Last Week of School

School ended July 26 for all of the Polish children, and there were some pretty clear clues last week that the kids were transitioning into summer: longer lines for ice cream, bigger groups of students prowling along the Vistula, and playground noises wafting into our flat later into the evenings. I get the sense that the last week of school is mostly a time to cram in a final field trip, which is something my friend and I did not account for when we decided to go to Energylandia last week.

Ooh we thought we were so clever! She took the day off of work and I shifted my hours so that we could go to the amusement park during the week. Monday was going to be hot, but not as miserable as the preceding days, and we figured we'd have the place to ourselves since the kids were still in school. Both Ola and I are planners, so we independently looked up what to wear to an amusement park and felt very prepared.

The traffic for the last 10 minutes of travel was a little unnerving, but I though it might just be tour buses on the way to Auschwitz, or maybe the small town we were passing through had an unusually intense rush hour. When we arrived at our destination we realized the traffic was all heading the same place we were, and the lot was already half-full even though the park had only been open for 15 minutes! The ticket courtyard was the most crowded space I have been in in two years, and the school kids had no sense of social distancing or proper mask etiquette. 

Although a little overwhelmed by the crowd and noise, the entryway brought back happy memories of Europa-Park, Six Flags, and Holiday Park. I was giddy and bemused by the overly-enthusiastic statues near the entranceway. As with anything like this, it took us a while to catch our bearing (No, we don't want to be at the waterpark, nor the kids section. Can we find a bathroom? And how are we supposed to pay for the lockers?) but we finally found our way into the Speed Water Coaster line.

The ride was aptly named, because after a whooshing drop and some thrilling turns, we were blasted with a wave of water. It was great fun, and the only ride we went on twice over the course of the day. My other favorite was the Zadra wooden coaster, which had some unexpected upside-down moments, but the other two biggest coasters—Hyperion and Mayan—were a little too zippy for me.

While it was more crowded that we expected, it was very clear that the park is designed to handle at least twice as many people. Even so, we were waiting in line for at least 20 minutes for each ride, so we only went on eight over the course of the day. When at the top of some of the rides, we could clearly see a few sections of the park that are still under construction; I'm not sure if the new attractions will help spread out the crowds or just draw in more visitors. 

Despite the queues, people, and heat, I really enjoyed myself. There were lots of areas of the park we didn't see (including all of the shows and the water park), so I'm sure I would find Energylandia equally fun and novel if I got the opportunity to visit a second time. If you are looking for something to do the next time you play hooky, riding the roller coasters is a pretty good option.

Look at this little cutie, who greets you as you enter the parking lot. I know he's there to get the kids excited, but he charmed me as well. 

Hyperion, the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Poland is also visible as you start to drive up. The cars were already rolling by the time we arrived. 

First entering the park required some crowd navigation, but once inside it was reasonably easy to stay spread out. 

The Speed Water Coaster was our favorite. Your boat is lifted out of the water to zoom along the coaster tracks before ending with a big splash.

People were supposed to wear masks in lines and on rides, but virtually no one was doing that. I attempted to wear a mask, but as soon as I opened my mouth the scream it caught the wind and stayed hugging my chin on every ride.

The wooden Zadra coaster is in the Dragon's Lair part of the park. 

Construction going on in the distance. it looks like the new Aqua Lantis is going to be really fun, and will have another big water coaster. 

A somewhat disappointing Jungle Adventure—you got splashed more waiting in line than you did in the boat. You can also see the fairly large Mayan roller coaster in the background. 

These poor people were in full heavy costume in the heat of the day. It was nearing 30 degrees Celsius/90 degrees Fahrenheit. Needless to say, they were not moving very enthusiastically.

Visit Me (and the Museums) in Krakow!

"As of June 19th, 2021 United States nationals and legal residents are permitted to lawfully enter Poland." –Polish Tourism Organisation

I found out yesterday morning from the tour guide on a free walking tour of the Kazimierz (the Jewish quarter). Even though I didn't learn much new from the tour itself (I mean, I live in Kazimierz), but that little nugget of information was worth it! Plus, I learned that a main road near historically was river bed, and that the plaza I live near, Plac Wolnica, used to be 4x as big as it currently is. The free walking tours are great, and if you get a chance to visit I will highly recommend you take one or two of them.

