Kopiec Kosciuszki (Kosciuszko Mound) in Cracow

I met up with my friend Agnieszka W. near where I live in Cracow and we walked all the way to the top of the Kosciuszko Mound. On the way there we went by the "Blonie" (open area) and had a great view of Wawel Castle.

This Blonie used to be covered with water and there was an island in the middle of the water.

A long time ago this was so, my friend said.

A little further on we went by the Klasztor Norbertanek (monastery of sisters) and up the hill to 2 small churches. Both are only open for mass. The white church was dedicated to Saint Salwator and the wooden church was to Saint Malgorzata (Margaret). Here is that octagonal wooden church with statue of Pope John Paul II outside.

As we climbed up the street we saw a very pretty cemetery on a hillside. Its name is Salwator.  There were very old and new tombstones packed very close together.  Some were family graves. I asked my friend about how one gets a burial place there. You pay the city for a plot over a 20 year period. That is what I understood. There were some unmarked graves. It is possible that the city buried people there who perhaps were not claimed by their family (no family left or neglected by family). My friend told me about 2 of her students and their father who were killed in a car accident and were buried there.

In Poland the coffins are above ground and are not completely buried like in the States. 

We walked past some "dzialki" (community gardens). The land is owned by the city. You can buy a lot and grow your own garden. You can also build a small cottage on the property. You can put a bed in it and sleep overnight if you wish. It is not a big building and it is pretty bare. I think my pianist in Cracow has one of these gardens with a cottage somewhere outside of Cracow. She has told me it is a nice place to escape.

Further on up the hill is a walled off area where some rich man is building something. We peeked in but could not tell what will be built there. This man has something to do with a business called "Telefonika" (having to do with telephone cables). That business helps to sponsor the soccer team Wisla Krakow. My friend thinks that he somehow finagled permission to build up there. It is in a woodsy area that should be protected from development.

Then we finally get to the grounds of the mound. There is a huge fortress surrounding it. The Austrians built such fortresses around all of Cracow between 1840-1916. They were places of defense to protect the city of Cracow. Remember that there was a long period when Poland was split up and owned by other countries (until 1918). It ceased to exist as the country of Poland. The area around Cracow was ruled by the Austrians. Hence these Austrian forts. My friend said there is 1 fort in Nowy Kleparz area of Cracow that is now a wine cellar and shop. Another fort in Nowa Huta (a suburb) is a cultural center. We saw many maps and pictures of these fortresses. Some are in need of repair and are for sale. There are certain rules like making sure that part of the building is open to visitors. I have an idea of buying an old fortress and renovating it to make a small concert hall. I am sure the city has restrictions on renovation and usage. Maybe it is not that easy to do. 

The mound itself was built between 1820-23 before the fortress was built around it (around 1860). It is in honor of the Polish patriot Tadeusz Kosciuszki. People brought piles of dirt from all over the world to make this monument (even from the US). I saw a photo in the museum there with a box of dirt labeled from the state of Ohio. The Austrians allowed people to visit the top of the mound at first. Later they closed it off to visitors soon after they built the fortress, I think. Sometime later it was reopened to visitors. I remember in the late 90s it was closed to visitors because it had been destroyed by bad weather (lots of rain). Now it is fine and grass is growing. In fact it looks a little unkempt. Last time I was there about 8 years ago the mound was getting a "haircut" (getting mowed). It needs a haircut now. I mentioned that in the guest book in the museum (anonymously!).  

There are nice views of Cracow from the cafe up on top of the fortress, as well as nice views from the top of mound. Here are some nice views from the top of the mound and on our way up.

