European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse The courtyard of the waive Castle in Cracow is one architectural treasure that has survived the years travellers tips arranging a trip to Poland is a Little Tricky. Help is available through Orbis. A polish trawl company that was once a go eminent again \. It has Ollices in Europe and the United states. I through Orbis. It was possible to it set. Ure rooms at the Farum hotels in both and Cracow $105 a night double of Tupanen. In hiding a or i Ati Bath anti a Leolor in that carried Able news network. At roughly 9,"00 lots to $ 1, these looms ate out of reach Tor most poles but Are priced to be compete tip with other East european cities such As Prague. Czechoslovakia. Orbis also arranged the Pun base of $50 tit Kels Lor the three hour express train ride from Warsaw to rat of and $144 tickets Tor an overnight Sleeper irom Cracow to Prague. Payment was required in Advance. Communications Between polish c cities is very poor so the train tickets were not confirmed until .1 w Eek before our trip. And Orbis Headquarters in Warsaw never contacted the hotel in Cracow. Consider yourself forewarned. Orbis can be contacted at Marszalkowski 142, Warsaw Poland or by Telephone at the five following numbers 0048 27-3886, 27-3147, 27-1948, 26-8446 or 27-2275. Its new York office is at 342 Madison ave., suite 1512, new York . 10173. Interpreters for Village Tours t an be secured through our roots a Lewish oriented travel Agency at 12-16 Grzybowski Square building of the jewish theater 00104 Warsaw Poland. Its phone fax number is 011-4822-200-556. Interpreters Cost $70 Jar Day. Drivers Are extra. Other useful addresses and Telephone numbers a . Embassy Alee Uja Dowske 29/31, Warsaw or a embassy Warsaw co Waw Apo by 09213-5010 Telephone 0048 22 or 26-283041/9. A polish consulate Ulica Stolarska 9, 31043 Krakower a Consul Cracow co am Ongen Kirk Apo by 09213-5140 Telephone 0048 12-229764/221400. A polish tourist Bureau polish embassy Cologne Germany Telephone 0221-937300.�? new Day and the stars and stripes Cracow pedestrians walk past posters advertising cultural events. To ii the area in front of Warsaw s sterile Palace of culture and science is now a Busy open air Market. Neighbourhood. Small Granite markers commemorating Warsaw ghetto resistance fighters line the Way overshadowed by apartment buildings and Large Send Trees All of w hich sublimely mask the horrors that took place there. It s an eerie experience. Whether walking or Riding we usually encountered poles Selling something a cheap cassettes books clothes a from tables parked on sidewalks or in underground walkways. Watch out some goods such As Blue jeans Are often counterfeit. A popular new item sold from sidewalk stands is pizza which in Poland consists of a slice of French bread some Tomato sauce and cheese. Another culinary tip Salami is often made of Donkey meat Here and there i Dilu Al fliers or leaflets in i Mem Buck schemes were distributed. Gypsies mostly women and children roamed the streets begging. Idle cab Drivers eager for . Dollars whispered offers to Exchange Money. Some of our most confusing moments wore spent in train stations. Even though the polish travel Agency supplied us with platform and car numbers it s difficult to make out the signs or get proper help from information Booths if you Don t speak polish. However the ride to Cracow was pleasant. I he windows Are big allowing for some terrific views of the scenery a woodsy mix of Farmland Small towns and Flat open spaces. Cracow is heavily polluted like Warsaw Only More so because it s near the Industrial heartland. But unlike the largely rebuilt c capital Cracow retains a calloused Appeal. You can practically feel centuries of history while1 walking Down narrow cobblestones streets lined with buildings made of huge slabs of Stone. A wonderful example is the Warwel Castle Whir h lies along the Vistula River. Begun in the 1 2th Century it contains myriad treasures a plenty of swords and shining Armor from the1 Days when polish Kings called Racow their c capital. It also House s a magnificent t Cathedral whose huge Bell would make the Bun Hack of notre Dame drool. Although smaller than , Cracow gets its share of tourists partly because of its proximity to the Small polish City of Oswie Cim otherwise known As Auschwitz. N the Day we visited the City of the infamous world War ii concentration c amp e Hureh Trells were1 ringing at the controversial Convent run by the carmelite nuns despite the1 1990 groundbreaking for an interfaith prayer Center. Sinc e1 Poland s roads ire in Good shape Auschwitz is Only an hour s drive from Racow. In a bizarre and gruesome marketing scheme Lour groups arc wooed by hotels to crowd onto buses to visit the death c amp during the Day then play the it Asinos Al night. But if you prefer travelling alone1, you it an always hire a c a Driver. Anxious to grab a Piec e of the1 growing tourist business cabbie s also arc thrilled to have the1 Chance to gossip with foreigners particularly ame Ric ans. Quot you re from americ a a a Quot one c Abbie said to me1 in fairly Good English a Irac e of envy in his voice. Quot Gcorge Bush is a great Man. You have a wonderful president. Americ a it is Paradise. Quot i Tore a he said gesturing toward the Giay streets of Racow Quot Lile it is very september 7, /99/ stripes Mega Ine 11
