The government decided to introduce new restrictions. They concern the operation of shopping malls. Most stores will close.
Shopping malls have new restrictions!
The government has once again tightened regulations to help fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. As previously announced, the changes concern, inter alia, trade-in shopping malls. During Wednesday’s press conference, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced new restrictions on the operation of shopping malls.
“We have an extremely difficult time ahead. The pandemic is getting worse, our responses must be firm”, said Prime Minister Morawiecki. As the Prime Minister said, if the number of infections exceeds 70-75 thousand, infected per 100 thousand residents, the next step will be a national quarantine.
According to the government’s decision, from Saturday, November 7, shops in shopping malls will be closed. The galleries themselves will be open, but we will only shop there in a few stores. There are a few exceptions in the regulation where you will be able to make purchases when shopping centers are closed.
What remains open in the shopping centers?
As the Chancellery of the Prime Minister informed on social media, the following stores remain open:
with food,
with cosmetics, toilet and cleaning products,
with medical and pharmaceutical products,
with renovation and construction articles,
with supplies for animals,
with the press,
services.
The restrictions apply at least until November 29. Changes also occur in the case of the activities of other retail outlets. In shops up to 100 m2 – 1 person per 10 m2, and in shops over 100 m2 – 1 person per 15 m2.
The owners of Pergamin Old Town Apartments, located in the center of Krakow at ul. St. Gertrude, announced an unusual action. Rooms in this luxurious facility will be made available for only 1 PLN per day to the homeless people.
“Due to the impossibility of hotel operations due to the pandemic, having free rooms, we announce a charity campaign:” Roof over your head for PLN 1 “. The campaign will consist of the fact that in the period until November 15, 2020, we will accept applications from people interested in staying in the winter period from December 2020 to March 2021 at our facility at ul. St. Gertrudy 10 in Krakow, however, it is addressed only to the homeless and needy, however, we reserve that we will verify the above and reserve the right to freely choose the people to whom the rooms will be made available, as well as the right to cancel the action at any time. Rooms will be made available for PLN 1 per month. The condition will also be appropriate behavior in the facility – weekly verification, people who do not comply with the regulations will lose the right to stay “
“If you know such people, please send us information along with consent to the processing of personal data in order to implement the campaign and documents that will enable us to verify. We will inform you about whom we have chosen by 20/11/2020. We must help each other in these difficult times and we want to have places available help those who need it the most! Share? Do you have any people in need? Give, give “- add the initiators of the campaign in the entry that appeared on the Facebook profile of Premium Hotels Pergamin.
Protests against the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal on abortion continue. Women also took to the streets on November 1 – All Saints’ Day. However, the police emphasise that no serious incidents have occurred. For a moment it was restless on October 30th in the Main Square, where someone fired two flares. Uniforms suspect that hooligans are behind it.
Women’s protests against the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling on tightening abortion regulations have continued. Demonstrations were even held on All Saints’ Day.
On November 1 in the afternoon at Collegium Novum at ul. Gołębia, the Krakow Student Strike began. As emphasized by the participants of the demonstration, the protest is also directed against attempts to limit the freedom of universities, undertaken in their opinion by the minister of higher education, Przemysław Czarnek.
Police emphasize that it was quiet during the protests in Małopolska over the weekend. “No serious incidents have been reported” – emphasizes the young inspector. Sebastian Gleń, press spokesman of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Kraków.
The incident happened on Friday, October 30. After one of the gatherings in the Main Market Square ended, someone fired two flares. The policemen suspect that hooligans did it.
I’ve said this before, but Krakow is a magical city that can be visited at any time in the year. You will always find events to join, museums to visit, cafe’s/bars/restaurants to test. So without any further ado, let me tell you 5 Things You Should Know About Krakow:
1. Poland’s currency is not Euro, it’s zloty!
Even though Poland is part of the EU they keep their own currency strong. Zloty (with the small denomination of groszy) can be used to buy products in Poland. Or you can just use a credit card. If you are looking for exchange houses, they are named Kantor. I suggest you don’t go to Market Square to find one as they will have bad rates. The one in the Galeria Krakowska, top floor, though is always decent. They also speak English there. Unlike in Romania, you will not be asked to present an ID/passport to change the money.
