K is for Kraków

After a quite adventurous and long, longer than planned train ride, (which in itself is already a story), I finally arrived in Kraków. A friend of my great aunt picked me up at the main station, checked me in to the student housing where I was meant to live for the next two weeks and made sure that I had some proper food before going to bed. The bed was far from what you can call comfortable, I really had the feeling that I had arrived in the soviet era…

For 6 months I lived in Kraków. I tried to learn the language, but I did not apply myself enough and one cannot learn a language only through learning grammar! Quite quickly I fell in love and had other things in mind while in my Polish lesson, as both my lover and I frequented the same language course. I did learn about Polish and European Politics, Jewish Culture, and Polish Philosophy. I even joined S in some of his international law courses and learned some extra things that way. My lessons all being regrouped at one side of the week, we made sure to discover the town but also some other parts of the country.

And now, I have not been back to Kraków for 6 years. But it was an experience that left me richer.

I lived across the street from Wawel Castle. I spend hours a day walking in the cold. I found out what it is like when the ink freezes in a bic pen. I saw pigeons wear bread wreaths around their necks. I visited Auschwitz but also the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp and with it the factory of Oskar Schindler. I wandered through a strange film set reminding us of the not so rosy past of Kraków. (You wouldn’t by any chance know what film it is?) I took beautiful photographs of street signs and of people. I saw many Saint Nikolas riding their motorcycles down the main square.

Once I returned to England, I reflected on Auschwitz replying to following question: “What, to you, is the meaning and significance of Auschwitz?”. I wrote my Bachelor’s dissertation on the topic of Poland’s EU integration. Then in France I continued to keep Poland in my focus, two more research papers were produced on the topic of Poland.

Oh and I am still madly in love and am the proud mom of an “Erasmus Baby”.

I guess that now it is time to go back for another visit. Or more than just a visit?

Kinky King Konrad kisses Krista in Karlsruhe. 

During the month of April, I am participating in the A to Z Challenge, my theme is authenticity and eclecticism, which in my book go hand in hand.

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© Solveig Werner 2016. All rights reserved.