Thinking of how to begin this blog entry, the common rhetorical question “Where does the time go?” is very appropriate. Going to the “for blog” folder on my computer, which contains all of the photos that I intend to, but have yet to sort through and put onto my blog, I decided it was time to put up my Krakow photos.
I then paused for a moment as I realised that had been two and a half years since I had actually visited the city.
“Two and a half years?”
“Has it really been that long?”
“Surely not, it seems so much more recent and vivid in my mind!”
The above all thoughts that inevitably lead to that question that we all ask ourselves on a relatively frequent basis – “Where does the time go?”.
A thought that has sprung to my mind just this moment, as I write, is that of how a blog update changes depending on when it is written. We have all encountered examples of situations where somebody is telling a story, and the story they tell is different than the story you remember. As time passes by, fact and fiction, actual recollection and supposed recollection become more and more blurred. I wonder now, how the words that I write, and the photos that I’ve posted versus the ones that I chose to not include in this blog update, have been affected by the passage of time. How will this blog update differ from the blog update that it would have been had I posted it shortly after the visit to Krakow?
Anyway, I’ve given my “over-thinking” self more than enough to ponder for the next few hours. For now, onto what you, the reader is actually concerned with!
The focus of this update is Krakow’s Old Town, one of the first place to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There has been a city in this location for a long time, but the current Medieval town dates back to 1257, with plenty of Renaissance and Baroque architecture subsequently added for good measure.
Below are the ubiquitous Pierogi. Dumplings of unleavened dough, filled, boiled and then generally baked or fried. There’s nothing particularly unique about Pierogi, which share much in common with the dumplings found throughout Asia and Europe, however it is the variety of fillings – sweet and savoury, which make them a great, tasty Polish dish.
I met up with a friend and she took me to this great little place that specialised in Pierogi. It was one of the first things I did in Krakow.
I cannot remember what the soup was, and the drink was some kind of hot, pear infused beverage.
Europe and its delis. No matter where I travel in Europe, I love popping into stores like this and seeing what local specialities are on offer.
There’s lots to see in the Old Town, and the city caters well for tourists. A very easy city to find your way around.
This was a very fun trip, as I met up with a friend that I hadn’t seen for a few years, plus a few other new friends.
I would like to dedicate this blog update to my friend Tim who was there, and tragically died last year, the innocent victim of a road accident. You can travel the world, and experience so much, then you lose your life on a standard day in your hometown, in circumstances completely outside of your control.
If the tragedy can teach us anything, it is to reiterate the message that I try to convey in my blogging, that life is too short to spend it worrying and thinking “what if”. Follow your dreams, get out there, travel, expose yourself to new experiences, meet new people, discover new cultures.
I understand that there are good reasons as to why people might not be able to travel as extensively as I have, but don’t let that stop you. Rediscover your hometown. Catch the train to a suburb of borough that you haven’t been to before, have a walk through that part of the city that you’ve never had a reason to walk through, go to an immigrant run restaurant and eat something different. No matter what your circumstances are, there’s always scope to expand your horizons.
Don’t be scared, don’t give yourself reasons not to do it.
The world is waiting for you.