Krakow (Crakow) Airport 6:15 a.m.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Man did 5:00 a.m. come early! I was getting used to sleeping in (at least till 6:30) but Nick Kitto is a slave driver, and also one excellent travel planner. The entire trip was set up and planned by Nick and Suzan and all Susan and I had to do was hang on for the ride! They did inspire me to start searching the web and Friday I booked us for London on our next 4-day holiday in November. Part of our goal as we teach overseas is to travel as much as our time and money allow and so far we’re off to a great start. Our trip to Krakow is a perfect example!!

The only way to describe our drive from school to the apartments (to pick up cabs) to the cabdrive to the airport was close your eyes / duck often / pray constantly. All so that we could find out our flight was delayed over 45 min. Zagreb, Vienna, and Krakow were our destinations that night. Every flight served dinner and drinks of all choices, could most American airlines learn a lesson!!! Five weary travelers (Kitto’s daughter Maxine was with us) were happy to find the Globus hotel.

A trip to the “salt mine” was Thursday’s goal but not before a visit to the town square. For this rookie to Europe, INCREDIBLE!!!!!! Although occupied by Germany during WW2 and part of the Soviet Block for years, Krakow escaped the devastation that Warsaw underwent and the city is a treasure house of architectural gems. A morning of walking led to an afternoon of steps, over 800, straight down as we descended into a salt mine that gave thousands, if not millions, of Polish miners economic employment. Despite the beauty of the Grand Hall, the shadow lake, one of eight dining rooms found on levels two and three, all I could hope for was the timbers holding (they did) and the lift making one more trip (it did, all 900 ft. approximately) so I could reflect on its beauty

as we made the bus ride back to Krakow. This would be a topic of conversation as we decided about dinner and explored the Jewish Quarter.

Friday’s tour of “Auschwitz” was not an uplifting part of this trip but an important one. Prior to World War II, the Jewish populations in most European countries lived in “quarters”, defined portions of a city like Krakow. This made the Nazis’ job of “contain, deport, and cleanse” much easier. Death camps like Auschwitz (located an hours drive from Krakow) sole purpose was to eliminate as much of the Jewish,

Roma (Gypsy), and any others considered “undesirable” to the Nazi master plan of ethnic cleansing. Another group who were targeted for Auschwitz were Polish nationals who participated in the “resistance”. Personally it was staggering to stand on the ground where such atrocities took place over 60 years ago and know I am living in a country where the same acts occurred only 15 yrs. ago. Let us also remember it is going on in parts of Africa as we speak.

After a very somber return to Krakow, it was encouraging to see the beauty and vibrancy of the people and the city itself. Somehow it seemed appropriate to spend the evening in the Jewish Quarter.

Saturday’s goal was to explore more of the city centar, visit our first international IKEA, and recover from the day before. We accomplished the first two, I’m not sure if you should ever recover from Auschwitz. It was a great trip, full of too many experiences to account for, but the food must be noted.

I have dined in many of North America’s major cities, experienced the diversity of Brazil, but for quality dining at a relatively modest price, Krakow is a bargain. We ate traditional Polish & Jewish dinners, lunches were perogies, kebob’s, and some of the best pizza I have eaten anywhere.

Sunday’s return to Sarajevo started off as uneventful as Wednesday’s was crazy. What I didn’t expect was that our flight from Zagreb to Sarajevo would be cancelled. That allowed us a nine-hour time to learn the Kitto’s are Euchre sharks, Cribbage and walking are common pastimes, and that we are blessed with friends (formed over Skype) that we could share this adventure with. We also rolled into Ciglane at 11:30p.m. A full four days!!!