Speaking of visiting, did I mention that you can? And you should! I was looking up flights for my parents (from El Paso, TX to Krakow), and round trip was less than $1300, and I'm guessing if you fly out from a more major US airport it will probably be even less. I know it's not cheap, but it's also not that bad for international travel. Plus, if you visit accommodations are free! My flat can comfortably accommodate at least five guests. Mom and Dad will be here a few weeks in July, but the more the merrier if you ask me. You just need to come before we fly out on 15 August. When you come, we can get some tasty treats and tasty views, like this:

Fancy ice cream on the square is my favorite part of living in Europe. 

If that doesn't convince you, maybe my river of the museums in town will. I've already written about some of my favorites, so I won't spend a lot of time on those, except to give an overall rating:

My first Krakow museum, HistoryLand, was a real treat! 8/10—it's great if you like Legos and overview history, but you definitely need to pay for the audio guide. 

The only reason to visit the Princess Czartoryski Museum is to see DaVinci's Lady with the Ermine—5/10.

Galicia Jewish Museum takes an interesting approach to history telling, but it's not really my style of museum—7/10.

I just wrote a raving review for Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum last week, and so my 10/10 rating shouldn't be a surprise.

Now for the new reviews. Shall we go from worst to best?

Time marked by the layers of earth in the Underground Museum. 

With only 4/10—the Rynek Underground Museum. The concept is good, because clearly there's going to be some good stuff buried beneath an 800-year-old city, but it felt so...fabricated. I didn't go with a guide, and I'm sure that would have made it better, but I'm not willing to go back a second time to test that theory.

There were some interesting pieces in the National Museum, but there was a too much religious art to sift through to find the more unique pieces. 

The National Museum in Krakow is huge and I only saw two of the exhibits, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I give it a 6/10, mostly because I can't remember much of it. It had a big chain of religious art and artifacts, and there was a little bit of a history tour through the art extending from medieval times to the mid-1900s. It was both overwhelming in scope and underwhelming in presentation. I'm sure there is a lot worth seeing, but I'm not sure if it's worth it for me. 

"Kunst Macht Frei" translates to art makes you free; it's a play on the "Arbeit Macht Frei" gate leading into Auschwitz. 

I always think I like contemporary art museums, but maybe I don't? MOCAK (Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow) had a pretty interesting setup when I went—the temporary exhibit was WWII related, so it felt like a history and art museum in one. Some of the art was fun, and some was really good, but a lot of it felt like the artists were trying to create massive meaningful imagery but without enough noticeable skills to back it up. 6/10 from me. 

Views from the top of the City Hall Tower on a clear day. You can't walk out on the terrace but they have it set up so you can still see pretty well. 

I give 7/10 for the City Hall Tower. It's fun climbing the steep uneven stairs that open up to the top clock tower. From the top there are lovely views of Old Town and the surrounding city. If it's too much of a climb, there are side rooms off of the staircase that have some historical displays educating on the history of the tower and the clockwork. The real reason to go is the view and the information is an added bonus.

Looking at old photos through a magnifying lens in the Schindler's Factory Museum. 

Schindler's Factory is the best museum in town—9/10. The curators do a really nice job of presenting information in many different formats so as you move from room to room you are looking at the information through a new lens (sometimes, literally looking through lenses). The only reason this isn't a 10/10 is because it's more of a general WWII museum, and I would have liked to learn more about the specifics of Schindler's Factory.

Deep in the bowls of the Lost Wawel exhibit. In my opinion, this is a much more interesting way to see old Krakow than the Underground Museum provides. 

Wawel (the castle) also doubles as a museum, but there are so many exhibits that you buy tickets for separately that it's hard to think of it as a single cohesive space. I've seen the Dragon's Den (fun but not much to see—5/10),  Wawel Recovered (too architect-focused for me—4/10), and Lost Wawel (a super cool sneak-peak into the depths of the castle—8/10). Even if you don't seen any of the formal exhibits, it's very worth walking through the castle grounds, which is why my overall rating is a must see for anyone visiting Krakow. 

Blocks of salt that came from Wieliczka Salt Mine and are on display at MOCAK. 