There was a very interesting museum downstairs about Kosciuszko.  They had an exhibit of money that had been donated for the upkeep of the mound. This money was either very old and not worth anything or was counterfeit. There were huge figures of Kosciuszko and George Washington sitting at the same table. Two things stood out for me. One was an old photo of a fair called "rekawka". There is another older mound named "Krakus". Legend has it that people were dressed in long sleeves and collected food in their sleeves. The food was thrown at them by rich people who were on top of the mound. Later it became more of a fair with entertainment. It still happens the Monday after Easter over by the Norbertanek monastery. The other thing was an ancient tall statue from the 9th or 10th century. It has 4 different faces on all 4 sides of pre-Christian gods ( of Slavic origin). It represents the 4 sides of the world. Around 1000 AD it was taken and buried in the area of the current Ukraine. I do not remember why it was taken away. Maybe when Christianity became popular here. It ended up near a river in the Ukraine that had changed its course and the water was destroying the statue. It was found by a few boys in the 1840s (?) and returned to Cracow. A replica of the statue is downstairs in the museum. Part of the original is in an archaeological museum here in Cracow. 

 

There was a large figure of Kosciuszko with a sword in his hand and blood on his arm. A tour guide was there explaining to a group of Russians (in Polish) that Kosciuszko went to the US 2 times. One time was to help us get our independence. The 2nd time was around 1794 when there were these Kosciuszko insurrections. He was getting in trouble with the Russians and got hurt in battle. The Russians took him prisoner for a few years and then let him go. He was not allowed to return to Poland, so he ended up in the US again briefly.

Also near the museum is another exhibit of wax figures. They are of famous Polish people like Pope John Paul II, Kosciuszko, Chopin, writers Sienkiewicz and Mickiewicz, sister Faustyna (founder of a Catholic sect) and others. Really interesting down there in the basement is a cistern that collected water for drinking and other uses when the fortress was in use as a military base. There was a filtration system down there where water was cleaned/filtered going through a pile of stones.Sometime later the surrounding walls suffered water damage. Now everything has dried out and has been renovated.

There is also a bunker. It looked rather bare and uncomfortable.

Here is a wax figure of the former pope (with a little blatant advertising!).

I think that is all to say about my visit to the Kosciuszko Mound. As I mentioned there is also the Krakus Mound (much older). There are 2 others -1 named after General Pilsudski and the other a figure of a legend called "Wanda" who threw herself off the mound and killed herself. I can't remember all the details of why. These mounds are located in various places around Cracow. The most impressive one is Kosciuszko's.

I really recommend a lengthy visit in this area of Zwierzyniec that includes our walk up the hill and the Kosciuszko Mound. There is a lot to take in!

Poland -random things

I really like how the Europeans are into soccer. In Poland on TV there are often games to watch (many international matches). When in the US can I watch Guangzhou play Lekhwiya?? It is a quarterfinal match of an Asian league tournament.

Yesterday I splurged and ate at Chlopskie Jadlo in Cracow on Sw. Jana Street. It is an expensive place to eat in this city, but worth it once during my visit. They serve you bread with lard and soft white cheese with herbs as an appetizer. Once again once a year I can eat lard. I ordered the sour soup (zurek), pierogi with cabbage and mushrooms, and kompot (cold fruit drink). The pierogi were ok. They were a little salty for me. I think I can make them better. Here are a few photos.

Speaking of food (again!), I highly recommend shopping at my favorite farmers market called Kleparz (in Cracow). It is near the tram stop Basztowa Lot. There you can buy homemade white cheese, vegetables, meat, fruit and dairy products. The prices are reasonable for Poland (cheap by US standards). The market is open every day. Just don't go on Sunday afternoon. Not many sellers will be there. I was ecstatic to find this at the market.

Wild blueberries (borowki) and sweet raspberries. The blueberries are the best!

While I am in Cracow I am looking to complete my collection of books in the series "Dzieje Krakowa" (history of Cracow). I do not have vols. 1 and 4. They are hard to find (and seem to be expensive). I did find vol. 1 here for 260 zloty ($86)! I am not paying that much!! I still have a few places to look. Since they are out of print, you have to look in rare book shops. I found out that there is a vol. 6 as well. It was published in 2004. I believe I can buy it for around $10. First I want see if I can find the rarer books. I don't have room in my suitcase for 3 volumes. 

