We departed for Krakow in the morning after breakfast on WIZZ Airlines again. If you have a choice, avoid this airline. Although the plane was fairly comfortable, their baggage rules and advertisements that they were hiring inexperienced people to become pilots in two years was a factor in finding another airline in the future.
Krakow is a city similar to many others in Europe. It has lovely buildings, open plazas, a castle (of course), and a Jewish Quarter. Its proximity to Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp where so many Jews, Gypsies, gay people, and sympathizers were murdered, brings visitors from all over the world. We will be going there tomorrow.
Today, we had breakfast and walked around the center of town. As you can see in the photos, after more than two weeks of blue sky and amazing temperatures, Krakow was gray and chilly. We bundled up as much as possible, while the locals wore shorts and summer attire. For them, this must be a balmy day. We were not fooled, however! We managed to stop often in one of the many coffee shops (really nice ones with great pastries) to warm our hands.
The huge main plaza is surrounded by typical European buildings and restaurants. On one side is their large indoor market, although not many of the shops were open that day. Most of them sold souvenirs, rather than food. There was a fountain totally inhabited by pidgeons. It definitely was worth documenting with photos.







St. Florian’s Gate is the last remaining entrance to the once walled city. The Wawel (pronounced Vavel) Castle sits on a hill overlooking the city on the Vistula River. It represents all European architectural styles of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. I did not take the middle picture, but you can see how large and imposing it is. And, of course, I had to take a photo of another stuffie store, which seem ubiquitous in Europe. They love their stuffed animals and have whole stores dedicated to them. (This is for my grandchildren, who also adore them.)



In the afternoon, we took a golf cart tour of the Jewish Quarter. Similar to others we have seen, it is quiet, noting the few synagogues that are now abandoned, with meager remnants of Jewish life. We didn’t learn how many Jews still live in Krakow, but I imagine the numbers are fairly small.
Helena Rubinstein, a resident of the Jewish community in Krakow and also an American citizen, became the one of the wealthiest woman in the world by starting a luxury cosmetic empire that was known globally. It was a company we, of a certain age, remember well. A hotel with her family’s name still exists.
I love the wrought-iron fence around the park and the many shops selling Jewish-related items. We went by the Schindler Factory and the photos of those he helped escape from Poland, but could not stop to get a closer look. The last four pictures are of former synagogues.









The Ghetto Heroes Square was very moving. Situated in a large open area were metal chairs of all sizes and heights, to commemorate those who were fallen heroes of the war. Many people sit in the chairs to feel the presence of those who were left behind.

After the tour, we had a light dinner and went off to bed. Our flight from Krakow to Rome to Mexico City starts at 11:00 PM tomorrow, so our bags had to be packed and ready for our ride to the airport after our visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. It will be a long, emotional day.