Plane Crash: After Effects: The Memorial

I put off a long time writing about this for reasons I can't really explain.

I went to the Saturday memorial; Ogrod Saski was flooded with mourners and Plac Pilsudskiego was mostly taken up by official guests and the whole stage anyway. Scouts were everywhere, directing people; handing out water bottles from massive storage piles; later on, they help distribute communion. Ogrod Saski had a huge screen and speakers so the crowds could see the action. Warsaw banned the sale of alcohol until 6PM or something. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and it was one of the nicest days all week.

The crowd was somber and almost no one took pictures. The whole ceremony started out with the choir singing a baleful lament. Then came the listing of the names and titles of all those who had perished. There were speeches (I couldn't recognize who was speaking and I didn't understand what they had to say), plus a company commander ordering the troops about with a firing salute. Then came a Mass. Even the Polish Orthodox prelate was there with his funny hat and funny beard. There was an army of bishops with their funny miters and excellent getups.

I snagged one of the programs, which the scouts were handing out. In it was a selection from Kaczynski's speeches, a brief history of the Kaczynscy, and thoughts on Kaczynski from prominent leaders from around the globe. The very first blurb was from none other than the Pope, then Obama, Barroso—the President of the European Commission, Merkel, etc. One thing very noticeable about the order was that Sasakashvili was listed directly before Medvedev (a slight against Russia that I couldn't miss.)

The next day, I watched the funeral on TV, which was held in St. Mary's in Krakow. I was shocked at how much weight Jaroslaw had lost (he looked either terrible or in the best shape of his life—it depends on how you look at it.) There were more speeches and the walk down to the Wawel was very, very long. Then there was a blessing of the coffins in the Wawel Cathedral, and then they put them into the crypt. Apparently, Medvedev came for the funeral and left just as Saakashvili came for the blessing (perfectly timed.)

A scout distributing water.

The stage and some banners.

Giving communion.

Crowds in the Saxon Gardens.

Free water.

Plane Crash: After Effects: Lying in State

The decision to lay the Kaczynscy to rest in the Wawel has created a minor uproar in Poland. The Wawel is the castle compound overlooking the Kraków Old Town and the Vistula. It's the traditional burying place for Poland's Kings and national heroes. Pilsudski, Kosciuszko, and Mickiewicz lie in the Wawel's crypt. The Poles lobbied the Vatican for John Paul II's heart to be entombed in the Wawel, but were unsuccessful. So, one could understand why the Poles hold this place rather sacred, and have serious reserves to who is buried there. Many Poles say that Kaczynski (whose approval rating hovered around twenty percent when he died) may have been important to Poland, but not that important.

On Facebook, there has been an explosion of anti-burial-in-Wawel groups. I see that many have turned from mourning to anger and indignation. After all, does PiS think that Kaczynski was as important to Poland than Poland's nobility? Well, actually, Kaczynski probably deserves to be buried there more than some of the shitty kings do (the ones whose crummy reigns and ineptitude allowed Poland to shrink from the largest, most powerful state in Europe to a non-existent entity.) I'm not saying Kaczynski was a hero, saint, martyr, or anything, I'm just saying that they should probably be uprooting some sarcophagi before staging protests over whether or not he should be laid down there. To be perfectly frank, I honestly don't care that much (but then again, I'm not Polish, so my opinion on this matter is moot. (The bold text is on purpose, to emphasize.)) But I do understand the huge split in opinion and the feelings-running-high; it's a controversial move.

While this whole debate is raging on, the Kaczynscy are lying in state at the Presidential Palace. They are expected to be joined by Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last President of Poland in Exile. The Kaczynscy (plural of Kaczynski/a) will be buried on Sunday with many world leaders in attendance. I stated in an earlier post that I wouldn't have expected Obama to come, but apparently he will.

Yesterday, I sauntered over there, hoping to get in line and pay my respects. There was a small crowd in front of the castle (which has two huge screens running a live feed of the coffins.) The President's death has led to a deluge of nuns in public (there were always a lot in Warsaw, but I have noticed an increase of late.) They're everywhere! Mostly they walk around in small groups, but now, it seems, entire convents are hitting the streets in roving gangs.

