Poland Part 2: Krakow

I definitely think this looks more charming in a photograph and there was definitely something mysterious about the courtyard outside our accommodations but also, run down was the first description I thought of. When Matt said it was very close to Old Town I knew it probably would be something like that. But we made it work even if Matt had to sleep on the couch because the bed was so bad for his heavy body.

Krakow had so much charm. Little touches everywhere.

These were the healthiest carriage horses I've ever seen. It was refreshing that they weren't saddle sore with dusty blankets or covered in flies and frothing at the mouth. All of them had so much personality.

Finding food that morning seemed to be a bit of a challenge. My goal:find all the very best places. His goal: eat ASAP. We got off to a rocky start. The place we chose was closed for holiday in true European fashion. We ended up wandering around, he got several mediocre items and I settled for a restaurant that ended up being quite tasty but nothing terribly unique to Poland. Then we found a pastry shop that finished us off and was mentionable. We actually thought we'd come back for some weightier pastries later and didn't. It was called Goralskie Praliny. What you see being finished here was their traditional Karpatka. We got another one later so hopefully there will be another picture.

The Town square is older than Medieval with so much history going deep underground which is why there is a museum underneath showcasing their archeology. I think every barbarian and invading group of people invaded Poland at some point in time. This lion is guarding the entrance into their clock tower.

Inside the tower as you go up you find museum displays which was a nice break from their crazy stairs. Again, I wish videos worked better here.

The market had tempting unique items to Poland. Matt is such a shopper. I think anything I asked for he'd be excited to buy so I have to be very careful what I admire. I loved the stained glass angels and I went in hoping to find some pottery. That's where I went wrong.

The blues and golds of the Cathedral were so happy I definitely think heaven would approve.

The famous altarpiece by Veit Stoss is a national treasure of Poland. During WW2 Nazi occupation it was dismantled and stolen. 5 years later it was found hidden in Nuremberg Castle rotting and moldy. It was restored over the next 10 years and came back home to Krakow.

This is the traditional doughnut of Poland called Paczki. This is a traditional filling of rosehip jelly topped with candied orange peel. They were quite nice.

Polish Fast Food, also known as Bar Mleczny(Milk Bar) is an inspiring concept. It's a cafeteria meets traditional Polish food served fast food style. Except there can be a line but when you get to the counter you'd better know what you want and know how to order.

This was Matt's order of Goolash, dill potatoes, I can't remember everything except I'm pretty sure that pile of shredded beets was called fried beetroot and it must've been sauteed in a pan? All very homemade feeling and hearty. Matt had to compare Polish Goolash to what his Mom makes-nothing alike!

Gates to the old town. The entirety of the old town is surrounded by public park and path where the moat used to be.

We visited Wawel Castle. It's the Westminster Abbey of Poland. There were so many people buried there with so many carvings and beautiful things to see.

This bell is Named Sigismund and he's ENORMOUS. I think the clapper that you can see is taller than Matt. It was cast in 1520 and named for King Sigismund I. It was almost 28,000lbs and is rung by 12 men.

I loved the timeline of personalities and artistry that have added to the cathedral over the centuries. It was rebuilt in the 12th and 14th centuries but then it's been expanded in Romanesque, gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical and Neogathic styles.

Here again I need videos. We saw this really affective display of carvings taken from a cathedral during occupation and nearly destroyed. It's hard to explain or describe really but it was one of Matt's favorite things from this tour of the castle and cathedral.

Missing my panda girl.

The dragon of Wawel castle that lives outside Wawel cave has been supposedly breathing fire every 5/10 minutes for about as long as Matt's been alive but he didn't ignite while we watched. Still it's fun to see the statue who embodies legends of the Wawel dragon from at least the 13th century.

Maybe my favorite meal of the trip was this Italian restaurant in the Jewish Quarter. My dis was a pasta with chanterelles which were in season and a sous vide egg and tiny fried onions. Matt had meat and pirogies which I don't remember much about but he enjoyed it very much. I wish I could remember what we had for starters. A soup with some tortellini, and something delicous and dipish. I need to find the name of this place. It was delish.