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Tour Day 7 | Dzień Siódmy
Tour Day 7 | Dzień Siódmy
Pilgrims' Path to Kraków
Pilgrims' Path to Kraków
We left Warsaw behind this morning and traced the path of pilgrims to the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa — home to the revered icon of the Black Madonna, the most important symbol of Polish Catholicism. We arrived with time to have lunch before the daily covering of what Tomasz called the Spirit of Poland. The history of this icon is a bit interesting as that it has been significantly covered by precious jewels and metals. This also has a legend surrounding the gouging on Madonna's cheek. It was said that the two scars on her right cheek is from when Hussites stormed the monastery in 1430, stealing the icon. When trying to escape with their plunder, the horses refused to move and they threw it onto the ground, one drawing his sword, striking the icon. When he attempted to strike a third time, he is said to have fallen to the ground and writhed in agony until his death. The slashes were later covered with a mixture of wax and tempera paint to preserve the wood.
Then we went on to Kraków, the Heart and Soul of Poland. Unlike much of the rest of Poland, Kraków was relatively untouched by the Germans in WWII as they surrendered early on, so much of the charming architecture from centuries past remains untouched. The scholars from around
Poland and other European countries flocked to this location where the universities were still open. This city has Europe's largest main square and is pretty spectacular at how vast and wide-open it is. After a city orientation, Diane and Kristen explored the city a little and ate dinner at Kogel Mogel, a Michelin star restaurant, having the best green salad and pierogi of the entire trip. Our server was interested to hear that Kristen lives in wine country in the US and had questions about the quality of the soil, types of grapes grown, processing methods, and more. We always love connecting over similar interests between cultures!
TRAVEL TIP: A number like to sleep on the travel days when we are on the bus for several hours. Diane likes to chat with others on the bus while Kristen enjoys doing so or editing her cell phone images from the previous day. There are roadside breaks approximately every 90 minutes where you can have a bio break, grab a quick snack or beverage, and stretch your legs.
The Black Madonna of Częstochowa is highly venerated by the Polish people
Each day, it is covered by a silver screen in order to reduce the amount of light pollution.
The doors leading from the Madonna to the side chapel have crutches of various sorts above the large door as a symbol of the people that were healed through faith in the Madonna's healing power.
Side Chapel's Altar
Kraków
Kraków
Around Old Town | Starówka
Around Old Town | Starówka
Left: Torch snuffing stone next to a front door; Right: Enjoy a ride around town in a horse-drawn carriage
Above: Until the advent of addresses, they would say that they live "under the lion" as their address; Middle: Saints Peter and Paul Church; Right: Door Knocker.
Left: Kristen's hotel room came with an oval window overlooking the street below and a very comfortable bed
Church of St. Wojciech (Aldabert), Main Market Square. This is one of the oldest stone churches in Poland at nearly 1,000 years-old. While digging down to unearth the walls, they discovered that the market floor was significantly lower than known, having been raised a few inches every few years when sand, straw, and dirt were laid to keep down the smells and messes associated with the market. The stagecoach marks were the city's first post office was located.
Cloth Hall is a massive building in the middle of the square. You will find stalls selling souvenirs, cafes, and the museum ticket booth in this location. At night, it is lit up and its archetectural details harken back to a previous era.
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