We are having such a great time in this city. First of all, its beautiful in an Eastern European way. Simple yet elegant. The main Market Square is very colorful and the Cloth Hall is a huge marketplace. St. Mary's Church is awe-inspiring. We walked in last evening and there was a beautiful choir concert going on with choirs from all over France. We sat and listened for over an hour.
On one of the towers of the church a trumpeter plays a partial bugle call every hour of every day year after year! The legend goes like this: when the Turks invaded Krakow about 500 years ago, a trumpeter on the tower saw them coming and played what is a beautiful trumpet call to warn the citizens within the walls of the city (walls that still stand today). Suddenly, in the middle of the trumpet call, a Turkish bowman shot an arrow up over the walls (which are about 200 meters away), up through the window of the tower and shot the trumpeter through the throat. This is why each hour the trumpeter (one of the fire brigade now) only partially plays the call. It seriously sounds like someone kills him each time.
So on another note, Keith the veteran traveler feels a little like an amateur. As we were going through security in Italy to fly to Krakow, my backpack gets pulled aside and searched. What comes out? My Swiss Army Knife that I always carry traveling - usually in my suitcase when getting on planes! Did I ever feel like an idiot. Needless to say, they gave me the option of going back to the check-in, packing it up, and putting it through that way or ... they throw it out. I didn't need the hassle of that so I agreed they should throw it out. My beautiful, engraved Swiss Army knife is now in an Italian dump. :( I still feel stupid!
As Jenn has already written I am sure, all my single male friends need to come to Krakow. There seems to be an incredibly high proportion of single, beautiful women here. I get to say this because Jenn said it first! The average age of the city of Krakow is apparently only about 35 or so which makes it one of the lowest in Europe. This would truly be a single man's paradise. So seriously, Steven and Kellen, get over here.
As for food, after eating small portions for very high prices in Italy, we are currently eating very large portions of Polish food (much more hearty affairs) for much smaller prices. A $2.50 half-litre of beer is considered expensive here. Our main dish on a dinner for two mixed perogie (yes, the Poles have them too) dish was less than twelve dollars. The beer and the mead put it over the top.
Great country but get here before the Yanks do! Mass quantities of them seem to spoil everything. Pictures to come in the following days. Tomorrow we are going on a more solemn tour - the Aushwitz-Birkenau concentration camps.
The bells are ringing on the Town Hall Tower. This means the trumpeter is going to play soon. Must go!
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