But that's not all. There are still tons of museums I haven't been: Museum of Municipal Engineering, Pharmacy Museum, Manggha Center, the Old Synagog...and then many more. We saw the grounds of the Aviation Museum, and I half-jokingly really want to go to the Museum of Illusion, but the main spat that I will make an effort to see before we move is the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Visit me and maybe we can go together *wink wink! 

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum

Gosh, was it only this Monday that our car got picked up for shipping? It feels like months ago, but now that means we only have a few months to go. I'm not sad or disappointed, but I feel like the next two months are going to go by in a whirlwind. 

For our last day with the car, we went to Auschwitz. I wasn't particularly excited to go (I mean, it's not a place known for having a good time), but I felt obligated to. The former Nazi concentration camp surrounds a town that is about 1.5 hours west of Krakow. The town of Oswiecim is like any other Polish agricultural village, except for the massive busloads of tourists that regularly drive through. I suppose the area is historically known for large deposits of people who spent too long in sweaty crowded vehicles.

Ok, that was a bad joke...but some of us use comedy as a way of dealing with horror. It was not so horrible, though. Everything about the organization at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum was thoughtful, tasteful, and respectful. It started with a ten-minute video (voiced by Mark Hamill) with beautiful dual photos overlaying historical images on top of modern ones. Then we met our tour guide for three hours spit between Auschwitz I and Birkenau (Auschwitz II). 

Our guide was great! Of course he was incredibly knowledgeable about WWII history, but he was very good about pointing out the stories and humanity behind each photo and location. For example, in one black-and-white photo on the unloading dock, you see the groups of men and women grouped up separately, a few SS officers, and someone in the center of it all walking around in his socks and looking a little bewildered. Our guide called out the others in the crowed who were gawking and smirking, implying the transports weren't panicked or overly stressed about their destination. He then of course reminded us that most of them were in the last hour of their lives.

The stories were humanizing, but the piles of human hair were tragic. It was the only space we were not allowed to photograph, in respect of the human remains, but it was enough hair to fill my apartment. In other spaces we saw equally overwhelming piles of shoes, suitcases, kitchen appliances, eyeglasses, and prostheses. And of course, it's difficult to hear about the gas chambers without feeling disgusted, but our guide always had a diplomatic way of focusing our concerns. 

He had a habit of reminding us that yes, the Holocaust was 80 years ago but there are still tragedies that are happening in our modern world. People are still equally capable of buying into an ethics system that leads to genocide. Tribalism is real—just watch the newest season of Ru Paul's Drag Race. 

I am so glad I went to Auschwitz. Not only was it interesting and educational, but it was also inspirational. Some people might think of this place as a one-time visit, but I would happily go back again and again. There is so much more to see (the place is 40 km²) and so many more stories to tell. If you get a chance, I highly recommend visiting. 

The message "Arbeit Macht Frei" helped to subdue the prisoners, making them think that they were arriving at a long-term work camp. For some it was a work camp, but it wasn't long-term for anyone. 

The space was unexpectedly beautiful and peaceful, except for the rows of barbed wire fences everywhere. Our tour guide also noted that it would not have looked so green when it was occupied; the grounds would have been muddy and crowded.

A visual representation of how disabilities were viewed. 

This is only about a sixth of the total pile. Now imagine the same volume, but with human hair.

The ovens inside one of the crematoriums. 

Inside Birkenau (Auschwitz II). 

This is the photo I described, above, cleverly placed in the spot that the photo was taken from.

The destroyed remains of a gas chamber.

We got to be the first tour inside one of the newly renovated structures. Each of these infirmary beds used to sleep 4-7 people.

Bieszczady and Beksiński

Last weekend we checked off the final spot on my Poland must-see list—the Bieszczady Mountains. They are not the biggest mountains, nor the largest Polish national park, but they have been recommended to us by multiple Polish natives. 

We drove four hours to get to Poland's little south eastern tail that boarders Slovakia and Ukraine. In fact, a stretch of our main 21km hike was along the Ukrainian boarder (which was much more secured than our previous hikes along the Slovakian boarder). The countryside these is different than our area, our the nearby Tatry Mountains. The Bieszczady Mountains are lower, and most of the park is tree-covered rolling hills with patchworks of dark and light green. 