Lastly in this entry I will talk about the festival "Muzyka w starym Krakowie" (Music in old Cracow). It takes place for 2 weeks from mid August to the end of the month. There are several concerts every day in different locations around Cracow (churches, auditoriums). Its artistic director is Stanislaw Galonski.  The sponsoring organization is Cappella Cracoviensis. Money comes from various foundations to pay the musicians.  I have heard from a reliable source that Mr. Galonski is being slowly relieved of his duties as director. The current director of the Cappella Jan Tomasz Adamus is taking over the direction of the festival.  I heard that the concerts are not usually announced til last minute because they are waiting to make sure funding has come through. Tickets can be from 15 zloty to around 45 zloty ($5-15) depending on what kind of concert. The orchestral concerts seem to cost more than chamber music concerts. I went to a solo/duo concert last night with violin and cello (Maria Stabrawa and Norbert Anger). They played well. There were no biographies in the program so I have no idea who they are. They were both young. I preferred the cellist's playing. They played solo works and collaborated for a few duos. No piano. It was in the Sw. Marcin church on Grodzka Street. The acoustics are very live. It covers up a lot of mistakes. You certainly sound good there. Everything sounds so loud (and blurred). I would like to see if I could play a concert for this festival next summer. It sounds like I might not get confirmation very early if were to play. They probably do not pay much either. It would still be nice to play for the festival.

Cracow first few days

How many of you know what this is? It is one of the most important cards a Cracovian must possess - a fan card of the soccer team Wisla Krakow. Without this you cannot buy tickets to games. To obtain a card you must go to the stadium on Reymana Street and register. It costs 10 zloty (around $3.50). Then you can buy tickets. There will be a game on Sunday vs Lech Poznan. It is part of a Polish tournament going on throughout the whole country. My friend Lucjan has invited me to some games in September. I think those will be regular season games. The word "kibica" means fan (supporter). By the way, I bought a ticket for Sunday's game for 5 zloty ($1.75)! They gave me a deal since it is my first time to go to a game. I did not tell them I had gone to a game about 15 years ago. Then they did not require you to have a fan card and the stadium has been renovated since then. So in a way it is my first time.  The seat is close to the midfield line but high up. I expect lots of singing at the match!

The second most important card to have is this one.

This is the pass for the trams and buses. I bought a monthly pass for a specific route (#24) that I will traverse often (from where I am staying to downtown and Jewish district). Any tram or bus that makes stops at the same places where tram route #24 stops I can take. My pass was checked by a controller the first time I used it! The pass for a specific route costs 48 zloty for the month ($16). A monthly pass for all of Cracow costs around 98 zloty ($32).  

I am working my way through my favorite restaurants and food here in Cracow. A few days ago I had a "gofry" which is a waffle topped with various things. I had whipped cream and wild blueberry sauce on mine. It cost 7 zloty (a little over $2). It is considered a street food here. Yesterday I ate a Chimery on Sw. Anny Street. I love their salad bar. They dish out the portions for you as you go through the cafeteria line. I bought a plate with 4 salads for 13 zloty (around $4) - roasted potatoes with garlic, raw carrot and apple salad, a salad with spelt berries and green cabbage, and a salad with tuna and red bell pepper and green cabbage. To drink I had a banana cocktail (smoothie made with kefir). They did not have my favorite flavor - wild blueberry. Since I was last there they covered the outdoor eating area with a glass roof. Too bad because I liked eating outside in the fresh air. I understand why they did it. It enables them to serve meals there during winter. Downstairs in the cellar is more traditional Polish food. It is also tasty. I tend to go to Chimera more for their salads. There are plenty of other places where you can eat Polish food more cheaply.

I am also working my way through museums here in Cracow. It is a good idea to find out on which day they have free admission. Most likely on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. I have been already to the History of Photography Museum. There were 2 temporary exhibits. One was about late 19th century Japanese photos. Most were made with tourists in mind. Staged poses, nice landscapes. The photos looked mainly black and white or sepia with a touch of color (probably painted on the photo. So was the technique back then.) The other exhibit contained photos pertaining to dress during extended periods of mourning in Poland in the 1860s. Lots of long black dresses and coats with some decoration of jewels, ribbons etc.  Apparently the Soviets did not like the mourning to be so long. They tried to control the duration. Eventually they banned the extended mourning all together. Along with those exhibits there were permanent exhibits of old cameras and old photos (some of Cracow a long time ago). I highly recommend this museum. It is small. A few hours will suffice to see it all. In general the admission prices to museums are pretty reasonable. I just like saving money and going when they are free!

