The residents of Kraków strongly advocated the change – according to the National Electoral Commission, Rafał Trzaskowski won 61.47 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Andrzej Duda – only 38.53 percent.
The votes of people of Krakow – round 2 for the Polish Presidency
The PKW provided data from 447, i.e. all voting circuits in Krakow. In the second round of presidential elections in the capital of Lesser Poland, Rafał Trzaskowski was awarded 270 305 votes. On the other hand, 169 441 voted for Andrzej Duda in Kraków.
The election results – SPOILER ALERT: Duda won!
The PKW after 8 o’clock on Monday gave data from 99.97 percent. committee. According to them in the presidential election 2020 Andrzej Duda, who won 51.21 % votes of Poles, wins with Rafał Trzaskowski, who collected 48.79 % votes. Now that is a tight score!!!
District I Council – Old Town passed a resolution with a request to introduce an electronic passenger counting system in public transport vehicles. Councilors argue that such a solution would be very helpful during the coronavirus pandemic.
The new Lajkonik trams already have an electronic passenger counting system. Hence the idea to use it in other public transport vehicles in Krakow. This would help in these times of pandemic, where there are restrictions on the number of people who can ride trams and buses. One could display how many seats are available in vehicles
Jacek Balcewicz, the councilor from the District I Council – Old Town, initiator of the resolution in which councilors from the first District requested the Public Transport Board (Zarządu Transportu Publicznego) to implement an electronic passenger counting system in public transport.
How could this help?
“Such a system in trams and buses would also help a lot in creating timetables. Based on the data, it could be determined what number of vehicles is needed on given routes to meet passengers’ expectations” – adds Councillor Balcewicz. In his opinion, it is better to spend money once to install an electronic passenger counting system than to commission such tests every time.
“It should be borne in mind that manual counting of passengers by employees may be affected by an error. It is not always easy to accurately count the number of people getting on and off eg a tram when there are many passengers. For this, you still need to employ people controlling whether people to count passengers do it in accordance with the contract. Later, such results go to analysis, everything lasts a long time, and having data from electronic counting you can react faster” – emphasizes Councillor Balcewicz.
How could it help in the case of a pandemic?
In the justification of the resolution, the councilors from District I emphasized that the lack of a passenger counting system was apparent during the restrictions imposed by the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. “It happened that the police intervened by ordering the number of passengers to leave the tram. In turn, passengers getting into the vehicle were not aware of exceeding the allowed limit, because no one informed them about it, and the individual counting of passengers inside during a short stop at the bus stop was practically impossible” – stressed councilors from District I.
How could it help the Municipal Transport Company – MPK?
“An efficient passenger counting system will also contribute to the rational management of rolling stock and substitution of vehicles with the capacity expected by passengers, and thus the rationalisation of the costs of public transport, which is a priority in the current budget situation.”
What do officials say?
At ZTP, we were told that they would “work out a position in this matter”.
In the Municipal Transport Company, which buys new trams and buses, they admit that some of these vehicles are already equipped with an electronic passenger counting system. Technically, this means that sensors are installed in the door that records how many people get in and out of the vehicle at a given stop.
“More than 120 buses are equipped with this type of system. As for trams, such a system is in new Lajkonik vehicles and one NGT6 tram” – informs Marek Gancarczyk, spokesman for MPK Kraków.
As for the new Lajkonik trams, 50 such vehicles are expected to reach Kraków – 35 this year and 15 in the first quarter of 2021. Six copies of Lajkonik have arrived so far (the seventh is on the way), and four are already driving on Krakow’s tracks.
What do YOU think of this measure? I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings on this topic. Please do reach out on my Facebook Page or just post a comment in the section below 🙂 Sharing is caring!
Yours always sincerly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Likes Public Transport in Krakow
From July to October, undiscovered corners of the city and well-known cities are waiting for Krakow, which can be visited with a guide and learn their history. 70 free walks as part of the “Be a tourist in your city” campaign will take place on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months.
Monuments, cafes, synagogues, Wawel rulers, Nowa Huta, Young Poland, and Jewish cemeteries – a total of 70 thematic walks with professional guides have been prepared by the City of Krakow and Krakow Festival Office as part of the “Be a tourist in your city – visit Krakow” (PL: „Bądź turystą w swoim mieście – zwiedzaj Kraków”) and “Krakow undiscovered” (PL: „Kraków nieodkryty”).
