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Published: June 16th 2007
Rynek Glowny
The Rynek Glowny (or Main Marketplace) is located at the heart of Krakow. One of the biggest medieval squares in the world, Rynek Glowny offers tons of restaurants, bars, and shops to choose from. We spent most of today on the train. Our ride from Prague to Kostnice, Poland, took about 6 hours that seemed more like 12. The WCs on the train did not have toilet paper (thank goodness for carrying tissue!), so that was a bit disgusting. Some women boarded about 2/3 of the trip through to stock them so I took advantage while I had the chance. I've heard horror stories about the WCs in the actual stations so I haven't attempted to walk into one.
When we arrived in Kostnice, I was a bit worried about what Poland would be like. The train station and surrounding neighborhood were in pretty sad shape, and the train we connected to looked to be about 100 years old. That said, the ride wasn't too bad (I did skip using the WC though as it was a bit scary looking as well). Some guys in our car had a guitar and played and sang for most of the 1 1/2 hour trip to Krakow. We were serenaded with a mix of Polish songs and Bon Jovi 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'. Toward the end of the trip a rather intimidating man sat down across
St. Mary's Basilica
St. Mary's Basilica, located in Rynek Glowny, is a brick Gothic church that was built in the 14th century. The black spot on the right of the photo is a swallow... there were dozens of them flying around the church's two towers. from me (maybe I've seen Hostel too many times, but I'm always wary now about who sits near me on a train). He was quite large, covered in tattoos and wearing a leather newsboy cap. I could feel him staring at me so I quietly stared out the window at the scenery. When we neared the station and almost got off at the wrong stop (there are several Krakow stations), he told us that this wasn't the stop we wanted... come to find out, he was a very nice English man! Goes to show you can't judge someone by appearance...
We were pleasantly surprised by Krakow when we arrived. Our hotel, the Amadeus, was about a block away from Rynek Glowny (the main marketplace), and there were tons of shops and restaurants in the square to choose from. It was a bit late when we got there so most of the shops were closed already, so instead we picked out a place to eat called Lekarska Spoldzielnia Pracy. I had a vegetable risotto that wasn't nearly as good as the one I had in Prague, but it was okay. After dinner we walked around the square, which was bustling
Dinner
I had a vegetable risotto at the Lekarska Spoldzielnia Pracy... it wasn't nearly as good as the food in Prague. with people. If you like nightlife, Krakow is definately the place for you! There are bars in every other building in the square, and people are known to drink until 4am. Fortunately our hotel was located on a quiet street!
Another thing I have to mention are the swallows here! There are hundreds of them flying around around the main square (there are several tall buildings with towers here for them to nest in, the most notable being St. Mary's Basilica). I was fascinated by them circling my head (and thankfully not pooping on me!)... I've never seen anything quite like it.
We passed a place called Coctail Bar Arlekin that had an extensive dessert menu, so we decided to try our first Polish sweets. I had a cake called 'Tort Anglieken' that had several layers of various fillings (coffee, coconut, chocolate). It was way too big but I ate the whole thing until I was a bit sick from all the sugar. It was probably not the wisest choice to eat so much before trying to go to sleep, but the day has been so long that I don't think it will be a problem.
Tomorrow
Town Hall Tower
This tower is the only remaining part of the old Town Hall in Krakow (the town hall was demolished in 1820 to make room for the main market square). The Gothic tower, which stands 70 meters high, was built at the end of the 13th century. we take a city tour in the morning and then go to Aushwitz in the afternoon. I'm not sure what to expect from Aushwitz but I know I have to see it while we're here... the history is too important.
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Michael
non-member comment
Yurk, that's very gross about the toilets. But that is so brilliant on the next train journey getting serenaded with 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'! Hahahahaha! Oooh, that sounds fantastic with the swallows swooping through the square, and very lucky indeed not to be pooped on! The Tort Anglieken sounds absolutely gorgeous, and very worth eating to the point of being sick! It's the only way to approach cakes :D