Day 21 - Kraków

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A long day on the coach coming up, and we get to be in the jump seat today, right behind the driver. Luckily our new driver, Alex is much better than our previous Italian friend.

Bags out on time, and we have a relaxed breakfast. On the coach and away we go. Not too long into the trip and there is an accident on the other side of the road - minor prang. Next thing we see is over a 5 km traffic jam - lucky us.... We hear all,about our next country, Slovakia from our tour director (did I mention her name yet, just in case it is Kari Anne - as she says remember your carry on luggage and she is happy - I just go by Kerry-Anne Kennell to remember). She is Norwegian and probably around the magic 49 age group...... Quite good with her directing so far, but her voice has an effect on Chris. Sleep comes easy listening to her according to Chris. Hmmmm.

So we have lots of listening to do, and for some reason when she is talking, the front seat participants get the conversation aimed at them. Probably easier than trying to look at the rest of the coach. This means that I feel that I have to be interested in the conversation. Hard at times with the dryness of the history of a certain village or why the war was won or lost in this region. I do my best.

We stop just across the border in Slovakia but the servo still take Euros so all good here. Then we stop for lunch at Tatra - yes, the actual ski village high in the Slovakian alps. There are a few places to eat, we look at a the bistro where they have fast food, fast exit from this place. We then decide to give another place a look, just as fast exit, running out of places then we go to a bar on the high side of the car park. Looks ok, and we decide to give it a go, nice breeze on the deck, and a beer. Order food and say we don't have too much time. Salad and sausage (salami) comes out with bread pretty quickly, but we also ordered wedges. Waiting waiting, then a Chinese tour group arrives en masse. The waitress groans, and so do we. Still no wedges. Jane, one of the Barossa couple asks what is going on, oops, our wedges come very soon with apologies. The 2 waitresses are now run off their feet. We eat, pay and thank them for a nice meal. They smile, and we wish them luck with the new tour group......

Onto Poland. After a while we have another servo stop. This time we are warned that we will need the local currency, polish zloty. This servo has an exchange counter so we line up and change some euro for zloty. Buy an ice cream and away again with our 4th or 5th currency. Getting closer to Kraków when we turn a corner and stop. Oh oh, lots of cars in front of us. Listen to the driver and Kerri Ann talk, and then Alex shows her his phone, red road about 5 kms ahead. Looks like an accident, our turn to wait. We move along slowly, then the ambulance and police go past. Oh dear.

We eventually crawl up to where we can see the lights of the ambulance at the top of a hill. Just then, the police arrive and shut off the road, turning everyone to the right. Discussion about where this will lead. Kerri Ann asks what the GPS says, Alex says it is useless, even though the bus is brand new. Eventually his phone GPS finds where we are and we are off. Get back in the general direction and then stop again, this time it is because of traffic lights, not an accident. Through them and back onto the motorway, right where the police have stopped traffic in the other direction so it must have been a big accident.

Any hoo, we now have clear roads in front of us and head for Kraków again. Finally make it to town and to our hotel. We have an included dinner in the hotel tonight so we don't have too much to worry about. Bigger room and have a view of the old castle area - nice. Go for a quick walk while we wait for the bags to be delivered. The river is right out the front so we wander along there for a while, then back and ready for dinner. This is one of the best meals we have had as an included hotel meal, pork loin with real veggies for Chris....

Everyone is tired after sitting on the bus all day so off to bed as we have an early start tomorrow to the Salt Mines.

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