When will they take place?
Free walks will be organized on Saturdays and Sundays twice a day until October. This weekend they will happen for the first time.
Jacek Majchrowski – President of The City of Krakow – Poland
“Our action aims both to support guides in a difficult time for them, as well as to show Krakow and Krakow residents how beautiful and diverse Krakow is. Even if it seems to us that we know the city where we live every day, I am sure that each of the walks will surprise us with something. That is why today I encourage you to download free tickets for one of 70 walks” says President Jacek Majchrowski.
The first walks will take place this weekend, July 11 and 12.
Each of the walks lasts 2 hours and is conducted in Polish. Free tickets apply. A maximum of 20 people can participate in each of them – of course with all sanitary requirements (disposable headphones will be distributed to participants).
Check the latest news and events over the “Be a tourist in your city – visit Krakow” (PL: „Bądź turystą w swoim mieście – zwiedzaj Kraków”) Facebook page and don’t forget to tag your photos and videos with #badzturystawswoimmiescie and #zwiedzajkrakow 👣👣
POLAND – A Portrait of the Country Through its Festivals and Traditions, is a children’s book project sponsored by the Polish American Arts Association of Washington, DC. The first edition, published in 2015, met with a very positive response and sold out within the year. Thanks to continued support from the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Poland, as well as generous donations from the Kosciuszko Foundation, other organizations, and individual donors, we have now published the second, expanded edition of the book.
Carla Hazard Tomaszewski is a true lady of Polish background, born and raised on American soil yet with a heart yearning for Poland. She is a 3rd generation Polish American – her maternal grandmother being born in Poland in 1898. Her grandmother came over on the boat as a baby in her mother’s arms, so she did not get to truly know Poland in its rich cultural depth. Their family settled in Baltimore, a city in the State of Maryland – near to Washington DC.
TravelLovePoland online magazine December 2017 issue – pages 74-75.
Carla, along with her brother Charles, inherited her artistic genes from her parents. She was born in Baltimore in 1951 and attended Maryvale Trinity College Prep from first grade through high school. Having apprenticed at KBH/Graphics design studio in Baltimore while still a student at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, she eventually graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in art, winning the Steinbugler Award as a top art major, and began work at KBH/Graphics as an illustrator and graphic designer.
As a professional artist, she has exhibited extensively in numerous one-woman and invitational shows. She has had her work presented to Pope John Paul II as a gift upon his elevation to the Papacy in 1978, and, in 2005, to Anna Walentynowicz – mother of Poland’s Solidarity free trade union movement.
Polish Roots: Poland, a children’s book project – Poland at a glance
History of Poles in Baltimore
The history of Poles in Baltimore dates back to the late 19th century. The Polish community is largely centered in the neighborhoods of Canton, Fell’s Point, Locust Point, and Highlandtown. Poles are the largest Slavic ethnic group in the city and one of the largest European ethnic groups.
As of September 2014, immigrants from Poland were the 18th largest foreign-born population in Baltimore and the Polish language was the 11th most commonly spoken language, after English.
The first Polish immigrants to Baltimore settled in the Fell’s Point neighborhood in 1868. Polish mass immigration to Baltimore and other U.S. cities first started around 1870, many of whom were fleeing the Franco-Prussian War. The first Polish-language newspaper in Baltimore, titled Polonia, began publication in 1891.
Information about Polish History of Poles taken from Wikipedia.
Polish Roots: Poland, a children’s book project – How to build a Dragon of the Wawel Castle
Poland Children’s Book Project – The Background – The WHY?!
USA holds the largest number of people that hold total or partial Polish ancestry. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83% of the U.S. population. According to Wikipedia, there are roughly 20,000,000 people of Polish ancestry living outside Poland, making the Polish diaspora one of the largest in the world and one of the most widely dispersed.
Culture.PL listed the 7 Most Polish Cities Outside of Poland – 1) New York; 2) Paris; 3) Toronto; 4) London; 5) Vilnius; 6) Chicago; 7) Curitiba – it is no wonder that 2 of them are in the USA. The USA was a safe-heaven for people migrating from Poland. But this means that you have generations of people with Poland at heart but that has never actually experienced Poland firsthand. You might have now children that would have trouble staying in touch with their Polish Roots. This is why Carla Hazard Tomaszewski decided to give them a helping hand by creating the Poland Children’s Book Project.
