St Francis Basilica [43]

A very dark church with groups of worshippers praying and many waiting in line for confession. This church had many side chapels and all had people in them. Seemed like a very popular church. The walls were covered with fresco work and the doors were very elaborately decorated. This was the closest church to my hotel.

Mozart's Requiem [42]

To celebrate All Hallow's Eve, not Hallowe'en, Marek Mos conducted the Krakow Philharmonic in Mozart's Requiem. I was able to get a SRO ticket for 10zl [$3.33]. The next day being All Saints' Day was a very important holiday in Poland. Many families attended the concert and the audience was full of students. It was a very inspiring night with a magnificent orchestra, choral group and soloists. The concert hall was just across the street from my hotel.

St Adalbert's Church [41]

The smallest church, now a concert venue, sits 'not unlike a lost orphan at the southeast corner of the Cloth Hall in Market Square in Krakow. St Adalbert's Church is a mad mix of architectural styles dating from at least the 11th century. I stepped down into the chapel and found a charming place to pray.

St Mary's Basilica [40]

St Kasimir

St Mary's Basilica takes over one whole corner of the Market Square in Krakow. It is the main tourist attraction of the city center with two entries, one with ticket to take pictures of the famous Veit Stoss altar one one free to pray. I chose to pray. 

The larger of the two bell towers houses a trumpeter who plays on the hour in each of the four windows. This commemorates the fireman who warned the city of an oncoming Tartar attack on the horizon. The trumpeter was pierced in the neck with a Tartar arrow and stopped playing. The reenactment each hour has the musician playing the call up to that point.

Holy Trinity Basilica [39]

Confessional Door

The Holy Trinity Basilica on Stolarska was built in 1250 by Dominican Friars and was one of my marathon prayer visits while alone for a day in Krakow. I was not able to light a candle but did leave my card.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul [38]

There was a lot of drilling going on in the vicinity of the private chapel so it was difficult to concentrate on praying as the floor waxer was also attacking you. Concert tickets for sale and this would be an ideal place for music so maybe they were getting ready for a concert. Very confusing but managed to light a candle.

Rail Depot Tracks at Birkenau [37]

The train stopped here at Birkenau, an extermination center twenty times larger than Auschwitz, at the unloading platform. If you were young and healthy you were processed to the camp, if not you were sent to the gas chambers to be murdered.

I lit not candle, I left no card but I prayed and I cried alone in the silent yard where so many others have cried before me.