Dragon in the mist

Yesterday evening we flew to Krakow, that lovely city which we visited with Heather and Ewan in the summer of 2023. The journey went smoothly, we were worried that Ryanair would somehow fleece us because they currently have a fearful reputation for fining people over luggage or check-in infringements, however all went well. The plane seats were a bit uncomfortable and hard, and the pilot hit the brakes very strongly three times after we landed which was slightly alarming, but we got though passport control in jig time and were soon in a taxi to our hotel. We couldn’t remember its name until we checked in my phone; James guessed “Queen Bee” and I guessed “Golden Tulip.” In fact it is the “Golden Queen” so we were both right! And wrong! We soon settled in to our clean and comfy room. 

What a day we have had in Krakow! We woke to a misty morning, which gradually cleared as the day went on. Our hotel is only about ten minutes walk from the beautiful town square and we headed through it to the Czartoryski Museum. It’s a fascinating museum, housed in an old family palace, and we had coffee in the atrium before looking around. The most famous painting in the museum is Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci, which I loved, but there was plenty more to see, including several fine Northern Renaissance paintings for altarpieces, by Master Jerzy and Michael Lancz von Kitzingen. Also a wee painting by Lucas Cranach the Younger of The Family of Sigismund I which was a series of wee faces like passport photos! There were lots of Medieval paintings and sculptures too. 

Our next stop was St Mary’s Basilica to see the Marian Altarpiece by Weit Stoss being opened at 11.50 a.m. as it is every day. A small crowd gathered on the pews in front of it and at precisely 11.50 a nun arrived, said a short prayer and opened both sides of the altarpiece using a long pole like an old fashioned window opener. It really was magnificent! The outside was impressive and chronicled Mary’s life with Jesus, but the inside was even more stunning, culminating with Mary’s ascension to heaven. We spent ages just drinking it in, the detail and the colours. Back in the main square we had a light lunch with hot fruit tea with big chunks of fruit and cinnamon sticks floating in it, and a tub of honey to sweeten it still further if desired. Gosia and Mitchell arrived from the hospital where they had been visiting Michal, and we all went to the Christmas market which is on one side of the square. It was full of Christmas decorations, woodcarvings, ceramics, amber jewellery, and lots of food stalls. They took us to a smaller but just as pretty Christmas market in the little market square in the other side of St Mary’s Basilica before beers (and a mocktail for me!) Gosia and Mitchell then led us on a pleasant walk through the University District, past the Opera House and onto a tram to the Jewish quarter, where we had a tasty and traditionally Polish dinner. A feature of this was plum dumplings which were absolutely fantastic. Then we walked back to the hotel, via the Father Bernatek Footbridge with its surreal kinetic statues which looked very lifelike in the mist which had descended again over the city. Drinks in a wee bar followed, served in skull shaped flagons with dry ice which made them fizz and bubble. We also visited the statue of Dzok the dog, who was looked after by the citizens of Krakow in the early 1990s after his master died suddenly on a busy roundabout; eventually an elderly lady persuaded him to give up his vigil and live with her. After six happy years the lady died and unfortunately Dzok escaped from the dog shelter and was run over, but his story really resonates with the people of Krakow as it shows the kindness of the citizens. We walked back to our hotel via the river path, and saw the dragon statue beneath the castle looking disturbingly real in the mist, especially when it suddenly breathed out a huge gout of flame!