They are. Brutalist architecture at its worst.
Great city. Lived there for three years.
The old town was completely rebuilt after the war. They even knocked buildings in other parts of the country to get the bricks to rebuild it, often churches. The castle was only finished in the 1970s.
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It’s beautifully ugly
Like any city you have to know where to go. Had great craic back in the day.
Not meant as an insult it’s very nice but in a raw kind of way
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Not the best time of year to be visiting. But seeing as it’s your minimoon and @TreatyStones and @Rintintin are safely back at home I’m sure you’re not bothered.
The time I was there the pope landed half an hour before us, prohibition for the duration of his stay in Warsaw, 
they even emptied the mini bar in the Marriott where we were staying.
Also if the poles spent a fraction of the money on their army that they did on their church’s they’d have been independent for a lot longer in their history. The amount of massive churches (in some cases facing other massive churches) is actually incredible. There must be a massive church on every block in the middle
That was when around 2002? The only beer on sale in Krakow was Pilsner Urquel because it’s 4.5% and the ban was for 5% or higher.
Balbec
Would the church in Poland have a minimal role (if any) compared to here due to communism ???
If you go around the right side of the red brick cathedral in the old town you can see the track of a German tank embedded in the wall.
Quite the opposite now. The right wingers in power at the moment are excessively linked to the church. It’s becoming quite an intolerant place now.
Ya I see that . Do they have any role in say hospitals , schools , etc …
Not in the health service. There are some church run schools but not the majority. The main influence/meddling right now is in areas like abortion rights, closing shops on Sunday’s, attacking liberal media etc. They are even supporting those right wing fascist football hooligans at the moment. Anti immigrant. A lot of public service leadership jobs are also heavily linked to politics. Usually a new Government fires the boards of all the semi-State bodies. So if you are a good boy church-wise it doesn’t do you any harm.
I was going to ask you about that. I know a Wexford chap who’s been living in Poland with his Polish wife for 6 or 7 years and they’re on about moving to Ireland because of the right wing government*.
*The Polish one, not the Irish one he’d potentially be moving home to.
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I’m thinking of baling out myself to be honest. I know a number of expat/local couples thinking the same way.
It’s a bank holiday but I expect that most restaurants, cafes and bars will be open. Shops will be closed. You could do worse than make a day trip to Krakow by train. Only 2 and a half hours.
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Would it be a case that a lot of educated , progressive younger poles are abroad and the more conservative elements tend to get elected accordingly .