Krakow - Day 1

To help Smee 'recover' from his wisdom teeth surgery, we decided to go away to Krakow for a few days.  An early morning flight always feels a lot earlier when you only manage two hours of sleep the night before.  Hmmm.. when will I ever learn?

We arrived in Krakow and searched for the direct train which would take us to the city centre.   Knowing that the train station was only 200 metres from the airport and that it was indeed a glorious day, Smee and I shuffled our way there.  Sure, there was a free shuttle bus but we made it to the station before the people on the bus!  The train 'station' was just an outdoor platform and a single track.  Definitely not what I expected and when we initially saw the 'station' we both asked 'Errr... is that it?'

Luckily the train which arrived to transport us to Krakow Glowny was a far more modern affair and looked a little incongruous on the weed-surrounded track.  The best bit was when the train honked before it passed over the rail crossing.  Why the honk?  No boom gates! *thumbs up for safety*

We weren't ready to navigate Polish public transport yet and the walk to our hotel was about 20 minutes so we opted for a cab ride instead.  We were unashamedly ripped off by the driver who charged us more than double than what we should've paid.  Of course we didn't know it at the time.  

We stayed at the Top Apartments which were (not surprisingly) at the top of a three storey building.  Three stories doesn't sound like much but it was a bit of pain when you have no elevator! Krakow have plenty self-catering apartments and if we were ever to visit again, I'd try for an apartment closer to the Old Town.  Tired from the early morning flight, we decided to have a siesta before heading off to explore our Polish surroundings.

The weather was a balmy 30 or so degrees and a bit too hot for Smee's liking but I was more than happy to not be lugging around a spare cardigan.  The Old Town is surrounded and partially hidden (like a treasure!) by the pretty Planty Garden Ring.  The Old Town's main market square, Rynek Glowny was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel and reminded me much of Tallinn (a good thing).  The square oozed a cool, relaxed, student-city vibe and made Krakow instantaneously likable :D

The main architectural highlights were observed and we snapped away at the the Cloth Hall and Town Hall Tower (top left) and had a peek inside the Cloth Hall (top right) where you can stock up on your Polish crafts and souvenirs. 

I had to be a hardcore tourist and cover all of the square so here I am posing outside St Mary's Basilica (bottom left) The Barbican (bottom right) at the edge of the city wall was also a fairly impressive piece of work.  Like I said in Tallinn - I like turrets!



I also found a walking beer in the square - he was pretty cool.  So cool, I wanted to go up to him and give him a punch.  You know.... the urge you get when you see people dressed up in novelty gear?  I didn't want to hurt him!  He just looked.... punchable. The heat was a bit much for some of the locals who had a bit of a fun with a fully functioning water pump.  How quaint. 

Smee and I wanted to check out the Stary Kleparz produce market but most of the shops were shutting up by the time we arrived.  Boo hoo, we'll just to return tomorrow!  Also it was a bit 'sweaty' there and selection on offer was looking a little worse for wear.

 

We also found the not-so Secret Service office.  Might wanna change that sign guys.

To top off our day, we got a mojito from KFC (ok ok and a few hot wings).  No alcohol, but quite refreshing!