What's the best way to keep pigeons off a statue? Have it breath fire. Seriously. I loved Dragon statue under Wawel Castle Grounds.
The Wawel Cathedral was first started in the 12th century. And they added on. There is 14th century gothic, 17th century Baroque, 16th century Renaissance, and 18th and 19th century Neoclassical. You are not allowed to take pictures inside. The Polish redid an area and it is now the Chapel of the Blessed John Paul II. They hope to one day have the former Pope buried there. I wouldn't bet on that though. His statue is outside the Cathedral.
The castle is modeled after Florence. Something about the inner courtyard of the castle is off.
Figure it out? Look closer.
The wall on the one side is fake. Look at the windows. You can see the "outside." This is to make it appear proportionate.
The Main Market Square is bustling. Lots of people everywhere. Tons of outside cafes. Jazz performers played at one place. And St. Mary's Church. The inside is beautiful. Very bright with sky blues and red paints. A church has stood on that spot for 800 years. And the gothic alterpiece is for Mary. Cloth Hall is also on the Market Square. You can buy any souvenirs you want there. (Practicing my evening picture taking.)
This picture was taken early in the morning.
Pope John Paul II was originally from Krakow. He was archbishop at St. Francis Basilica. They marked his favorite pew. The church has amazing stain glass windows. The Basilica building is not that impressive. When he visited Krakow he stayed across the street from this Basilica. The Polish love Pope John Paul II. There are pictures of him everywhere. The Polish are very catholic. There are 32 churches in Old Town alone.
The Polish own a Leonardo da Vinci painting: Lady with an Ermine. No pictures of this. But google for an image. It is considered one of his best surviving pieces. No restoration or changes done to it. I looked at it for a while. I noticed that da Vinci can not paint hands very well. Her hands are huge. See, even the greats have room for improvement.
The best thing about Poland? Hands down--Pierogies. I went to a Milk Bar. Back in the Communist era, the Soviets thought everyone should be able to have a good meal. So they subsidized Milk Bars. Well, the one I loved still looks like 1950! Even the workers had that about them. But the pierogies were amazing. I ate the plate full of cheese ones on the first day. And went back for the meat pierogies on the last day. Both days I sampled the Borscht Ukrainian soup (beet soup with vegetables).
If you are interested, you can read about the Holocaust part of my trip after the jump. But I'll keep it brief. The visit to Auschwitz is more something you experience then I can adequately explain on a blog.
Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a walled city. And there are no cars within the walls. You'll see that in a few.
From on/within the wall.
A picture I'll one day paint.
Ok, this last one was from the wall, looking at the old port.
The main street is Stradun. Yes it is marble (I think).
Little ones playing on the ground.
I think this is my favorite picture-some kids sneaking a ride.
The original bell tower was from 1444, but rebuilt in 1920 when it started to lean. The clock is wound every 2 days.
Cool architecture
During the Middle Ages, they built a large water duct system and fountain.
St. Blaise is the patron saint. At his church, I lit a candle here for my Great Aunt Jo. A little while later, the nun extinguished them all, kicked everyone out, and locked the door. I tried. But notice how I'm visiting a place with Catholic churches....
The Croatians fought the Defense of the Homeland War against the Yugoslav Army. The Croatians used the fortress at the high point (Mount Srd) above the city to defend it. The original cable car and cross were destroyed in the the fighting. The landmines were removed and in 2010 a new cable car was built. In a 2003 visit, Pope John Paul blessed the rubble of the old cross.
You can walk up to Mount Srd or take the cable car. I took the cable car up (why not I use them all the time to ski) mostly because I couldn't find the foot path. I managed to find the path for the walk down (45 minutes). I would have preferred to walk up.
The mountain view from the cross area is breathtaking. If it weren't for the fighting, I would have liked to hike around there. But I'm not that stupid. I'll stick to the well worn path. (Yes this is a real picture from my amazing new camera that I love. Even if the mountain and clouds look fake because it is that good.)
About 56 percent of the buildings were damaged by artillery. The buildings with bright orange tile are the ones damaged and replaced.
If you look closely, you can see the shrapnel damage, from the war, on the building.
Croatia is suppose to be a cheap country to visit. Maybe this is true. If you don't go to the tourist part. I went to Dubrovnik to see the beaches. I figured that end of May would be warm enough to lay there on the beach and be happy. Evil weather in Europe had other plans. As it turns out, this is the oddest year for weather. It feels like March 1st, not early June. So I didn't get to lay on the beach in my swim suit. But I did visit the beach. It is beautiful. There is sand there and then pebbles/rocks as well. And the water is amazing clear and such vivid colors of blue and green.
Remember, not a film major (I'll work on taking better videos in the future).
I loved the octupus salad at Konoba Kamenice. Best octupus salad I've ever had. And I've had a few good ones. And the seafood risotto I ate. Also, wonderful Americanish breakfast. Not quite American bacon, but close and I'll take it. ha ha Plus I recommend Dolce Vita for the orange or chocolate chip ice cream. But I doubt you could go wrong with any flavor there.
