Krakow: Wieliczka Salt Mine

Of all the things to see in Krakow, Smee and I opted to visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine.  A salt mine you might ask?  Yes - a SALT mine!! As in the stuff you put on your chips and other bland foods.  When I was in Salzburg, I did consider going their salt mine but did not manage to squeeze it in as the Sound of Music was my priority. 

I'm not sure how the Salzburg mines differ to the one we visited but hey, the Krakovian one has a cathedral inside.  Cool! Again, our tour began with the ever reliable Poles collecting us from outside our apartment.  I should just also give a shout-out to all the Krakovians out there - they're just so accommodating!  The drive was a comfortable 20 minutes or so out of central Krakow.  It began raining just as the bus parked itself, so it was a good thing that we were going deep underground.



The mine itself is one of the oldest in the world and began operating in the 13th century.  I personally think the most nifty fact is that it only ceased operating in 1996.  They've done a really good job at making this a decent tourist attraction - complete with live gnomes! Oooh look, he's sleeping...






The walls and floors are all made of salt which I've learnt is grey in it's natural state.  *nerd alert*  So don't go down there expecting something resembling Superman's Crystal Fortress - it's much murkier than that.  While waiting for the the queue and rain to abate we sought shelter near the souvenir shop and saw an interesting array of mementos on offer including figurines of Hasidic Jews (!!). 





Our descent began down some stairs and into the shafts, walking along well worn paths which many have been before us.  You'd think this was a very clean coal mine!

Yes we were encouraged to lick the walls.  No, I am not really doing so.

Here's a monument to Copernicus, Poland's own scientific son who proposed that the earth was not the centre of the universe (how smug of man to even think that!).  *thumbs up to you Mr. Copernicus*

This is recreates the legend whereby Princess Kinga tossed her engagement ring *flutters at the fairytale story* down the salt mine, only to have it found again... or something like that.

 



Heading down some more stairs.... 

Oh look! It's the Salt Mine King! Hehehe

Finally we reach the piece de resistance... Saint Kinga's Chapel.  I'll say it again... it's all made of NaCl (salt for you lay-people). 

The view from the top of the stairs.

One of the many chandeliers in the chapel.  Yes, made of salt crystals!  Well except for the light bulbs.

The chapel altar.

A pretty decent version of Leonardo's The Last Supper.  All carved in salt!

Lil ol me in the chapel.

Channeling my powers through the salt crystal.

Can there be anything not in this salt mine?  A full blown reception centre available for hire.

For anyone doubting 'how fun can this be', well Smee and I thought the salt mine was very fun indeed!  Our guide was (as we've come to expect from the Poles) excellent and just really, really enthusiastic about salt.

By the time we reached back into central Krakow it was pissing down and we were hungry.  Our refuge (ok fine it was our intended target) was Hawelka restaurant. Something of an institution in Krakow, it's decor is a bit formal and we felt a little out of place in our rain-soaked casual gear, especially with the three tuxedos sitting on the next table.  But the Krakovians are an accommodating bunch and must be used to seeing slack-dressed tourists because the service given was with a smile :) 

They certainly like their soups in bread bowls don't they?  So do I!  It's porcini mushroom soup in case you're wondering.

I opted for the "grilled veal tenderloins with potato dumplings, chanterelle mushrooms in cream and fresh rosemary".  F**k, it was SO YUM!!!! Smee kept picking at my dish in envy.  He was craving a pork schnitzel and a schnitzel he did get.  It was nice too, but not as nice as mine!  I've forgotten what our side dish was - some type of cabbage.

We retired for the afternoon until going back out again for dinner.  Given that it was our last night in Krakow, we made the most of our gorge fest and returned to Babci Maliny. Hehehe..

Krakow: Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp

The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp (or more commonly referred as just 'Auschwitz') has long been on my must-do list.  The genocide that occurred during WWII has always struck me as utterly and plainly bewildering.  The sheer effort, the extensive planning, the systematic processes, the pure efficiency in which the act was carried out - this is a part of modern history which should remain acknowledged. You would think that humanity would learn from the past but more recent atrocities suggest that this is not the case.  For anyone traveling to Krakow, I recommend you put it on your itinerary.



