Meanwhile, I'm bracing up for the heat, going to Krakow again.
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I survived the heat and landed home safely bringing lots of impressions.
The first interesting Krakow encounter of today was in front of the train timetable, in the tunnel underneath the platforms. A young woman with a huge rucksack asked me to help her understand the chart and find the nearest train to Rzeszów, which I did. Getting by train to Skarzysko in the evening turned out not so easy, to my disappointment, so I remained faithful to private mini-coaches. Being me, when the woman remarked she'd been travelling for over a day, I couldn't help asking her where she had set off. She eagerly told me her journey started in Shannon, Ireland, because that's where she works looking after an old couple. The man is ninety and he still walks by himself, but still they both need a lot of care. It's hard, physical work. The money is not bad, however, at the moment, she was given only one 24-hour shift per week. You can't live on that. Some other women arrived by the timetable and it turned out they were also going to Rzeszow and our chat finished there. I headed for the tram stop and took a picture in the tunnel:
Having emerged from the tunnel, I took a few snap of the Coach Station area and walked though the adjacent little Park Strzelecki to take a tram to the surgery.
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| Excellent fresh tomato soup venue! |
After the majestic church, I walked along Stolarska Street and took a few pictures of the Dominican Market as well as some important places facing it:
A moment ago, GOOGLE CHROME crashed and I lost some text. I took some pictures heading for Muzeum Erazma Ciołka in the picturesque Kanonicza Street poverlooking the Wawel Royal Castle:
Having met my dear friend at the museum courtyard, I suggested that we try and see an exhibition of old photography showing Spain in the 1940s and 1950s. Around a hundred pictures were selected from a vast collection owned by The Etnographic Museum in Krakow. It must have been a difficult choice. They show Spain hardly any of us, the visitors, would get a chance to see. Original pictures are carefully put on display in chronological order along with discreet information panels. Who took all these pictures? It was one man, a Pole named Marian Maurizio Abramowicz. Heand his wife travelled on a motorbike across war stricken Europe to find home in Spain. Being an agricultural engineer, he landed a good job. The job involved lots of travelling all over Spain, the mainland and the islands. Hence, plenty opportunities for picture taking. And a talent for it. Plus a passion. Owing to that we can now see this contemporary tourist Mecca as it was before. I wish it wasn't so late, because I'd love to tell you more about it. One thing I simply must mention: the kindness of the people at The Spanish Institute. The exhibition doesn't open to visitors till tomorrow. We came there around 17.30 and were allowed in, although the festive opening was to begin at 18.00. Somebody went downstairs to open the door for us and turn on the lights! It was a highly appreciated gesture and an unforgettable experience.
Such a pity we had little time to enjoy it fully. Long live Instituto Cervantes in Krakow!!!!
Long live The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum of Kraków!
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The picture below doesn't belong to the exhibition at The Spanish Centre. I was shown it by a taxi driver who has been doing this job for over forty years. The photo shows his first car, a Warszawa. It served him really well. When he decided to leave the bus company and start driving a taxi, he bought this car and was very pleased with it. He is the owner of the 144th taxi cab in Krakow. Now there must be well over a thousand. I learnt from this kind and friendly man, that a new version of Warszawa car is to be produced. He is planning to buy it. This way, his first and last car will be a Warszawa.
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| Warszawa - an old Polish car |
Southern outskirts of Kielce:
The mini-coach overtook the train in no time:
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