Polish Roots: Poland, a children’s book project – Some pages from the book
Poland Children’s Book Project – How was it done?
The Poland Children’s Book Project was created specifically for the English speaking audience. But why was that? Because there were so few books available in the USA for the children to learn about the beloved homeland: Poland.
Under the auspices of the non-profit Polish American Arts Association of Washington DC, the author asked for private donations and also got a grant from the Foreign Ministry of Poland to pay for the expense of printing several thousand copies – some hardcover and most softcover.
Polish Roots: Poland, a children’s book project – Wianki
Poland Children’s Book Project – Public Reception
International Publicity
The Poland Children’s Book Project had its share of International Publicity by being featured in the TravelLovePoland online magazine December 2017 issue – pages 74-75.
International Cooperation
One of the stories featured in the book – Lech and the White Eagle – was sourced from a lovely blog about Poland and its folklore, customers, mythology, legends, history, and traditions: Lamus Dworski.
Polish Roots: Poland, a children’s book project – The Lajkonik
Reception from the public
Poland Children’s Book Project was first introduced to the public in December 2015, as “Poland – A Portrait of the Country Through its Festivals and Traditions”. It met a very positive response after its first printing and it was exhausted in no time! They have now published the second, expanded edition of the book (November 2017).
The second edition has a larger format of 8.5” x 11”; upgraded binding; additional 20 pages with more stories, crafts, recipes and songs – all traditional Polish!
How can one order the book?!
You can send out an order with a check made out to The Polish American Arts Association of Washington DC – noting, of course, that is for the Poland Children’s Book Project. You can see the prices above, in the photo.
Their goal is to get the books distributed to various libraries, Polish schools, and organizations across the USA. If your group is interested in acquiring copies of the book for your own use or to donate to a school or library, please let them know and they will arrange to send them. Tax-deductible contributions will enable them to distribute more copies. The book is available for $24 for hardcover and $15 for softcover. Volume discounts are as follows :
SOFTCOVERS 1-9 copies – $15 each 10-19 copies — $13.50 each (10% discount) 20-49 copies — $12.00 each (20% discount) 50-99 copies — $11.25 each (25% discount) 100+ copies — $10.50 each (30% discount)
I also highly recommend you to follow Poland, a children’s book project – Facebook page – as they do update it with excerpts and pictures from the book.
So, what are you waiting for? Do drop by their Facebook Page and ping them about the book – trust me, it is worth your time. The visuals are lovely and the book is engaging for children, as it provides them crafts that they can do in their spare time (while locked indoors due to Coronavirus, for example!).
Yours always truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Wants You To Learn More About Your Polish Roots
Holidays began, more and more people in the mountains. Experienced tourists wander the trails, but also those who are just beginning their adventure with the mountains. They should remember that everything is not allowed in the mountains. There are prohibitions for which you can pay a penalty ticket. This will be issued to us by the Tatra National Park Guard. When breaking several bans, hiking in the mountains can be extremely expensive for us. See what not to do so that you don’t get a ticket.
A shepherd and his flock, up high in the Tatra Mountains – Poland
1. Never Leave The Trail!
Everyone who loves the mountains and has been to the mountains at least once in their life knows that this is rule number 1: DO NOT LEAVE THE TRAIL!
Same goes for Tatra Mountains: stick to the marked hiking trails and don’t go all brave and adventurous. Don’t show off on the mountain or else the mountain will fight back! The mountains are home to wild animals and you need to understand that and protect their homes! The Tatra National Park Guard (PL: Straż Tatrzańskiego Parku Narodowego) always pays attention so do not break the rules!
2. Don’t make loud noises!
Noises are not allowed in the mountains – no shouting, no loud singing, talking loud on the phone, or listening to music with speakers at high volume. This can bother other tourists but will also frighten away wild animals. Pay respect to nature! The deers and squirrels don’t go partying in your home – neither should you party in theirs!
View from the top of the Pieniny – Poland
3. No swimming in the lakes or rivers in the Tatra Mountains!
This ban is broken every year and many pay huge fines, so this rule makes the top 3 – we know it is hot outside and you wish to cool down, but use the shade of the trees and drink some water. Do not take a bath in the nearby stream or lake! You are disturbing the fragile ecosystem with your bodily odors! Besides that, if you are overheated and you jump in the cool water you might even get a thermal shock – and even die due to that!
