Evening Symphony

So after a day of relaxation last Sunday, I then went with my friend, Nicole to a small symphonic Chopin and Mozart concert at St. Peter and Paul's Church. The small orchestra consisted of a pianist, two violinists, a viola, bass and celloist. The sound was amazing and they played some of my favorite Mozart music. It was fairly inexpensive (like $20) for an hour and 15 minutes. I felt such peace afterwards as the music was very calming!!

Of course after the concert we had to get lody (ice cream) and as always it was delicious. :)

Zakopane

Yesterday was the best weather we have had in a long time which was perfect timing for our trip to Zakopane! Our bus ride took about 2 and 1/2 hours to get there and we were divided into a hiking group or sightseeing group. Since I was leary of hiking for 4 hours, I chose to do the sightseeing tour. We went to the Architecture Museum and it was so neat to see how many residents in Zakopane have their homes. They are known for their skill at wood carving and it is

showcased in their homes.

We then went to the famous cemetery called Stary Cemetery and Church. Again the most beautiful wooden church and wooden monuments that I have ever seen. Jana, Agatha, Lauren and I took an express tram up to the top of the mountain. Oh the view was breathtaking and serene.

After shopping for souvenirs we took the bus back home. As soon as we got back to the dorm we went to eat an outside cafe on the square listening to another live concert while we ate. All of the girls wanted to go on a carriage ride so we did. We loaded into a pink carriage (we thought that was fitting) and took a 30 minute ride which was beautiful. Then I called it a night!

I am skipping the school trip to Auschwitz in order to go with Jeremy when he visits. I know that I couldn't handle it two times so close together.

Friday night!

I watched a live choir concert in Rynek Glowny Square on Friday night and it was beautiful! These young adults had such powerful voices and it was enough to give you the chills.

After that a couple of us went to a bar, Le Scandale, in Kazimierz district. The bar was very nice and laid back -- best Bloody Mary I have had in a long time.

Heavy heart

Well the movie about the Katyn Massacre was absolutely horrific!! It was a must see and it was extremely important to tie together the history of the Polish people. However the movie was very graphic and extremely sad -- I felt awful afterwards and cried my heart out. For those of you who may not know, in the spring of 1940 Stalin ordered his troops to execute 4,000 Polish army soldiers that were Prisoners of War. They covered the bodies up in a mass grave and blamed the Nazis and vice versa. Families of the loved ones lost were not allowed to speak of this massacre under Communist rule.

On a lighter note, I aced my midterm!!

Fun at the Cafe

I want to say that I absolutely LOVE all of the outdoor cafes here in Krakow. A few of us girls needed to get out of the dorm so we took our study materials for Polish language and headed to Cafe Camelot. I had a kawa amaretto bialy (white coffee with amaretto) and it was delicious!! They served it with a few ginger snaps and a few cherries, presentation gets an A+. I truly enjoyed sipping on my coffee, studying, having girl talk and observing the Poles interact (yay to multi-tasking).

Tonight we meet Piotrek for an API Cultural Event, watching the movie "Katyn" at one of the academic buildings near the square. Tomorrow is my midterm, YIKES!! I am so worried about it but I will do my best.

More later....

Sunday

Sunday morning I studied for a while until it was time to go to Wieliczka Salt Mine. I had already been here before but decided to go ahead and go with everyone else since I was feeling a bit bummed (missing home). I had a great time hanging out with everyone and the salt mine is quite a remarkable site. They have a beautiful chapel which is the lowest underground church in the world and we were at the lowest (approx. 327 meters deep). To get down into the salt mine you have to walk down about 400 steps for the first level and then again to get to the lowest point, so in all you have to go down approximately 800 steps, whew!

Since we worked up quite the appetite, we had pizza for supper near our dorm. I shared with a friend so I paid about $3.50 for 1/2 of a pizza and a coke. :) Is important to tell you that they do serve pizza with the option of a side of ketchup. I kindly declined in Polish of course.

Rough day....

Well Saturday was pretty tough since we had class all day long plus a few of us visited what once was the Gestapo headquarters in Krakow. Not only was it a museum but also had the actual prison cells where torture and death was an everyday occurrence from 1939 - 1945. In the prison cells you could see entire walls full of inscriptions by the prisoners either pleading for their life, praying and notes to their families; as well as, smell the stench of stale death. Needless to say, I was crying by the end. It is unfathomable how capable humans are of violence.

Saturday night there was a party at a club that was put on by the Summer School and it was okay but we left early.