2. Public transport (or walking) is the way to go!
Everything important is within walking distance. It would be a shame not to walk down the cobbled stone paths and enjoy the local vibes. Public transport is highly developed and highly recommended – especially the trams! The tickets can be bought according to the time spent in transit. You need also to pay attention to the zone in which you are going (strefa I and II or I +II). For example, if you take a bus to Wieliczka Salt Mine from the station next to Galeria Krakowska, you would have to buy a strefa I+II ticket valid for 60 min (a 40 min one might not be enough).
3. Polish breakfasts are a must!
There are so many nice places in the Old Town or Kazimierz or Podgorze region. Places where you can have a nice and quiet breakfast. You just need to pick and choose. From the English breakfast that everyone praises at Milkbar Tomasza, to the French option in Charlotte (plac Szczepanski). From the typical polish breakfast with bread & butter + jam or ham or cheese or tomatoes or pickles… to all at the same time!
4. Krakow Free Walking Tour
If you really wanna get under Krakow’s skin, I really recommend you take a tour with a local. Or someone who lived in Krakow for a long while and loves this magical city. All you need to do is follow the yellow umbrellas of the Free Walking Tour Krakow team. I absolutely love them! They put so much passion and knowledge and fun in what they are doing. They are contagious and even after one tour with them, you will love them! #FreeWalkingTourKrakow offers the best walking tours in town, so check out their offer:
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – StreetArt – FreeWalkingTourKrakow provides city tours in Polish, English & Spanish.You can find them on Facebook or on their website or you can just call them at +48 513 875 814. I joined them in a StreetArt Tour and it was amazing!
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – Macabre Krakow – stories about ghost and real vampires… Methods of torture, bodies under the Main Market Square with their hands and legs tied, stories of impaling living people… dark and twisted and perfect for a rainy Saturday evening 🙂
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – Her Story – there is a saying that if the men are considered to be the head of the family than the heart belongs to the woman.
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – Pagan Krakow – do you wish to know about the old beliefs of Polish people but also about interesting facts like: “Did you know that General Hans Frank along with other members of the Nazi party celebrated the Yule holiday when they were living inside the Wawel Castle?” – join this tour once you see it up and running 😉 (Beginning of March)
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – Foods Of Krakow – traditional foods and drinks from Krakow. Lasts around 2 to 3 hours and takes one around Old Town and Kazimierz (a lovely Sunday afternoon in August 2015)
FreeWalkingTourKrakow – Centre of the World – learn why Krakow can compete with other grand(er) cities, for being the possible center of the world (28th of November 2015 – around 2 hours (and a bit))
5. Authentic homemade food at any bar mleczny
The bar mleczny is a reminiscence of the communist times. They are basically places where local food is cooked in large amounts, that can be bought at a really low price. It’s a “push the tray” environment, very unpretentious. They are still somehow funded by the state and can be found in every city in Poland. You will hear the local radio playing, sit with a stranger on the same table, sharing salt and pepper… And at the end taking your tray back to the special racks – no service, no waiter, no fuss. Don’t you dare miss out on the traditional pierogi – be it fried or boiled – or some homemade serniczek (cheesecake).
Yours very much truly,
The Twisted Red Ladybug That Loves Krakow
*** This article was first published on my old blog, back on 5th March 2018 – this one here is slightly updated 😉 ***
Check what words are characteristic of our beloved city of Krakow.
If you are not from Krakow or have not lived here for at least a few years, your chances are slim that you will understand them. Read/see for yourself!
Szaflik = «a round vessel, usually wooden, with one or two handles, formerly used on a farm»
Szpeje = «lumber, stuff, trinkets»
Cwibak = «double-baked sponge cake, layered with dried fruit »
Sagan = «kettle or large iron or copper pot»
Jarzyna = either an «edible part of a vegetable plant» or «dish made from these plants»
Borówka = blueberries… «a plant with winter-hardy leaves and berry red fruits; also: the fruit of this plant »
Na pole = outside… just like the people of Warsaw say “na dwór“
Strugaczka =sharpner… «colloquially: a tool for sharpening pencils and crayons; sharpener, sharpener, sharpener, fingerboard, zastrugaczka, sharpener, planer »
Flizy = «tiles for wall and floor covering»
Obwarzanek = «a round product made of dough which is parboiled before baking. NOT A PRETZEL! »
A year under COVID 19 – Coronavirus, what have you done?
