Krakow: The Shock of the Old

We’ve just returned from a first trip to Krakow in three years – a post-pandemic pilgrimage.

On our last trip, and prior visits, Krakow seemed to be in a perpetual state of architectural flux. First, they dug up the stunning central square (“Rynek” or market-place) to reveal Kraków’s past, and created an underground museum (worth a visit). Then the twin towers of the famous Mariacki church were clad in scaffolding. On our last visit, it seemed half the streets of Kazimierz, the former Jewish quarter and now expensive hipster hang out, had been dug up. You walked there during the summer in a fug of dust and noise.

But the Poles seem to have used the pandemic – when no doubt the streets were quieter – to complete much of their renovation. Mariacki looks resplendent again, and it’s no challenge to spot the bugler playing the traditional “hejnal” warning every hour from the top of the tallest tower, and waving afterwards to onlookers. The square below is free of excavation, and the old houses along it look freshly restored. And Kazimierz – a poor area after the war where the destitute were housed in the homes of lost Jews – looks more complete than ever, albeit retaining a mournful air of that loss that sits alongside its thriving street scene.

Typical building on main square

The ceiling of the most significant synagogue in Kazimierz – Remuh – named after an important sixteenth century Rabbi, also looked pristine…

Remuh synagogue ceiling

One of the things never ceases to impress me is the great use to which Krakowians put their huge square. It’s all about timing – for example one way or another we always seem to miss the Jewish Cultural Festival that takes place there around end June / early July, and is reputed to be a great experience. Maybe because it clashes with Wimbledon… But we did catch the folk festival (replete with stalls)…

… And the ever popular pierogi (dumplings/ravioli) festival (though the truth is you can get good if not better pierogi from the permanent pierogi establishments around Krakow, all year round)…

But pride of place in this Krakow rebirth goes to Hotel Saski. It holds a place dear to my heart as I used to stay there in my early trips to Krakow back in the early nineties. Situated a literal stone’s throw from the main square, in the heart of the old town, I couldn’t believe its combination of attractive old architecture and modern interior was on offer at such a reasonable price. Well – though I haven’t investigated – that must have changed. Saski has metamorphosed into an exclusive five start hotel – opening just days before we arrived. Fortunately its elegant pastel yellow exterior – though freshened – has been retained, along with its characterful old lift. Though the old chap in uniform who operated it, with an impressive peaked hat and shiny brass buttons, appears to have been pensioned off.

So, as ever, Krakow did not disappoint – including its capacious main square. A friend of mine, who went to Krakow recently and for the first time on my recommendation, has already declared “I love that square”. I take it he didn’t mean me. And I recommend you visit, too.

Read more about Krakow, Poland and Poles in Polska Dotty, and it’s sequel Polska Dotty 2. Available on amazon.

Philip Roth The Biography / Blake Bailey – Review

“I don’t want you to rehabilitate me. Just make me interesting”.

These words – the quote that begins this 900 page tome – are by now deeply ironic.

Ironic because the lauded biographer of the great writer Philip Roth’s life – Bailey – no sooner published his work than was accused of multiple sexual assaults. That lead to his biography being pulped by his own publisher, though it has since been… rehabilitated: you can buy it from another one.

Ironic because Roth was himself accused of misogyny throughout his life, and inappropriate behaviour toward women, though not – it should be said – of the seriousness levelled at Bailey.

My sense of Roth is rather that he was essentially oversexed, and this coloured his attitude toward women (not always appealingly). Of course, that’s also simplistic. Roth had many, many friends, plenty of them women, with a few of whom he was likely in love (though ever reticent to admit it). Many (including old flames) came to his bedside as he lay dying in a hospital of heart disease aged 85. Roth’s passing is exquisitely described by Bailey.

Bailey’s prose is silky smooth throughout. Though some reviewers have criticised Bailey for offering his opinion of Roth too readily, I disagree. Bailey’s voice is almost entirely absent. This means it’s Roth’s persona that shines through, uninhibited. That’s surely a great compliment to pay a biographer. Many of Roth’s friends agreed, heaping praise on the book… before those sexual assault allegations against Bailey materialised. And thus we tumble into that age old debate: how to judge a great work by an (allegedly) bad person?