We chose a route that hit three of the highest peaks in the park. As most of our Polish hikes go, it was pretty cloudy and windy for the first two peaks, but we had some views and an overall marvelous time. While there, we also saw a snake, bear tracks, and a hedgehog! Although it's hard to say what made the area so special, I loved being in the Bieszczady region.

On our way home, we stopped by the town of Sanok to visit the Zdzisław Beksiński gallery. I had never heard of Beksiński until moving to Poland, but, at least among all of my Polish friends, he is the best Polish artist ever. His paintings are very detailed but dark: apocalyptic landscapes, deadly bodies, and nightmarish figures. 

I didn't realize it, but the Beksiński gallery was part of a the larger Sanok museum, so in addition to the multiple rooms dedicated to Beksiński, we also got some other artists and city history. As with most local history/art museums, a good chunk of it was religious, but it was still a nice museum. Afterward we tried a local specialty—proziaki, a soda bread that was filled with various sandwich fixings. All-in-all, it was a super enjoyable way to spend our second-to-last weekend with our car (our moving company is picking up all of our stuff on Monday). If it's the last Polish trip we take, it will be a good last trip. 

Our hike started off sunny, but as soon as we got into the woods we were under cloud cover. 

Like most of our Polish hikes, we hit some cloud cover and many crosses.

Once we were outside of the cloud cover, we had some great views!

On the boarder (granica). In the background you can see the yellow and red striped pole next to he yellow and blue bole, marking the Polish-Ukranian boarder. 

We didn't come across any mountain huts with restaurants and accommodations, like are popular in that Tatry Mountains, but there still were some little spots to keep out of the rain.

Hedgehog!

The Sanok museum started us off with some WWII history...

...and of course there was religious art. I particularly enjoyed the depictions of hell. 

This is the favorite of a few people I know. It seems especially apt after a year of quarantining. 

This one might be my favorite. I didn't notice the facial features until I stepped back. Although this doesn't show it especially well, in many of Beksiński's paintings I felt like I was looking at the bright colors that are found inside of a human body.

Downtown Sanok. It was very cute, and very Polish: colorful buldings, a church, and umbrella-covered restaurant tables.

The soda bread sandwich, which is a specialty of the Subcarpathian region of Poland. 

Social Nudity

Ooh explicit! 

Except, not really in most European countries. If you visit a European beach, spa, or bath house it's almost guaranteed to be bathing suit optional, if not full nudity. I assumed Poland was no different. Last summer, we aw a few naked kids at the lake, and I know of at least one nudist beach at the favorite local lake. 

I started to realize Poland was a little more conservative after our visit to Germany last year. Comparatively, the German beaches sported more kids with their bottoms out and more women with their bikini straps untied. Poland's relative prudishness was reconfirmed when I went to a pool with a Polish friend. I asked if I should get naked in the common space, or if I should try and find a more secluded changing area. Her non-committal shrug led me to getting undressed in the main changing room, but I realized thereafter that she chose to fine a more private spot.

That brings me to this weekend. Cameron and I took a lovely little trip to the Bieszczady Mountains in southeastern Poland. The hilly region is sprinkled with small towns and hiking trails. The national park was our main attraction, and we found a "resort and spa" that was only 25 minutes away from my decided-upon trailhead. We splurged a little for the "romance package" so that we could have roses and a jacuzzi tub in our room. It was silly, but fun!

As mentioned, there was a spa available to us. The hotel check-in process was all in Polish, and so although we understood that we needed to wear our robes to the spa, we didn't pick up any further details. Before heading down, Cameron used Google Translate on the literature in the room while I pursued the spa website. Nothing. We decided to wear our swimsuits and hope things would clear up once we saw the scene.

The spa door had a sign on it, but none of the infographics helped to clear up the mystery of whether or not to wear swimsuits. We huddled in the changing room trying to translate the sign (once again, thanks Google Translate). Ah ha! There was a line that translated to "wear swimsuits in the spa." That seemed clear enough, until we realized that it was under the "most common spa mistakes" section. 

