Starting Light, Ending Heavy

An example of something I made using the dagger beads and Kumihimo years ago. Because I've already had several people say they're interested in coming with me next year, I've started thinking about what we'll do and where we'll stay, etc. I can teach this technique and bring everything needed to make this bracelet, just to get people started. 

 Today we walked back to the square, saw the astronomical clock everyone talks about, then headed to the daily market where they sell "crafts" and fresh fruit. They did have some local painters selling work, but mostly it's cheap souvenirs.
 Then we decided to return to the butcher shop Martin took us to on our food tour. We had to wait in line and hope to get one of their 4 small tables. Martin happened to be working the cash register, though first you order what you want, then you wait in the line to pay. We ordered meat loaf and steak tartare (could have shared one of them, but who knew?) and some pastrami and ham to bring home for breakfast. Matthew had a beer; water for me. Martin said the drinks were on him and then he also gave us a cool cloth bag to carry our things back. It was fun seeing him again and for him, seeing we enjoyed the food there so much from the tour, we returned. We did get a table, so happily chowed down and watched everyone around us also loving the food.

Martin also bought us some salami and pastrami to try while we waited for our food. We were treated like royalty by him... very sweet and appreciated.

Yep, it's raw meat. Delicious too!

See the table and chairs upside down on their ceiling? Every night they're brought down for a special tasting menu dinner. 

 We skipped dinner after that huge lunch, but did opt for fresh fruit and some gelato. Two flavors each: Matthew had pear and plum with poppy seeds and I had my usual, espresso and a new one - lavender.

All delicious! Then we headed over the Charles (walking) Bridge with hundreds of other people, walked around over there and headed back. It was fun to people watch...what an interesting planet we live on. Takes all kinds....and they were on the bridge last night.

 Today we spent the day in the Jewish sector doing the 4 synagogue self tour. Had a fabulous lunch at King Solomon restaurant. Our most expensive meal yet, but well worth it. I was going for matzoh ball soup, which we ended up sharing because they had a couple of lamb dishes on the menu and I wanted lamb. Matthew had goose, a rare treat.

We were in the "winter garden" for lunch.

 tiny matzoh balls and lots of fresh, crisp vegetables

 Their food was so good we were forced to try their apple strudel, which came with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Our waiter added the sorbet on his own because we'd asked about flavors. YUM!

 About the synagogues. Each one had something different to share about the Holocaust. It's a heavy amount to take in. The first one had many artifacts from the synagogues that were returned after the war because they'd been confiscated by the Nazis. The second one we went to was the most depressing and difficult to see.  Many rooms on 2 levels, each wall listing hand-written names and dates of Czech people who had been rounded up between 1939-1944 and killed in concentration camps. 77,000 people

 One of the walls in a room with an up-close shot of how the names appear. In many cases, one surname followed by a series of people, meaning all from the same family. The Germans kept perfect records because they planned on using one of the synagogues as a museum

  Matthew looking at children's art recovered from the camps.

to show people how many Jews they'd exterminated.

 Interesting to see the stained glass--so different from Catholic churches. No people or icons and more modern or deco looking. My camera didn't capture the intricate part of the glass.

  This is the Spanish Synagogue  which is in a different part of town from the others. It's near the chi-chi stores and doesn't look like much on the outside, but the interior is the most ornate.
 I'm glad we went today, and I know Matthew and I  made the right decision about not visiting the concentration camps when in Krakow. The people who need to visit them are those who say it never happened or to get over it and forget it happened.
        77,000 in ONE country.