Eastern European Adventure Part VII: Krakow, Poland

So we boarded another overnight train, this time en route to Krakow, Poland.  I just have to tell you, it was even worst than the first overnight train.  Seriously, it was miserable. And I am NOT any sort of high maintenance, princess and the pea kind of girl.  If I hated it, you would too. How did none of the guidebooks or the trip advisory posts I read not tell me that it was going to suck?  Anyway, it was super hot, the bed felt like a cedar board, it was super loud, we stopped and started like 500 times.  For real, horrible.  HORRIBLE.  But, the upshot of all this is that I made it to Poland, which was easily my favorite country on the trip!  I absolutely loved it!

Summary of Krakow:  Small, quaint, quiet, great square, Bl. John Paul II, amazing churches, rolling hills.

Day 10:  May 11

After surviving the overnight train experience, we set out to see Krakow.  I loved it from then on.  We wandered around the beautiful town square, did the Rick Steeves walking tour (which is good except sometimes he means right instead of left...), checked out the Wawel Castle, and generally just wandered.

St. Mary's Bascilica

Old Town Square

There used to be a moat around the old town, but the city
has now turned that into a beautiful park that goes all around it.

Artists selling their paintings on the street.

The Royal Way

Me in front of St. Mary's

Wawel Castle

Wawel Castle

Breakfast latte and meringue.  SO good!

The only thing I did not like about Krakow......freaking birds.  You know that I have a fear of birds ever since I watched that Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds in the 4th grade.  These big fat suckers were everywhere and they were not scared of people and a couple of times they were going straight for my head.  And everyone feeds them.  I even saw a homeless person be given bread and feed it to the birds.  Right in front of me.  Grr.

The birds, however, were offset by all of the nuns running around, which I absolutely LOVED about Poland.  They were everywhere!  I may or may not have gotten so excited that I snuck pictures every time they were walking by.

Don't worry, I did the same for the priests.  I'm an equal opportunity clergy photo stalker.

Anyway, after our general wandering and clergy stalking, I set out to do some Pope John Paul II specific sightseeing, which was awesome.  I am a total JPII junkie and have been ever since I read his biography while helping tutor the Hepburn children in high school.  Getting to see so many places that were important to him was really awesome, and made me even more excited about what I had planned for Day 11!

John Paul II Center

JPII Museum in his former apartment.

Me and JPII

JP II statue outside Wawal Cathedral

JPII Center

"Poland has given the Pope to the world, Cracow has given Peter to the Church."

I also went to the Archbishop's Palace where he lived when he was the Archbishop of Krakow.  He used to talk to people, especially young people, outside of this window.  The night that he died, hundreds of people kept vigil in the street, and all fell to their knees upon the news of his passing and flocked to place flowers and candles throughout the next week.

JPII's window.

Statue inside Archbishop's Palace

Photo inside the Palace of JPII giving communion to former Auschwitz prisoners.
This picture has even more meaning after I visited the camp myself.

I think my favorite stop that day was at St. Francis Bascilica.  This is the church where Pope John Paul II presided during his time as Archbishop of Krakow.  The coolest part for me was finding (thanks to Rick Steeves and his book on Eastern Europe) the spot near the back of the church where JPII most liked to sit and pray.  Sitting there, seeing what he saw, praying as he did....it was amazing.

View from his favorite spot.

Plaque marking his spot.

For dinner we hit up this awesome restaurant that I have to admit, I had my doubts about.  It was a totally laid back, traditional Polish place.  I freaked out and wanted to go find a burger, but Miss Canada held it together for me and ordered us some amazing food, including friend perogies, which I loved!

Day 11:  May 12

Because of my JPII junkie-ness, I was super excited to do a Footsteps of JPII tour when I was in Krakow.

I started the day with a stop at the JPII museum in Krakow, which is actually a former apartment of JPII when he was a priest.  It was cool to see where he lived, and to see some memorabilia that formerly belonged to him.  It also held the favorite item I saw during my JPII touring, which you'll hear more about tomorrow (because you know, I like to drag things out as long as I can!)

His cardinal shoes.

Love this painting of the last photo of JPII.

His former apartment.

Then I was off for the tour.  This consisted of a drive through the Polish countryside, seeing the house where JPII was born and raised, the church where he was baptized, a monastery where he frequently made pilgrimages, and the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy where St. Faustina's remains are housed.  It was completely amazing.  It was a really moving experience and I am so glad that I was able to see these things!

Papal robe.

Rosary he used while praying on the radio every Saturday.

Photo above his childhood home in Wadowice.

Statue outside childhood home.

Church where JPII was baptized.

Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (monastery)

View from the monastery.

Me in front of the monastery (note to self, those pants are too large)

JPII statue at monastery  

Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy

Inside the Sanctuary--I got to attend a Rosary, which was beautiful (and I got to kneel next to a nun!)

St. Faustina

  Stay tuned tomorrow to hear about my favorite piece of JPII memorabilia.