BBC TV and Radio Stations, London

This is a very interesting tour for those who enjoy the BBC programs on TV and the radio. It is a behind the scenes look. A lot goes on there. It is near the Oxford Circus tube stop.

We started out looking down on the main tv news room.  It is divided into 3 sections for those working on world news (BBC World Service), domestic news and social media (website,Facebook, Twitter). These sections are not obviously delineated. People work in teams within these sections. There is a place on the floor where you see 2 red lines. If you cross over them you will be on live TV, as there is a news studio nearby on the floor (underneath our feet as we looked down from the reception area).

Here is a photo of said news room.

On another level higher up off the news room there is a separate open studio for doing the weather forecast.

They do have a "green room" where they can do broadcasts and project scenery on the walls as if the reporter is actually in a specific location. It is all trickery since the reporter is not actually in that location. I think green refers to the color of the walls or lighting in the room. We were not shown this room.

Many people work for the BBC. Reporters are sent out all over the world. Local translators are used to help communicate information to the reporters,

The dressing rooms downstairs for guests who will be on programs are quite bare. They would be used by guests who would be interviewed,  who would be getting ready to perform live in studio or even actors getting ready to record dramas on the radio.

We saw a studio for BBC 4 radio where live concerts are performed. They are sometimes put on live TV simultaneously. We heard about Eric Clapton playing there. He was paid very little to play there (as are all musicians), but he reaped the benefits of the concert with increased record sales thanks to the publicity.

We went into a studio where they record radio drama. Basically there were standing microphones in a circle plus a sound affects table with many things on it to make noises.  Volunteers from our group were asked to read a script or do the sound effects. Tom volunteered to read a part. Our 2 tour guides helped to coordinate the "production". I was able to get a photo before the action started.

The actual building has 3 sections, classified according to age. We saw the downstairs of the oldest section. There was a display of the microphones used to record the annual Christmas radio message by the king (George VI).  In the basement were the radio studios for BBC 4, including the drama studio seen above and the concert studio mentioned earlier. I believe this part of the building dates back to the 1930s. Part of this building got bombed during WW2 during a news broadcast. We listened to a dramatization of that event on the guide's Ipad. You could hear how he continued to read the news despite chaos around him. Here is that building (now rebuilt). They think the BBC building was targeted to be bombed.

Opposite this section of the building is another wing added later.  We did not visit it. On top is a conical structure dedicated to those hurt in the bombing of the building. It sends off a beacon of light every evening.

The newest part of the building is glass. We entered here for the tour. We had to go through security. The news room and many tv studios are located here (written about earlier above ie main news room and weather studio).

I would highly recommend taking this tour. Be sure to reserve in advance.

Tower of London

Full of tourists! Beware!! I was glad we reserved our tickets online as the line to collect advance purchase tickets was short. Well worth purchasing the audio guide for 4 GBP.

We started with the Yeoman Beefeater's tour. Again a huge crowd. Best to get in front and keep up. Our yeoman was very entertaining and made the history come alive. We missed the very opening of the tour, but not much of it. It is probably best to start with this tour and then explore on your own. Our guide in very dramatic fashion described the death of one man by sword. Apparently the swordsman was not very accurate, so it took about 4 attempts to finish the man off (bad aim- first in 1 shoulder, then the other, then the back, then the neck but not completely). Pretty gruesome! We as a group basically stayed outside of buildings except for the church. Inside the church you cannot take pictures. Ann Boleyn was buried there. Others associated with the church are Catherine Howard (another wife of Henry the 8th), Sir Walter Raleigh (explorer during reign of Elizabeth the 1st) and more people. There is a green area outside the church with a small monument to Ann Boleyn and others who were killed publicly outside in that location. The monument is a pillow. Here is a photo. Apparently few were killed in such a public manner.

