Travel Stories VI: Meeting the World War II Soldier

This was an evening after a long day in Aug 2012 and I was roaming in the Krakow’s old town area in Poland, one of those unstructured times during travels, where you aimlessly roam observing and absorbing in the place. We suddenly saw some old soldiers marching past in their full army getup and reaching what looked liked some kind of a memorial. Curiously we followed them and requested our Polish guide to help us converse with these charming gentlemen. She graciously obliged and here we were talking to Mgr Wtodzimierz Wowa Brodecki, who was a young participant in World War II.

Looking smart and handsome in his crisp army uniform with all his medals proudly shining on his chest, with his head still looking upwards, he was more than alert at 88 than anyone else around. He was the center of attraction and posed smilingly for every camera and everyone who wanted to be clicked with him. Once done with the formalities of the event, that it seems was well covered by the local press, he started telling us the stories. He said he was a part of a Cavalry unit and hence rode horses. He carried with him a photo album, that showed him on the horse at various places in Europe, and this turned out to be the most interesting story. After he retired, every year he would ride the horse to one of the places where war took place and pay homage to soldiers who died there. These pictures chronicled his homage paying journeys for many many years. One of the pictures was taken at the very place we were standing, just a few years back. I took pictures of his pictures to be able to tell his story to you.

Lack of common language kept the conversation in check, we found out that he was keen to share the stories of Indian soldiers who had fought during the war and whom he had met. After some thousand photographs and brief interrupted conversations as we were saying Good Byes, Major told us that his mother in law runs a guesthouse in case we needed a place to stay in Krakow. My first thought was ‘You are 88, how old must be your mother-in-law?’ but then I quickly realized that your mother-in-law’s age need not be related to your age and whatever her and your age may be, you must always work for her…:-)

This was one of the meetings that would always stay with me in my memory.

Zakopne : Ski & Beyond in The Hindu Sunday Magazine

A travel article by yours truly appeared in The Sunday Hindu Magazine dated Feb 24, 2013, sharing this with you.

To read complete article go here: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/ski-and-beyond/article4438753.ece

Poland Pails III: Schildler Museum, Krakow

Opened recently in 2010, this museum chronicles the life in Krakow before and around the Second World War. One of the important events that it documents is the arrival of Nazi Germans in the city in 1939 and the tragedies that followed over next five years at its permanent exhibition titled ‘Kraków During Nazi Occupation 1939-1945. Schilder’s factory was brought to focus by the famous Speilberg film Schindler’s List that was shot primarily in Krakow.

The site is the original Oskar Schindler's Factory that made Enameled Vessels ‘Emalia’ and you can see some of those vessels inside the museum, stacked up in a transparent cubicle. This factory was originally setup by the Jews in 1937 but was taken over by Oskar Schindler who arrived with the Nazis from Germany. It initially made vessels and cookware for the German Army but later expanded to include a munitions division to produce cartridge cases and fuses for bombs. For the cost advantage, people from Jewish ghettos were hired here and their lives are also one of the focus areas for this museum now. Pictures of Oskar Schindler make the man come alive.

Krakow was the seat of government during the Second World War and this museum tends to showcase the city from that perspective as well. There is lot of old material from the time that has been put up as pictures and as displays that gives you a feel of the time. Reading personal communications between people can be very emotional. Old currency notes, envelopes, black and white photographs of the town against the backdrop of its still-the-same skyline, hand made charts, enclosure with information, old equiments on display tell stories of the their times.

Apart from the exhibits that are unique to the city and the museum, I loved the museum for its design. It re-creates the old city with the help of multi-media and gives you an almost theatre like feel. You walk through the exhibits, you feel the people around, you read the newspapers of the time, the writings by the people, you hear the sounds and you are definitely transported to the world of Krakow people during the times of Oskar Schindler. A book shop, a café, a mini theatre make it a complete space for the visitors. To do justice to this museum you need at least 2-3 hours and if you are war history enthusiast you can spend much more time here.

Couple the visit to this museum with a visit to Jewish Quarters in the town, not too far from the factory, to complete the experience of the world war era.

Poland Pails II: Krakow Old Town

Old living towns somehow continue to live in old town squares with stories peeping from the corners. Sometimes you walk on them literally and most importantly life somehow moves at the leisurely and relaxed pace in this spaces. You can simply sit by the fountain or at one of the open coffee shops and watch and enjoy the surroundings. By evening there are performing artists showcasing their talents, entertainers trying to grab your attention and there is so much of food around to fill your senses.