4. Using drones in the Tatra mountains is forbidden!
Every year, there are people who want to take drones to take photos or films of the Tatra peaks. It is forbidden. Drones fly at low altitudes, make noise, and scare away the animals. This is not allowed, so if you wish to take photos and videos bring your own hand-held camera.
Winter on top of the Gubalowka, Zakopane – Poland
5. Do not open fire in the Tatra Mountains!
It is forbidden to create an open fire (smoke bonfires included) in the Tatra Mountains as – uncontrolled – it can quickly spread and pose a threat to the flora and fauna of the mountains.
6. Dogs are not allowed in the Tatra Mountains!
Dogs are not allowed in the Tatra National Park. People are not allowed to walk with their dogs, no matter how thoroughly trained they may be. We don’t know how our quadrupeds will react at heights. In addition, they can pose a threat to wild animals living in the Tatra Mountains.
A flock of sheep in the Pieniny – Poland
7. Do not litter!
The Tatra Mountains have a ban on littering.
You must not leave garbage on or off the trails. There are no trash cans on the Tatra National Park. Therefore, there are rules in the mountains that what we bring to the trails, we bring back with us.
There are no trash cans because the packaging for food products attracts wild animals – e.g. bears. Romania has plenty of bears, for example, coming to the cities/towns near the forests, and eating away from the trash bins…
Mushroom Picking in Limanowa County – Poland
8. Do not pick mushrooms!
In the Tatra National Mountains it is prohibited to go on mushroom / blueberry picking trips. Collecting undergrowth is prohibited in the mountains. It is an area of strict protection, and therefore mushrooms are protected.
9. No night-travel in the Tatra Mountains!
From March 1 to November 30, it is forbidden to walk the trails at night. When we think of animals leading a night life, we usually imagine owls and bats. Meanwhile, the list of “nocturnal” species is very long. Among them are also those that we see during the day: most rodents, martens, stoats, weasels, shrews, hedgehogs, badgers, wolves, bears, wild boars, roe deer and deer. For “daytime” species, including the majority of passerine birds, the night is sometimes not only rest, but also increased vigilance due to natural hazards (high level of predation). In this situation, a particularly important task of the Park is to provide wild animals with the best possible protection against people disturbing their peace. In the early spring period, the issue of protection is even more important!
Morskie Oko – Tatra Mountains – Poland
10. Scooter ban – as of June 2020
This is the latest ban that came into force in June 2020. The ban applies to the entire Tatra Mountains, although it actually comes down only to the road to Morskie Oko, where it would be possible to move on an electric scooter. According to the park, electric scooters on this route may pose a threat above all to others moving along this route.
So if you are planning on visiting the Tatra Mountains make sure you respect the 10 Tatra Mountain Commandments above, else you will get a fine! Respect the mountains, dress accordingly(comfortable and according to the temperature in the mountains – do some background check of the weather forecast), bring plenty of water (hydration is important), and have a great time!
As of July 10th, 2020, the process of withdrawing cash payments in MPK will start
From July 10 in mobile ticket vending machines equipped with the option of paying by card and cash, the process of withdrawing cash payments will start. The decision on gradual withdrawal of automatic machines from Krakow vehicles of this option coincides with the introduction of such solutions in other large Polish cities. In the age of a pandemic coronavirus is a solution that limits the contact of passengers with coins.
The source of the article: Krakow.PL site (in Polish language) – Article
Pay only by card – You cannot pay cash! // Starting the 10th of July 2020 // MPK
Cashless payments on the rise in MPK
The introduction of only one option – cashless payments, is also the result of various types of problems associated with the operation of mobile vending machines. The coin slots were very often blocked by inserting into them, among others rolled up old tickets or pieces of paper, all kinds of items: ice cream sticks or metal parts or old coins. Cash vending machines were also devastated due to the theft of the coins inside.
The option of only cashless operations in vending machines will therefore not only reduce the time needed to buy a ticket, but also will reduce the number of cases of unavailability of machines due to various types of devastation.
