Photos from Krakow

	This is a shot of the old customs house, now an outdoor theater under renovation, outside St. Florian's gate--the patron saint of firefighters.
	A shot of the recently uncovered foundation of the customs house. Here you can see that a moat used to surround this building.
	This is St. Florain's Gate as seen from outside the Stare Miasto (Old Town). You can see the old wall that surrounded the old city.
	This is a view of the Gate from inside the Stare Miasto, where a relief of St. Florian looks out over the old city.
	One of three McDonald's in the Stare Miasto, right beside St. Florian's Gate.
	This is a view down Florianska St. from the gate.
	This is a famous cafe on Florianska St. called Kawiarnia Jama Michalika, where Bohemian, political artists in the early twentieth century, used to pay for their coffee with their works. The cafe is covered in their beautiful paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
	This is a shot of the Cloth Building in the center of the Rynek where medieval merchants used to sell bolts of cloth. Krakow boasts the largest medieval square in Europe. Today the cloth building is used as a massive souvenir site.
	This is St. Mary's cathedral right on the Rynek.
	This is a shot of the colonades of the Cloth Building
	This is the interior of the Colegium Maius, the main building of the Jagellonian University, founded in 1364 by the Jagellons, the first dynasty of Polish kings.
	This is the oldest street in Krakow, Kanonicza St. down on the left is where Karol Wojtyla, lived while he was the archbishop of Krakow. Wojtyla later became Pope John Paul II.
	This was a great musician who often played in the Rynek. He spoke no English, so I was not sure of the origin or significance of his costume or hair style, but he played a medieval lute.
	This is a shot of a Star Wars Episode III: the Revenge of the Sith add in a cell phone window.
	A shot of the famous Orchy at the Jagellonian University Library. The library itself was immense, but as with all European University libraries, the books are only handled by the staff. Each stack was kept behind temperature controlled rooms, that were accessible only via a key card, so I could not peruse any of the books.
	This is another shot of the Colgium Maius courtyard, where you see the original well behind the plant.
	This is a shot from the left tower of St. Mary's down on the Cloth Building in the Rynek.
	Another view.
	And another.
	And another.
	And another.
	These are the steps to get to the top of the tower.
	This is a shot of the inside of the tower.
	This is the trumpeter, an honored member of the Fire Brigade, who's job it is to play the trumpet every hour of the day. Since the only way to access the tower is via the 239 wooden and stone steps, the trumpeter crew (two per 24 hour shift), stays in a little lounge up in the tower until they are relieved by the next crew. Tradition has it that the melody they play is Hungarian. Each hour, they pull the rope, ringing the bell. Then they play the song out of four windows: one for the King, facing Wawel Castle; one for the Honorable Council, facing the Cloth Building; one for the Guests, facing Floranska Gate; and one for the Fire Service, facing their headquarters. The song itself is beautiful, but ends abruptly before the last note. This is in reverence to a legend that says the first bugler was struck in the throat with a Tartar arrow. It was the bugler's job to warn the city of invaders, since the tower is the highest point (to this day) in Krakow. You can also hear the Bugle anywhere in the world, by tuning in at 12:00 noon, Poland time to Radio Krakow.
	A shot of the bugler playing out the window facing Wawel Castle.
	This is a shot out one of the air shafts of the tower.
	The tower from the ground.
	A typical shot down a street on the Rynek
	Beautiful buildings were everywhere.
	This is an example of the kind of architecture you find on every day streets in Krakow. This was a bus stop, across the street from my hotel, Hotel Fortuna.
	One of the only Pizza Huts I saw in Poland. In terms of American fast food, Poland only has McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
	This is the sign outside of the archbishopric house in Krakow where John Paul II lived while he was the archbishop of Krakow. Today, it has been turned into a John Paul Museum. The sign reads: "The Archbishopric Seminary of the Spirit in Krakow."
	Near my hotel was a movie theater. This is the banner advertising Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
	This is the only Smart Car I saw while I was in Poland, though they are growing in popularity.
	The Smart Car is made by Mercedes, who designed the car itself, and Swatch, who designed the interior.
	This is the main courtyard of Wawel Castle, the original seat of the kings of Poland.
	This shot gives a sense of the sheer size of this courtyard.
	This is a shot over the grounds looking on the Cathedral, which houses the Royal Crypts as well.
	The towers of the Cathedral.
	The entrance to the Cathedral at Wawel Castle
	This is a view of the Wisla River from the walls of Wawel Castle. The Castle itself rests on a hill, surrounded by a massive wall in the center of the city.
	This is another sign outside of the house where Karol Wojtyla lived.
	This is the exterior of Karol Wojtyla's house on Kanonicza St.
	This is a shot looking back on the entrance to St. Mary's cathedral.
	A distant shot on the magnificent altar in St. Mary's. You could not take photos any closer than this. The alter itself is the only one if its kind, a truly breathtaking piece of architecture. It was built between 1477-1489. It stands 11 x 13 meters, and the height of the human figures is around 2.7 meters. The basis of the main cabinet is the genealogy of Mary and Christ. The cabinet is outlined by four wings, two of which are mobile and can be closed. The open cabinet depicts the Annunciation and the Descent of the Holy Ghost. They are surrounded by the Assumption, the Coronation, and St. Mary falling asleep in the presence of the Apostles. When the cabinet is closed, there are the twelve scenes of Mary's suffering.
	This is the interior courtyard of Colgium Medicum, where the conference was held. They placed a large tarp over the center, so as to shield us from the blistering sun during our breaks.
	This was a fascinating man who played famous songs completely on water-filled crystal glasses.
	The exterior of St. Mary's
	When I ate at the Ukrainian restaurant, Smak Ukrainski, I ordered an Obolon Dark. In American, I can get Obolon, but I have never seen Obolon Dark.

Poland Photos: Aushwitz | Belzec | Birkenau | Chelmno | Gross-Rosen | Kazimierz | Krakow | Krakow Ghetto | Lublin | Majdanek | Plaszow | Sobibor | Treblinka | New Friends