibly the choir director. (In actuality, she was a professor married to the director.) Also visible was an older distinguished Pole who did not seem to speak much English.

The Chamber Singers is made up of 26 students over the four vocal ranges. Every other year the singers travel across a different country singing in about 10 cities. They have been to the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy and the Czech Republic. This night in Krakow was their last in Poland.

The performance was fabulous, one of the top cultural events I had attended in Krakow. Their first two pieces were the Polish and U.S.A. national anthems. (The Poles have a good one.) After the obligatory exchange of gifts, (the school gave a State of Georgia flag) they assembled along the 4 sides of the seats. (If it can be encircling can it be ensquaring?) All of their pieces are sung a cappella and this first one was for a High Mass. It was truly uplifting to hear these young voices singing from the 4 sides of the hall. It was like quadraphonic stereo. (Anyone else remember that?) They then assembled on the stage where they sang the remaining 9 songs. Most were for the High Mass but they did have two “Negro Folk Songs” and one Brazilian tune complete w/ native percussion instruments and lots of strolling by the singers. (Think college jazz band.)

After the show I went over to the wife of the director and introduced myself. Her first comment was that I did not sound like I was from around here. I learned that her name was Susan Johnson formerly Susan Barker. She was a professor of business psychology, and get this, had dated Tommy West during high school and college. (Red Elephants #12 GHS class of 1974. For those non-Memphians, Tommy is the head football coach of the University of Memphis.) After a bit of talking she invited me to join her and the other 7 chaperons for dinner. Since this was truly my plan, I made the obligatory declines but agreed to go. She mentioned wanting to go to Trattoria Soprano, my favorite Italian restaurant, so off we walked. Included in this group of 8 were Susan, her husband David, Maciej Negrey, professor at the Akademia Muzyczna in Krakow, his protégé a woman now teaching at VSU, Dr. Robert Bauer, professor and department head at VSU who happened to be teaching in the Czech Republic, two of his fellow professors there and Susan’s best fried a Brazilian-born dentist living in Valdosta. (I hope I didn’t miss anyone.) Since we were such a large group, we could not get into Trattoria so we wound up at another Italian restaurant, Pavda. The restaurant looked like they were closing for the evening but happily agreed to take us in. (In fact, the busboy punched back in and the chef put his apron back on.) So in effect, we had the place to ourselves. The evening proved to be enchanting as I learned about the Czech Republic, tried a Polish specialty called wild mushroom soup, and enjoyed some fine company. It was truly special to be among such people, professors mostly, but Poles, Czechs and Americans all breaking bread together and having fun.

At about 11 p.m. we exchanged business cards and parted ways. They were off to do more and I did not want to wear out my welcome. All in all a very enjoyable evening w/ a link to back home.

Wow, Krakow is a small town.

Domestic Activities

2006-03-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I headed off to that pinnacle of consumerism ….. Tesco. (You thought I was going to write Wal-Mart.) Tesco, a British competitor of Wal-mart, has a superstore in Krakow. Upon arriving one takes a slanted movable walkway up to the first (what we call the second) level. Next, one pays 1 zloty (PLN) for the use of a shopping cart. (Buggy to you Southerners.) Actually, it is a deposit towards returning the cart. All of the carts are lined up and each cart is chained to the next but not to all. You place your 1 zloty coin into a box on the handle and the chain releases freeing your cart to roam up and down the aisles collecting all of those things one cannot live without. Just like back home. The only other things that make Tesco in Poland different than shopping in the States is that none of the packaging is in English and one does not hear moms and dads yelling at their children in the aisles. Well, they could have been chastising their kids, but I do not understand enough Polish to know if they were.

Since I could not read the overhead signs I proceeded to roll up and down the aisles looking for the 15 items on my list. What to my amazement did I see but an employee, clipboard in hand, roller blading past me. Now, that’s another great idea that needs exporting to the U.S. (Note to self ….a potential column is great ideas to export.) While corralling my cart around the store (you see, it had not one but 2 bad wheels) I passed domestics, car tires, electronics, the deli counter, breads, then finished up near the beer / wine / spirits shop by the side door. (Yet another great idea.) I found most of the items on the list (just like at home) and headed towards the check-out area where I had my choice of several unoccupied check out lanes. (Unlike at home.) After paying by credit card I returned my cart, received my deposit and left for the taxi stand.

All in all a good afternoon of …… what am I saying? It was drudgery in the fun city of Krakow. I just wanted to let you know that there is a little bit of domestication in this assignment.

My Apartment

2006-03-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

(The living room.)

One of the benefits of this assignment is that IP is paying for an apartment for me. So a few weeks back I went apartment hunting and the best part was that I was not spending my money.