Our tour began with a morning bus collection.  The drive to Oświęcim (the Polish name for Auschwitz) took about an hour.  You can check out the official website for information on making your own way to Auschwitz but I suggest you save yourself the hassle and book one of the many tours available.  They usually range between 90-120 Zlotys (ours being 89 Zlotys, approx. £20) and for that price will include a guided tour of Auschwitz I (main and original camp) and Auschwitz II (Birkenau).  There also exists Auschwitz III (Monowitz) but it was not part of the tour.  I think it was destroyed, nevertheless the guide assigned to our group said there was nothing to see there.

The infamous Arbeit macht frei ('work sets you free') gate under which all prisoners passed through when they arrived at the main camp, Auschwitz I.  The slogan was used to give unsuspecting victims false hope.  As the guide informed us, this hope was also the basis why many victims purchased their own train ticket to the camp, thinking that they would escape persecution.  


 


No photography is allowed indoors where the permanent exhibitions are displayed.  Within Block 4 behind a panel of glass was a collection of human hair taken from the victims, a lot of which were still tied in plaits or payots.  This particular exhibit extended a considerable room length and for all the tossy deniers out there, well there was certainly enough evidence in this room to demonstrate that something atrocious had indeed occurred during the Nazi regime.  The most disturbing revelation was how the Nazi's used the hair to manufacture carpets and rugs, one of which was on display. 


Block 5 contained personal items seized from the victims upon their arrival.  Many had brought all their personal belongings to the camp, believing that they were being given a chance at a 'better life'.  It explains why of all things the victims brought items such as kitchenware and their best clothes.  A room full of shoes and prosthetic limbs was also included.

The sign outside Block 10 explains it's use for medical experiments which were mainly conducted on women. 

Block 11 was the most feared by prisoners as it was known amongst them as the 'Death Block'.  Experiments determining the efficacy of Cyclon B were conducted in cells here.  Also located here were the solitary cells and the much worse 'Standing Cells' where victims would die from exhaustion after working all day long only then to stand with three others in a cell instead of lying down to sleep. 

Next to Block 11 was a small yard containing a reconstruction of the ricochet-proof Death Wall and also the 'posts' from which prisoners were hung with arms tied above them until their shoulders broke.  

Auschwitz I began as the only camp and the site of the early exterminations.  This is one of the first gas chambers on site and served as a prototype for the ones which were constructed on Birkenau. 

From there our tour continued with a short ride to Birkenau (Auschwitz II) which was built to cope with the overcrowding at the main camp and eventually served as the main site for extermination. 

We were taken through the wooden buildings where prisoners slept.  Bunks were constructed to slant slightly and four to five people were assigned to each bed.

The slanting bunks not only allowed prisoners to exit their beds more quickly without the use of a ladder but it also made the beds smaller, thereby more bunks and more prisoners could be crammed in to each building.  Krakow has stifling, hot Summers and freezing, snowy Winters and the living conditions would have been grueling to say the least. 

The communal amenities was the one place where prisoners could talk amongst themselves and bandy together away from the SS soldiers who were revolted by the stench.  Prisoners were rushed through each morning and basins were often bypassed as washing hands and faces meant losing valuable work time.  Prisoners who were assigned toilet maintenance duties were considered 'lucky' as they were sheltered away from the elements. 

It is unbelievable that camps of such size managed to remain hidden to the Allies.  In spite of that, I had imagined Auschwitz covered much larger grounds.  How else would they accommodate the huge numbers of victims?  Errrr......Pardon my asininity but obviously the Nazis didn't care for 'accommodation' and having an over-crowded camp was of no concern to them. 

[As a side rant - Since returning to London, I found it astonishing and outrightly bizarre to hear one person say to me:  "Oh, why would you go there?  It happened so long ago.  That's so depressing.  I wouldn't want to go there.  I don't want to be depressed".

I mean, seriously.. wtf??  Who says things like that?  I'm not about to paint myself a hero, but that last sentence just ticked.... me.... off and speaks volumes about their oblivion and lack of respect and sensitivity for those who perished   At the very most, that particular person should have rephrased and instead said something along the lines of "I don't think I could handle visiting Auschwitz" and refrained from being horrified and stunned at the fact that I did indeed visit the site.  Sheesh.]

