Poland

Old Town Warsaw

I had a gap at work where I was going to have to return to the US and then fly back to Europe in a week. I took the opportunity to spend that week based in Krakow and avoid the extra round trip. I planned to work in the morning and take the afternoon off to explore. I was lucky enough to be able to wake very early, and while I had my breakfast in the Hotel Saski's, Metropolitan restaurant, I worked until I heard the church bells at noon.

The hotel was just a few steps from Old Market Square and put me in the middle of all the excitement that Krakow has to offer. I spent much time exploring this jewel of a city, finding some great places to just sit and people-watch. The Hotel Saski was a great find, very reasonable, and really a charm. It is a restored monastery that has a variety of rooms. Ask for one that is quiet, as it is also close to many of the nightspots close to the square.

Krakow is an incredible city. The architecture here has been well-preserved since the 12th century. Many cities in Europe were changed due to the war, but in Krakow, you see the original buildings as well as very old trees that are not common in the bombed-out cities of WWII. The old town is charming, and the choices of great restaurants and cafes are outstanding. The city is teeming with students, which gives the place a real buzz. Lots of small cafes, coffee houses, bookshops, and clubs make the city feel alive.

The tram runs through the old part of town.

Krakow is a Catholic city. Dozens of beautiful old churches dot the old city. This church, the church of St Peter and St Paul, dates back to 1044 and has seen several renovations over the centuries. John Paul, the Polish Pope, spent many years here as a student and later as a Cardinal.

A few hours' comfortable train ride north lies the capital city of Warsaw. This city has gotten a bad rap as being ugly and boring. I was able to spend about two weeks there and learned to appreciate this city. Its town center is bustling with people, great restaurants, clubs, and shopping. Its old town is magnificent in its beauty. Spend an evening strolling through the old town, seeing the wonderfully restored buildings and sampling the great foods. Warsaw was devastated during WWII but rebuilt and restored in the '50s. Don't let anyone tell you that Warsaw should be passed, you will be missing another wonderful gem of old Europe!

Old Town's restored square. ( Looking at this photo after I had put it on the website, I realized that the man on the bottom left was one of my former colleagues, Jim DeVries, RIP.

Close to the village of Wilanów, just minutes south of Warsaw, is a beautiful old summer palace of the former kings. Surrounded by winding gardens, small lakes, running streams, local restaurants, and small rural farms, it is a pleasant place to walk and enjoy the Polish countryside. If you visit Warsaw, find this oasis and enjoy the quiet tranquility of this beautiful part of Poland, just minutes from the city.

Beautiful people, great food, and an overall beautiful country. The people in Poland were some of the friendliest I have ever met. They opened their homes to me, allowed me to access with my camera to their lives, and shared their meals with me. Great soups made with hand-picked, fresh, wild mushrooms became a favorite of mine! Of course, the beet soup rivaled it, but having the choice to select either was a great problem to have.

The countryside was magnificent too. Being there to witness the fall leaves changing was exciting for me. It reminded me very much of upstate New York with its many deep colors and rich fall aromas. The train ride from Warsaw to Krakow allowed me plenty of time to watch the city turn into beautiful fall colors as rural Poland passed by the train windows. Arriving in Krakow and later driving over the High Tatras Mountains to Slovakia was thrilling. This part of the Carpathians is majestic with its sheer rocky cliffs that are often capped with snow. This was a great time to be there.

About an hour's drive west of Krakow is the infamous remains of the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi concentration camps. I have visited several other camps before these and had an idea as to what to expect, but one is never prepared to accept what you see and know happened in these places.

I have also been to several places around the globe where genocide has occurred, and evil feels similar in each of them. It is incomprehensible to me how humans can treat other humans and rationalize their behaviors. Unfortunately, genocide is not just a European phenomenon. As I travel the world and here at home, the massacre of groups of humans seems all too common. Whether it be in Europe, Africa, Asia, or the Americas, the minds of people who perpetrated such acts escape my understanding.

A short slideshow of my visits through Poland.

Slideshow of my visit to the death camps west of Krakow.