Krakow, Poland
Monday, September 9 – Up early after a good night’s sleep for my Monday morning workout. Astute readers will realize that today should have been a running day, but I took advantage of the hotel having a fitness room and decided to do resistance instead–a nice selection of hand weights and even TRX straps.
While working out, the only other person in the room appeared to be a 30-something guy who went from the elliptical to the bike to the rowing machine. Clearly serious about his exercise, but the guy did not wipe down one piece of equipment? Seriously, buddy, you are too good to spend 60 seconds with a Clorox wipe? That guy is destined for some jorts and big white sneakers in 25 years…
Strolled down to a cafe for another large coffee and muffin before we were off to Warsaw Centrala and our next journey.
Once at the train station, I was amused by Dan running into things that normally only drive me insane. First, he wanted to wait above the platforms to watch the action at the station (we had about a 30-minute wait). Within 5 minutes there was a guy who sat near him who sounded as though his entire respiratory system was going to be forcefully ejected from his body, onto Dan, who decided perhaps the platform wasn’t so bad. Then, at the bottom of an escalator, a woman our age stopped right at the end of it–I was quite impressed with his ballet moves to avoid knocking her over. He gets by her only to have her hubby and friends form a moving pick to trap Dan from getting to the platform. It was hilarious to watch from afar, only wish I had popcorn for the show–and you all think he’s the calm one!!
Train trip itself was delightful. It was smooth and an express, and they actually served us food and drinks. There was a Canadian couple across from us, so we chatted for a bit. 2 1/2 hours later, we pulled into Krakow.
For the next four nights, we’re actually in an apartment hotel. A living area, kitchen and, best of all, laundry facilities! It was a joy to unpack everything and toss stuff in the washer–sometimes, it’s the little things.
Took an “orientation” walk through the Old Town, poking around, getting the lay of the land. It’s a beautiful old city, and I am looking forward to exploring it in more depth in the coming days. For the first time this trip, we encountered rain, but it wasn’t enough to slow us down–a jacket and a positive attitude were all that was required.
Dan asked the receptionist in the building for a dinner recommendation. She suggested a French restaurant about 10 minutes’ walk. It was fabulous. Tucked underground, we never would have found it on our own. We didn’t have reservations, but we were early enough to get a table–guessing they considered it the worst table in the place, we loved it, tucked into a little alcove in the stone. Waiter was great, food was great, ambience was great. Already thinking it’s where we want to go for our final dinner in Poland.
Had to walk home in a steady rain, but it was all good. Tomorrow, more Krakow!
20,989 steps; 9.4 miles
Hotel:
- H11 Aparthotel: https://www.h11aparthotel.com/en/ Actually an apartment building with washer, kitchen, living area and bedroom all an easy walk to Krakow’s Old Town Center. Nice to have some space and the appliances — no dryer, but plenty of space to hang stuff and the building does have one available for guest use.
- Train: https://www.polishtrains.eu/
- Again, purchased in advance online (within 30 days) as we knew travel dates
- Again used this website to find best car/seats on the train: https://www.vagonweb.cz/
- Transfer to Hotel – went a bit away from the station to get a cab, but still felt we paid too much given it wasn’t a very long ride. Done with cabs where the fare is not pre-arranged!
Arrived in the afternoon so just did an orientation walk through the Old Town Center and down towards Wawel Castle. Poked our heads into a few places, particularly when the rain got heavy. Found a nice little park and stopped in for an afternoon snack among the green space.
Breakfast:
Back to the Green Nero Caffe for a light breakfast before heading to the train station.
Lunch:
No formal lunch, the train service actually included a small plate and then mid-afternoon we shared a glass of wine and some pierogies in the park at Pod Wawelem: https://www.podwawelem.eu/
Dinner:
Excellent dinner at Cyrano de Bergerac: https://cyranodebergerac.com.pl/
Recommended by the woman manning reception desk at apartment, it off a side street in central Krakow, you have to follow signs to the back of the building and then underground — we would have never found it ourselves. We did not have reservations (the reception person did not think they would be needed on a Monday night) so it was good that we got there early to get a table. French, not Polish, but fabulous — one of the best meals of the entire trip.
Afternoon Snack in the Park
Most of Warsaw was destroyed by bombs during WWII and it has been rebuilt into a modern European capitol city. While we enjoyed our visit, and there are plenty more sights and museums we could have visited, we felt that two nights was sufficient for us. Also, while a luxury hotel has its perks, two nights in somewhat sterile, corporate surroundings was also sufficient. There is something to be said for quirky, one of a kind hotels.
I have decided there is no way to figure out exactly what kind of train experience you are going to have in Poland. I believe I booked all three legs as “1st Class” (primarily for additional space) and each experience was different–especially in today’s case where we were offered a menu to select a light lunch!
On any long trip, booking an accommodation that includes laundry facilities is a smart idea — after a week of travel, it was delightful to toss all the dirty clothes into a washer. A dryer would have been nice, but hanging them did not present a large problem as the apartment offered considerably more space than a hotel room.
Once again, utilizing the local knowledge of the hotel/apartment staff paid off — we never would have found the restaurant she recommended which we loved.