Everybody go, hotel motel holiday inn
I would like, if I may, to say a few words about Phil Collins. On this trip, I have treated him as a sort of benign protective being that watches over my travels and makes sure that I never feel too far away from home. While never a particularly big fan fo Phil Collins (with the exception of my brief childhood obsession with the Philip Bailey duet "Easy Lover"), hearing Phil Collins and Genesis songs in Europe has consistently made me feel good.
It all began in Iceland, when after a day or two of driving around the barren fjords of Stykisholmar, scanning the radio for ANYTHING besides religious talk, or bizarrely bad Icelandic music, I THOUGHT I heard a Phil Collins song. I was probably wrong (the reception faded out anyway as I rounded the next cliff), but from that moment I was determined to hear more. It wasn't for a while that I was so fortunate, but the Venice DVD concert I saw in a bar one night made me much happier than it should have. Again, when walking down the street in Budapest I was handed a flyer announcing the fact that Phil will be performing in Budapest in October, I leapt for joy. Just a few days ago in a below street level kielbasa shop in Krakow, I heard a dance version of Genesis' "Land of Confusion"!
I'm quite the fan of Krakow, by the way. There wasn't nearly as much to do or see there as there was in Prague, but the Old City layout was straightforward, the food was good, the buildings were attractive (and relatively un-destroyed after WWII) and the prices pretty good. With the exception of my day trip to Auschwitz, I saw nothing outside the Old Town, but as a tourist the Old Town was completely satisfying for a few days.
Alice and I walked up to the Old Castle, which I believe is the largest Castle in Poland. As typical of all castles I have visited we had a "breathtaking view of the city" and of course "the river" as all old European cities seem to have.
Exhausted by the really-not-so-difficult walk up and down from the castle (have I mentioned that I have grown progressively lazier, and less motivated for physical exertion as time passes?), we walked slowly around the big square and then found a tower in the center to climb, giving us yet again another "breathtaking view of the city." I have grown quite fond of these towers that all old European cities seem to contain. Typically, there is a very narrow, twisting stairway rising to a point higher than all others in the city, allowing a clear from from 4 angles of the layout below. I have grown a little tired of the "magnificent" churches in each city, as they all blend together, but the tower views haven't gotten old yet.
Sitting on the steps outside the tower, a woman from Detroit grabbed my attention and asked if I was the son of a family friend of hers and her husband's from back home. This is at least the 3rd of 4th time on this trip where someone has thought I closely resembled someone else they know.
The woman actually recognized me from the Auschwitz tour. In fact, that afternoon, 3 different groups of people greeted me, recognizing me from the Auschwitz tour. There's something darkly comical about running into someone on the street, making eye contact, having a moment of recognition and then with a big smile saying "Oh! I know you from Auschwitz!"
Oh yes, Polish food.
When I come to a new city or country, one of my primary goals is to consume as much of the local food as I can. Unlike Hungary, where it took me a few days to find it, I've already had more than my share of Polish food, which I find extremely delicious but very heavy.
For the first afternoon I ate a plate of kielbasa, with beets and cole slaw.
For dinner, the night before a strangely fancy feast of stuffed cabbage.
On Saturday, a late lunch of pierogie.
And then for dinner Saturday a traditional Polish restaurant for some fried and breaded pork (on the bone), kasha (which I mostly associate with home, rather than traditional Polish cuisine), and bread. Instead of butter, the restaurant provides a jug full of lard to spread on the bread. Of course, I ate a little too much, and felt way full when I was done.
Still, all delicious.
It all began in Iceland, when after a day or two of driving around the barren fjords of Stykisholmar, scanning the radio for ANYTHING besides religious talk, or bizarrely bad Icelandic music, I THOUGHT I heard a Phil Collins song. I was probably wrong (the reception faded out anyway as I rounded the next cliff), but from that moment I was determined to hear more. It wasn't for a while that I was so fortunate, but the Venice DVD concert I saw in a bar one night made me much happier than it should have. Again, when walking down the street in Budapest I was handed a flyer announcing the fact that Phil will be performing in Budapest in October, I leapt for joy. Just a few days ago in a below street level kielbasa shop in Krakow, I heard a dance version of Genesis' "Land of Confusion"!
I'm quite the fan of Krakow, by the way. There wasn't nearly as much to do or see there as there was in Prague, but the Old City layout was straightforward, the food was good, the buildings were attractive (and relatively un-destroyed after WWII) and the prices pretty good. With the exception of my day trip to Auschwitz, I saw nothing outside the Old Town, but as a tourist the Old Town was completely satisfying for a few days.
Alice and I walked up to the Old Castle, which I believe is the largest Castle in Poland. As typical of all castles I have visited we had a "breathtaking view of the city" and of course "the river" as all old European cities seem to have.
Exhausted by the really-not-so-difficult walk up and down from the castle (have I mentioned that I have grown progressively lazier, and less motivated for physical exertion as time passes?), we walked slowly around the big square and then found a tower in the center to climb, giving us yet again another "breathtaking view of the city." I have grown quite fond of these towers that all old European cities seem to contain. Typically, there is a very narrow, twisting stairway rising to a point higher than all others in the city, allowing a clear from from 4 angles of the layout below. I have grown a little tired of the "magnificent" churches in each city, as they all blend together, but the tower views haven't gotten old yet.
Sitting on the steps outside the tower, a woman from Detroit grabbed my attention and asked if I was the son of a family friend of hers and her husband's from back home. This is at least the 3rd of 4th time on this trip where someone has thought I closely resembled someone else they know.
The woman actually recognized me from the Auschwitz tour. In fact, that afternoon, 3 different groups of people greeted me, recognizing me from the Auschwitz tour. There's something darkly comical about running into someone on the street, making eye contact, having a moment of recognition and then with a big smile saying "Oh! I know you from Auschwitz!"
Oh yes, Polish food.
When I come to a new city or country, one of my primary goals is to consume as much of the local food as I can. Unlike Hungary, where it took me a few days to find it, I've already had more than my share of Polish food, which I find extremely delicious but very heavy.
For the first afternoon I ate a plate of kielbasa, with beets and cole slaw.
For dinner, the night before a strangely fancy feast of stuffed cabbage.
On Saturday, a late lunch of pierogie.
And then for dinner Saturday a traditional Polish restaurant for some fried and breaded pork (on the bone), kasha (which I mostly associate with home, rather than traditional Polish cuisine), and bread. Instead of butter, the restaurant provides a jug full of lard to spread on the bread. Of course, I ate a little too much, and felt way full when I was done.
Still, all delicious.
posted by Jed at 2:31 AM
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