2015-03-22 50 20

Location

Just off Igołomska street in Cracow, in a patch of willow trees.

Participants

Malgond with kids.

Plans

Malgond plans go there ~~by tram~~ by car, to arrive at meet-up time.

Expedition

We have encountered some unforeseen time constraints, so we had to forgo going there by public transport and we were able to set out only at 3:26 local time. Therefore even if I drove semi-aggresively, we have arrived a bit late, at six past four. We (rightly!) did not expect to meet anyone, but just in case...

Communist legacy

Our route led us through Nowa Huta, a new city (now being a district of Cracow) constructed in early 1950s during Communist rule in Poland, around huge steel works named after Vladimir Lenin. In fact, the Igołomska street near wich the hash point was located runs along the southern fence of the industrial complex.

We got into the car and drove off. My daughter was making some photos along the way - thanks to her I have some more to write about. All photos from the car trip are by her, the photos from the hashpoint by me - except one. Soon we drove past the southernmost tram line terminus in Cracow, from which we originally intended to take tram number 10 to reach a tram stop in the Igołomska street just shy of the easternmost terminus in Pleszów - unfortunately we could not afford the time required to complete such a journey this Sunday. We crossed the Vistula river on a bridge in Nowohucka street and soon reached somewhat convoluted net of streets and roundabouts of Nowa Huta and the neighbouring residential districts. I rarely visit those parts and sometimes get lost there even if no road works. Fortunately, this time I have managed to stick to the planned route without undue detours - on the way there, at least. After not so much time we arrived at the central square of Nowa Huta, with its characteristic and unique socrealistic architecture. Previously it was devoted to Joseph Stalin, currently it is named after U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Crossing the Vistula river. The Cracow CHP plant in the background.
Road works in Aleja Pokoju.
Speeding along the tram line we failed to ride today.
Ronald Reagan Central Square in Nowa Huta.
Reagan square. Still some road works.

To the hash

After driving past Central Square we passed by a building in which a museum of the PRL is going to be open some day. The building had been erected exactly in that time, and its facade is a bit tarnished today - I just thought it should be left like it is now to better depict the sorry state of the communist Poland.

A few minutes later we arrived at the intersection which lies not far from the Mound of Wanda, a legendary daughter of a legendary founder of our city. We turned right and drove along the Igołomska street and the perimeter fence of the steel works. The tram line goes between the street and the fence, with the stops dully named Gate no. 2., Gate no. 4, Coke works etc. - after the numbers of the entry gates to the steel works complex and the function of one of the subdivisions. One stop name, however, tells a story.

The second-to-last tram stop on the line is mysteriously called Meksyk (Mexico). Indeed the whole neighborhood is called so. How come?

To be continued...