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Sunday June 14th: Tom & Sue in Krakow

Dzien” Dobry

We had a great night’s sleep and I got up first and made some coffee.  That was a job since the coffee maker was absent.  They did have a kettle that boiled water quickly so I made it army style.  Throw the grounds in the boiling water, then filter it.  I made a mess, but the coffee was good.

Susan smelled the coffee and got up. We had no food and wanted to make Mass and have breakfast, so we headed down to the main square.  We were planning to go to Kalwaria and Wadowice, the birthplace of St. John Paul II and hopefully have Mass there.  They are both close to each other and about 35 miles away.  We figured, no problem and then it became a problem, since we found out that the bus took over 3 hours to get there with stops and transfers.  We tried a couple tour agencies and nothing was available until the next day.  We felt like two country bumpkins lost in the city and very stupid after traveling 3000 miles on a precise plan that went without incident.  Now we are standing on a street corner going which way do we go!

Peroiges are a Polish specialty....dumplings stuffed with a  variety of options.
Peroiges are a Polish specialty….dumplings stuffed with a variety of options.

When in doubt, eat. So we headed for a restaurant that we passed that served only peroiges.  For those who don’t know, peroiges are dumplings made with unleavened dough and stuffed with such things as potato, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit.  We each ordered a different kind and waited patiently as we further discussed our dilemma.  The peroiges came and there were a dozen on each plate.  We left when they were gone, after paying the 19 Zlotys or $6.  Did I tell you I love Krakow?

It was very hot today and we were already sweating so we made an executive decision and decided to go to Saint Faustina’s and Divine Mercy.  Sounds easy, but we couldn’t figure out what tram to take and where to get it.  It was the weekend and all the corner tobacco stands that have schedules and sell tickets were closed, as it was, there was hardly a car on the streets.  Have no fear, we took a taxi and 25 minutes later we were at the Shrine.  The cab was 20 Zloty around $6, you should know that by now, it cost more than that to go 2 blocks in a city in a cab and it was air-conditioned.  Did I tell you I love Krakow?

Praying at the hour of Divine Mercy was such a special experience.
Praying here in the Chruch at the hour of Divine Mercy was such a special experience.

This place was spectacular and very spiritual. Everyone there was there to pray and honor Jesus in their own way as well as through the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3 PM.  This devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus is a powerful Prayer and take a simple 7 minutes to say each day at 3 if possible.  The chaplet can be said anytime and is a powerful pray for saving souls who have lost their way at the time of death.  Jesus promises to save anyone who says this chaplet  at the time of their deaths no matter how great a sinner they were.

Below there is a link to all the information about Divine Mercy and I pray that all of you who are not familiar with this devotion read it and consider were you want to be for eternity.

Saying divine Mercy in the Chapel at Sister Faustina’s  tomb at 3 PM and knowing that Our Savior was here many times appearing to her is beyond words. The chapel was packed as well as the large Basilica which we found out since we went there for Mass after the Chaplet.  Earlier I had gone to confession and I felt like it was Divine Mercy Sunday all over.

The Saint John Paul Center is being constructed on the grounds a short walk from the major Basilica and we didn’t know, so we missed it but we both decided if we are able to take another trip, Krakow will be on the agenda.

A view of the cell of Saint Faustina (behind glass, of course)
A view of the cell of Saint Faustina (behind glass, of course)

We visited the cell of St. Faustina where she slept and did penance and was  visited by Jesus many, many times.  There is a book about her life and Susan finished it and Said it was wonderful.  It had to be for she read it in a couple days and Susan doesn’t take time to read  a book often.

When we left the grounds and headed for we don’t know where we walked down the hill and hoped to find a cab or something.  The tobacco was closed, but the tram tracks were across the street and a nice gentleman explained to us that we could get back to Old Town on the #10 but we had 1 minute to get there.  I’ll never forget Susan running and trying to stop the tram from leaving and watching it leave her in the dust.  We stood at the station and tried to figure to what next when a nice young lad explained to us that you can buy tickets on the tram but not the bus and there is a board telling when the next tram #10, which was ours, was coming, 10 minutes to go.  The tram came and we were now pros.  At the stop we needed to make, I led the way through a maze of exits and we were back at our apartment in 10 minutes.  I now feel like we conquered this city!

We had drink and we took another shower to cool off and after relaxing for awhile we went to dinner.  We walked to the square and it was crowded so we went off to a side street and ate at a great polish rest. We met a great couple from Denmark or Norway and took pictures of them and e-mailed them to him since he left his camera at the hotel.  We also met another group at another table and had a great conversation.  This town is very friendly and almost everyone speaks some English or is very fluent in it. They even have American TV in our language, which is where we ended the night in our bed as we fell asleep to a Tom Cruise classic.

Dobranoc:

Saturday, June 13

 

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