The Newest Trams Brought To Krakow: The Lajkonik – Indoor Photo – Krakow, Poland
Stationary MPK Vending Machines still accept coins
The option to pay in cash will be withdrawn by July 31 from all machines installed in trams and buses that have so far served both forms of payment. This applies to 431 devices. In the remaining 608 mobile machines that allow you to buy tickets only for cash, you will still be able to pay with coins. These devices will be successively exchanged for cashless payments only. To make it easier for passengers waiting at the stop to know which payment is available in a given vehicle, appropriate information will be placed outside each tram and bus.
The stationary vending machines of the Krakow City Card will still be able to pay for the ticket with both a card and cash. Applications for purchasing tickets on the smartphone will also still be available for passengers: iMKA, mPay, moBilet, SkyCash, JakDojade or zbiletem.pl. The Krakow carrier is also working on introducing the possibility of paying for the ticket in the machines in the future using the BLIK system.
What do you think of these changes? For better or worse?
Yours truly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug Bringing You Fresh Krakow News
Floriańska Street has always been one of the most important streets of Krakow. Marked out during the Great Location of the city in the second half of the 13th century, it was an important fragment of the representative route, the Royal Road (or how I like to call it: The Pathway of Kings), leading from the church of St. Floriana (hence the name of the street) in Wawel. As one of the first in the city, the street gained solid pavements. At the end of the 15th century, most of the houses at Florianska Street were already bricked.
Wikipedia: “Floriańska appears on the 1257 plan of the extended city. It marks the beginning of the Royal Road in Kraków and stretches from the north-western end of the main square, Rynek Główny, to the landmark St. Florian’s Gate, a distance of 335 meters (1,099 ft). There are currently 51 numbered buildings on the street (up to no 44 even and no 57 odd). It is named after Saint Florian. In 1882, the first horse tram line started. In 1901 it was transformed into the electricity line (now defunct).”
Small statues adorn the faces of the buildings on the Florianska Street, in Krakow – Poland
Saint Florian – Patron Saint of Krakow
#DidYouKnow that St. Florian, usually portrayed as a Roman legion officer carrying water, has been revered in Poland as the patron saint of firefighters and chimneysweeps. He is also the Patron Saint of Krakow and you can see him on the tower over the Brama Florianska (Florianska Gate) or on St. Anne’s Church in the Old Town.
Colourful, attractive shops and restaurants – Florianska Street, Krakow, Poland
Floriańska Street – Some History
Although most of the houses were rebuilt (especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries), many details of their old, often medieval origin have been preserved. Particularly noteworthy here are houses: No. 3 with an interesting Renaissance portal, No. 5 and No. 8 with late-Gothic portals, No. 7 with an early Renaissance figure of the Virgin Mary and portals in the same style (you can see that in the pictures above), No. 9 and No. 26 with Renaissance portals, and No. 17 with a fragment of a chain on the facade that once closed the street at night.
The Restaurant and Hotel “Pod Roza” (Under the Rose) can also be found on Florianska Street, Krakow – Poland
Floriańska Street – “Pod Różą”
House No. 14 houses the oldest hotel in the city, founded around 1800, “Pod Różą”, initially called “de Russie”, or Ruski, to commemorate the visit of Grand Duke Konstanty and Tsar Alexander I. During his stay in Krakow, Francis also lived here Liszt. However, the information on the commemorative plaque claiming that Honoriusz Balzac lived here is untrue. The great French writer really stayed in one of the cheaper inns in Stradom. The building housing the hotel dates from the 14th century, but it underwent numerous reconstructions. The facade is decorated with a rare beauty late-Renaissance portal with a beautiful Latin inscription that wishes the house to stand until the ant drinks seawater and the turtle does not go around the world.
Florianska street – both way view from the middle: towards the St. Mary’s Church and towards the Brama Florianska (St. Florian’s Gate) – Krakow, Poland
Floriańska Street – #DidYouKnow
In 2007, the Polish magazine Wprost ranked Floriańska Street as the 3rd most prestigious street in Poland, and the most prestigious in Kraków, following Warsaw’s Nowy Świat (New World Street) and Krakowskie Przedmieście Street.
In 2011 and 2013, rents at Floriańska Street was the second-highest in Poland, 2nd only to that for Nowy Świat Street.
