Exploring Kraków

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Today was my first full day in Kraków, and we explored the whole city. For breakfast, we went to the Milk Bar, which is known for a cheaper breakfast for students and workers. We all ordered eggs, and I only ate half of my omelette because I am not use to eating meals in the morning.

After breakfast, we met our tour guide for the day, Dawid. He took us all around Kraków giving us the history of all the locations. We started our tour in the planty, which surrounds Old Town. Next, we went through the Main Gate, the only remaining segment of the medieval fortification wall. We cut through the market square and headed for the Wawel Castle. Along the way, we passed the University and the place where Pope John Paul II stayed when he visited Kraków (there is even a picture on the window where he would speak from).

We explored the outside of the Wawel Castle, and we will revisit it soon, and headed for Kazimierz, a Jewish district in Kraków. This is where the movie Schindler's List was filmed. Kazimierz is a historic city that cannot be changed. We stopped for a quick snack and ordered zapiekanki, which is a Polish open-faced sandwich. After, we made our way across the bridge to the Jewish Ghettos. To my surprise, the area is very urban, which was not what I expected. There was not many original houses that could be seen, but the selection square remained. Here, there were chairs lined up to remind people to sit and think about what had occurred at this square and in the area.

Then we headed to the Schindler Museum at the original factory. The museum was more of a World War II museum and did not specifically focus on Schindler until we reached the offices. In Schindler's office there was a glass display with the pots and pans that were made in the factory. I was expecting a tour of the factory, but instead it was a modern museum dedicated to the 5 year Nazi occupation of Kraków.

After a wonderful tour, we headed back to where we are staying and took a quick break before exploring the streets a little more. We found some amber stores and handmade ceramic stores, which we will go to more! For dinner, we went to the French restaurant in the basement of where we are staying. The restaurant is a very nice restaurant and the meal was delicious! I ordered the Beef Wellington and crème brûlée, and the waiter brought out the chef's special, tuna tartare, which is an acquired taste. All in all, I left full and ready for bed!

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