I was searching to get in line, sifting through the crowd to find how I could gain entrance to the palace. It turns out that visitors are lumped into groups, which are let in one at a time to view to coffins.

The forest of candles and crowd in front of the palace.

I began searching how to get into one of these groups, and started walking down Krakowskie Przedmiescie. As I walked, I was confronted with how enormous the line really was. There was a point where the segmented groups of visitors became one unbroken queue to enter the palace. At first I estimated I'd have to wait an hour in line; when I neared Plac Zamkowy (about a quarter of a mile away) I stretched that up to three hours; when I reached Plac Zamkowy, I figured on five-plus hours at least. By then, the line started snaking around and doubling in on itself (several times) and I couldn't even see where the end was. It was so confusing, with lines going in every sort of direction. I don't even think some of the lines were even connected into the main one, but rather were just lines of people going nowhere (how they started, is anyone's guess. It seems that a long line at the ice cream place might have been mistaken for the line to get into the palace and so being started filling behind it.) I decided to trash my plans to see the President and his wife lie in state. As I walked back down Krakowski Przedmiescie, a light rain fell. As mushrooms are apt to do in the fertile loam of the forest, thousands of umbrellas blossomed almost in unison.

The line in goes all the way down the street.

Umbrellas in the sprinkling.

This 'crowd' of people, is actually one huge, twisted, curvy line.

A group near the front of the line awaits entry.

Along with the recently flooding of nuns to Warsaw's streets, an uptick in handkerchief-wearing scouts has also happened. The Presidential Palace is teeming with adorable youths wearing a variety of uniforms. Their uniforms range from the tradition 'Boy Scout' to the naval blues to some that look rather militaristic. The scouts light and place candles, remove the ones that are burned out, direct traffic and help control the crow, hand out water, or just stand guard. Their volunteerism has allowed the city of Warsaw to save thousands of zlotys by not having to pay overtime for extra police officers or hiring security guards.

A scout directs the foot traffic on Krakowskie Przedmiescie. We must respect her authoratay!

Scouts take cover.

Polish Soccer Fans: Bunch of Damn Hooligans or an Elusive Species?

As the Polish preparations for the Euro 2012 precede from truly shambolic to little-more-than-pathetic (compared to Ukraine, they seem on the ball and ahead of schedule) I come to wonder if Poland is really, truly jazzed about it.

My unscientific, broadly assumptive survey consists of me talking to my students. I interrogate them about their feelings about the Euro 2012, Widzew vs. Legia, and soccer in general. Coming into Poland, I presumed that they would be nuts about soccer. Technically, they are. They have fans that riot and scream and yell, but the rub is, is that I haven't met any of them. I have had class after class, student after student, and all of them claim to apathetic to soccer in any way shape or form. Most couldn't care less about the Euro 2012; they think it'll be an embarrassment for Poland and a hassle with all those pesky tourists clogging up the roads and subway and spending their money. Their apathy is appalling. Fans of soccer they may not be, but they need to look around them and see the massive investment in Poland's infrastructure. Plus, this is the chance for Poland to take center stage (Ukraine will most likely be limping behind, partially in Poland's shadow in the limelight.) Already, the UEFA has threatened Ukraine that Poland might have to host the bulk of the matches (Poland has confirmed they are ready, willing, and able) if Ukraine doesn't pick up the pace. The National Stadium is being transformed from a crumbling pit that hosts a flea market to a big muddy pit to a beautiful new stadium.

The Poles put up more of a fight against each other than against invading Germans and Soviets. (Oh, that's right. I went there.)

To say that I don't know any fans is a lie. A low-down, dirty lie. I actually know one, and he's a huge fan of Widzew Lodz, and an even bigger fan of AC Milan. He gave me a Widzew Lodz scarf, which I proudly displayed in my room. I was warned to never wear it in Warsaw or else I'd "get my ass beat."

I was later informed that Poland has a "league" of fighting armies or whatever. A hundred half-naked fans of one soccer team meets in a field with a hundred equally-half-naked fans of a rival soccer team, and they proceed to do violence upon each other. Sounds fun. This truly brings hooliganism too a new level.