Over the month of October, residents can bring souvenirs from the pandemic period to the Krakow Museum, which will be included in an exhibition presenting the year of life of the city and its inhabitants during the pandemic. The people of Krakow can also share their stories about the lockdown and pandemic. The exhibition consisting of souvenirs will be presented next spring.
Unprecedented times under Coronavirus
When this spring pandemic locked us in our homes, an unprecedented image of Krakow and its inhabitants were created – empty streets that had so far been teeming with life even at night, ordinary everyday objects that took on new meaning, words of encouragement presented in the city space, with time on the faces “Homemade” masks and helmets appeared on passers-by – today an ordinary item that should be remembered when entering a shop or a tram, which only a few months ago was in the possession of a few.
Documenting the Outbreak of COVID19
The Museum of Krakow wants to document this special period by creating an exhibition of such souvenirs of residents telling about the “pandemic” Krakow.
“Since April, we have been asking you, Cracovians, for all souvenirs and stories documenting the pandemic, which will later be used in the creation of the exhibition! During the lockdown, our branches were closed for 2 months, but now – with your health and safety in mind, we are able to start our campaign to collect items related to the pandemic!” – informs the Museum of Krakow.
Where will the Expo be held?
The exhibition of the collected exhibits – souvenirs will be held in March 2021 in the Hipolit House as a kind of chronicle of the plague. What will we see on it?
“We have a promised diary that a resident of Krakow keeps from the first day of the pandemic. This particular journal is still being written, so it will only come to us. The exhibition will also include notes by Łukasz Orbitowski, which the writer was keeping at that time, and one of the sculptors from Krakow will donate the sculpture” – lists Krzysztof Haczewski from the Krakow Museum. “The director of the Krakow Museum handed over a helmet made of a PET bottle with his own hands, there will be one of the masks that employees prepared during the lockdown for Nursing Home, we have Vistula masks and a record of home training of Wisła and Cracovia players, and even a jacket made for the needs of the pandemic. We are waiting for all items related to this period, bringing the story of a pandemic”.
Collecting time is on!!!
The mementos of the pandemic period will be collected by the Museum of Krakow until October 23, 2020. Bearing in mind the safety of Krakow residents who want to support the museum with “pandemic” items, in order to deliver them, please contact the museum by e-mail in advance (artefakty@muzeumkrakowa.pl) to arrange a convenient the date for their submission.
In addition to material traces of the pandemic period, the Museum of Krakow also collects stories from Krakow residents about this special period. They should be sent by e-mail to m.zdeb@muzeumkrakowa.pl
Click here to read the Polish version from Gazeta Krakowska.
First Airport In Poland to receive the distinction
Kraków Airport is the first airport in Poland to receive the ACI Airport Health accreditation, awarded by the International Airports Council – ACI (Airports Council International). This program introduces high standards of airport protection against the COVID-19 pandemic so that staying at airports and flying is fully safe and comfortable for both passengers and all staff members.
The rules of conduct in relation to the COVID-19 threat have been developed by the best aviation and health experts and approved by key international aviation organizations – ICAO, EASA and ACI.
Accreditation is valid for 1 year!
The ACI Airport Health accreditation has just been granted – valid for a year. It mainly concerns the adopted cleaning technology and the scope of disinfection, the application of the principles of social distancing, the security of airport staff, the method of informing about sanitary rules, and other amenities for passengers (e.g. full and free access passengers to disinfectants).
Granting the accreditation to the Krakow airport was preceded by a special audit. Successful completion of the accreditation process is a clear and legible signal for passengers, carriers, employees, and airport users that a given airport can be a model in the area of health care and effectively protects everyone against COVID-19 infection.
What does the President of Krakow Airport say?
“We are glad that Kraków Airport has joined the group of airports with the highest standard of service, where the most important is the safety and comfort of passengers and all people working at the airport. We put a lot of effort to ensure that the standards in this regard were washed to the highest. We decided that it is worth making this effort not only because of the need to protect the most valuable good, which is human life and health, but also because it is crucial for our industry to rebuild trust in travel and flying. A sense of security is the foundation of trust” – comments Radosław Włoszek, president of Kraków Airport.
