Krok po kroku

Currently on the Way to Santiago with plenty of time to think about life. I am surprised there are so little Polish walking here, in fact I have not heard a word of Polish in over a week. I guess people pilgrim mainly to Częnstochowa considering the similar sizes of Spain and Poland, this would definitelly fit Santiago trail! Would be interesting to know if the route in Poland is also so internationally commercialised - if not there is a spiritual business idea!

Thankfully, I copied my polish language CD on my iPod, and together with my other three polish music CD I have a mini Poland in my pockets. I try to repeat a lesson a day, whilst going step by step to Santiago.... Krok po kroku, like my language course.

 

 

Publicado con Blogsy

Polish car & traffic codes:

According to my teacher, in Poland big bosses drive audits, their vices drive Mercedes, wannabe bosses Skoda's (which by the way in Polish means "Unfortunately") ... and "mafia" bosses dark BMW.  I spotted few BMW, but quite a lot of Skoda! 

                                                                             (Hippy car I spotted in Krakow)

... and when you give somebody priority on the high way, don't be surprised when they turn of the alarm lights (the four orange at once):  They will not stop the car, but just want to thanks you :-)

Word of the day: samachod = car

During a guided tour through Kazimirz, the jewish borough of Krakow I got following lesson in economics:  Helena Rubinstein was born here (see picture) in 1870 and emigrated as with 15 to Australia as a nanny.  She had brought along some beauty receipt from her mother and started to market them first to neighbors (mainly farmer women) and soon opened her first beauty-parlor.... and expanded internationally.  In 1928, she sold her business for USD7.2m to Lehman Brothers Bank, only to buy it back one year later when the crisis was at it worst for USD1.7m.  When asked how she did this stroke of genius and managed to gain USD5.5m during world rescission, she simply answered "It was a matter of logic and waiting for the right moment".  Let's hope this logic also applies to current economic crisis and we all find the right moment!

Word of the day: Lekcja = Lesson

Temperatures are under zero again and it is snowing..... and Krakow has another, still special charm.

Picture: CollegiumMaius and thePlant, a park that circumvents the entire old town

And whilst in Switzerland the snow ploughs would wake me up at 6.30 here snow normally stays on the streets (traffic still flows) and instead today my neighbor woke me up nailing something  against the wall.

Words of the day: Papież = Pope  &  sąsiad = neighbour

After two weeks of grey and cold weather, two days of sunnshine ... and Krakow seems another city: Populations seems to have trippled (on the streets) there are planty of tourists:  Everybody is happier, smile more wear colourfull clother (though the guy I saw in shorts was definitely over-enthusiastic) --- and I feel like moving here for good!

Krakow's main square

Word of the day: Słońce = Sun

First time at the Wawel museum in Krakow, I could not enter because it was about to close (what museum closes at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon?) Second time around, the grumpy ticket lady informed me that the quota to visit was already full ... However, third time lucky and I was able to contemplate Leonardo da Vinci's Dama z Lasicska (Lady with Ermine) a paiting I always assumed was hanging in the Louvre.

The painting was a souvenir a polish Prince brought to his mother from a trip to Italy around 1800, only to find out later that it was a painting by Leonardo da Vinci: An Ermine because the Lady's family name sounded like ermine in Greek and also her lover (a prince from Milano) was also knight of the Order of the Ermine. Not having studied art, I personally think this Lady is nicer than da Vinci's Mona Lisa (who I was told hung a while in queen Marie Antoinette's toilet in Versailles ... Maybe the reason for Mona rather weird fae expression...

Word of the day: PAMIANTKA = Souvenir

Polish people like diminutives and any form of endearement, particularly for given names: Girls names are shortened and often finish in -sia, boys in -ek. So Ursula becomes Ula, Catherine-Kasia, Renate-Asia and consequently Lukas becomes Lukaszek, Mark-Marek, Jose-Jusek ... and Jacob-Kuba.

Talking about names, many of Krakow's streets are named after women:  Federica Chopina ( Chopin's daughter?) Janna, Josefa etc... However, it turns out these are all men: Federic Chopin (indeed) Jan and Josef : "a" is just the declination's ending to say the street "of"...  eg. concert "of" FRANKA SINATRY (thought I would be very surprised if this this concert is live)

Word of the day: TRUSKAWKA - Straberry