We were left to explore the towers on our own. At the beginning of the walking path is a place called "watergate" or traitors gate. Boats could come up to it and let people off at the St. Thomas Tower.  It is odd to think that the royals were brought here after their coronation and then later in their lives for their execution! This tower was used as the residence for Edward the 1st and Henry the 3rd. It is important to know that this complex of buildings (Tower of London) was originally built to be residences and not prisons. In St. Thomas' Tower we saw bedrooms and small chapels right off the bedrooms. Here are photos of the water gate and inside St. Thomas' tower.

Nearby was the "BloodyTower" where 2 young princes (heirs to the thrown) were taken and "gotten rid of". Nobody knows who murdered them. Later their skeletons were found in a trunk in the White Tower. The princes were a threat to Richard the 2nd getting on the throne. Maybe he ordered their murder. Here is the outside of the Bloody Tower.

 

In one of the towers there was graffiti left by some of the prisoners up there. Some of it was images and some writings. Here is a sample.

 

Sir Walter Raleigh had a room in one of the towers. He was there a long time. I believe his wife and children were there too with him. He was in and out of the Tower. He had been let out to explore again, but bothered the Spanish so Queen Elizabeth the 1st ordered him killed. Here was his room. 

Of course the Crown Jewels are the main attraction. The line was long, but moved. Best to try late in the afternoon. No photos can be taken inside.  There were the usual orbs and scepters, royal dishes( my favorite the impressive containers to hold salts and spices) etc. There was a queen's ring but the jeweler made it for the wrong finger and was too small for the ring finger.  Crowns and more crowns. Yes, there was a moving walkway by the famous crown worn for coronations and the opening of Parliament every year. The crown has a fabulous huge red ruby and the infamous and priceless huge diamond (very clear in color). Of course purple cloth too. Here is a photo of the outside where you enter.

 

There are fine views of the Tower Bridge if you can get up high on one of the walkways between towers. You will see there is an inner wall near where you are standing and then an outer wall. Look over towards the bridge. Sometimes the bottom part of the bridge goes up (in 2 sections) to let through the taller boats.

Finally here is a picture of the compex from outside. It is definitely worth a visit here. Allow a lot of time to dodge crowds and enjoy at your own pace. We did not see everything and will need to return sometime.

Savoy Theater, London

We were really lucky to get our own private tour of the Savoy Theater. They do not offer public tours.  We went by the theater to get a glimpse of the outside one evening. At the theater they were putting on a Beatles show.  I went and asked the doormen at the adjacent Savoy Hotel if that indeed was the Savoy Theater of Gilbert and Sullivan days. They said yes. They kindly asked the man in charge at the entrance whether they would let us see the inside of the theater sometime. I was given the business card of the stage manager and was told to contact him. We headed home. I sent an email to the stage manager and got an automated reply saying he was on holiday. He gave info on how to contact the acting stage manager. On the way back from the BBC studio tour we dropped by the theater again. The box office workers were no help. We went home and I checked my email. The acting manager sent me a message saying he could give us a tour that afternoon. We hopped to it and went back there.

The acting manager Glenn Cottenden met us and showed us around for a full hour. He is in charge of building maintenance, so was helpful in telling us about the building.  The inside has a 1920s look to it. The walls before you enter the theater are yellow with bunches of green circles that look like large grapes. They are actually supposed to be balloons! The theater burned down in 1993. They had to rebuild it. Fortunately they had the interior decorating plans from the late 1920s in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Why? Well during WWII rumor had it that Hitler was thinking about taking up residence in the Savoy Hotel next door. So before Hitler could get there the staff of the theater went around and took detailed notes of the decorating scheme. They also took any valuables and sent them off to hide in Scotland. I don't think Hitler made it there, but everyone is thankful that the detailed plans of the interior were made before the theater burned down. They chose to rebuild it with the 1920s look.

