Done and dusted.

The burial at Wawel is over.

In a strange twist mother nature spread a veil of volcanic dust over a large part of Europe stopping most of the air traffic. As a result many of the official delegations did not make it to Krakow.

Some arrived on trains, some, like the Germans, in helicopters. The upside was that we avoided having the city locked up completely to protect Obama.

Funny how the leader of the best democracy money can buy needs the most protection...

To the "Real Polish" (TM) it is a sign from heaven, no one knows a sign of what, but a sign nevertheless.

~|~

On Saturday we all went to a performance of Mozart's Requiem in the main square, goosebump stuff indeed. Will post a video once ready. Again in a strange coincidence on Sunday there was a documentary on THE requiem on Australian ABC.

~|~

Yesterday I went for a long walk along the river to get to the castle during the burial to see and hear the 21 cannon salvo.

I've always known that Krakow runs on its own time, independent of atomic clocks or the rotation of earth along its axis and that people here think differently, but this one really surprised me. Last year they decided to add a bike and foot bridge between the two grungy but cool districts separated by the river and got on with it. However, Krakow, being Krakow, the decision was made to build the bridge along the river rather than across. "Oh, it's easier this way, no need for gumboots, hell! who cares anyway, let's have another coffee..." That's a quotation from the city Engineer General.

Here's the result.

I reached an existing bridge, which some years ago was actually build across the river (how boring and old school!) and was busy photographing some graffiti

 

like this Virgin Mary of the Bicycles,

when a gentleman approached me and inquired in an inebriated, husky voice:

"Are you from a newspaper sir?"

"No, are you?" I replied.

"No! I am Adam of Czestochowa" explained Adam. Czestochowa is a smallish town north of Krakow.

He obviously came to Krakow to take part in the history being made in front of his eyes. Somehow, probably due to magic powers he acquired growing up in Czestochowa, which is a very holly place with a basilica housing the Black Madonna, Adam, despite the prohibition, was, as we refer to it, pissed off his face.

"I came here to give Putin a slap in the face" he announced proudly while shaking my hand vigorously.

"That's nice of you Adam, but he's not here, you know?"

"I KNOW!!! THE SON OF A BITCH WAS TOO AFRAID TO COME!!!"

I thought that getting any deeper into the discourse on Adam vs Puting was a slippery slope, I attempted to free myself from the Adam's grip.

"Take a picture of me!" said Adam, to which I agreed and here's the result.

As you can see Adam was quite animated and was explaining to me the finer detail of Polish - Russian relations over the centuries. Somewhere in the background a president was being encased in alabaster.

Adam was kind enough to give me his phone number and said that all my friends and I are more than welcome to visit him in his home town.

We parted our ways but not before I was offered a sip from his hip flask, an offer which I graciously declined stating that he probably needed aqua vitae more than I did.

Godspeed Adam.

~|~

Following this encounter I stopped in front of the castle and waited for the cannons' salvo.

I just happened to be standing between the BBC and AlJazeera TV crews. Had a perv at their boxes with cables and blinking lights, cameras and satellite links and talking heads covered in make up. They all seem to put drops into their eyes just before the broadcast for that shiny or teary eye look. 

It's bizarre to see a one-way news. They nod, smile and say things like: "Yes, this is absolutely right, just like you said, we are in Krakow and in the castle behind us... as we speak... did you get it? fuck how much longer... beer o'clock... get that idiot from behind me... what the fuck...the mood is sombre indeed and we feel for the Polish people united in this historical moment...who the fuck let this guy on a bicycle get between me and the camera..." 

And the people just rolled past.

There were the anti terrorist water craft, filled with some scary looking guys.

Just imagine one of those approaching your kayak!

But also a few leisure craft filled with happy campers. Obviously going for a picnic somewhere up the river.

Then there was the salvo...

And all went back to normal. The visitors ran for the trains and buses, and the locals got involved in what they do best.

.