"Daj-mi buziak"

Uttered by my great grandma Dobranski every time we entered her home in Elmira, ever since I can remember as a child, and the only sentence I learned in her native language. Pronounced "die-me-boo-jak", it means "give me a kiss."  My barely 5' tall, mid/late 80 YO great grandma would be in a housecoat and comfy slippers with her homemade specialties simmering on every burner in the kitchen.  Big hug and kiss, then go grab a plate of pierogi and halupki.  Her kitchen always smelled amazing and she loved nothing more than feeding her family. 

She and all of my Dobranski/Rosplock ancestors emigrated to the US in the late 1800s, early 1900s.  They passed through Ellis Island with last names full of w/x/y/z's, speaking little if any English, and with the swipe of pen lost their familial names to whatever the immigration officer felt was the closest phonetically.  To this day, my father and his siblings do not know the correct spelling for Rosplock.  But they do know this isn't it.  

I am back in the Fatherland.  Krakow, Poland specifically as my first stop and I am beyond thrilled to be here.  After a seven hour train ride from Prague, I arrived in the Kraków-Główny station which is connected to a large shopping mall.  As I transitioned from the station to the mall, I caught a whiff of sautéed cabbage.  My dad's mother, Rosie, made THE BEST halupki; they were in range!  The sign to my right?  24 hour pierogi bar.  Those exist?? I want one in NYC. In 50 feet I was gleefully transported back to Kathryn Dobranski's and Rosie Rosplock's kitchens.  And those were pretty amazing places to me, so there was no way Krakow could disappoint.  It certainly didn't!

The above picture is the stained glass window which appears in the front of St. Francis of Assisi Basilica in Old Town by Stanislaw Wyspiański, one of a small group of artist at the heart of Krakow's Art Nouveau movement.  This piece is known as "Arise" and heralded as one of the greatest stained glass works in the world.

Arise.  A fitting rally cry for Krakow, the city that refuses to lie down or stay down.  Since you've indulged me and my happy stroll down memory lane, I'll keep the rest of this light on copy.  Enjoy the images and by all means Krakow is worth a long weekend visit...and the 24 hour pierogi bars.  Do zobaczenia, Kraków.

Pictures below are in Rynek Glówny (Main Square) which was rebuilt in the mid 13th century after it was destroyed by the Mongol invasion.  After being rebuilt, it served as Europe's largest trading market.  

Below is Cloth Hall, a UNESCO Heritage site from the 15th century were the most valuable spices, fabrics and jewels were traded.  Today it hosts the largest collection of amber dealers and other souvenirs.

St Mary's Basilica, a Gothic cathedral built in the 14th Century, houses the extraordinary wooden altar piece by artist Wit Stwosz, a 12+ year effort.  During the Nazi occupation, the alter piece was removed from the cathedral and moved to a basement in Nuremberg.  Left in pieces on the floor, historians found it post WWII and painstakingly restored it to its original grandeur.  It's a stunning piece.

Stwosz' alter piece below

I enjoyed the tower climb and views.  A few tight squeezes for sure!

My AirBnB flat was two blocks from one of the few sections of the city's original inner fort wall and the Barbican, one of the defense posts built in the late 15th century.

St Francis of Assisi Basilica, home to 'Arise' and other Wyspiański works

The city had a lovely installation commemorating Pope John Paul II outside St Francis Basilica.  Krakow was the Pope's city; he was born about 45km outside Krakow and spent a lot of time in Zacopane in the Tatra mountains bordering Slovakia and my next destination.

Below from Wawel Cathedral and the Castle Grounds

Not to be outdone by Prague, below is Krakow's Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul

Enjoy this short video spin around the interior

The dark, still Vistula River on my way to the Schindler Factory and Museum. The museum did a great job recreating life in Krakow between 1938 and 1945, telling Schindler's story and showcasing how swiftly and violently Hitler and the Germans sought to strip Krakow of its heritage and show middle- and upper income Poles how progressive and luxurious a Third Reich life could be, all while imprisoning Jews in the ghetto.  A mortifying dichotomy.  

I want to end on a happy note, so let's come full circle.  Food pics, because why not?!

Clockwise from top:  goulash, salad, sour cabbage salad, halupki, baked new potatoes, sautéed beef ribs.  Pierogi hiding in the center.  

I bought these halpuki from a local deli and made an arugula salad with cucumber and pear.  I'm sure my grandma Rosie would have added 2 tablespoons of butter with her halupki, but I settled for EVOO.

See?  24 hour pierogi bar.  I think it could work in the US, don't you?

I'd like to think my Rosplock ancestors were smiling down on me.  I'm going from city to country next, heading south to the Tatra mountains and one of the most physically challenging parts of this trip.  Wish me luck and follow me on Instagram @drosplock10 for more pictures and videos.