The theater has 3 levels of seating plus one small royal box on the side (that actually has an obstructed view of the stage!). There are 4 different colors of seats of red and yellow hues. There is an orchestra pit that can be configured for a small band or larger orchestra. With the bigger set up it is necessary to take out the first 3 rows of seats and take the cover off the floor. 

The stage is small width wise but it is deep. It is very interesting to note where street level is in the theater. The theater is on a slope with the back side facing the Thames and the front side facing the Strand (street name). In order to get props on to the stage from street level in back the props come in very high compared to the stage level. Then they have to lower the props down on to the stage. Very awkward. Likewise in the auditorium street level is pretty far up (seen by a door half way up the wall). 

We were shown the back of the theater. It was formerly the main entrance of the theater in Gilbert and Sullivan days. Not sure why they switched it around. Originally they could drive up their coaches to the entrance and get out comfortably.  In the foyer behind those current back doors is the last place Gilbert and Sullivan had contact with each other before they disbanded.

Down the road from the back of the theater is a quaint park by the river. In the park is a statue of Sullivan's bust with a lady draped around him. There is a Gilbert quote on the side. 

Below are several photos of the theater and that statue in the park. It was hard to get good photos in the dark theater so sorry for the poor quality. The wooden doors side by side are in the back side of the theater building. The neon signs are now in the front of the theater. 

One thing I forgot to mention is about the Savoy Hotel. It was built from the profits of the Gilbert and Sullivan shows put on in their era. At some point the hotel took over the operations of the theater. I think this was post Gilbert and Sullivan time. They kept putting on Gilbert and Sullivan shows there up to the year 2000. Not sure why they stopped other than to get more money-making shows in there. Now a management agency runs it.

One thing Glenn told us is that the theater is a grade 2 listed building. That means you can't do any work on the building without permission (not even a nail in the wall!). There are plans to organize tours in the future. There are aluminum panels on a few sides of the theater inside. It gets tricky to repair them if damaged. A nice new piece of metal would look shinier than the surrounding pieces of metal and would oxidate at a different rate than the other pieces. You may have to replace the whole set of panels. What a pain!

Glenn told us he has been to Austin recently for the South by Southwest Music Festival. Nice Texas connection there!

Wimbledon 2013

What can I say? Wimbledon is the hallowed ground of lawn tennis (as they call it there). It is officially the All England Lawn Tennis Club (or AELTC). It was very easy to get there on the tube from London with District Line direction Wimbledon. Get off at Southfields stop and walk through the quaint town of Wimbledon until you get to the grounds. It is around a mile walk. Admire the spacious family homes on the way. I hear that Wimbledon players rent them out during the Championship for themselves, their family and their team.

Book a blue badge tour online through the Wimbledon website. Admission to the museum is included. The cost is 22 GBP. Well worth it.

Andy Murray is the talk of the town here. I have a feeling there will soon be a statue of him next to Fred Perry's as you walk in. Fred Perry was the other great Wimbledon champ from the UK many years ago. England has long waited for their next champion. Now everyone can celebrate Murray's Wimbledon victory this year as a long time coming.

In fact everywhere you go there is evidence of Murray. On the pillars outside the courts you see lists of the 2013 brackets and scores. Also in Center Court the scores are posted for a full year on the scoreboard lest anyone forget! Don't forget about the "Wall of Fame" with a listing of all Wimbledon champs over the years.

The tour showed us Court #1 and #18 (site of longest tennis match in history there with American John Isner in 2010) as well as Centre Court and Henman Hill. The latter is the viewing point of important matches on a big screen for outdoor spectators. We see this hill on tv broadcasts of the finals. Henman was a British tennis player (important to England but unknown in the US). They also now refer to the hill as "Murray's Mount". It is possible that Henham's memory will be replaced by Murray's.

Some interesting facts about the grounds. Courts 1,2, 3 and Center Court are only used during the Wimbledon Championships and are reserved for the most notable players/matches. They remain unused the rest of the year. They are reseeded once a year right after the finals. Center Court was reseeded in July. There are a total of 19 courts. All of them are reseeded once a year following the reseeding of the courts 1,2,3 and Center Court. Center Court holds 15,000 spectators. Court #1 holds 12,000. The others hold fewer. I think #18 holds 800 (location of Isner's longest match - 11 hours over 3 days!). 