Our tour returned us to the centre of town which was going about being lively as usual and an outdoor concert perfectly complimented the balmy evening.

We chose to have dinner at Babci Maliny which was recommended for cheap, traditional Polish fare.  They have several restaurants of which we ate at the Szpitalna branch.

The restaurant is decked out with rustic benches which you often end up sharing with strangers as this place is popular with students, locals and tourists.  There's even a live budgie in cage to boot. 

For all the lack of fuss on the ground floor, the basement is a totally different world complete with a piano-playing matire'd.  Otherwise, it is run with minimal fanfare whereby you place your order at the bar, find yourself a seat and then wait for the Polish women to yell out your number... in Polish of course!  Smee thought it best that he stand at the bar and monitor each dish and query if it was ours. 

 

 (T-B, L-R)  Goulash stew served in bread (yum!), Smee's ground beef fillet, my pierogi (which I didn't take a liking to - too dry) and consequently ordered a stew. Hehehe... hearty!

If you're after a hearty, honest meal, then Babci Maliny is a good bet.  If you're vegetarian, well you might need to go to a salad bar afterward.  I mentioned the food was cheap.  It was ridiculously so - we bought all the above for less than £10! 

 

Enjoying my meal under the hanging cured meats.  Such suitable decoration!

Even though we were exploding, I insisted on having dessert - Babci Maliny's special pancakes!  So much effort was put into my £2 dessert that I felt bad for not finishing it. 

I need not mention that we chose to walk to back to our apartment in a vain attempt to counter tonight's calories. 

Krakow - Day 2

Our second day in Krakow began with a late start (as it should on holidays) and we returned to the Stary Kleparz market to find the constituents of today's lunchies.  It was a bit sultry and probably not the ideal conditions for displaying perishables but the goods on offer must have been especially fresh as they were coping fairly well in the heat.  However, I still don't think I would have bought the fresh cheese that was happily sitting on the trestle tables for fear of dying from bowel-related complications.  Each to their own, I say!

Never one to say no to an authentic sausage, Smee makes his purchase.


We took a detour home via the Florian Gate to make our purchase for the Auschwitz-Birkenau and Salt Mine tours.  With competition rife, we managed to get our tickets for the bargain total of 199 Polish Zloty (approx £43) each.

I do feel a little bad for one agent who spent much time explaining our tours only to have us leave the store in search of an ATM because they didn't accept Amex.  We told her we would return!  We couldn't find an ATM and instead went to another agent who accepted our credit card with glee. 

On our way back to our apartment we hunted down some giant beers.

The advantage of going to a 'local's market' is that the food tends to be locally sourced (duh) and sold by the farmer or at least sold by someone who separates the farm from the general public by a only 1 or 2 degrees.  The advantage of local produce speaks for itself - an abundance of food selling for cheap!  Smee and I were in chanterelle mushroom heaven which were selling for the seriously stupid price of £2 per kilo.  Wtf.... of course we bought a kilo.  Nearby chanterelle heaven was cherry heaven which were going for £1 per kilo.  Yep, we bought a kilo of cherries too.  So sweet..... so fresh.  Mmmmm..... Back at our apartment, Smee served up the sausages with a bit of garlic butter on the chanterelles and we munched on the cherries to top it off. 

To burn off the calories we walked to Wawel Castle which hmmm in comparison to other European castles wasn't particularly impressive from the outside.  We didn't go inside as it had shut for the day (so I really shouldn't be making judgment) but I don't think I missed out on much. 

The path to the castle grounds and the gate entrance.

Smee with Pope John Paul II.  The Poles are pretty proud of him.  The first non-Italian pope for 500 or so years!

The castle grounds and me so happy to be at the back of the castle. 

We made our around the back of the castle after which (if you took the correct turn) led to the traditionally Jewish district of Kazimierz.

Just in case you were lost, here is a sign pointing you in the correct direction of Frankfurt, Bordeaux, Edinburgh, Seville and other cities.

That's one way to paint car.

