Krakow

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Poland is still a very religious Catholic country and there are beautiful churches everywhere. Krakow received relatively little damage during WW II so many of the buildings are still originals.
Since we had some extra free time in Krakow we decided to stroll along the Vistula River and take a boat ride.	Wawel Castle is the stronghold of the old city and is built right along the river to protect its flank
The trip went by peaceful houses that undoubtedly cost a fortune.	All the commentary was in Polish, of course, so we could not figure out exactly what this was. Our best guess was an historic building surrounded by a museum.
There was a movie, vastly popular in Europe, about a couple putting a lock on a bridge in Paris and throwing the key in the river. Ever since, bridges in Europe have been covered by the "love lock," in some cases adding so much weight that the bridge structure is impaired. Authorities keep removing them but people keep adding new ones.	The Vistula River--the lifeblood of Krakow.
Dinner in one of the best restaurants in Krakow. Most of the really elegant restaurants are underground.
Approaching Wawel Castle from the land means going up a steep incline.	The main area of the castle is bordered by apartments and chapels. The one with the gold roof is Sigismund's Chapel, which is considered one of the highlight of the northern Renaissance architecture.
An interior courtyard with a very Venetian feel to it.	The castle ground showing the foundations of the original structure. The foundations are planted with flowers and shrubs to make them stand out--a clever idea.
Semi-indoor plumbing--just don't be walking underneath when they are in use!	The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, with statues of the 12 Apostles outside. Concerts are held inside each evening.
Before the invention of house numbers--and before most people could read--houses had identifying marks on them. This is the House of the Golden Lion. Pretty sad looking lion.	The University of Krakow is one of the most famous and oldest in Europe. These buildings are still in use.
St. Mary's Church, off the town square.	The painted altarpiece is one of the finest examples of Gothic painting in the world.
Every hour a trumpeter plays a call from the top of one of the two towers. The call ends in mid-note to commemorate a trumpeter killed by a Mongol arrow in the 13th century as he sounded the alarm.
We dined that night at a restaurant that featured klezmer music.	The music was new to us and very interesting to listen to.
The musicians were very good, especially the woman, who alternated between singing and playing the violin--in the same piece.