Not all the courts have seats for spectators. They are more for club members to play on. You buy a membership to play there. Just remember to wear your whites!

While they are reseeding, the grounds crew puts up a pole with kite looking like a huge bird of prey. This is supposed to scare off the pigeons. It did not seem to be working at Center Court. There were loads of pigeons on the grass. Below is a picture of Center Court with the scary bird. If you take a good look at that picture you can also see the Royal Box, the BBC tv announcers box next to the Royal box and the 2 rows of seats for the players' families and teams above the scoreboard.

During dark days on Center Court is an enclosed glass pavilion called Center 360. From here you have a great view of the court. Below is a photo.

Inside the press building we saw the interview room for the winner (and loser) of the finals. The press are invited by the players. It is an exclusive invitation. A 10 minute interview only about tennis. Both winner and loser appear one at a time. There is a separate small room  only for interviews by the BBC tv and the hometown press of the players.

The museum is interesting. There is a free audio guide. There is a lot of information on the history of tennis and history of Wimbledon, plus some trophies. Here is a photo of my favorite player's uniform from 2010. Go Rafa !

I would recommend a visit here. Plan to spend a whole afternoon to take it all in.

Oh, and a plug for the gift shop too. Right on!

Poland here I am!

Hi Readers,

I have some catching up to do on my writing about the UK. I am already in Cracow , yet have not shared with you information about London. There is lots to tell. I will try to write more about the UK over the next few days so I can after that mentally move on to being in Poland. I ought to write now before my English suffers! Be prepared for funny English within the week as my Polish kicks in!

One note about how things come full circle. I arrived in Cracow yesterday to learn of the death that day of one of Cracow's/Poland's greatest playwrights Slawomir Mrozek. I mention this because I met him around 13 years ago at a book signing here in Cracow on his 70th birthday. I had read a portion of one of his plays at the Language Summer School of Jagiellonian University. My American-Ukrainian friend Ola from Columbus wanted to speak with him at the book signing. There is my brush with fame. I did end up buying his latest book. He signed it for me.

Now back to London.

St. Endellion music Festival part 1

Here was our musical home, the St. Endellion Church, Cornwall for the 55th Summer Festival of Music. We all worked very hard to give wonderful performances during the 2 weeks of the festival.  4 regular orchestral concerts and 2 performances of the complete opera Carmen by George's Bizet were produced during this time. One of the concerts was repeated in the Truro Cathedral.The chorus was outstanding. Most of the chorus members are not full-time singers, but do sing regularly with ensembles during the year.  The vocal soloists were amazing as usual. My favorites came back from last summer - Roderick Williams (baritone) and Rachel Nicholls (soprano). Pamela Helen Stephen sang Carmen this summer. She sang the role perfectly. (Her late husband was Richard Hickox, former director of this festival.) The orchestra sounded good this year. It is a combination of professionals, very good amateurs and a smattering of music students. The violin sections changed personnel with players leaving early or coming late. We managed.  The audiences were enthusiastic and very supportive. Mostly full houses, especially for the orchestral concerts.

Roscarrack Farm

We found out at the music festival registration that we were not staying in Port Isaac, even though we had requested to be there. We ended up at Roscarrack Farm, the location of much of the indoor filming of Doc Martin. Some of the barns were set up to film in, but all the sets had been taken down by the time we arrived. At least we could not find them. We know that the inside shots of Doc's surgery were done in the barn.  Here is a photo of a sign we saw recently on the farm.

The farm is down a side road from St. Endellion Church, around 3 miles away.  It is 1 mile from the Long Cross Hotel.  We had several housemates who gave us rides to the church on occasion. Our schedules were sometimes not compatible, so we walked quite often. It was fine as long as it was not raining.

We were able to find Doc Martin cars on the property, namely Doc's blue Mercedes, a police car and Bert's van. They are below.

We found some farm animals with whom we bonded right away - cats, a dog and cows. Here are a few of them.