Krakow - Magical !

I can't believe I had forgotten how magical this city is .... the outskirts not so much, but the old town - the center of town - has an old world charm that is as special as New Orleans or Venice or Heaven.....

the roads leading to the main market square (called Sukenitsa) are full of ma and pa shops, alleys, and incredible architecture not to mention a church every 30 steps!


The Sukenitsa is the largest medieval square in Europe, preserved unaltered since 1257, bustles with people from all over the world -everyone speaks English, although my Polish is actually coming along just great!




We left Mojencice at 9 and got here at 1 - the weather was iffy and these were our first sites:



THE TROLLEY:










OUR HOTEL - THE KONTRAST - WE HAVE STAYED HERE BEFORE -IT IS OUTSIDE OF TOWN, ROOMS RUN AROUND 180 ZLOTY OR $50, THERE IS NO ELEVATOR BUT THERE ARE ROOMS ON THE FIRST FLOOR, THERE IS A VERY NICE RESTAURANT AND BAR, THE ROOMS HAVE TO BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED WITH A KEY .... IT IS QUAINT:








THEN WE DROVE TO TOWN AND SAW THESE STATUES HONORING STEELWORKERS:









AND HONORING MINERS:










ON THE WAY TO THE CENTER WE SAW THE WAWEL CASTLE WHERE KINGS AND QUEENS LIVED UNTIL 16TH CENTURY:











FOUND PARKING AND THEN WALKED TO THE TOWN CENTER, THESE ARE SOME OF THE BUILDINGS/SITES ON THE WAY:




































AMBER AMBER AND CAN YOU SAY AMBER?










THESE ARE EVERYWHERE!











THIS IS ST. MARY'S - HERE IS INFO FROM WIKI:


Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven (also known as St. Mary's Church; Polish: Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny (Kościół Mariacki)) is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century (originally built in the early 13th century), adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz).

On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by the Polish national Radio 1 Station.[1] [2]

St. Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like St. Michael's and St. John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the so-called Polish Cathedral style.







OTHER SIDE OF THE SQUARE:










THE CLOTH CENTER OR MARKET CALLED "SUKENICA" pronounced sue can EATS ah












THE MARKET;



























POLAND AND CZECK REP ARE BOTH FAMOUS FOR THE CUT GLASS:











AMBER











ONE OF THESE IS NOW MINE ))))













15 OF THESE ARE NOW OURS )))))










I FIRST SAW THESE IN SLOVAKIA AND THE ONES I HAVE ARE EXACTLY THE SAME ........hmmmmmmmmm



























AND HERE WE HEAD BACK TO THE CAR AND SEE THIS BAR:










AND STOP TO SIT IN A PARK, THANKFUL FOR A WONDERFUL DAY AND ALSO THANKFUL THAT IT NEVER RAINED !









AND THAT CONCLUDES THIS MONDAY 7/13/15


BUT.......



THERE ARE A COUPLE PICS FROM YESTERDAYS EXCURSION THAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU......FIRST OFF, WE WENT TO A TOWN WHERE THERE IS A HUGE HEALTH SPA PARK.....ON THE WAY TO A BIZARRE CHURCH, LES SPOTTED A DEER WHO WAS STARING AT US:










AND HERE IS THE POND IN THE PARK:








AND THERE WAS A BIZARRE CHURCH THAT WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PHOTOGRAPH-HERE IS THE WIKI EXPLANATION!




Skull Chapel, Czermna

The chapel was built in 1776 by the Czech local parish priest Wacław Tomaszek. It is the mass grave of people who died during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), three Silesian Wars (1740–1763), as well as of people who died because of cholera epidemics, plague, syphilis and hunger.[2]

Together with J. Schmidt and grave digger J. Langer, father Tomaszek who was inspired by the Capuchin cemetery while on a pilgrimage to Rome, collected the casualties’ bones, cleaned and put them in the chapel within 18 years (from 1776 to 1794).[3] Walls of this small, baroque church are filled with three thousand skulls, and there are also bones of another 21 thousand people interred in the basement. The skulls of people who built the chapel, including father Tomaszek, were placed in the center of the building and on the altar in 1804. Inside are a crucifix and two carvings of angels, one with a Latin inscription that reads "Arise from the Dead" are among the bones.[4] A recording inside the church available in three languages (Polish, Czech and German) explains the history of the Chapel.[1]

It is the only such monument in Poland, and one of six in Europe.[5]



AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS


[Edited on 8-5-2015 by BajaBlanca]

Weren't Klinger's relatives from Krakow? I know he was from Toledo and a fan of the Toledo Mudhens.




Thanks for the pics bajablanca.

[Edited on 7-14-2015 by SFandH]