Last Day in Kraków

---

Today was our last full day in Kraków, so we had to finish out our list of places to see and museums to visit. The first place we went to was the Wawel Castle and Cathedral. The castle was not open today, but the cathedral was. We took a tour around the cathedral, climbed the bell tower, saw the crypt, and visited the Cathedral Museum, where there are many papal items from Pope John Paul II and others.

The bell tower was only 70 steps to the top, but these steps were narrow and tall. As compared to St. Peter's Dome and the bell tower in Florence, this was not a bad climb. The view at the top was amazing, and we were able to see a 360 degree view of Kraków, my favorite being Old Town.

After the castle, we headed for the main square. We stopped for a quick bite to eat, but sadly, I was not able to eat the food because there was pesto on the bruschetta without us knowing or reading it in the menu. I've noticed that I am having more of a harder time with my allergy in Poland rather than Italy. In Italy, I knew what to stay away from and it was not a big deal. In Kraków, there are many food items that do not have all the ingredients listed, and there have been a few surprises of nuts in the dishes we ordered.

Next, we had a reservation for the Rynek Museum, which is located under the main square. The recently excavated merchant stalls are 4 meters underground, and shows how Kraków has many layers, which have been built upon for thousands of years. This museum was very cool to see because the excavations were done between 2005-2010, and there are many cities underneath the main square, which is astonishing.

After the museum, we headed to St. Mary's Basilica, which was right across the square. Sadly, the bell tower was closed, but we were able to go inside and observe the altar. This church is still active and does not open until noon, giving an appropriate time for services. The high altar was beautiful and very large in size. It captures your eye out of the whole church!

Before dinner, we did some shopping at the pottery and amber stores (and got a lot of good souvenirs for home). Dinner was at a restaurant around the corner from the place we are staying at called RG's. The food was very good, but the dessert was the highlight. The raspberry sorbet was so fresh and the pear complimented it very well!

Off to a new city tomorrow, so we are getting a good nights sleep!

---