Are there food trucks in Krakow?

...from Krakow 

You bet! With food that ranges from huge stuffed baked potatoes (kumpir) to cakes to fish n' chips, burgers, Belgian frites, pulled pork, the legendary (and seemingly hard-to-find) blue trucks that sell kielbasa, and more, Krakow has a thriving food truck scene and even a food truck square or few. I've been with two dedicated blue truck hunters, who at last report hadn't found their local blue truck nirvana.  But the kumpir that I had (at Krakowski Kumpir last night after our concert) was certainly delish--and more than one human could finish--although we all tried!

A few more photos:






                 and  also

(No, I haven't eaten at even half of these.)

What I'm reading: My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Str

What I'm listening to: klezmer in the Kazimierz, music by Feldschuh, Kapralova, Delej, and Vandor from today's lecture-recital with Dr. Teryl Dobbs and E4TT.

What I'm working on: the latter ;).

Krakow-Kazimierz

Karski statue

... Czećś from Krakow!

We (E4TT) are in Krakow, specifically in Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter. We're appearing at the 26th Jewish Culture Festival from June 26-28. It's the perfect location for us, as our two venues, the Galicia Jewish Musem and JCC Krakow, are all of 10 minutes away on foot. At night, klezmer music wafts into our windows from the restaurants on the square: the renovated birthplace of a famous cosmetics magnate (Can you guess who?), the hotel is great, with friendly, helpful staff.

On our street (Szeroka) there is a life-like statue by Karol Badyna of Jan Karski (above, as Jan Kozielowski was called), the Righteous courier for the Polish government in exile during WWII who brought news from Poland to the West. Passing tourists flock get their pictures taken sitting next to him on the sculpted bench.... Dale and I may not be able to resist joining them.

Old synagogue

As we're so far north--a little north of Calgary and Moose Jaw in Canada, but still south of Alaska--sunset doesn't come until late, officially 8:54 p.m--but in fact there was still enough light for photos until past 9:30 p.m.--and there's a heat wave on. But it's very pleasant in the evening.


Enjoy another photo or five of "our" street in Kazimierz. It's pleasantly hopping--and nothing like what I'm told it will be like in 2 days, when the Festival starts on Saturday, June 25. Last year nearly 30,000 folks are said to have attended. And this year...who knows? More photos to come--at least, I hope so...

Finally, here's a quick shout out and dziękuję  and to the SF-Krakow Sister Cities Association and also to E4TT's generous supporters, who helped make this tour possible. Na razie!

 What I'm reading: Just finished a beautiful, unbearably sad book, When Breath Becomes Air; read The Little Paris Bookshop and The Museum of Heartbreak on the plane; am currently reading In Gratitude and Sweet Bitter.

What I'm listening to: klezmer music from outside my Krakovian window, natch ;).

What I'm working on: Music by Garner, Kapralova, Vandor, and Winterberg for our programs on the 26th and 27th.

More Yosemite views

...from Berkeley

I'm back post-wedding for two wonderful concerts last week with E4TT in the SF Bay Area. Still, I can't help but continue last week's pictorial paean to the amazing paysage of Yosemite.  Look carefully below and you may even spot a glimpse of a double rainbow--and check out the amazing volume of water in the falls...