miscellaneous

Krakow Diary (2)


Jazz Club U Muniaka

I’ve been mulling over some sentences from my horoscope (Scorpio) in the free English language newspaper Krakow Post, written by “Astro Seltzer.”

“You could worry that you’re floating off to the realm of the unreal. But what’s happening is you’re tumbling back to an incredibly creative place where illusion meets reality.”


What can he mean? While in Krakow must I keep checking my grip on reality?
Well, the more I have seen of this city, the more I think Astro Seltzer must be on to something. Krakow’s artists seem to have been indulging in unpredictable flights of imagination for centuries.

Try this one from the 1630’s: in the huge, airy Corpus Christi Church I found an altar dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. He’s the saint who prayed to the fishes. Hanging off the side of the altar is a life-size rowing boat which would fit two adults comfortably. It’s complete with a pair of oars carved from the same block of wood. And the artist even generously provided St. Anthony with a canopy : Mate, if you’re going to preach to fishes, you’re probably also the kind of dude who will have forgotten your Factor 20.

So full marks to Astro Seltzer for that one. But maybe a baroque catholic church in the midday sun wasn’t exactly the best place to seek out reality….

“Leos and Aquarians love your way of living it large.”

Living it large made me unavoidably think of saxophonist Joe Lovano- who’s a Capricorn by the way. And what should happen then? The very next day I found myself chatting to Lovano, strolling across Krakow’s Market Square. We were on our way to the wonderful basement Jazz Club U Muniaka (above). Where Lovano hunkered down at about 1.15am with local musicians. Lovano was definitely taking Jerome Kern’s Yesterdays off into Astro Seltzer’s “realm of the unreal,” the drummer and the bass player doing there damnedest to keep up with him.
There’s more to horoscopes than meets the eye. And, as I keep discovering, there’s more to this jazz festival than I knew.

Categories: miscellaneous

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