The first airport in Poland to sign the “Aviation Industry Charter for COVID-19”
Let us recall that Kraków Airport was the first airport in Poland to sign the declaration “Aviation Industry Charter for COVID-19”, initiated and prepared by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The main purpose of the declaration is to apply and promote new security rules against the spread of COVID-19 by air operators and airport managers.
Dearest travelers that think of choosing Poland as a country for their next trip: Do so without a doubt or worry in the world!
22nd Safest Country in the World
#DidYouKnow that Poland was voted as the 22nd safest country – on a worldwide safety report provided by OECD for mid-2016. Poland is one of the 3 European countries that was not affected by organised crime attacks in the 21st century. Also, when it comes to the crime level (same period stated above) it continues dropping, especially in Krakow.
Women’s safety is highly rated!
According to the analysis made by New World Wealth in its 2018 Global Wealth Migration Review, looking at the movement of high net worth individuals across the world, we can see Poland listed in the top 10 safest countries for women. “Woman safety is one of the best ways to gauge a country’s long-term wealth growth potential, with a correlation of 92% between historic wealth growth and woman safety levels”, the report says. Wealth growth is boosted by strong levels of woman safety inside a country. The top 10 safest countries for women in 2017 were:
Australia
Malta
Iceland
New Zealand
Canada
Poland
Monaco
Israel
USA
South Korea
The ranking was based upon the percentage of each country’s female population that has been a victim of serious crime over the past years. “Most of the countries in our top 10 arealso popular destinations for migrating High Net Worth Individuals”, says the report.
The safest countries for each region were:
Europe: Malta, Poland, Monaco, Iceland
APAC: Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea
Middle East: Israel, UAE
Africa: Mauritius, Botswana, Namibia
Americas: USA, Canada
Violent crime and petty crime in Poland
The rate of violent crime (e.g. mugging and carjacking) in Poland is generally really low. However, petty crime (e.g. pickpocketing) is common in larger cities. Though to be noted, I have been living in Poland (in Krakow) for more than 9 years now, and never have I once had a problem or seen anyone having these kinds of issues.
It is true though that on expat communities, on the Facebook groups, I have heard that youth gangs cab be a threat – especially during the football season when the 2 main teams: Cracovia and Wistula are playing. Also, some individuals have been harassed for reasons of the race (when they were darker-skinned), sexual orientation (towards gay couples), or people of foreign-looking appearance.
How about demonstrations?
When it comes to demonstrations, they do occur frequently but they have a peaceful way and the polish people demonstrate their beliefs in an orderly fashion. The demonstrations though can lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation.
Generally, the areas with the highest crime rate in Poland are the West Pomeranian, Lubusz, Lower Silesian, and Silesian region. Though the crime rate is relatively high, that does not mean that these regions are not safe, it means just that you should be extra careful – have some precautions.
Beware of people that try to trick you!
One thing you should actually be careful of is overcharging and scamming. If you do not know the language you are a sitting duck, you are a foreigner, and if the price is not visible that means when you will ask for one, the shopkeeper might give you a different price than he might say to a local.
You are safe when it comes to restaurants that have menus in English with the correct prices but in the smaller cities, off the beaten track, you are on your own 😉 so learning a word or two might come in handy.
My 2 pennies
Poland is a safe country – no doubt about that! It becomes more incendiary though if you will touch one of these topics:
Polish Art – You’ll need permits to take out artworks created before 1955. Art created after 1955 could still be banned from export, especially if the artist has died.
Polish Alcohol – It is illegal to drink in public! Drinking an alcoholic beverage – be it a cheap beer or a bottle of fine wine – in a park or while walking to the pub will earn you a fine from the police. You are allowed, however, in the Main Market Square to sit at a pub/restaurant and drink alcohol within the premises. The only exception: New Year’s Eve!
