Krakow Last Day Surprises

May 28th dawned rainy and cool for our last day in Krakow. Jenny and I packed our belongings and Bartosz came to play tour guide one last time.

Let me just begin by telling you that this was another 100 picture day, and the surprises just kept coming! Start at the bottom of this post to see the order of the day and each new surprise we encountered!

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UH OH - Our ALMOST final surprise of the day...I was trying not to play The Late Game...and Bartosz was nervous about getting us to the airport with the traffic from the Pope's departure. It's good that we heeded his advice and left hours early bound for the airport. Guess what we encountered? Closed roads, no way into the airport, shortcuts blocked. Hundreds, thousands waiting to enter Krakow airport (much smaller than Columbus' airport). Two girls bound for London with just a suitcase and a prayer (or two!). Does anyone know what the FINAL surprise was for us that day??

A sweet surprise - upon returning to Bartosz' house to retrieve our suitcases and things - our gracious host and caregiver, funny and generous new friend - Bartosz presented both Jenny and I with a beautiful rose! What better way to make the memory last but to take a picture. Thanks again, Bartosz!

A beautiful view of the river outside downtown Krakow...

This famous fire-breathing dragon was one of our last stops leaving downtown. The surprise here was that not only did it actually breathe fire, but one would think that is was an ancient Chinese secret that caused it to breathe fire intermittently.

That is, until you read the sign, thousands of years old...surprise!!!!

Picture Perfect view of the castle!

A really nice surprise - as we concluded our last pass at downtown Krakow, the skies began to clear and the sun warmed us up all around.

Friendly police officers in front of the Pope's hotel.

Art in a whole new form? The surprises continue...

The downtown was just full of surprises for us on our last day!

These show the yellow hotel where the Pope was staying. There was something famous about him greeting people from the window in the hotel, which is why I took a picture of it with the flowers (above). We couldn't get anywhere close to this spot before.

Here is a funny one. In the middle of the downtown, the name of this underground bar:

Third surprise - the incredible beauty of this church in downtown Krakow. It was INCREDIBLE on the inside. We weren't allowed to take pictures but it was beyond understanding. And the peace that was there was a beautiful thing of its own. The faith of these dedicated and devoted people was truly represented.

Second surprise - downtown Krakow - a live TV interview with a Cardinal!

First surprise - as we left the hostel, there was a quiet commotion down the street...

The POPE was returning to his hotel! I once again laugh at this picture and the way it is blocked, right where his face is! This was by far the closest we came in proximity to the man himself.

Also, something important that I want to share about my experience in Poland...they are a very quiet, reserved people. Jenny and I simply laughing out loud caused most to stare at us (okay, that might not seem strange to those of you who know me well. But it really was out of the ordinary!). Even with the many many people in town for the Pope's visit, and the crowds, and even here with the parade type atmosphere - there was a quiet hush - when the Pope passed by there was literally a sound of the people sucking in their breath, and a very quiet "oooo". It was neat to experience such a difference in culture!