As I say, to a lesser degree, the same question was asked in respect of Roth. He was a misogynist, his female characters were two dimensional etc. However, what this book does is present a much more rounded view of Roth. Yes, his attitude toward women was controversial. But equally he was fiercely loyal. I lost count of the number of times he gave significant financial support to family and friends (and encouraged others to do the same). And was by their bedside in hospital. And supported education of the disenfranchised. Not forgetting his promotion of “Writers from the other Europe” – a decades long programme promoting Eastern European authors (repressed at the time), that he initiated.

So, like everyone, he was a mix of the good and bad – perhaps to quite an extreme in his case. But more than most of us – what a spectacular life he led! Thrust into the limelight at 26 when his first novella and short story collection (Goodbye, Columbus) was published and won a major U.S. book award, and then catapulted into the stratosphere by Portnoy’s Complaint – he mixed with the great and good from an early age. Hearing about these encounters – with Israeli PM Ben-Gurion – with famous actors (including Ava Gardner, with whom he claims to have shared more than a peck on the cheek) – with writers (taking back-up for a meeting with the pugilistic Norman Mailer) – and what he thinks of those he met, is always eye-opening.

His relationship with fellow great writers is a theme of the book. He adored Bellow, though the latter treated him with a touch of condescension. He had a love-hate relationship with Updike. In both cases, you sense he felt they were a fraction in front of him; he almost said so at times. That’s a fine line, anyway. By his dotage, Roth was pretty much universally regarded as the greatest living writer, those two (and other greats) having passed away by then. For what it’s worth, I think there is an argument the likes of Bellow and Updike tackled more mainstream themes more consistently, and in more taut prose. But as a big Roth fan myself, I think he at least makes up for it in the accessibility of his style, the humour, and emotion.

What about Roth, the man? Well, there’s 900 pages of him to get through! But actually, for me it boils down to a few key passages, dotted about the book. These reveal that, in the end, Roth was wedded to his work. This doesn’t mean he wasn’t often caring and generous, as we’ve seen. It does mean that, in the end, he was ruthless, utilising whatever experiences he had with others (however apparently private) in his fiction and retaining a certain coolness about it. Often we see him missing a link, not understanding the impact his actions (or more likely words) might have on others. In his eyes, it’s all justified, precisely because his work is the apotheosis. That single-mindedness has given us a wonderful canon of writing. I suspect it also meant he was an individual difficult to remain close to (he had a very wide circle of friends, and was clearly the most scintillating company – but fell in and out with these friends throughout his lifetime).

In an Afterword, Bailey writes that Roth was someone “toward whom it was hard not to feel tenderly”. I can understand why. Apparently in interviews Roth gave Bailey every possible detail of his life, however intimate, and that must have brought the two close together. It would also have confirmed to Bailey that Roth – for his many faults – was a colossus, blessed with an immense intellect and personality. One of the foremost writers of the 20th and 21st centuries (as he cheekily insisted one of the plaques in his honour read).

Reading tip: “scoot” through the first half: you’ll never remember the name of every uncle and aunt and friend and acquaintance, and their interrelationships. But these stirrings serve as a valuable key for the second half, unputdownable from the moment Roth hitches up for the most turbulent of rides with his second wife, renowned actress Clare Bloom.

Polska Dotty 2

As Brexit bites, Brits – those who didn’t already know – will begin to understand what we lost when we consigned Poles and other Eastern European’s to a return back home. We didn’t lose just truck drivers, but also an infusion into our culture of an exciting new one. Maybe that’s why there’s a resurgence of interest in Polska Dotty 2 – Poles in the UK . To spread the word further, I’ve put the kindle version on offer for a week, from tomorrow. Grab your copy only on Amazon…

The Plot Against Trump

As I write this, I’m watching a moving 57yr commemoration of MLK’s I have a Dream Speech, compered by the inimitable Rev Al Sharpton.

It’s also a day after I finished watching the mini-series adaptation of Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America.

In Roth’s fanciful novel, fascist-leaning hero aviator Charles Lindbergh becomes US President, and an inevitable crack down on America’s Jews ensues. The book transposes to the US the steady erosion of Jewish rights that took place in 1930s Germany, and is all the more harrowing for being staged in The Land of the Free.