To be honest, with all this talk of hooligans, and the silence of apathy, the most raucous display of fandom was on a bus in Kraków: a few youths chanted "Jazda! Jazda! Jazda! Biala Gwiazda!" Nothing too out of the way of fans in New England chanting, "Yankees Suck!" on the subway, at concerts, at Red Sox vs. KC Royals games, inaugurations, and Ted Kennedy's funeral.

In Krakow

A map of the Stare Miasto on the floor of Galeria Krakowska.

My time in Krakow was pleasantly spent. The Christmas decorations were not yet put away, and the cold nippy air made one feel more alive. Arriving in the afternoon, I was treated to the few hours of daylight before darkness fell. The onset of evening is when they turn on the Christmas decorations, which are actually far better than the ones in Warsaw.

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Cake and coffee in one of Krakow's many delightful cafes.

While I was in Krakow, there was a huge stage being set up in the Rynek. Last year, we had seen Czerwone Gitary perform at New Years, so I had assumed it was for some concert for Sylwester. I was wrong. Every year there is a charity event called Wielka Okiestra Swiatecznej Pomocy, which takes place in cities all around Poland. Polish bands play open air concerts while hordes of volunteers ask for donations of any size. After each donation they give you a heart sticker, and it's not uncommon to see people walking down the street plastered with big red hearts. We only got to see one act, and that was enough (although, we did donate some of our zloty.) The band played a song called "Polska, Kocham Cie" (Poland, I love you.) The music really isn't up my alley, but it was free so I can't really complain.

This guy really loves Poland.

I've seen most of the Old City in Kraków; I can't really think of much more that I could see. I've been on every tour in the Wawel, seen every museum of note and have probably gone down every street. Speaking of which, the oldest street in Krakow is actually quite beautiful and quite quiet. There is no traffic, pedestrian or otherwise.

The oldest street in Kraków.

There's a great, small restaurant there that serves Ukrainian food called, Restauracja Smak Ukrainski. The sign outside would make you think that it's on the street. Don't be fooled: the restaurant is actually quite a ways underground in some cellar. The dining room is… intimate and the food is really good with reasonable prices.

Dishes from Smak Ukrainski.

Note: I have noticed how I post a lot of pictures of my food in Poland. I fear that I'm turning into one of those things I've hated most: tourists who take pictures even of their food. When I used to work in restaurants, I saved an extra portion of spite and venom for those customers who used to take pictures of their food, their kids' food and the people in the next booth's food while oohing and ahhhing over it like a bunch idiots. It was enough to make me want to grab their cameras and smash them on the tabletop yelling, "It's a fucking lobster, not exactly a work of art, asshole!!!"

Krakow: A Return

I headed down to Krakow after my lesson with G. G drives a rice rocket and treated me to the most "thrilling" ride I've had in an automobile. Accelerating rapidly on a winter city street frays the nerves just a tad. He said I ought to get a fast car of my own since he saw me smiling as he was popping through gears.
The ride down was pretty good. A bright sunny day with a seat by the door of the compartment. It was all older people, and the seat net to me was free so I was kind of lucky. The lady opposite me scowled the entire trip and looked like a generally grumpy person. The day before we had gotten a snow storm (dropping about two-to-three inches) so the landscape had a fresh coat of white.
I have often stated my appreciation for Warszawa Centralna. Too bad that there are talks of removing it or severely reducing its traffic. Personally, I think it's wonderful train station: functional, unique, and servicable. The many ticket counters offset huge lines. The counters are not only in the main hall, but scattered below in the tunnels. It's a lot easier to be able to buy a ticket and instantly go to the platform.
The Polish countryside is quite beautiful. Villages dot the landscape, which is mostly farmland with a few sections of forest. I got to see a few herds of deer prancing about in the winter snowscape.

The new big thing is to apparently build gigantic malls next to the train stations. Warszawa Centralna has Zlote Terasy, and Krakow Glowny has Galeria Krakowska. It's a bit of a mixed bag, because it offers some entertainment and amenities right near the train station, but it also draws away from the majesty of the buildings.

