Holy Krakow

Took the train down from Warsaw in the morning and planned on staying one night in Krakow. There's a lot of hype on this town as the tourist trade has really amped up here in the past 5 years. The biggest draw is Auschwitz being an hour away so many choose Krakow as their base.

Main Square

I'd love to visit Auschwitz but it's not my main goal for coming here. I could have gone to Dachau near Munich all those days I spent there studying but I never did. We all know the events that occurred at these places but I felt spending my time in the city would be more beneficial. It's hard for me to describe my thinking here but I choose not to go.

I did however want to check the Schindler factory out but it was my last stop when it should have been my first because I didn't make it there in time. And it was free this day. Ahhhh missed. But the building is completely renovated and the factory itself is hardly recognizable. The art museum decided to swallow up part of it under its glass facade. Not a good decision to preserve something if you ask me. I read in the movie they actually reconstructed the factory nearby since it was so unrecognizable.

There are churches galore here. If you like churches you'll love this place. I like them.

Nuns and priests are everywhere. In the grocery store, the bakery, the bathrooms. It's a very holy city.

Home of Pope John Paul II where his former palace was and where people continue to worship him. I mean they worship here. Every church has about 30 people inside praying.  As a catholic it was surprising and heartwarming to see such devotion on a Monday at 3 pm. People take their religion very seriously here.

Oh there's a castle here as well.  Once used back in the day for the royal family.

Pope John Paul II's palace

Walking on the street here you will notice every block has a bakery and a 24 hour alcohol store. One for the morning one for the night.

I ate lunch at this micro brewery called CK Browar where they make a light, dark, ginger, and a wheat beer. Expecting good beer in Poland was a false assumption. But still better than Italian beer. Did you see that schnitzel picture I posted earlier. That thing was huge and for 8 bucks! It was the second most expensive thing on the list.

I went out to join the couchsurfing meeting in the Jewish quarter at a bar. These people are seriously awesome at these things. The ambassador was a 51 year old transplant from Toronto living in Krakow for 3 years because of his girlfriend. And all the other awesome travelers. I even met a guy from Philly CS that knows the same people as me.

I ended up branching off with some people to get myself in trouble with vodka. It plays a big role in the drinking culture here. We went from place to place in this little square trying all sorts of them. Then I had to get me a Zapiekanka which is not a sandwich as they warned me not to say but more a baguette with cheese and your choice of toppings. Pretty nice after a few vodkas.

I asked one of the girls ordering what she was getting on her sandwich and somehow she was offended by what I said. They warned me not to say its a sandwich here. I don't know. Some people.

Off to some club on a Monday mind you. Again easily offended people here. Start talking to some girl and they give me that look like who are you. So I chase them down later explaining I'm just trying to have a nice conversation here. I don't know maybe they didn't speak English well but don't give me that bitchy face attitude when I'm just being friendly.  So then I left because I was fed up.

I thought this place was a bit over hyped by people saying how lovely it was. It is a nice place don't get me wrong but it's not unbelievably gorgeous or anything. But the inside of every church is. I wish I could have gone to a service.

Town Gate