Poland: Back in the Habit

One thing you notice in Poland is that the Poles are mad for a bit of God. It is handy for getting around the town on Sundays because most people are in Church. But super, dooper Catholic. And not just at Christmas and Easter.
Pope John Paul II, everybody’s favourite Pope was Polish. He is my favourite Pope because he is the only one I know. I call him JP2 mostly because it makes him sound like a robot. I find great pleasure in finding JP2 statues and also any streets, squares, universities, libraries all named after the honorable JP. This can become difficult for navigation. I would not at all be surprised if Kraków passed a decree to retitle itself Jana Pawel Town. He was a great ambassador and a sign of great hope in Poland during their rough times so it is understandble adoration.

On this visit I was a little bit disappointed by the lack of nuns. In Kraków you cannot walk for tripping on a rosary bead. I had seen four my whole trip before I arrived in Wrocław. One was wearing a hoodie over her habit so I was somewhat satisfied but wondered why there were nun nones.

I love nuns. Being as I am, a firm believer…that Sister Act was one of the best movies of the early 90s, I just get a kick out of seeing nuns. It’s not that we don’t have them at home I am sure we do but they aren’t just kicking about, catching trams, wearing sneakers, listening to iPods or under the age of 70. Do you thing they just have like a pair of Adidas tracksuit pants underneath? How does their hat veil stay on? Bobby pins? Are they in a Motown choir? I have a lot of questions. Especially when I see a young one.

On my city walk I had made my way to an area where there were a few cathedrals but more importantly a park which I wanted to sit down in and low and behold nuns. Nuns aplenty. Every few minutes I would spot one and try to casually take a photo meaning I basically spent the better part of an hour stalking nuns. I am not sure if that’s allowed. But if they weren’t dressed like penguin people I would have to chase them with my camera.

Finally satisfied I had seen what I’d come to Poland for, pretty buildings, nuns and cheap vodka I was set to depart from Wrocław to Dresden. I had caught a bus to the station at 6:30am and this is not an hour I happily see in a day. As I was waiting for my train there it was, the highlight of my whole trip. Standing by the platform stairs was an older, slightly rotund nun carrying a rucksack. The bag was pulling her hat/veil thing back and she had it buckled around her waist over the rope belt-thing they wear. I didn’t know where to look; I didn’t know whether I wanted to give her a hug for amusing me so or topple her because she looked so back heavy to amuse me further.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get a good snap and be discreet. So I pretended to take a photo of the completely under construction, nothing to see train station, obviously a ploy and typically all I got was this one blurry one. Ah the things you do to get a photo of a nun going hiking.

One of my photos from my afternoon stalking nuns.