Sara at Wawel Castle.
Today we spent the morning at Wawel Castle. The king of Poland built this castle and lived in it until his alchemists burned down one corner of it while they were trying to develop a sorcerer’s stone that could turn iron into gold. Sounds very Harry Potterish. The king decided to move the royal residence to Warsaw until repairs could be completed to the Castle. The repairs were completed and the king decided he liked Warsaw and refused to move back to Krakow. However, Wawel Castle continued to be used for royal christenings, weddings, coronations and funerals.
We spent four hours touring the crown treasury and armory, the state rooms and the royal private apartments. Strictly no pictures allowed. The interior furnishings and artwork were magnificent. One of the early kings commissioned 136 Flemish tapestries made of gold and silver thread. There is about ten pounds of gold and ten pounds of silver in each tapestry. He was so embarrassed by the cost that he burned the bill. These are truly beautiful tapestries.
Bricks from big donors who helped fund the restoration and upkeep of the Castle. Poles from Chicago and Minneapolis have supported this worthwhile cause. Seeing these bricks, I couldn’t help but think about our next door neighbor on 8th street, Stanley Kulick, a loveable generous Pole and the best neighbor ever. May he Rest In Peace.
Lunch
I decided to try something other than the standard Pilsner for lunch. This was a hearty whisky barrel aged porter that was a good pairing with my authentic Polish venison stew served in a bread bowl. Sara had a salad. Not very Polish or authentic. From the look of the people in Krakow, not many are eating salads.
The Old Synagogue
After lunch we spent a couple of hours walking around the old Jewish Quarter and visiting the Old Synagogue.
This synagogue was built in 1407 and was the center of Jewish life in the area around Krakow. The synagogue was partially destroyed when the Nazis occupied Krakow but was rebuilt after the war. Inside the synagogue were a number of displays and artifacts describing in detail Jewish life in Poland and Krakow.
Torah display in the Old Synagogue.
Dinner
Sara and I had a great meal at this Italian bistro just off the main square in old town Krakow. I had black truffle risotto. I love risotto and this was really good risotto.
This is the town square in old town Krakow. It is a very lively place day and night.
I hope everyone is having a good day today.
Goodnight from Krakow.
AbeAndMarkontheCamino 