Krakow part one

Chair of the square with a classical thinker
Alcohol everywhere in 24-hrs stores
One of the most traditional Polish dishes, golonka. Here served with honeyfried cabbage, onions and potato wedges. 
Krakow was this year's first vacation, and it wasn't a huge one. With the hectic reality that has come to dominate the year so far, moving from the western plains to the eastern coast, changing working places for the both of us and so on, vacation hasn't been the foremost priority. Still, a couple of days to one of the more interesting places in Europe could not be amiss. Never been to Krakow, but I was really excited to go. It is the site of a lot of historically important activities from the Second World War and my grandmother Zofia was one of the prisoners at Auschwitz, so I really felt I had to partake in the horrors of that particular piece of history. Normally I do research on every place I go to - I always feel that it deepens the experience and increases awareness once I am there. Krakow was no exception. This time, I spoke to my parent and they sent me an old interview that some student had made with Zofia concerning her experiences from the War. It made fascinating but horrifying reading! I won't recount all the horrors here, but will add some in the later parts of the travel account. We went from Skavsta airport with Ryanair, a comfortable way to travel. I had book a place to stay in advance, as well as a pick-up driver once we got there. We stayed with Aparthotel Stare Miasto and were extremely happy with the decision. A Studio Deluxe with Spa worked nicely for us. The only downside would be that the sound from the upstairs apartment carried straight down, but all in all, they seemed to be a nice family. Best of all, the hotel is right on the main square! It is literally just around the corner, to the envy of all others who rode with us to the excursions. Not cheap by Polish standards but we paid around 400 PLN a night and were very satisfied with everything. Didn't try the breakfast or the restaurant though. Went out instead.
A tour car, classical style
The square of Old Town. The big one. There's a small one too
And why not throw a little Kermit in the mix?
Polish cuisine.... well... According to my tastes, it leaves a bit to be desired. Heavy on the produce of the land, with a lot of cabbage, potato and game. Not very stylish, but I still enjoy the golonka, the zurek (a sour soup served in a bun) and pierogi. And Vendela really enjoyed the polish Italian restaurants. The service was excellent, something I have not experienced in my previous visits to this country. Of special mention is the Black Duck and Leonardo. The first serves traditional Polish cuisine and the second is a sassy Italian place. You know the type, where the sommelier presents the wine, dishes are served in white gloves and so on. Prices are more than reasonable. A great evening for two persons with wine and drinks and three courses at Leonardo knocked us back around 400 PLN, including tips. No way to beat that in Sweden.
Fascinating guy. I can really see myself in him.
A strong recommendation for the newcomer would be to take one of the tour cars that can be found all over, and ride it. There are tapes for all languages, they are cheap, run on electric and most are weatherproofed. They take you around Old Town, to the castle, and down past the Jewish district Kazimierz. For new arrivals, they give you the layout of the city with a brief rundown of the history and is probably the best place to start. For those laden with cash, the horse and carriage rides from the Main Square is a nice alternative. Don't worry, should there be an accident, they will collect the horse droppings and bring them with in a little bag, so you can enjoy the smell of nature all through your ride.

Although I recommend the tour cars, a more expensive but charming alternative is going by horse. A carriage will take you from the main square up to the Castle and back in about 25 minutes, for a somewhat hefty sum of cash. 

You can tell that tourism matters, as they have even thrown in Free Guides. Yep. Free. There is actually something like a free lunch. Except not a lunch, a guide. Well, you get my drift...
First imporessions of Krakow? This is a very enjoyable place. The Old Town is the place to be for me, and we didn't venture too far off the beaten track. We did the major excursions, the one everyone else does and then we walked, walked and walked around the city. The restaurants, pubs, cafës, wineries, milk bars, vodka bars and other hangouts is not something you tire off easily. There is a nice and welcoming pulse to the Old Town. Even around 2200 hours, there is music and the square is full of life with salesmen, food, children, the elderly and everyone actually seems to be having fun, so it's clear the city has a strong and beating heart.

And more to come...
There are many amusing, interesting and challenging places to go. There is something to tantalize every taste in Krakow. 

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