I had three requirements in mind: a short walk to the market square and office, two bedrooms and a quiet neighborhood. Then Toni threw in one more: overlooking the Planty. You see, she had enjoyed the Planty when she was here in November and wanted to be able to see it when she returned each quarter. But first, what is the Planty?

The Planty (park in Polish) is a ring of grass, trees, benches and paved paths that was built on top of the original moat that surrounded the fortress walls. After years of neglect, the moat became a swamp and the town fathers decided to fill it in and create some much-needed parkland. In its place they created a very picturesque and peaceful circle around the old town that is used by people day and night.

So Toni, having enjoyed her strolls on it, wanted me to have a view of it from my apartment. So requirement #5 was added and it resulted in a great apartment that overlooks the Planty. And as an added bonus, I have a balcony that looks right down onto it.

The apartment building is new construction sandwiched between two very old buildings. It has 7 floors and I am on the top with my apartment having two levels. The first level has the kitchen, half bath and a LR that has a blond-colored wood floor. An open wooden staircase leads to the second level where the two bedrooms and bathroom are. The bathroom even has a shower stall, with 6 shower heads, almost as large as the one at my house. The master BR has a wall of windows, and get this, a half ceiling of windows.

Not a bunch of skylights but a series of panels of glass, as you can see above. And the view is great.

Included in the rent is a DVD player, 27 inch TV with satellite and the best part, weekly housekeeping. Plus it has a doorperson / guard 24 / 7.

All in all a great apartment although it does need a few wall hangings and some homey touches. (I did drive to Ikea to buy some things for it but that’s a story for a different time.) I feel quite fortunate to have found an almost perfect apartment. Here is my address in case you are in the neighborhood:

Brian D. Issing
ul. Sw. Tomasza 34 / 25
31-027 Kraków, Poland

This is what it means:

ul. Sw. Tomasza 34 / 25 (35 St. Thomas Street - Apartment #25)
31-027 Krakow, Poland (Postal Code, City, Country)

New additions to My Apartment:

(Stand by the door from an artist in Krakow.)

(Living room chair from an artist in Krakow.)

(Candlestick holder hand-forged in Praha, Czech Republic.)

(Looking towards the kitchen and front door.)

(Ceramic fish from an artist in Krakow. Glass vase w/ pussy willows - a gift from my training colleagues.)

Better Than Zywiec Bars and Restaurants

2006-02-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

There's a group of us here who believe that one of the local pivos, Zywiec, is worse that Old Milwaukee. In fact, I'd rather have an OM than a Zywiec. Because we dislike Zywiec so much, we go out of our way to find places that serve something better i.e. Okocim, Tyskie, Lech, or any of the number of Hefe-Weizzens. So to answer that oft-asked question of "Where is there an Okocim bar", I present the following list:

Places That Serve Okocim on Tap:

Zakopianki Cafe (our favorite)
Sukiennice
Philo
Shisha
Radisson SAS Lobby Bar: Salt & Co.
Rooster
Stainja in Kazimierz
Pizzeria Trzy Papryczki
Voyages in Kazimierz
U Szkota
Kawiarnia Europejska
Gruzinskie Checzapuri
Szaro in Kazimierz
Chlopskie Jadlo
Europejska Kawiarnia
Grill Cafe
Ratuszowa
Pod Oslona Nieba: pl. Dominikanski 6
Poezja Smaku: ul. Jagiellonska 5
Krzysztofory: ul. Szczepanska 2
Sphinx
Explorers' Club - CLOSED

Places That Serve Other Brands on Tap But Not Okocim:

Paese
Del Papa
Irish Arms
Nic Nowegos
Trattoria Soprano
Oldsmobil Pub and Restaurant
Non Iron – Has a micro-brewed Amber Ale on tap for 5 zloty
Manekin
Pod Sloncem
Brasserie in Kazimierz
Miod Malina
Awarnia
Paparazzi
Black Cafe

Skiing in Poland

2006-02-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

In January I had the opportunity to go downhill skiing near the Slovakian Border. The ski resort community of Bialka Tatrzanska, located in the Tatra Mountains, is about 100 km south of Krakow. (These mountains are part of the Carpathian Mountain chain.) This area is the ski capital of Poland and is dotted w/ many ski runs. In fact, the 2006 World Cup Ski Jump contest was held in a nearby town called Zakopane.

I drove (yes, Brian drove in Poland) the 2 1/2 hours in a convoy of other people from I.P. and arrived at the mountain (approx. 3300') before Noon. The ski rental was $8.00 and the lift ticket around $16.00 for the afternoon. I also took an hour private ski lesson, from an English speaking instructor, for another $15.00.

