Wednesday, July 10, 2024 - Krakow

 As the temperature was predicted to be in the low 90s we began the day a bit earlier than originally planned. Pioter met us with the bus at location of the precision dump two days ago, namely at the post office.  Tomasz joined Agneshka to introduce us to Nowa Huta (New Steel Works), "an enormous planned workers' town 5 miles east of Central Krakow, for a glimpse into the stark, grand scale anesthetics of the communists." Around 97 thousand farmers and villagers were brought here to live and work in this town. 

  What we learned and saw on our walking tour in the city where he was raised is no churches, square high-rise apartment buildings arranged in small districts with a park and school and laundry lines. The name given one district is "cute". We did see a church,built over a period of ten years, with strict instructions that it be built by hand, without machines. It looks like an ark. Nowa Huta is part of Krakow and growing and a desirable suburb.

  With instructions six of us were dropped off the bus to visit the Oscar  Schildler factory museum. It was very warm, crowded, and yet a kind guard dealt mercifully with me and the ticket which I had apparently purchased through a ticket agency rather than been through the museum. He understood our assertion that we six will remain together. I learned a good lesson, too.

  The museum gave the history of the WW II and Oscsr Schildler's role. Through, film, video, audio, written documents, all presented experiential and creatively I learned that Schindler was a German officer. He managed a munitions factory which also made enamel table ware. Jewish people were sent from tbe ghetto to work in the factory. He provided food as well as  barracks for sleeping after Schindler learned of their living conditions. If some of this story is not correct it is that I did not read every description.  .after I learned that he moved the factory and employees to  Czechoslovak He did a lot of bribing of the Nazi watchers.

  We had been given tram tickets and directions back to the hotel. After a short rest a cool down the entire tour group gathered to walk to the restaurant for our farewell dinner. Beginning with prosecco we had bread,seasoned lard, pickles and mushrooms and tossed salad. Agnesh,a toasted us as we took our first sip:Na zdrowie! The main course was either boneless local trout or duck. With the latter came rotkohl, roasted potatoes. and roasted apple with local cranberries. It was fabulous! Dessert was also fabulous raspberry crumble pie. 

  Agneshka gave each of us a suncatcher with pieces of amber. We shared hugs and returned slowly to the hotel, and after a few more hugs we parted to sleep.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunday, July 13, 2025 - Travel Day to Kyoto

 We selected breakfast items and picked up some requested items for Kenji rom the grocery store across the street. Karin had already started a load of laundry while I was still asleep. In our room we ate our purchases. I had a banana, a small bag of shelled edamame,and half a ham,cheese and llettuce. It was p,enty to hold me over four our 1130 reservation at a shabu ahabu restaurant.  Karin had researched inexpensive shabu shabu restaurants and found this one out of the main  touristy areas and in a metro mall. This meal had many parts: a choice of broth which is simmered on a burner at the table. On c houses a meat and how much  eat. One chooses  two dipping sauces and what kind of rice,  oh yes. The. There was a large bowl of fresh vegetables some of which I didn't recognize. I put them and the meat into the simmering broth.  With spoons to stir the ingredients there were lots of things on the table. The  meal was delicious,  super deliciou...
Read more

Begining of our family journey in Japan July 1 - 3, 2025

 This blog will cover our travel day and our first full day in Japan. Now, it already early morning on the 4th of July. Adjusting to the humidity is a challenge. Our travel day and our first full day are behind us already. I had no energy to write when we returned to our hotel yesterday. The humidity had taken it away. Nevertheless it's a new day after a good night's rest.  Our travel day passed smoothly as did the flight. We arrived ahead of the scheduled time and then taxied more than fifteen minutes to the gate. Kenji was very helpful in leading us through immigration and customs. He had also arranged for us to be picked up and driven to our hote that was a real gift after a length mostly sleepless flight. Karin lead us to an ATM to obtain cash as well as a "Suica" card. The card is very useful for public transportation as well as purchases in some small stores. I had read that both the Suica card and cash would be most useful in meal and transportation purchases, ...
Read more

Saturday, July 5, 2025 - Tokyo

 Karin and I went to bed Friday watching a newscast about residents being evacuated from a very small Japanese island near Okinawa, following an earthquake the day earlier. Saturday morning we watched a forecast of higher temps with little rain and a bit more about recent earthquakes on the outer islands, and we enjoyed our coffee and banana while listening to Japanese. Perhaps it will seep into our brains to help us understand more? With Leo Karin and I went to the nearby Family Mart to purchase additional breakfast food for the four of us to enjoy in our room. We ate and enjoyed relaxed conversations about the plans for today and train reservations for next week Tuesday to Osaka.  We then took two metro lines to the location of the digital Team Lab light show. For more than two hours we wandered in rooms large and small and corridors. Sights were flowers, figures, curved lines, abstract drawings,  birds butterflies, fish,  and small animals all moving on the walls ...
Read more