About last night...

Well, last night I was finally resting after a long road all day from Krakow to Lviv --two trains, and a long wait outside in the cold at customs- not all that bad in the grand scheme of things, but still, it's amazing how travel (and damp cold) can wear you out.

But the night before, I only slept a wink, so I'm still recovering.

Thanks to meeting some very fine folk at the Waking of Spring ritual/ parade, I spent my last night in Krakow dancing into the wee hours! First in the Irish pub, then at a Blues bar just around the corner in Kazimierz...

At the pub, it was as if you stepped through a portal, out of the rainy cold night in the old Jewish district in Krakow, and into a cozy spot in Ireland, guinness on tap, and a session happening inside.

A small group of locals played fiddle, concertina, guitar, and spoons, a small group of us sweated it out on a tiny dancefloor trying hard not to slip off the edges as we swung about in lively jigs. I have really no experience dancing Irish dances, but was delighted to follow the lead as the regular Monday night dancers mixed it up with some jigs and Irish steps, Balfolk standards (cercle circasienn, jig chapelloise), polka, and cross step waltz. I got to practice some Polish, but was relieved to learn our leader was Belarusian and spoke Ukrainian. (And so far, everyone has spoken English, which really helps once your brain gets tired). Post Irish scene, we hopped over a couple of blocks to the Blues scene. From hopping about on our toes, we got our feet 'stuck in the mud', grounded, intimate and slow, improvising in couples. I loved it.

We stayed up late with Beata, sharing stories and ideas. Early morning I was up to catch a ride to the train station, and make my way to the border.

Earlier that day I made sure to catch the bands on the small market square for the st. Joseph Easter fair.

I caught the band: Kapelę Spotkali się za Rogiem, young folks performing a mix of Polish, Ukrainian, Roma & Balkan tunes, which was fun, but when I heard the Kapela Kasia Chodon come on, I knew I was in for a treat. It was definitely worth standing in the rain and cold for a long time :) Kasia is a singer & folklorist so passionate about all the old songs of Krakow and region, and you could feel it. Her little trio did an impressive job of conveying the spirit of old Krakow, and transporting us to the market square in the 19th century, with its merchants and beggars, and everyone in between. Below a snippet of a Yiddish tune.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/05433b_887172f8d2a3463081247271c3e8bec1/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

This is two days late, and I have no idea how I am going to go backwards and catch up on the previous weeks, in any way that makes sense! I'd still like to share some more about the Krakow spring parade, but that might come later ;)

Now I'm in Ukraine and have started earnestly on my straw weaving lessons, and settling into a different village scene for a few days...

April 2, near Lviv.