Krakow

She says:

Krakow was fantastic!  Great place to start our trip... Small enough to ease into things.  Mom took some pictures but we cant post them yet because she forgot the cord to connect to a computer - so stay tuned...

Pierogi, a dragon, and a very crowded minibus

Incidentally, I really like the story behind Krakow´s founding:  Prince Krak (yes, Prince Krak) founded a town on Wawel Hill that was just perfect except for the fire-breathing dragon that lived at the bottom of the hill and kept trying to eat the townspeople.  They had to feed him livestock constantly to keep him from consuming the residents.  So Prince Krak decided to feed the dragon some sulfur wrapped in a sheepskin - before long, the dragon developed a terrible case of heartburn and drank water out of the Vistula River to cool it.  He ended up exploding from all the water.

Anyway, we began our first day (after waking up at 12:30 p.m. - oops! jet lag anyone?) with a tour of the castle and cathedral on Wawel Hill - after shuffling through the cathedral in order to avoid the hordes of Polish schoolchildren, we admired the view from the top of the hill across the river that killed the dragon.  Later, we wandered over to Kazimierz, the Jewish quarter.  Mom and I both liked the neighborhood a lot, and we had some *delicious* pierogies at a little cafe.  Seriously, they were so good.  I would have had pierogies every meal if Mom would have let me.

To compensate for all the pierogies and beer, I went for a run along the river that evening, while Mom watched some Polish TV back at the guesthouse.  Got some strange looks - not sure if itćs because not many people run in that touristy area, or because I am so out of practice running that I looked like I was about to pass out...

That night, we had some more great food for dinner.  I had this yummy sour soup in a bread bowl.  I have found Polish food surprisingly tasty, especially given that I am practically a vegetarian and vegetables aren't exactly the main staples of Polish cuisine (unless you count potatoes).  However, I am definitely in full-on budget mode already.  At dinner, I was *shocked* at the quoted price of 15 zl for a glass of wine (around 5 bucks).  Even though I was in the mood for wine, I could not possibly justify having a glass of wine when I could have a huge beer for less than half the cost.  (Never mind that in NY I would have danced a jig to find a good glass of wine for 5 bucks).

On our second day, we took a day trip out to the famous the Salt Mine (active, until ten years ago, since the 11th century).  Perhaps a bit overrated, but definitely impressive to see the huge chapel (complete with a statute of Polandćs beloved John Paul II) made entirely of salt.  The most interesting part of the day was getting there and back.  Organized tours that provide transporation cost about twice as much as just showing up at the mine and buying a ticket for the tour yourself, so we were determined to get there ourselves.  We showed up at the intersection where the buses supposedly left from, but didn't know which corner to stand on.  Eventually we hopped on a bus that said "Wieliczka" - and the driver proceeded to cram on about twenty more people than the (mini)bus could possibly hold.  We had no idea where to get off and ended up walking about 1.5 miles to the actual site.   Our trip home was slightly less eventful, except that the whole bus had a good laugh at my inability to open the door when it was time to hop off.  I think I know how to say ˝stupid American˝now in Polish... Definitely some quality time with the locals that afternoon.

All in all, a great stop.  I just wish that we´d had time to see more of the country, outside of Krakow... (Mitch´s Dad recommended some other cities not far away.)  Leaving a little something for next time, I suppose....

Tips for other travelers:

1) Quick note on Kazimierz - according to our guidebook, the Isaac Synagogue once had a photographic and video display that covered the history of the neighborhood.  They don't have that anymore.  So basically you pay 5 zl each to peek into a bare room.  Your call, but be forewarned.

2) If you´ŕe interested in the salt mine, would definitely recommend going it on your own to save money, but once you board the minibus, make sure you ask for the full name of the salt mine rather than just "Wieliczka" - there are lots of stops that fit that bill.

Mom says:

I've enjoyed Krakow, especially the beer...of course I only drink light beer.  I'm more of a wine drinker so looking forward to Hungary for some good wine.  The guest house was really great for the price...even had a TV...couldn't understand them but it was interesting...enjoyed the commercials the best.  The location was great...right off the Main Square...close to everything.

The craziest experience so far was the ride over from London to Krakow on Ryanair.  I'm a flight attendant on another airline in the US & I never dreamed it would be like that.  We diverted to Posnan to drop off 2 of their employees so we arrived over an hour late in Krakow...none of us quite understood why...luckily Michelle was at the airport to meet me when we finally arrived.  They also sold Lottery tickets on the plane to win a car...that was after serving us drinks, of course.