Cracow: Florence of the North

I've been in Cracow for about a day, and it's taken me a while to find my bearings (not that I've actually found them yet). The thing that's most striking to me are the similarities with Florence. It was only after realizing this that I vaguely remembered having heard Cracow referred to as the 'Florence of the North.' Thanks to Google, I was able to confirm my suspicion. As one Web site says:

Though sometimes called the Florence of the North, or Polish Rome, Cracow shall always be Cracow, no matter what comparisons are made about its similarities to other places.

I've been honing my observational skills by trying to identify buildings by their architectural styles. Are they Gothic, Classical, Mannerist, Baroque, Neo-Classical, or transitional with elements of more than one style?

Whole blocks of streets in and around the Old Quarter have a Florentine character. And like Florence's central square, Cracow's central Market Square is a remnant from medieval times, with numerous churches of many styles and periods. However, I do sense a distinct Polish style which is most apparent in the older Gothic buildings which look like they might carry a Dutch influence. Churches are crowned with multiple mini-spires (a good example is the Church of St. Mary's), and other buildings are topped with multiple crenellations or other decorative elements. There are lots of little niches with statues and sculptural busts, or portrait medallions carved in relief.

It's a more-is-better mentality that recalls the Buddhist belief that the ultimate act of devotion is in the creation of his image. The more Buddhas created, the more devout the creator and the more of that devotion will be transferred to the observer in the contemplation of multiple images. So this is the Roman Catholic version of that idea. Anyway, I'm just going by instinct here, so I could be completely off base. The pictures below are from the Old Quarter.

(Click the images to enlarge)

The Church of St. Mary's.

Trams are everywhere!

A view of the central Market Square.

Great music! Notice the picture on the left-hand side of the photo
in which these two are meeting Pope John Paul II.

A view of the central Market Square with the Church of St. Mary's.

Another view of the Church of St. Mary's.

A remnant of the medieval city wall with its towers.
Notice the platform for archers. The picture below is another view.

Entrance to the pedestrian tunnel leading to the train station.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Windsor Castle and Westminster

The time had come for a short excursion, and Windsor Castle seemed to be an ideal choice for winter. One has to be careful about visiting sites during the winter months because opening hours — and daylight hours — tend to be shorter, services and events are either intermittent or non-existent, and the weather can be unpredictable. For example, Windsor Castle's changing-of-the-guard ceremony is held every day, Monday through Friday, from April through September. The rest of the year, it's held only on even-numbered days. I planned my visit for Saturday the tenth so that I wouldn't miss it.

But the museum at the historic Eton College, a short walk away and across the Thames from Windsor, doesn't open until the end of March, while boat rides to Runnymede (about three miles from Windsor where King John signed the Magna Carta) don't begin until April. No matter, though: touring the castle and the town of Windsor is quite enough for one day, and I'm satisfied with having seen just those. I really enjoyed the castle and the town — taken together they reminded me of something out of Shrek.

The queen was in residence while I was there, and I know this because my audio guide (inclusive with the price of admission to the castle!) clued me in on how to tell: if the Union Jack is raised above the tower, she's not in residence, but if the Royal Standard is flying, then there she is (see illustrations below). Well, on Saturday the Royal Standard was raised above the tower. I wonder if the military band disturbs her during the changing of the guards. Even though the ceremony takes place quite a distance from the royal residential chambers, the music is very loud.

I've also included some pictures from last weekend taken in Westminster.

(Click an image to enlarge)

Union Jack - the queen is not in residence.


Royal Standard - the queen is in residence.

Windsor Castle - what was once a moat filled with water is now a garden.

Windsor Castle - the keep.

Another view of Windsor Castle.

The next few images show the changing of the guards
on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

A view from the grounds of Windsor Castle.
At left, St. George's Chapel.

A view from the grounds of Windsor Castle showing St. George's Chapel.

The Carpenters Arms, a pub in the town of Windsor.

The Houses of Parliament with Big Ben in the distance.

Westminster Abbey in the distance.

Looking across the Thames from Westminster toward the London Eye.