What’s striking is the parallel with today: for the Jews read Blacks. Whilst there’s nothing quite as politically overt now as the activity described in Roth’s novel – Jews being “resettled” (without quite the connotations that had for European Jewry) in rural America – in each case you have a White House which clearly is unsympathetic to the cause of the minority. Putting it politely. And also a staging post from which things can get even worse, or a country come to its senses.

In The Plot Against America, President Lindbergh travels to the scene of a pogrom against the Jews, and conspicuously fails to condemn the killings. As I watch tonight’s commemoration in the US, Rev Sharpton is making a particular point that during the last 4 days of the Republican convention – 4 days in which Trump broke with tradition to speak every night – he didn’t see fit once to mention the names of those blacks who recently died or were maimed in brutal police action.

In Roth’s novel, after Lindbergh goes missing on a flight, the ensuing Presidential election is portrayed as the most important for a generation… as is the forthcoming Biden-Trump contest.

Was Roth prescient..? Definitely. But he also didn’t have to look far. Lindbergh was strongly associated with the America First Committee, that advocated American isolationism during the war, and was a platform for fascistic views. Now, where have you heard the mantra “America First”, recently..?

The parallels between Roth’s novel and the current political crisis are stark, albeit it’s now more about Black than Jewish lives mattering. Let’s hope the twist Roth introduces right at the end of his novel – once the election is held – doesn’t come to pass, though I fear he foresaw this, too.

Both the book and mini-series are outstanding – the latter brilliantly acted and staged. Give them a go to understand better what’s occurring now in America.

Für Boris

I was cycling in the splendid Chilterns today, when I realised I was near Chequers, so I decided to drop in on PM Boris to tell him…

…the government he leads took way too long to lock down the country when coronavirus was beginning…

… the PPE situation is a dangerous fiasco…

… the ventilator situation is woeful, especially the political decision not to apply to an EU scheme…

…most seriously – because it will help us now, and in the future to come out of lockdown – our testing regime is poor. Compare with Germany liebling Boris…

…and that all this has cost many thousands of UK lives.

But I couldn’t find Boris… so instead I said it to the cows…

…and to the sheep…

…and to the red kites…

…who to be fair took it better than he would.

Oh, yes – the potholes. The potholes on my trip were fearsome – but around Chequers they were all neatly filled in. Funny that.

More on Enrico…

As a follow-up to my June post, check out this marvellous article on Enrico Adelman in Fortune.

https://fortune.com/longform/new-york-book-stores-philip-roth/

It focuses more on him, rather than his friendship with writer Philip Roth.

Enrico told me he liked the article – thought it was well-written.

And to look out for an upcoming one in the New York Times.

I’m looking forward to meeting Enrico – he’s due to come to UK in Autumn…

The Polska Dotty Guide to Eating in Krakow – 2019

Hawelka – still going strong (since 1876 in fact…)

The Cracovians have a saying: every other building in their city is a church. It does seem that way, as you walk around. But for some years now, I’ve adapted it: every other building is a restaurant.

The number of eateries in Cracow is mind-boggling, and even more incredible is that so many are appealing (and, by the way, good value). Often their decor is stylish and modern, housed in grand period buildings – a winning combination.

It’s been a long while since my last full blog on Krakow’s eateries: https://polskadotty.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/krakow-top-5-restaurants/. It seems high time for an update, especially as Krakow has been selected the 2019 European Capital of Gastronomic Culture.

Some of the restaurants I featured back in 2012 remain favourites now. So, we still adore Hawelka, which continues to offer tasty and elegantly presented traditional Polish food (“Staropolska”), and they’re not afraid to adapt the dishes on request (parents of fussy young eaters take note).

Steakhouse Pimiento still has the tenderest beef in town, and the most delightful leafy arbor in which to consume it. Only thing is it remains eerily quiet, at least when I go there. Maybe would-be guests fear I ate all the (steak) pies…

And Ariel remains our go to restaurant in Kazimierz – the Jewish quarter of Cracow. It not only provides the widest selection of traditional Jewish dishes, but its complex of antique furniture filled rooms, accompanied by quality klezmer music most nights, is redolent of a bygone age.

