Wednesday 14 July 2010

Cracovia takes on a Mediterranean air

In Kraks for the Andreas Feininger exhibition (a must-see!). It's hot, daytime high +34C, the sky is blue, and generally it doesn't feel like Poland at all. The forecast storm clouds failed to materialise for the third day in a row. European certainly - but Spanish or Italian? Baroque architecture on mediaeval streets. Kraków (compared to Warsaw) is an easy-going town with none of that mad corporate rush. Right: Church of St John, ul. Świętojańska.

Left: The church of the Transfiguration of the Lord on ul. Pijarska. It's the height of the tourist season, but the city's not awash with them.

I hear English, French and Czech voices; maybe it's just too hot (the air conditioned Galeria shopping mall seemed more full than the Rynek Główny). There are plenty of quiet corners to investigate.

1 comment:

Sigismundo said...

Was in Cracow/Krackers/etc. last week for a different exhibition. Also wasn't full. Indeed it wasn't nearly full in July 2006 last time I visited, also during a heatwave, and that was before the new mall had opened. I think folk may be learning that sightseeing in cities in 30C+ temperatures can be an exhausting experience. Or perhaps they're all in Sopot?

Isn't the mall stupendous though? Collossal and quite beyond belief. The location next to the Central Station is also great. My train to Wawa was 75 minutes(!) late (thanks again to Tanie Linie Kolejowe, that useless *expletive deleted*), so had time for a quick look-see.