I start the day with a tour of the famous factory where Oskar Schindler have saved over 1000 local jews by providing jobs, food and protection for them at great risk to himself.

I booked a guided tour which is very informative but be warned if you book the guided tour option you will not be able to freely roam the museum afterwards because it moves in a one way direction towards the exist. Do I think the tour is worth it, yes, but there are details in the museum I missed because I took the guided tour option.

As for the museum, it is more so about the complete history of the Jews during WWII with some of Oskar Schindlers work mixed in. They have interactive area where you walk through a walled area to get a feel how those that were moved into the ghetto must have felt.

There are some modern day lessons to be learned here like when Poland was being invaded by Nazis there were plenty of locals acting like everything is normal when it’s not. How many people would easily turn on their neighbors when given the chance or even a small bit of a payout. It makes you think the worst of humanity and while I would like to think we’ve grown past this behavior, I fear we have not. It was common to have families hidden underneath business and had to not make any noise. There were Nazis that went to buildings with stethoscopes to listen to any slight movement to see if someone was hidden in a building.

We learn about the ghettos and camps and working conditions that the Jewish people were under.

We also learn that Oskar Schindler himself is a flawed man. He was actually a nazi spy who profited off of the war but upon living in Krakow and working with Jewish people became sympathetic to their struggles. That is when he starting making his “list” of workers he needed for his factory of enamelware and ammunitions factories. When confronted with the ridiculousness of say employing children he would use excuses like he needs the “small hands” to clean the ammunition. In the end he saved about 1200 people.

After the museum I have lunch at a milk bar where I finally try to get to try one of my favorite dishes, golabki – cabbage rolls stuffed with barley and meat topped with mushroom cream sauce. I ordered a side dish because I thought I needed veggies (even though the cabbage was very filling) but I realize I bought a plate of three different types of coleslaw and I hate coleslaw – yes I know I should like it because I love cabbage but some reason coleslaw is ick to me. I also had another glass of kompot, this time I think it is plum.

I visit the nearby Bazylika Franciszkanów (St Francis Basilica). Even though I have church fatigue like I have castle fatigue I have this church on my list since it is decorated in Art Nouveau style. I am not disappointed. I love the inside decor, especially the stained glass windows.

Afterwards I finally try the polish version that that cream cake you find in all the Eastern Europe countries. It is so good. Each country has their own version of it.

This afternoon I’ve signed up for a bagel class but I’m early and discover a market across the street. I must return after my class. I love a market.

I have a class where I learn how to make the special “bagels” here in krakow. They aren’t actually called bagels even though tourists tend to call them that. They officially name is obwarzanek and they are specific to krakow. It is a bagel like bread that is braided into a ring then quickly boiled and then baked. A number of toppings can be on them but officially they are sold either sesame, poppy seed or salt. You can find them daily in blue carts all over town.

For our class the dough was pre-made for us to save time. I believe it is a simple recipe: flour, salt, yeast, water and some kind of fat, and maybe some sugar.

We are given the dough to split in two and roll into two equal long strings. Believe me it is harder than it looks. Then we attach the end and braid or twist together to two strings. Once we attach or seal the other end then the dough is dumped in boiling water for ten seconds. Only after then do we apply the topping. Then they are placed in the oven.

While we didn’t do any heavy duty cooking here today I did learn an interesting history lesson and got more of a feel for the polish culture.

Side note – The bagels in NYC are another polish/jewish export. They weren’t really popular here in Poland but immigrants were very successful bringing them to NYC.

After I sample some of my bagel I go back across the street and have some wine before dinner. The market closes soon so I won’t be here long.

During my first days in krakow I noticed a weirdly named wolf restaurant nearby. Come to find out it is a medieval-style restaurant where you have drinks made out of potions and you can pay with ducats instead of ZL. The food was decent enough and the whole create your own drink thing was fun. I have some friends who would really dig this place.

Before I forget this is the late night snack I had the night before. I am frequently calling ketchup a garbage condiment but forgive me when I say that ketchup 100 percent works as a Zapiekanka topping.

Also this breakfast a couple days ago was great.

For tomorrow I was supposed to take a day trip to a mountain town but I canceled those plans to stay local and sightsee at a slower place. The constant action is tiring me.