Bunkier cafe

A new favourite is Bunkier, now more popular than the adjacent museum of contemporary art to which it belongs. This is a marvellous terrace of rickety wooden tables that gives directly onto the enchanting park circling Cracow’s old town. It used to be all about tea (endless brews) and cake, but now includes a decent food menu. Halloumi sandwiches, succulent beef burgers, crispy falafel, hummus – we’ve tried all these dishes and more, and found them fresh and well prepared. Oh, and the Tyskie beer is said to be delivered within 24hrs of being brewed…

Kogel Mogel

The curiously named Kogel Mogel (after an egg yolk based dessert of Jewish origin) on Sienna is an official partner of the European Gastronomic Academy that bestowed on Krakow its 2019 honour. This is an upmarket establishment, where the food has a nouvelle cuisine feel. We enjoyed (amongst other things) the steak tartare to start, then grilled duck, and goat’s cheese salad. Eat in the peaceful courtyard to the rear if you can.

India Masala

India Masala on Maly Rynek is a home from home (Indian cuisine being the UK’s national cuisine…). The difference with this Indian restaurant – and why we love it – is you sit outside invariably in balmy sunny heat on the cuter of the two central Krakow squares. As for the food, it’s good portions of quality Indian fare at attractive prices. What’s not to like? Don’t miss out on the balti and tikka. Note the sister restaurant on Tomasza proffers similar fare from a cool (in every sense) grotto.

Kramy Dominikanskie

Kramy Dominikanskie on Stolarska is a remarkable place – really another Hawelka or Ratuszowa (the town hall cafe – see below) serving wholesome Staropolska food but at a half or even third of the price. Zurek or “sour rye” soup – a personal favourite – is as excellent here as anywhere, for the princely sum of… £1-50. Try also the bigos (hunter’s stew), and salads.

Orzo Nature Restauracja

If you’re slightly off the beaten track in Podgorze visiting the Schindler Museum or MOCAK, don’t hesitate to make a pit stop at Orzo Nature Restauracja. True to its name it’s a planet-friendly establishment, featuring a cavernous inside bedecked with foliage. Burgers/pizzas are the name of the game here; we had the latter; they were good, and the former looked appetising, too.

Other recommendations include:

Amarone – an upmarket Italian restaurant off Tomasza with a stunning vaulted glass ceiling. Between noon and 4pm they serve a 7-course taster meal.

Alchemia – a fashionable bohemian haunt in Kazimierz, serving a wide variety of street food and the like – it becomes more of a night club evenings.

Dynia – our the back of Dynia, meaning “pumpkin”, is its piece de resistance: a high walled, spacious, tranquil garden perfect for relaxing, with a feel not unlike that of Bunkier. A wide variety of good food on offer, with an emphasis on… pumpkin.

Ratuszowa – we’ve been meeting our friends at this cafe below the town hall since God was a boy. It’s more good Polish food – slightly overpriced. Its USP is the live music playing most nights. Check out The Old Metropolitan Band whilst sipping the vermouth usually on offer. Hidden gem is the inside, essential in winter, no doubt largely disguised to summer tourists.

Jonathan Lipman is the author of Polska Dotty, a handbook of Poland – which features more on Polish restaurants and cuisine…

Enrico & the signed Philip Roths

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/06/06/the-friendship-between-philip-roth-and-nyc-sidewalk-book-seller-enrico-adelman

Follow the above link… and you’ll learn the fascinating story of Enrico Adelman. “Who, he?” I hear you ask.

Well, as the article reveals, for many years Enrico sold books outside food emporium Zabar’s on West 80th and Broadway, NYC. Before then he ran a book store. One day he thought he spied feted Jewish American author Philip Roth at his book stand – Roth lived around the corner – and plucked up the courage to ask if it was him. He was right. The two became friends and over the years that followed Roth kindly signed thousands of his books for Enrico to sell.

I read this story online a while ago, and so during a trip to NYC last October, made a beeline for Zabar’s in the hope of purchasing a Philip Roth signed copy – but alas Enrico wasn’t there. A lady selling hats and scarves outside Zabar’s cut a poor substitute.

