Farewell to Poland

Hi every one. Just a quick recap of my last day here in Krakow and Poland itself. I was going to wait and write from Prague but I have a feeling there will be a lot there to see so I will just write a little now before calling it a night.

The theme of this trip thus far has been “busy” and today was no exception. Although today was our free day to do whatever we liked, it was probably one of the busiest because we wanted to cram a bunch of sites in.

A few of us started off with an early rise once again with breakfast in a little cafe across the square. We then jumped on a tour bus we booked the day before for a morning tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine. A very popular destination among travelers these days. It is just what it sounds like, a Salt mine. It dates back hundreds of years, as everything in Europe does,  and is located just outside Krakow. We met up with our guide and trekked down hundreds and hundreds of stairs til we were 135 meters below ground. From there, our guide walked us through the timeline of the mine from its inception to present day. It was corridor after corridor of statues, carvings and artwork, all made of the salt that deposited there. The walls, ceilings and floors all made of salt. The most impressive room of all was the cathedral made completely of salt. It is definitely worth the visit if you’re ever in the area. You will need around 3-4 hours round trip from Krakow.  After returning to our hotel, we broke off into smaller groups once again and went separate ways to do the things we individually wanted to see or do. A couple from Alberta and myself went for a quick lunch and then headed to the Jewish Quarter of Krakow and toured the museum known as Schindler’s Warehouse. As some of you know, Oskar Schindler was a German Industrialist who was credited for saving the lives of over 1200 Jews by employing them in his factories. It was a great museum with lots of info based on a timeline however it is not how I imagined it. I guess I just expected more of a warehouse type building and that wasn’t the case. However, I do recommend this place for any one interested in the topic of Nazi’s and their reign on this area. I have to admit that by now, I am Nazi’d out!!

With still a couple hours to kill before meeting for dinner, we headed back to old town Krakow and visited the Wawel Royal Castle. A must see here in Krakow. Because it was late in the day, they had already  closed (or was about to close), many of the areas and exhibits. We managed to see the Crown Treasury and Armoury sections and the Cathedral. Unfortunately, there is no photography allowed in either. This is too bad as they were quite beautiful. The Cathedral is where Pope John Paul had his first mass before becoming a Pope. You can check out the exterior pics on my Facebook at any time.

Once again, we ended the day,and our time here in Krakow with a big group dinner at a nice restaurant. Tonight we ate at a place called “The Black Duck”. It most definitely did not disappoint as the Appetizers, main course and desserts were wonderful. I ate too much but I can justify it this time because we are doing so much walking. At least that’s what I tell myself.  It has been a fantastic few days here and although I am sad to leave, it’s hard to dwell on it when tomorrow we head to Prague Czech Republic. I have been wanted to see that city for many years and tomorrow I finally will.

I will sign out for tonight and pick up again in a day or two in Prague. Cheers and good night from Krakow Poland.