A Polish Person is a white person – discrimination on the base of sex, sexual orientation, and color of the skin will happen! Racism in Poland is not an individual phenomenon, but rather an ideology. I have seen and I know many inter-racial couples – daily I see darker-skinned children in the street with their fairer-skinned mothers – yet there are plenty of people that I know, that feel that Poland is and should remain a white country. To be fair, even President Andrzej Duda did a controversial joke on the subject during the 100th anniversary of AGH, on the topic of Equatorial African cannibalism… Funny fact: #DidYouKnow that Africa provided refuge to thousands of Poles during the Second World War?
Conclusion?
So don’t be afraid to come to visit Poland! It has so many beautiful things to offer: amazing unique places, great food, yummy sweets, and good beer/vodka, and warm people that love their country dearly! Come visit Poland and let it win your heart!
*** This article is the redone of the original article that can be found here, on my previous blog page***
Yours very much truly,
Twisted Red Ladybug That Loves Poland, A Safe Heaven
A while back I was writing an article on my former blog page about the fact that we should not use the wording “Polish Death Camps”. I still stand by this idea and I firmly believe that the people referring to concentration camps run by Nazis should refer to them as “German Death Camps in Poland”.
Warsaw VS Krakow – Whom to spare?
When the German Occupation hit Poland and the Nazis were searching for places to build their Death Camps they choose Poland, as Poland is the heart of Europe – DEAD CENTER on the map. Back when the occupation started in 1939, the borders of Poland were very different than they are now and the closest city to the border with Germany was actually Krakow, a couple of hours away.
When the Polish Government looked upon what could be spared and whatnot, they agreed that they should first allow the Nazi to take over Krakow, so the city and its inhabitants would be safe – not as much can be said about Warsaw, that put up a great fight and was torn to the ground approximately 90%, no stone being unturned.
Polish Army barracks turned into slaughtering houses…
Krakow manages to maintain its old-time beauty, though it also faced horrible horrors in its wake. When the Nazis build Auschwitz – the most well known Death Camp of the Holocaust – they chose Oswiecim. Oswiecim was a remote village, so they would do their horrible deeds without being watched. It was previously a Polish Army barracks but nowadays nobody mentions that anymore…
Nazi Germany wanted to destroy Poland
The purpose of the Nazis was to destroy Poland, enslave it’s people and take the land – make Germany bigger and stronger in the process. They did not plan the same as they did in France or Norway where they created governments that would collaborate with the German one.
By the end of World War II, 6 million Polish people have been murdered, including 3 million Jews (almost half of the Jews killed during the Holocaust). In February 2018, the president of Poland signed legislation making it a crime to suggest that Poland bore any responsibility for the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany. This has infuriated certain historians and the Israeli government.
The law has 2 parts:
1) outlaws the phrase “Polish Death Camps” – even scholars agree the term is very misleading, considering the fact that the camps were built and controlled by Nazi Germany;
2) it is a crime – punishable by a fine of up to 3 years in prison – to accuse “the Polish nation” of complicity in the Holocaust and other Nazi atrocities.
What do Israeli people think of the law?
Naftali Bennett, Israel’s education minister, criticized the law: “The blood of Polish Jews cries from the ground, and no law will silence it”.
On another hand, Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, formally recognized more than 6700 gentiles in Poland as “righteous among the nations” because they risked their lives to save the Jews – more so than ANY other country in Europe! The estimates suggest that up to 35000 Polish Jews may have been saved through their efforts. The Center made an official statement saying that the term “Polish Death Camps” was without a doubt a historical misinterpretation, but they cannot agree with the second part of the law, erasing all blame from Poland.
What do I believe?
I believe that the Polish state was not complicit to the horrors of the Holocaust, yet that many Polish people are to blame for the acts that they carried out. Each story has its light and dark side, it’s heroes and it’s foes. We do have righteous people who have saved many Jews, yet we also have Polish people that blew covers, picked on Jewish people out of the darkness of their heart, or simply by trying to protect their lives, family, or their assets. They chose themselves over others, but whom are we to judge – would we have done the same, given the situation? You can’t know for a fact, can’t you?!
#DidYouKnow that Poland was the only country where if you would have hidden a Jews and you would be found out, both the Jews, yourself, and your family would be immediately executed? Also, Poland has sustained the heaviest losses during the Second World War with up to 17% of its entire population vs. Russia – 14% and Germany – 10%. Not to mention Poland bring the only occupied country that had it’s government immediately liquidated, it’s army disbanded and schools and universities closed (their professors and “grey minds” being the first ones taken away and locked up/executed).