I noted comments at the end of the magazine article about Enrico – that Roth fans were uncertain how to get hold of the signed books. So I began my own investigation. An apparently moribund Twitter account of Enrico’s provided the first clue: no tweets since years, but an email address in his profile. Really as a long shot I gave it a go – and lo and behold Enrico emailed me back. We’ve since progressed to WhatsApp…

Enrico still has a fair number of signed Roths left, and is happy to sell them. Before Roth’s death in May last year, he never sold them at a premium, but now he does, encouraged by Roth himself. Philip told him to look after himself, he says.

Are Enrico and his signed Philip Roth books authentic, you ask? Well you must judge for yourselves. For my part, I’m in no doubt: Enrico has already sent me the sample you see below. And I’m delighted to be meeting Enrico in the coming months, when I intend to purchase one or two for myself.

If you’re interested, Enrico – who is friendly and funny – is happy to be contacted at the details below. He is by his own admission “tech illiterate” so I offered to help spread the word.

Me, I’ve decided to choose the Roths I like, and not those others tell me are the best.

Which ones will you choose..?

Enrico Adelman
Tel/text/WhatsApp: +1 646 283 5353
Email: bloomsdaybooksinc@gmail.com

Meet Ovid

Meet Ovidiu – Ovid. A cool septuagenarian originally from Romania, who still works, Ovid will feature in my next project. Maybe you can guess what about…

Ovid has a remarkable, Boys Own / James Bond back story that ended with him fleeing Romania in the 1970s and being granted political asylum in the UK. Through hard work and skill, he ended up with a string of shops including this one – Patisserie Romana – near Burnt Oak, London’s “Little Romania”.

A feature of Romanian culture is generous hospitality. Not only by invitation! If you turn up at a friend or neighbour’s without invitation, they’re expected to produce something pretty lavish for you on the spot. Sure enough, Ovid and his wife Bianca offered me a tray of cakes fit for a king. Patisserie Romana’s cakes are second to none, baked by an enthusiastic crew of young Romanians using the finest of ingredients.

I look forward to my next interview with Ovid. His is a story you’ll want to catch, within a wider sweep. Next time I better take Marzena – Poles love cakes, too…

Put it to the People

What else to entitle this blog post? Today’s march was at once inspiring, emotional and funny. Indeed, just how will we win Eurovision at this rate?

It was also reassuring. So nice – for once the word seems entirely apt – to be amongst like-minded people. For the young, old and everyone in between who was there, the mood was one of… let it all hang out. The sense was, whatever your background, you are welcome on this march and in this country. No racism or xenophobia on THIS march. MPs went out of their way to thank EU citizens in the UK for their contribution. Quite right, too.

Be in no mistake: this is also an opportunity – a time of maximum opportunity as the canny Nicola Sturgeon spotted. This is our chance to begin putting to bed the total fantasy that is Brexit. With over a million marching whilst an online petition approached 5 million – these are the hothouse conditions in which to get this whole horlicks back to the people, whom we trust to make a considered decision next time.

The march itself was overwhelming. Arriving in Park Lane just before the scheduled start time of 1pm, we barely moved for 45 minutes. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was tremendous: “Mexican Wave” cheers swept up and down the march; boom boxes on two bikes were inched forward: Ra Ra Rasputin got feet tapping, and an ironic cheer at the end for “Oh, those Russians!”

But we hadn’t really got anywhere. One punter tweeted he’d been two hours more or less stationary, and was clearing off having done his bit. Fair enough. We, on the other hand – and many others – took what seemed like a gamble and, at Hyde Park Corner, headed down Constitution Hill instead of along the set route of Piccadilly (which was gridlocked)…

Lo and behold, it worked out. Past the Palace, up Horseguards Parade, and before we knew it we were entering Parliament Square from a relatively quiet side. The speakers hadn’t waited: Sadiq Kahn was giving it some. Then Sandi Tokswig, and a bunch of politician with backbone – a rare breed these days. Anna Soubry, Justine Greening, Sturgeon. David Lammy played the crowd like Freddie Mercury. Eeeeeh-ohh. But pride of place went to Caroline Lucas of the Greens, who understood that the first rule of public speaking is to be heard – and boy, was she heard! She was also impassioned, eloquent, and sensible. If only all politicians could be like her, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.

So, a great day, on which hope returned – even for those of us who never gave up the fight. Today we made a point, had a laugh… and kept up our steps.