Kazimierz

Kazimierz is the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. It resides on the northern bank of the Wisla and is adjacent to the Old City. Apparently, it used to by on an island, but part of the river was filled in, connecting it to the rest of Krakow. There are a few museums and sites to see, most notably there are a few synagogues. Only one synagogue is worth a visit, the Old Synagogue, and the rest are pretty mundane. I actually found the place to be quite boring and got lost there several times. The Old Jewish Cemetery is kind of neat, but the new one is even nicer. It's pretty huge, with graves packed in closely together; trees, covered in ivy, tower above.

There was a museum that displayed old Polish folk art. They had mockups of the interiors of traditional peasant houses as well a large display of traditional Polish dress (quite cute.)

A Krakowian Affair

Krakow, the ancient capital of Poland, lies deep in its south. Its Old City was not razed like Warsaw or Wroclaw and it retains all the pride of an imperial city. Centered around it's Stare Miasto, Krakow spreads out on both sides of the Vistula, much like Warsaw. The Old Town is ringed by small, delightful parks. It also used to be surrounded by Medieval walls, which I am sure were quite impressive. All that's left of the walls is a small section at the head of the city, with the Florian Gate and the barbican. An outline of the former walls still marks where they once stood. They were torn down because they had fallen into disrepair, with the moat used as a trash dump that was becoming a health hazard.
The Stare Miasto is one of Poland's finest jewels. The Sukiennice (cloth hall), which was the world's first department store, stands in the center and is home to many shops and stalls, with a fine art museum at top. The museum is undergoing renovation, so it'll be out of business until something like 2010. (Work goes very slowly here in Poland.) St. Mary's Church is staggeringly beautiful inside. A royal blue ceiling, painted with tiny golden stars, creates the impression of a heavenly sky.

The Sukiennice at night

The district of Kazimierz (also named for Kazimierz the Great) was the Jewish section of Krakow until WWII. Most times I been there I've gotten lost, and to be perfectly honest, it's really not that great. There are several synagogues, which are now museums, and only one, the Old Synagogue, is really worth a visit. It holds many Jewish artifacts. The Jewish cemeteries are quite nice, with the older, smaller one dating back to the 16th century. I have only visit the larger, newer on, and only that during winter. Huge, vine-covered trees tower over a small forest of stone. Paths wind about through the raised graves. It was quite peaceful to visit during a light snowfall. It was also convenient to be wearing a winter hat, since men must don hats in accordance to the rules.
I only once went to the nearby park of Ojcow (Fathers'.) Apparently it is quite nice to bike and hike to see the castle ruins in them as well as the natural beauty. I was not able to see any of these ruins, but walked along a frozen road to find the "hamlet" (a scattering of houses that makes Somesville look like a roaring metropolis) in which everything was closed. Since bus service was not exactly on frequent intervals we had to walk to the nearby town, whose name escapes me at the moment.
The Wawel, like all main tourist sights, is mobbed with an un-godly amount of people. Lines form to go inside the cathedral, which is no small chapel. Throngs of misshapen Brits drink overpriced coffee and laugh like idiots over the most numbingly retarded observations. If you hate tourists as much as I do, visit Krakow in the dead of winter or even in early spring. Warsaw may be the entry point to these unsightly masses of flesh, but they soon cram their fat asses into buses or trains and head to Krakow.

The Zygmunt Bell in the Wawel Cathedral

I'm tempted to compare the Wawel with the Royal Palace in Warsaw. The Wawel was head of the Nazi command, so it escaped the fate of the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace was painstakingly rebuilt, finished 1988. The Royal Palace is far more opulent (and has the most amazing bathroom in Poland. It's even better than the mens' room in Gunness at UMass.) But the Wawel still is pretty cool. One can climb to see the Zygmunt Bell and from the bell tower see the whole of the Krakow Stare Miasto. The Wawel has a Cathedral, which is very beautiful, which the Royal Palace doesn't have and the Wawel has far better landscaping. One can walk about on Wawel hill and then descend for a walk along the Vistula.

The Opera House in Krakow