It had been 10 years since I last skied and I had forgotten more than I remembered so the lesson was a good idea. The lift lines were short, the views beautiful and the temperature hovered around 30 degrees F. I also fell down a lot.

After an afternoon of skiing I called my brother-in-law Peter from the foot of the slopes to brag that I had just skied in Poland. (He had once spent a week skiing in Europe so he could appreciate it.) We next drove to the place where we would be staying overnight. I would like to call it a hotel, motel, B&B, campsite, etc., but it was not like any of those. They call it a "pensioner" and it was a cross between a youth hostel and the YMCA hotels of old. Think of a boarding house that was freshly remodeled w/ numerous rooms upstairs. The owner's family lives on the main and cellar levels and they rent out the rest of the rooms. Some have bathrooms and some share a bath in the hall. We rented 6 rooms for the 15 of us and 4 of us guys shared one room. You had to bring your own towels, cups, soap.....kind of reminded me of camping. It cost us $15.00 a piece for the night.

After settling in there we went to the resort town of Zakopane and proceeded to look for a restaurant that had room for 15. After walking for 30 minutes we located one in the cellar of an old building where we experienced some good "Highlander" food. After dinner we hailed some taxis for the ride back to our rooms. But before getting in the taxis for the ride back, my Polish friends asked the drivers to drop us off at a bar that was close to our pensioner. The place we wound up at was a newly-built Highlander lodge with 4 fireplaces and a dance floor. The first thing my friends did was to buy a bottle of vodka. You see, they drink vodka like we drink wine. We caroused for a bit then at 1:30 a.m. someone had the novel idea to have a snowball fight. So a dozen of us rushed outside and proceeded to make snowballs. If you have never seen 12 adults have a snowball fight in the wee hours of the morning, you have not lived. In turn, each person was ganged up on until all had been attacked. When we ran out of snow .... just kidding. Within 20 minutes it was too cold to stay outside any longer so we retreated to the warmth of the inside and the 4 fireplaces. Not much later we hired a cab to take us home.

The next day we awoke to 10 degrees F. and 4 inches of new snow covering the cars. (It's been a long time since I had to use a snow brush.) After clearing the cars we left for home w/ a stop at the local McDonalds for breakfast and gas. I mean .... we stopped for petrol and something to eat at McDonalds. Except, they don't serve an American style breakfast so it was just kawa (coffee) and a blueberry muffin.

The return trip to Krakow was a long 4 hour journey on a winding 2 lane road. The traffic was so bad that we were stopped long enough to get out of the car to smear snow on the windshield to clean it. You see the temperature continued to drop and the windshield washer nozzles froze.

All in all it was a great weekend and even better now that I can tell people that I skied in Poland.

Brian's First Posting on Krakow

2006-02-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

Greetings to my family and friends. This is my initial posting to my new blog. For those new to this, a blog (short for Web log) is a sort of Web site where anyone can post comments on just about any topic. Mine will be mostly about my time in Krakow, Poland and other parts of Europe.

For those who do not know, I have accepted a short-term assignment w/ International Paper to lead the training and implementation phases of the new I.P. Global Customer Service Center in Krakow. I have spent 18 weeks here, on and off, since July and will be here for the next 6-9 months. (I move into an apartment next week.)

What a primo gig to be assigned here. When people think about Europe, Poland does not usually come to mind. But this place is something special. Poland is the 9th largest European country in terms of area and Krakow is the second largest city in Poland with about 757,000 people. It is also the cultural and educational center of Poland with its 105,000 university students and the 3rd oldest university in Europe. (Jagiellonian U. was founded in 1364.) In addition, Pope John Paul II was the bishop of Krakow for 20 years.

The food is mostly very good to excellent, inexpensive, plentiful and familiar to us Americans. The beer (piwo) is also plentiful, refreshing and inexpensive. (Think $1.90 for .5 liters (17 ounces.) And that's in the touristy market square.) The people are very friendly and willing to go out of their way to help you. And being in a university city, most young and/ or educated people speak English so it is easy to get around here. (I am learning a lot of Polish and can carry on short conversations.)

The one sad part is that I am away from Toni, and my friends, for an extended period of time. Toni and I did spend a solid week of our November vacation here and she enjoyed it immensely. She too could never have imagined being here and is looking forward to returning this March and each quarter after that.

This is enough for my initial posting. So come back often as I hope to post new comments, photos or articles about my experiences every few weeks. Who knows, maybe you will be inspired to visit. (I already have 2 sets of friends making the trip to Krakow this spring and summer.)