After minutes of whispered debate, I caught the attention of one of the employees and tried to ask if we should wear swimsuits in the spa. Of course I couldn't remember the Polish word for swimsuit, so the question was mostly me saying "without?" while pointing to my bikini top. Her response was equally unclear. She didn't say anything, just lightly shook her head once and did a single slashing motion with one hand. I took that to mean "no, do not wear your swimsuit" but it could have also been interpreted as "no, your interpretation is wrong; you should wear a swimsuit." Well, we took our swimsuits off, put our robes on, grabbed the towels and sheets that were provided, and finally went in. 

Inside it was dark. The space was segregated so there were very few sight lines from one attraction to the next. There were two steam rooms, two foot baths, a jacuzzi tub, two Finish saunas, a cold water bath, and the showers. We washed off, then did a quick walk around. There were two other people in the jacuzzi tub, and despite the bubbles we could see they were wearing swim suits. 

What to do? It was Cameron's first nude spa experience, and I was really hoping I wasn't putting him in a situation that would lead to lifelong trauma. We scurried off (in our robes) and huddled by the foot baths. From there, we could clearly see some infographics on the Finish spas that clearly showed a bikini with a slash through it—"no swimsuits!" We were in the right, but still insecure. 

We did eventually get a shot at the jacuzzi, and we also tried out the steam sauna and the cold water bath before heading back to the room. Cameron said it was "fine" but he also asked that we didn't linger. 

I know this story has gotten too long, but let me say I went back the next night (by myself). In the intervening hours we did some more research to continue to bolster our belief that we were right to enter the spa naked. So on night number two I went back, without a suit. It was me and one other woman. I was naked, she was not, but she still asked to join me in the jacuzzi. Then, her partner came out of the Finish spa, also covered. Thankfully he did not join the jacuzzi party until after I left for the foot bath. During that time, another couple came out of the Finish spa, also in bathing suits. I kept keeping to myself and moved to the cold water bath. In the time it took me to dunk my head under and pop up again, a family with a 12-year-old boy. 

Yes, of eight people, one of whom was a child, I was the only naked one. Needless to say, I quickly showered off and left the spa. Turns out, Polish people don't like being naked in semi-public places, even when it is (probably) the rules. 

Dear Polish friends– can anyone confirm if these says "no bathing suits" anywhere?

Trying to do some translating before we go inside.

It's inappropriate to take photos inside the spa, you can find pictures here. As a consolation, here's a picture of the crazy jacuzzi tub that was in our room. Notice the tub lighting and the starlight sky light.

There was also a little fireplace between the bathroom and bedroom. It was quite nice. If anyone is interested in visiting in the next six months, let me know and I can give you a coupon. 

Treats and Dreams

What a treat, what a dream—we can now be outside without masks! Going on my first run without a piece of cloth hindering my breathing was like being suddenly graced with super powers (meaning I was able to go almost 1.5 miles before I had to take my first walking break). We also can eat at outdoor restaurants, which I did with some friends for the first time last night. I was giddy with the invitation to a not-so-secret secret garden to enjoy cocktails and a meal in a semi-covered courtyard.

Suddenly the city is lively again! People circle up on the grassy hillsides along the river whenever the forecast allows it, and many of my friends went out for a big event venue's grand opening tonight. I'm equally caught up in the novelty of it all, somewhat to my surprise, but a concert hall space filled with strangers is still a titch outside of my comfort zone. Plus, tonight is the Eurovision Grand Final!

I had never heard of Eurovision until the Netflix original Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. I find Will Farrell a little eye-rolley, and the movie was way over the top, but I found myself enjoying it more and more as the two hours waned to a close. That of course led to a rabbit hole of learning about the real Eurovision and various covers of "Jaja Ding Dong," including one by the real 2020 Icelandic Eurovision contestant.

So, story short, I am in love with Daði Freyr, his wife Árný Fjóla, and the full Gagnamagnið band, as demonstrated here. Consider it the spiritual sister video to "Down with the Gown." And, now I'm mildly obsessed with Eurovision.

The two semifinal nights were Tuesday and Thursday this week, and we were able to watch commercial-free live broadcasts on Youtube. I kept a little notebook next to me as we watched to mark down my favorites (Iceland, of course, Russia, and Latvia) and songs that I would enjoy listening to in real life, even though I don't want them to win the contest. I even paid almost 16 złoty to participate, multiple times, in the voting. Sorry Poland, I did not vote for you; you were one of my least favorites of the 32 acts.