Krakow’s old town square is one of the largest and oldest town squares in Europe. It is a big square with a rectangular market square in the centre. There are open cafes all around the periphery of the square and if you visit this place in summer you must try the strawberry ice cream here. Town hall tower stands tall like a guard overlooking its area. Basilica of Virgin Mary with its unusual asymmetric towers is one of the most famous churches of Poland and dates back to 14^th CE. Narrow lanes lead you out of the square to various parts of the town. One such lane leads to the University of Krakow and it fondly displays its affection for its famous student Nicolas Copernicus the famous physicist. I was delighted to see poetry written on some walls around the university campus.

Market square in the centre was a trading center in the medieval times and potentially had traded with the Asian countries like India. Spice and textiles were imported from the east and the salt and minerals from the mines here were exported. This also means that this was a part of the old trade route. Today it is the shopping center for tourists with all kind souvenirs being sold in the colorful small shops. In the evening, you can hear the music coming from various pubs and cafes in the area. We visited couple of them I heard some of the best live music played and singing that has an impact far greater than any recorded music. There are quite a few Indian restaurants in Krakow though there are not many Indians around. We also visited an old café, which still maintains its old world charm and boasts of being the oldest cabaret in town, and it is a story for another day. In the middle of the square are a few fountains and a hand pump and people were actively using it. Horse drawn carriages took tourists for a joy ride around the square.

I found the underground archeological museum most fascinating place in Krakow old town. This many centuries old town square kept going down under the weight of new constructions and eventually what was the ground floor has now become the basement. What they have done is converted this basement into a museum showcasing the history of the town, specially the town square through various archeological artifacts and audio video displays. Through the glass ceilings that are also the base for the fountains on the current day ground floor, you can actually see outside and see the tall structures and people moving around in the square. I found this design incredible. It was like standing in the past and yet looking at the present. Of course you admire the way they have conserved the whole basement as well. In fact if you go to certain restaurants, you can see the operational basements and the owners will tell you that it was actually the ground floor when the restaurant first came up.

Old towns are typical to most European cities, similar yet unique.

Poland Pails I: Wieliczka Salt Mine, Krakow

I always thought, salt came from the sea and only sea. It never occurred to me that earth can also have a salt mine hidden in her belly until I saw one such mine in Southern Poland, not too far from the town of Krakow. Since the mine is well below the sea level, you only see a small building when you reach the entrance, but the marvels start to appear after you have descended about 400 wooden steps to reach the first level i.e. the top level of the mine. Various flights of steps take you further down till you are 300+ meters below the ground level and thankfully there is a miner’s elevator to bring you back on the ground. This mine has produced salt since 13^thCE till a few years back.

Rocks with high level of salt content are the source of table salt that is indispensable for any cuisine. If you lick the rock, you can taste salt. As you walk in through various wooded corridors, you wonder why so much of wood is stuffed here in a neat pattern, almost making the place look like a storehouse for wood. Guide smiles and explains that this is to ensure that the cave does not cave in, i.e. the wood bears the weight of the rock above the excavated area ensuring the safety of people working in the mine and also ensuring the continued use of mines for a long time. At various places there are sculptures showing various mining activities with replicas of the equipment they used – which is again mostly made of wood. There are turnaround pulleys that were used to push the salt out of the mines upwards and there are water channels that transported salt water from various inside the huge mine, there are channels indicating the trolley tracks.

What makes this mine unique today are the sculptures that have been carved out of salt rocks. All over the mine there are carvings in the walls, statues standing in various chambers, an underground chapel, a ballroom and a huge dining room that serves as the restaurant. Some chambers have statues of the famous visitors to the mine over the years of its existence. One such visitor was Nicholas Copernicus who was a famous scientist and studied at the Krakow University. The sculptures in various shades of grey are enchanting. Most of them depict saints and scenes from their lives. Famous sculptures here include those of St Barbara and Pop John Paul II. There are scenes from the myths and legends around the mine, primarily associated with people who owned or started the mine. Even the chandeliers have been made out of salt crystals, polished to an extent that the light shimmers through them. Floor is made of tiles from the rocks here. Intelligent lighting creates a surreal effect. Our guide told us that most sculptures were created by the miners themselves and there names are engraved on plaques in the ballroom. I loved the creativity used in most mundane of the places that has converted a non-operational mine into a tourist hot spot and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Nature has also played its role in making this an intriguing place. Apart from filling the mine with salt that added taste to the food of million over 800 years, mine has a natural lake a water bodies in it. In fact this is how the mine was discovered, when a small stream of water coming out of this place was found to be salty by some natives. Today, a small audiovisual show tries to blend music with the natural elements of the cave. There are salt deposits here and there that form various natural formations like cauliflower or a scorpion.