If you will blame the individuals, the Polish people that acted against the Jews, than why would you not blame the Jews that acted against the Jews? You would then be implicitly blaming the Jewish community for the Holocaust. I know that sounds horrible and absurd, but is it not what people are doing when they say Poland is to blame?
*** This article is the redone of the original article that can be found here, on my previous blog page***
Yours very much truly, The Twisted Red Ladybug That Loves Poland
On the 2nd of September, the news about the 13-year-old hit by a train in Libiąż (Małopolskie Voivodeship) hit the news. Not only did the girl cross the tracks in a forbidden place, but she was also deeply engaged on her smartphone.
Accidents will happen…
According to Sebastian Gleń, spokesman of the Małopolska police force, the accident took place on Monday. According to the findings of the police, the 13-year-old was walking along the path leading to the railroad tracks, and then – staring at her mobile phone – she wanted to cross the track in the forbidden place.
At that time, the train came. The engine driver – seeing the dangerous situation – tried to warn the girl with sound signals. The girl was hit by the side of the locomotive and then fell onto the railway embankment.
She was taken by the ambulance crew to the hospital. Fortunately, she was not seriously injured. The driver was sober, of course, and in my opinion he should not have any of the blame!
Worlds first mobile phone walking lane!
The unreasonable usage of smartphones leads to more tragedies. Not only in the Małopolska region, but rather in the whole world. Cities all over the globe are trying to fight the phenomenon of “Smartphone Zombies“ in diverse ways.
#DidYouKnow that in Chongqing, China, the government constructed a dedicated smartphone-sidewalk, separating the phone users and the non-phone users. In Hong Kong, they are called dai tau juk (the head-down tribe). The lane built in Chongqing was the world’s first mobile phone walking lane.
Also, Antwerp introduced (even in as early as Summer of 2015) “text walking lanes” for the pedestrians that use their mobile phones – texting while walking!
Smartphones – a growing threat!
The “Smartphone Zombies” pay attention first of all to what they see in front of them on the phone and it often happens that they go out into the street without being sure if they can do it. The drivers in such a situation, apart from trying to brake, can do little more… The young lady (13-year-old) states that the engine driver from the locomotive shouted her and used sound signals. However, the collision was not avoided.
“Put away your smartphone and live” – such an inscription appeared in front of the pedestrian crossing in Mińsk Mazowiecki. The same appeal has been written on many Warsaw streets for several years now.
For Bartosz Grzegolec, a tram driver from Szczecin and the author of the blog “Be careful tram” (PL: “Uwaga tramwaj”), the sight of pedestrians staring at the telephone is an everyday reality. The “zombie smartphone” is an intergenerational and international threat.“Every 3rd teenager often uses the phone on the way to school, and every 4th driver in Poland uses a mobile phone while driving to write SMS or check e-mail” – points out Maciej Dębski, president of the foundation “Dbam o Mój Z@asięg”.
Cities all over the world are fighting the Zombies!
“This plague is not only in Szczecin, but in other cities” – emphasizes Hanna Pieczyńska from the Szczecin Road and Public Transport Authority. And more and more cities around the world are trying to fight this phenomenon in various ways.
In Honolulu, for example, texting at a pedestrian crossing can be fined – up to $ 35. Japanese Yamato completely prohibits the use of smartphones during walks – not only on the road but also on the sidewalk. In South Korea, the traffic lights are placed there not on poles, but on the road.
Szczecin used a similar idea. The LED strip turns from green to red before the passage. “We already know that it works. The strips have saved someone’s life more than once”, convinces Pieczyńska. But as practice says, these are only ad hoc measures. They won’t help everyone.
“We adults very often forget that our children learn from us by imitation. It would be a pity for us to wake up only when we get a call from the hospital, that our child had an accident because he used a mobile phone” – points out Maciej Dębski.
How about you? Are you a “Smartphone Zombie”? Do you know one? Is the city you live in adapted to the walking corpses deeply into their social media items on their phones? Would love to hear your take on this topic!
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