Tonight's broadcast starts at 21:00, and in addition to the 20 acts that made it through their respective semifinals, we will see six first-time acts (the band from the host country, the Netherlands, plus the "big five" countries' representatives). Basically, there is a good chance that this will be one of four times I stay up until midnight this year. 

I know that I am unreasonably into this contest, but I am the perfect target. I never watched any American song competitions, like "American Idol" or "the Voice," but I love competition shows. I also love over-the-top silliness and sincerity, and Eurovision has both! I assumed that this was going to be the talk of the town, but it seems to be flying under the radar. No one I've talked to has any plans to watch, and very few were even aware that it was going on. Well, maybe watching this won't help me blend in with casual Polish conversations, but it is helping me live my (revised) Polish dream—what a dream, what a treat!

Yes, I voted for my homeboy, Daði, and I probably will again tonight. 

Some treats from my evening out. We didn't want the evening to end so we tacked on another round of drinks plus a dessert run. 

The Oldest Airfield

Cameron is doing another one of his crazy running schedules, which means I'm back to sheepdogging. At this point, Cameron has run practically every trail and road in Krakow, which is why it was such a treat to come across a new area for both of us. 

We had never realized it before, but just beyond Park Lotników Polskich (Polish Airmen Park) there is the Polish Aviation Museum. A little further beyond that there are numerous walking trails marked on the map which seem to all head towards a strange rectangular space labeled Lotnisko Rakowice Czyżyny. That became our destination.

I should have connected the dots, because I know lot has to do with flying and airplanes (samalot is an airplane and lotnisko is airport); it was a big (now out-of-use) airplane landing strip. At 450 meters long, this former runway of one of the oldest airports in Poland is still in pretty good condition. Yes, there are cracks in the cement but it would still work pretty well for an emergency landing despite its age. In fact, the Rakowice-Czyżne airfield is one of the oldest in in the world. According to Parki.org, "aviation was only 9 years old when the first airplanes landed [at Rakowice-Czyżne] in 1912."

Big sections of the former military airfield have been reallocated for urbanization purposes (mostly building up Nowa Huta), but what remains has become Lotniczy Park Kulturowy (the Aviation Culture Park). From the main runway, there is a taxiway that connects to a huge field of old airplanes. These are all part of the museum, and are fenced off, but from the park we could see various versions of military planes as well as commercial ones. On the tail of one of the bigger passenger planes, we could see that the symbol for LOT Airlines was virtually the same then as is now: a long-winged crane encased in a circle. 

The Museum itself looks pretty big, and I imagine it is quite the playground for the air-enthused. In addition to the large main building and the huge airplane field, there also were a number of plane hangers on-site. I'm not sure if they are doing it now, but I read that you can walk inside some of the old planes, include Pope John Paul II's helicopter. However, I can tell that this museum is not for me purely based on the informative plaques at the front of the building...I really have very little interest in mechanical history of any sort, and especially not if it is war-focused.

Even if the Polish Aviation Museum is not on my Krakow bucket list, I did fully enjoy the park. Other than the aircraft paraphernalia, the park is just plain old pleasant in its own right: great pathways, lots of vegetation, and some concrete ruins (which probably are airplane related). Currently, the park is 30 hectares with plans for the city to accumulate more land for a total of 41 hectares. Future plans for the park are to include theme gardens (not sure what that entails), more historic models, and more playground space. 

A few antique airplanes outside the museum, each with an informational plaque.

Military helicopters that we could see through the fence surrounding the Museum's grounds. 

An old LOT airplane. On the tail you can see the still-standing symbol, and on the side of the plane (in white, so it's hard to read) it says "POLISH AIRLINES."

Cameron getting ready for takeoff. This is only the taxiway, not the proper runway. 

The paint on the runway is still in pretty good condition, which makes me think it has been redone at some point since this was turned into a park (in 1992).

Some of the concrete ruins within the park boundaries. These are the remains from a hangar dating back to 1926. 

I'm not sure what this pyramid symbolizes, but its fun to see the modern "art" sprinkled in with the historical pieces.