Yours sincerly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Loves To Share Krakow’s History 🙂
“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
Nelson Mandela
PEAKAPRE Way
A fairytale world in the mind of a little girl
There was once a little child – let’s call her The Nature Girl. It did not matter that as a child she lived in the city, the forest was close and it was always calling out for her. Her favourite pastimes were picking berries, mushrooms and going out for long walks in the woods.
Perhaps, as she also points out on her blog, it was in her blood… in her genes… Her grandfather Leon was a forester and she heard from her mother stories, fairytales since she was a wee lass. Nature and adventure were aways there, inside of her, waiting to be freed out.
The Love for the Mountains
Writing one’s dreams down always is a step towards admitting them, visualizing them, and taking further steps to make them true. The Nature Girl started fulfilling her dreams by noting them down on her Winnie The Pooh notebook (number 1 on the list was the magical Kilimanjaro) and as fearless as Christopher Robin, she took a leap of faith and started building on that…
She started trips to the Polish mountains, to Tatra, and the surrounding areas – the National Parks of Poland. She became associated with the mountains so much, that friends and family no longer asked when she would go to the mountains next, rather they asked when she would actually be in town 🙂
PEAKAPRE Way
A Born Entrepreneur
The Nature Girl had to settle in for some time, like many of us, and join the road of the Corporate World. She worked for several clothing companies (from Cropp to Smyk, to 5.10.15, to 4F – in Poland; and Noriel – in Romania). She learned a lot of things that would prepare her for building her own brand and opening up a shop with beautiful merchandise Made In Poland: she learned what she did/did not like, she met people with diverse mindsets and experiences, she dealt with everything product-related from A to Z (be it negotiations, materials, orders, the quality of the products, the choices that the worldwide market has to offer, the possibility behind the colors/pantones and even people management – by building a 20+ team from scratch!).
The decision came with a little push from the outside, with a little help from a friend… The Nature Girl did plenty of tests that showed her that she was a born entrepreneur, with high empathy and a lot of energy! (something that you can obviously see when you meet her in person). She took her time, made the order in her thoughts and feelings and at the beginning of the last year – 2019 – the wheels had been placed in motion: she would open up a place of her own, a creative environment where she could thrive and make in change the world a better place (by “giving jobs to cool people and supporting institutions that I think are underrated in Poland” – as she also mentions on her blog)!
PEAKAPRE Spirit
PEAKAPRE – Unique Designs & Safe Materials – all Made in Poland
The Nature Girl, Justyna Kawa from Peakapre, does not wish to bring to the market yet another clothes shop where you just buy things and that is it – end of story! She has plenty of dreams related to this #MadeInPoland brand. Despite the costs being higher or the trouble that it entails, even by making the companies that provide her the sewing for the products, or the material for the clothes getting used to the regular way of doing business and asking for the example of work before starting the production; Justyna wants to create everything Peakapre related in Poland. She wants this done here, not in Asia; she wishes to draw, invent, create the models, be able to select the colors and the materials, sew everything in Poland (sewing is done in Lodz). This way she knows she supports the local economy.
The PEAKAPRE Logo
PEAKAPRE – The Name
Justyna’s dream started small but she has a vision that will last for a lifetime. Peakapre‘s name went through a long thought process, connected to her history of traveling and falling in love with the beauties that it can offer.
There is an animal, like a goat, that lives in the mountains – it is called chamois (in Romanian: black goat – “Capra neagra” – and it is even protected by law). It is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe – can be found in the Tatra Mountains but also in the Carpathian Mountains.
Justyna lived in Romania and traveled along the Carpathian mountains, so she fell in love with this animal and the wording in the Romanian language: “Capra neagra” – so she decided she would some way integrate that with her new project.
The brand was supposed to be Pick/Peak Me but after further brainstorming and checking with the EU on the rights/patent that could e given, a mash-up of the 2 was done and Peakapre (Peak – kapre (Capra with a K)) was born!
PEAKAPRE Video – “In the rhythm of the breaths of the mountains, we enjoy the common path, we live slower, we love harder…”
The PEAKAPRE Mentality
Peakapre wants to be close and personal with each customer. Justyna envisions a community where people give back to the world, to Mother Earth. She wants Peakapre to be a way of escaping the routine, the daily struggles. An adventure that awaits you within your reach. The challenge for yourself to be the best that you can be, to get in touch with nature, with what Mother Earth has to offer and what (more important!) you have to offer to her, in return!
