Rotarians hear speech on Polish visit

Jul 31 2008 by Margaret Shaw, Hamilton Advertiser

HAMILTON Rotary enjoyed a talk from past president Jim Love at their latest meeting.

Jim reminisced on a weekend in May when members of the club enjoyed a visit to Krakow, the medieval capital of Poland and, with a population of 750,000, the countrys third-largest city.

Jim recalled how members were impressed not only with the many beautiful buildings but with the lack of graffiti and litter.

The Grand Square in Krakow is the largest in all the European medieval cities and is dominated by the impressive Basilica of the Virgin Mary, a splendid ornate church dating back to before the 13th century. It also features the 700-year-old Cloth Hall, the worlds oldest shopping mall.

When the club visited Krakow, Poland was enjoying a public holiday and unfortunately members were unable to tour the impressive Royal Castle. The Wawel Cathedral was open, however, and Rotarians were able to enjoy its opulence and visit the royal tombs.

On the outskirts of Krakow is the famous Wieliczka Salt Mine. Most Rotarians also visited the infamous death camps at Auschwitz where a guide emphasised the scale of the atrocities. In his vote of thanks, past president Alister Baird congratulated Jim on capturing the various elements of an excellent weekend.