Café Zakopianka – April 19, 2011

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

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

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 known sculpture with a tie to Memphis.

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

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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.

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/
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): CLOSED 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.

Zdarzenie Restauracja: pl. Mariacki. Polish and good. Inexpensive.