Peakapre does not want to be yet another “big brand name” and it does not wish to join the trends on the market (like focusing on creating and selling masks for the Coronavirus pandemic). The Nature Girl wants you to have something beautiful, comfortable, eco-friendly (premium knitwear, beautifully finished, with OEKO-Tex safety certificates and Human Friendly), something that you would love wearing on your hiking trips and you would tell others about it. She wants you to go with her, on a journey, and rediscover yourself and the places surrounding you.
PEAKAPRE in action 🙂 You can find the blouse with the lady and the wolf HERE
Peakapre is here not only for the mountain lovers, but it is also here for the travelers, for the adventurers, for the fearless ones that believe that Mother Earth is not an unlimited resource. She is here to stay with us only if we take care of her. And a good step into that direction is by supporting the local economy, buying things locally, investing in top quality products, and making sure you buy only the things you need.
DISCLAIMER!
That being said, I need you to know that I will always support the #MadeInPoland products. I bumped into Peakapre while I was browsing the internet (and Instagram – they are very active there!) for clothes made in Poland, produced 100% locally. I love traveling and I love both the mountains and the seaside. I believe that we need to give back to Earth and not consume as much as we do now. I believe minimalism should not be just a trend and eco-friendly should be a way of living, so when I met Justyna from Peakapre it was love at first sight. A lot of the things she said rang true in me and even if we come from such different environments, we recognized we can both connect through the energy that we share.
I was given a set of 2 jumpers and 2 t-shirts to also try out, but I will do a review on them later on after I test them thoroughly! For today I just wanted to share with you The Nature Girl’s story. I do hope you jump by their site and check out their products as well.
Yours truly and very sincerly,
The Twisted Red LadyBug That Loves PEAKAPRE Mentality & Loves Showing You Amazing People/Stories/Brands #MadeInPoland
The Krakow Bugle Call (Hejnal) – July 2020 – Poland
The Bugle Call
On top of St. Mary’s Church (PL: Mariacki Kosciol), in the highest of the 2 frontal towers, a trumpet call can be heard everyday, around the clock, at the hour-sharp. No matter the weather, time of day, the song is heard – the traditional tune is known by all Poles (children or grown-ups alike).
Every hour sharp
Based on 5 notes in the F-major scale, The Bugle Call from St.Mary’s is a song everyone knows and stops to listen (and wave at the person playing… supposedly that brings good luck if he waves back!). Its history is deeply embedded in the hearts of the people of Krakow especially. Even the historian Norman Davies described it in its “Europe: A History” book (1996): “The hejnał Mariacki or ‘trumpet-call of St Mary’s’ is one of the many curiosities of old Cracow. It is sounded from the top of the tower of the ancient church which overlooks the city square. It is sounded on the hour, every hour of the day and night, winter and summer; and each time it is repeated four times: to north, south, east and west.“
The Mariacki Church – view from Florianska street – Krakow, Poland
The Legend – The Bugle Call & The Tatar Arrow
Originally, back in the Middle Ages, the bugle call was played at dawn and dusk to tell the gatekeepers of the city to open/shut the city gates(eg. the direction the bugle plays can be heard along the Florianska street, up to Brama Florianska and the Barbakan – where the main entrance to the city was located). It was also used as a warning signal when there was a fire in the city or when enemy forces were approaching. The tower offered a 360 degree view of the city and they could quickly notify the inhabitants of the danger approaching – being played in the 4 cardinal directions.
The first mention of the bugle call being heard hourly, around the clock, comes from the mid 15th century. The story of the broken song comes from the Tatar invasion of Poland in 1241. Standing on guard, the bugle player warned the inhabitants of Krakow about the approaching enemy troops and he sounded the alarm. Unfortunately, tragedy hit, when an arrow of the Tatar enemy reached his throat and killed the guard and ended the melody mid-way. To commemorate his bravery and the fact that he saved the city, the song was played every hour, but it would stop just when he stopped that fatidic day…
The Hejnal – Twisted Red LadyBug
The Legacy
The earliest mention of it can be found in the city of Kraków’s expense records. In 1392, the city was paying a trumpeter in St Mary’s Church Tower the sum of 1/2 a grosz weekly.