Unsurprisingly, Kazimierz was for the most part of the 20th century a run down neighbourhood.  It's only been recently that the Krakovians have given the area a bit of a face lift and it is now it is where you can find some modern, funky bars. 

People sitting at your normal everyday bar.... but on closer inspection, the table where you put you drink is actually a sewing table!  Cool eh?

Kazimierz was also one of the filming locations for Schindler's List but we didn't seek out any significant filming sites nor join one of the golf cart tours who would happily point them out.

Whilst wandering through the side streets, you couldn't help but feel a little sad to see the remnants of the Jewish settlement which had otherwise thrived here until WWII.  Most buildings had obviously seen better days.  However, looking on the bright side, it was nice to see that the former ghetto is undergoing revitalisation. 

The Old Synagogue and one of the restaurants, Ariel.

Smee and I then walked to Galeria Kazimierz via the backstreets, walking past two cemeteries.  Not a path to take for the easily spooked.  It wasn't a terribly long walk but we were pretty happy to see a shopping centre oasis at the end of it.  One thing that we realised while in Krakow - the Poles work really hard!  Shopping centres while relatively deserted remain open until 10pm on most nights! 

Krakow - Day 1

To help Smee 'recover' from his wisdom teeth surgery, we decided to go away to Krakow for a few days.  An early morning flight always feels a lot earlier when you only manage two hours of sleep the night before.  Hmmm.. when will I ever learn?

We arrived in Krakow and searched for the direct train which would take us to the city centre.   Knowing that the train station was only 200 metres from the airport and that it was indeed a glorious day, Smee and I shuffled our way there.  Sure, there was a free shuttle bus but we made it to the station before the people on the bus!  The train 'station' was just an outdoor platform and a single track.  Definitely not what I expected and when we initially saw the 'station' we both asked 'Errr... is that it?'

Luckily the train which arrived to transport us to Krakow Glowny was a far more modern affair and looked a little incongruous on the weed-surrounded track.  The best bit was when the train honked before it passed over the rail crossing.  Why the honk?  No boom gates! *thumbs up for safety*

We weren't ready to navigate Polish public transport yet and the walk to our hotel was about 20 minutes so we opted for a cab ride instead.  We were unashamedly ripped off by the driver who charged us more than double than what we should've paid.  Of course we didn't know it at the time.  

We stayed at the Top Apartments which were (not surprisingly) at the top of a three storey building.  Three stories doesn't sound like much but it was a bit of pain when you have no elevator! Krakow have plenty self-catering apartments and if we were ever to visit again, I'd try for an apartment closer to the Old Town.  Tired from the early morning flight, we decided to have a siesta before heading off to explore our Polish surroundings.

The weather was a balmy 30 or so degrees and a bit too hot for Smee's liking but I was more than happy to not be lugging around a spare cardigan.  The Old Town is surrounded and partially hidden (like a treasure!) by the pretty Planty Garden Ring.  The Old Town's main market square, Rynek Glowny was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and reminded me much of Tallinn (a good thing).  The square oozed a cool, relaxed, student-city vibe and made Krakow instantaneously likable :D

The main architectural highlights were observed and we snapped away at the the Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower (top left) and had a peek inside the Cloth Hall (top right) where you can stock up on your Polish crafts and souvenirs. 

I had to be a hardcore tourist and cover all of the square so here I am posing outside St Mary's Basilica (bottom left) The Barbican (bottom right) at the edge of the city wall was also a fairly impressive piece of work.  Like I said in Tallinn - I like turrets!



I also found a walking beer in the square - he was pretty cool.  So cool, I wanted to go up to him and give him a punch.  You know.... the urge you get when you see people dressed up in novelty gear?  I didn't want to hurt him!  He just looked.... punchable. The heat was a bit much for some of the locals who had a bit of a fun with a fully functioning water pump.  How quaint. 

Smee and I wanted to check out the Stary Kleparz produce market but most of the shops were shutting up by the time we arrived.  Boo hoo, we'll just to return tomorrow!  Also it was a bit 'sweaty' there and selection on offer was looking a little worse for wear.

 

We also found the not-so Secret Service office.  Might wanna change that sign guys.

To top off our day, we got a mojito from KFC (ok ok and a few hot wings).  No alcohol, but quite refreshing!