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| POLSKI PIWO It was about time for another European beer adventure and although she had been there several times, my wife suggested Poland, thinking I might like Krakow. As it turned out, Krakow is now my favorite European city and I’m looking forward to a return as soon as possible. While not as well noted for their beers as are the English, Scots, Germans, Czechs or Belgians, the Poles have nothing to be ashamed of in the malt beverage department, not only for the quality, but also because unlike the US, our favorite beverage is available almost everywhere. And Krakow’s main market square is the biggest and most beautiful I’ve seen anywhere. We had business first class seating on the flight from Newark to London from where we were to make connections to Krakow, and the beery aspects of the trip started out on a high note as the first class lounge offered LAGUNITAS 12TH OF NEVER ALE while waiting to board. We arrived in London uneventfully and had the opportunity to freshen up, including a shower in the first class lounge at Heathrow, which was greatly appreciated since the connections to Frankfurt and on to Krakow were terribly delayed due to weather. We didn’t arrive in Krakow until 7:45pm but, mercifully, some WARSTEINER PILS was available on the Lufthansa flight. A short train ride brought us to Krakow Central Station which is directly across the street from our hotel. After a delicious and much needed ZYWIEC draught in the hotel lobby, I walked back to a grocery in the station and picked up some brewskis (seems like an appropriate nickname while in Poland.) BRO KIERCZA THE ALCHEMIST AMERICAN IPA, BRO KIERCZA THE FIREFIGHTER IMPERIAL IPA and BARBAKAN PIWO CIEMNE were slyly stowed in the hotel room’s mini fridge, while other, lesser Polish beers and bottles of mineral water were removed and stored in a dresser drawer, to be returned to the mini fridge upon our departure, after the “good stuff” was consumed to make room for them. The next morning we arose early for breakfast in the hotel and walked all over Old Town on the way to Wahwel Castle and the basilica. Walking up the long hill to the castle we observed the commemorative stones embedded in the surrounding wall to honor the donors who had contributed to the castle’s restoration. A good many of the stones pay tribute to donors from Buffalo, Chicago, and other Polish enclaves in the US, making me, again, proud to be an American. Heading toward Jewish Town we were attracted to a small pub, Pod Wawalem, displaying a vintage beer truck parked in the adjoining garden, so we stopped in for a late morning pick-me-up of a half liter of KSIAZECE CIEMNE LAGODNE, and to use the restroom. And what a restroom! The men’s room had an orderly row of urinals with signs over each reading “Piwo” (beer), “whisky”, “wino” (wine), “wodka” and “schnapps”, indicating which urinal to use depending upon what you were drinking. I was certain that this was simply a joke, but just in case, and not wishing to act like an ugly American, I dutifully lined up behind the only other patron, at the “piwo” urinal. We took an audio tour of the most beautiful church in Krakow, St. Bernadine’s and went into another basilica. The churches we saw in Krakow were just as breathtaking as any we’ve seen anywhere else in Europe. Leaving the basilica and walking through Jewish Town, I noticed a little sandwich board type sign advertising that at the little outdoor tables adjacent to the sign one could partake of the “best craft beer in Krakow”. The place is actually an outlet for the Ursa Maior brewery, located near the Ukrainian border and had six beers on tap. I tried a MEGALOMAN AMERICAN IPA and an AGA’S SPECIAL ULTRA RUNNER, before I realized that flights were available. I could have tried all six if I hadn’t been so thirsty that I grabbed the first outdoor seat available and ordered up, before venturing inside and seeing the “Try one of our flights” sign that was written in English as well as Polish. Back at the hotel I downed an OKACIM MISZTROWSKI PORTER before a much needed nap, after which we walked into the market square for dinner at the Ratuszowa Restaurant and half liters of OKACIM WEISSBIER and OKCIM PILS. It was a lovely evening watching the horse drawn carriages driving people around the square while having two entrees, two glasses of wine and the aforementioned two half liters of beer for under thirty dollars. American money goes a long, long way in Poland. The girls in carriage livery driving the horses were absolutely beautiful. One was prettier than the next. I think an interview for a position driving a carriage in Krakow would probably find the blue eyed blonde applicant seated behind a screen so as to not unfairly influence the interviewer, and would go something like this: Q: Do you know anything about horses? A: No! Q: Do you anything about driving a carriage? A: No! Q: Well do you know anything about the Market Square? A; No! Q: Would you mind stepping out from behind the screen? A: Okay Interviewer: You’re hired!!! We walked around the square for another couple of hours before we went back to the hotel for a nightcap of FORTUNA MILOSLAWIV CZARNE, a brew obtained on the walk. After breakfast the next morning we met our previously hired driver who drove us in his Mercedes to Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp for a sobering (in more ways than one) tour. Even after reading history, seeing the old documentary films and actually standing in the exact spots where those horrors took place, it’s hard to imagine that they did. I had a quick KOZEL LEZAK in the hotel bar before we went back to the market square for some excellent ribs at the Kompanu Kuflowa restaurant accompanied by a liter of TYSKIE Polish beer. Judy received a gratis glass of wine for her birthday and the strolling band played “Happy Birthday”. Somehow the hotel knew it was her birthday (probably from her passport) and sent up a free bottle of wine, making for a nice birthday, indeed. But maybe not as nice as somebody else’s we observed on our way back to the hotel. A huge trolley car, emblazoned with festive lights and with happy singing coming from it was making it’s way along the tracks loaded with celebrating people and kegs of beer. I later found out that city trolley cars can be chartered for birthdays and other celebrations in the off-peak hours, and , like most places in Europe, there are no qualms about bringing beer on board. But I wonder where they pee? The next morning we visited the underground History museum of Krakow where I discovered my own personal Polish hero, Leszek the White, Prince of Krakow and later King of Poland. Casimir Pulaski, Thaddeus Koszciusko and JeanPaul II are all great Polish heroes, but they pale by comparison to the great Leszek the White who refused to lead his Polish Knights in the Crusades because, as he explained to the Pope at the time, there was no beer in the Holy Land. For a beer lover, that’s a REAL hero! The scores of pubs and cafes around the market square afforded afternoon refreshers of KSIAZECE CZERWONY LAGER, WARKA PILS, NOTECKIE CIEMNE PELNE and KOZLAK BOCK, but beer-wise the best stop on the square is the Bier Halle, a Bavarian style pub where we had a dinner of wiener schnitzel and a flight of Bier Halle MARSENBIER, MAIBOCK, PILS, and WEIZEN, all made on premises. The next morning we caught a bus to Zakopane, a ski resort and summertime vacation spot. A funicular ride took us to the top of the mountain where we had a lunch of goulash over potato pancakes washed down with steins of ZYWIEC TATRA MOENE STRONG BIER. Looking at the spectacular views made all cares seem far away. Zakopane has a brewpub and guess what? I decided that would be a great place for dinner. A flight of WATRA HELLES, WATRA MARCOWE FESTBIER, WATRA PSZNIECZNE WHEAT BEER, and WATRA MIRODOWE MAIBOCK increased my beer log by four. Who cares if you can’t pronounce them? They tasted delicious. We left for Budapest the next morning , bringing the Polish leg of the trip to a close. But I’m eagerly looking forward to a return. Na Zdrowie! Cheers! Dan |
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