The first trumpeter in the tower known by name was Iwan Mikulski, who appears in the city records for the year 1629. Another trumpet player that one should take notice of is Antoni Dołęga, who on the 3rd of July 1901 – 9 PM, played the melody 3 out of the 4 times before dying (heart condition). By the way, back then they could not come inside by way of the inner stairs (there were none!) but they had to come from outside, through very tall ladders…
The Mariacki Church and the Bugle Tower – view from Adam Mickiewicz Stature, Main Market Square Krakow, Poland – July 2020
How to be a Bugle Boy/Girl?
Today, there are 272 steps that lead you to the top where the Bugle Call is played and you can actually get to visit and see the person on guard play live! It is said that the regular trumpeters that stay on shift regularly take only 3 minutes to climb them! Nowadays, also the trumpeter not only has to be a good musician, but they also have to be a fireman as well – they are subjected to physical and psychological tests. If you, as a civilian, would like to do that, one would have to take a 177 days long training course at the Fireman School.
But note down that a trumpeter actually works 24 hours straight! (after which he has a 2 day break). The trumpeter plays the call on the hour from 8 until 7 the next day!
DID YOU KNOW – The Hejnal…
The Grammy-winning American smooth jazz trumpeter Chris Botti performed the ancient tune in 2015, while on tour in Poland
The first woman to play the Bugle Call was Anna Kula, a student at the Academy of Music in Kraków, when she played on New Year’s Eve in 1993
During the Second World War, a bugler from the 2nd Polish Corps played the tune to announce the Polish victory in the Battle of Monte Cassino on 18 May 1944
The longest-serving trumpeter was Adolf Śmietana, who played the Hejnał for 36 years beginning in 1926. The Kołton family has played the Hejnał for three consecutive generations. In October 2004, Jan Kołton retired after 33 years of service at the tower. His father had been a Hejnał bugler for 35 years previously, while his son is one of the four current buglers.
Yours sincerely, The Twisted Red LadyBug that loves Kraków and it’s legends and stories
If you ever been to Krakow Main Market Square than for sure you have seen the committee of pigeons tapping about the place, searching for food from the willing tourists and locals. Pigeons in Krakow arouse 2 contrasting emotions in people: they either love them, take photos of them and feed them OR they release great negative emotions and people just want to see them disappear.
I believe it is especially hard for people living in the areas where they flock often, like the Main Market Square (Rynek) in Krakow. For the people that are also balcony owners, they are a nuisance and they certainly do not arouse any sympathy when they poop around the place… Of course, the people and the City of Krakow have tried to limit the damage by placing in spikes but they have grown accustomed to that as well!
Krakow Florist on the Main Market Square, Krakow, Poland – Photo from the 1960s – Source: NAC (National Digital Archives)
Krakow Pigeons = Local Attraction
You can see them popping their head from the postcards and you can see and hear them on any video taken in the Main Square. They are inevitable! They can even be considered an attraction for the kids – as they always love feeding them and running around them, trying to catch them. I know my Little LadyBug Baby Girl loves chasing them about!
For a certain amount of time, during communist times even, food for them could be bought right next to the florists that were on the Rynek. Now the feeding of the pigeons is discouraged but there are some men that wander around, selling small dosages for the kids to buy and feed the birds.
Pigeons In Krakow, Poland – Picture taken by yours truly, but I do not recall the date
The Legend of Krakow Pigeons
You might not know, but the Krakow Legend says that these pigeons are actually knights! The legend was told by prof. Michał Rożek in the recommendable “Silva Rerum“. At the end of the 13th century, Prince Henry IV of the Right (Henryk IV Prawy) sought to unite Polish lands, which were then divided into districts. To do this he needed to be crowned. Coronation, in turn, required payment of the emperor or pope, and these were not cheap things. The prince had no money, so he borrowed it from the witch from Zwierzyniec. This decided on a rather unusual pledge.
Henryk’s courtiers and knights, whom she changed into pigeons, became security for his pledge. She promised that she would restore them to their former form when the king would return from Rome and repay the debt. However, during the expedition, he went and drank everything he borrowed. Henryk returned to Kraków, but he did not pay the debt. The courtiers and knights remained pigeons. And they are with us to this day, poor things…
Main Market Square, Krakow, Poland – July 2020
How about you? Have you ever been to Krakow and fed the knights? 🙂
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