This week we discuss The EuroOlympics or WeenieGames as John calls them, corruption accusations against a former minister, a debate on mask enforcement and last but not least much talk of Putins Pipe. That wasn't last, we talk about other stuff but summaries are tough so just have a listen.
From VERY humble origins, the burger scene in Krakow has grown to a point where there's now an upscale burger place on every corner. Ok, not literally but almost. Listen to a brief recent history of how we went from gross to gourmet and see if you agree with our picks for Best Burger in Krakow.
We start with one of our favorite subjects (tram ticket prices) before moving on to criminal balloon investigations, a new casino in town, Dolnych Mylnow's possible replacement in Zablocie, the strange lack of a good train connection to Zakopane, US troops in Poznan and more.
Forget about hospitals, doctors and pharmacies—all the healing power you need in Krakow can be found under Wawel Castle, in the form of our very own chakra stone! Or possibly not. Listen as we discuss this little-known source of mystical power that may or may not exist.
Time for the news! This time, we start with numbers from Krakow's airport & a 'yellow zone' update. Then it's on to fake cops, train connections, pensions for anti-communists, DO NOT go swimming in the Wisła, the mess in Belarus, Nordstream 2 and various other odds & ends.
Political commentator, strategist and activist Matthew Tyrmand returns to KrakCast HQ for a chat about both Polish and American Presidential elections and about a thousand other things that pop into his head. Try to keep up!
This week we with start with an obligatory COVID update, including new 'yellow zone' restrictions. After that, it's complaints about noise at the airport, a new way to board buses, Dolnych Mlynow dies and Forum rises, yet another plan to develop Krakow's riverfront, German ambassador problems, foreign ownership of Polish media, a new sugar tax comes into effect and Dave's standard last-minute interruption.
Krakow might be in a COVID "yellow zone", or it might not. That's our starting point this week before moving on to the importance of getting kids back to school, a new Health Minister, Poland's strangely low(ish) unemployment rate and other financial news, a policeman physically enforces quarantine, Krakow's latest fight over garbage fees, getting a Master's Degree in Fraud and, um, romance in bus station tunnels.
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the end of one of the most important events in the history of modern Poland and a battle that helped to shape the map of Europe. Listen as we (mostly successfully) navigate the complicated waters of an interesting but overlooked chapter of history.
This week's news starts with a corona update and a (too) deep dive into how the EU is (not) helping. Then it's GDP problems, elections in Belarus, movies are in and cars are out in Kazimierz, the future of Plac Nowy, the balloon and trams on Krakowska are back, killer turtles and Dave's fear of animals.
Over the last few years, Poland has been invaded by yet another army. This time, it's an army food delivery guys on bikes and mopeds, bringing lunch and dinner to the homes of millions of Poles every day. It's a business that has exploded recently and the COVID situation has accelerated the trend of ordering online. In this episode we look at the names and corporations that are behind the transformation in the way that Poland eats.
This week we start with an update on the worsening COVID situation in Poland and the government's announcement about schools reopening. After that, it's a new rule about stores being able to refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask, Poland quits an agreement on gender violence, Krakow's Hilton Hotel might never be finished, someone lands at the Krakow airport with a passport from communist Poland and an unused bridge might be in a big Hollywood movie (or not).
In our 250th episode, we talk about "działki", the small plots of land used for gardening and outdoor recreation by millions of Poles. If you're Polish, you probably have some childhood memories of time spent on a "działka". If you're not, you need to know what this is all about.
This week's news includes an update on the latest delay in the construction project on ul. Krakowska, new ideas for Hotel Forum, the city doesn't know when people steal huge pieces of property, a return to the Presidential election, Ikea's Bible problems and more.
We interviewed activists from both sides of the abortion debate to talk about what changes they would like to see in Poland, both culturally and politically. This is one of our longer episodes, but try to listen to the end and gives both sides a fair hearing.
The city government is reacting to the COVID crisis by doing what they always do—by increasing the prices of everything. That's our starting point this week before moving on to an update on the Corona situation in Małopolska, a nasty assault in Wieliczka, apparently anyone can call President Duda on the phone, more severe penalties for people who drive like an asshole, Polish cop cars to become more "American" (?), a recap of the Presidential election and MAKING HALLOWEEN ILLEGAL!
In part two of our "Krakow Pizza" series, we try to crown a king of local pizza restaurants with the help of self-described pizza fanatic Jonathan Ornstein, who knows WAY more about this subject than we do. Listen and see if you agree with his expert-level opinion about the places you need to check out if you haven't already. Enjoy this slice of advice on where to find Krakow's best pizza. Get it? SLICE OF ADVICE???
Kajetan Zalewski is both the General Manager and Sommelier at Krakow's Bottiglieria 1881 restaurant, which was recently awarded an ultra-prestigious star from Michelin. He joined us to talk about what it takes to get a Michelin star, the Polish wine scene and lots more. Listen and make your reservations now!
Once again, we had to record the day before the main news event of the week. This time we discuss the two separate 'debates' last Monday, how TVP 'news' is a joke, truck drivers from richer EU countries are angry, Warsaw bus drivers are (possibly) stoned, Sphinx is disappearing from malls, the impact of COVID-19 on the real estate market and more.
Despite being right next door to Poland, Belarus remains a great unknown for many of us. To learn more, we welcomed a volunteer from the Belarusian House Foundation to talk about the situation there, including what is happening to opposition candidates in next month's elections, when Alexander Lukashenko is once again expected to get 384% of the vote. Listen and learn about what's going on in a country we all hope will soon experience change for the better.