Air inside the salt mine is supposed to have a healing effect as the presence of salt ensures a purity in the air and no infections can breed in this air. A section of the mine that is not open to tourist serves as wellness center, where diseases like Asthma and other allergies are treated. People are made to stay in the mine and absorb the air here so that their systems are cleansed of any allergies. As a tourist there are various routes that you can take in the mine, but only with a trained guides who come in miners uniform. Regular tours involve walking around 2 kms or so path, you can take a little more adventurous treasure hunt in the mine, even more adventurous night tour and a miner’s tour where you have to wear miner’s outfits, helmets and go with your own miner’s lamp.

A must see place if you are anywhere around southern Poland. Keep at least half a day for the mine and shopping of various rock salt artifacts including jewellery.

European Quartet – First Impressions

I got an opportunity to be a part of the study tour of four technically Central but by perception East European countries: Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. I had never been to this region before so was all excited to explore it. We had roughly 2 days in each country including the travel time between them, but we got introduced to the basic ethos of the countries, cities and region in general. Like every travel, I constantly felt I should have spent more time in each of these places but that is the traveler in me who is never tired of exploring new lands and meeting new people. Here I am sharing my first impressions and random observations from the trip across the countries:

1. All the places were beautiful and continue to maintain their gorgeous old world charm. The signs of modernity were so well merged with the old that they did not stand out. As an example, the Hard Rock Café in Prague and Budapest only displays its logo at the windowpanes of the old structures that housed it. Not only are the old sculptures well maintained, but the new modern art installations are regularly being installed.
2. Tram is a popular public transport in all big cities and uses the same road as other vehicles. On the first look you expect accidents, but then you see the traffic moving harmoniously on the narrow roads.
3. Use of plastic is limited. All the hotels that we stayed in used returnable Glass bottles for water and all the restaurants that we ate it served water in Jugs and glasses. Plastic bottles were only used to use on the go.
4. Most hotels have a sky roof that allows the sunlight to keep the premises lighted.
5. At most tourist attractions taking a local guide who specializes in the place is a must. Every guide would switch on the lights as you enter a section and switch them off as you come out and I wish I could replicate this practice in my country.
6. Most of the production and consumption remains within the region. People eat what they grow, they drive what they manufacture and more often than not they travel within their own neighborhood. Most wines and beers are locally brewed and breweries are important points in the cities. Our lively guide in Slovakia told us that ‘All diseases are caused by the lack of Alcohol in the blood’, indicating the fondness for Alcohol, but I guess it is the weather that demands the inclusion of Alcohol as an integral part of food intake.
7. Except at Parliament building in Budapest, there were no security checks of any kind anywhere, making you feel trusted. 
8. Memories of World Wars, specially the Second World War dominate the public memory, and most of them still feel the trauma. You can see the pain when they talk about various events, and about their families then. A Museum of Torture exists in every town, reminding of the various ways used to torture during the war and otherwise.
9. Krakow, Budapest, Bratislava and Prague – All these cities have a river flowing through them and the city virtually lives around the river. Riverfront has been developed as recreational place and as a tourist spot. Boats, ships, lined coffee shops, restaurants and performers along with the classic European bridges create a panorama for the visitors. There is something to keep everyone interested.
10. Live music can be heard on the street, at the squares and in bars. Performing arts are on display at most places and you can voluntarily pay for the performance depending on how much you liked it and what you can afford to pay. A concept that has now been given the name of Gift Economy.
11. I flew Russian Airlines - Aeroflot and took a total of four flights with them. Every time the plane landed, passengers clapped. I have never seen this happen anywhere else. I assume at some point in time this may have been to celebrate after a safe landing, and even after flying becoming so common it continues. Is this a Russian or a European tradition – if you know please enlighten?

Stories from each place will soon follow.