I've just returned from my vacation to Krakow, Warsaw and Prague and very pleased to report that all my plans and connections worked out perfectly, the weather was mostly good and I've fine-tuned several aspects of packing lighter--for a 12 night trip I took a packed bag that weighed 28 lbs and had plenty of room for souvenirs coming home, with 1 extra pair of jeans, 4 short and 4 long-sleeved tops, 2 light sweaters, light jacket and 4 pair socks, 5 undies and a spare pair of shoes.
I arrived in Krakow around 2 pm on Sunday and took a taxi to the Hotel Unicus on sw. Marka, just off Florianska and thus right in the middle of the bustling Old Town. Lovely hotel, very spacious room, excellent breakfast included. I immediately set off to explore the Rynek Glowny--crowded but not unpleasantly so. Cloth Hall is full of touristy souvenir stuff but the Polish art museum on the top floor is well-worth a visit for art lovers. I wandered several side streets to get my bearings, map in hand, then back to the square for food. Lots of activities going on--music, vendors with more interesting hand-made items and food and beer stands. The stand full of all kinds of grilled meat and sausages was a no-brainer, got an enormous kielbasa and potatoes and a beer and sat down to enjoy at a family-style table. Within 5 minutes I was being pestered by a beggar--I attribute this to the fact that I was sitting down as standing up I am tall and imposing. At any rate, I told him in no uncertain terms to go away. He continued, leaning entirely too close to my food so then I got loud and testy. This he seemed to understand as he backed away, bowing as he went. Sigh. Annoying but nothing to be upset about.
Monday and Tuesday were all about exploring the beautiful and easily walkable old town, museums and Kazimierz district. Wawel Hill had several museums but the ticketing procedure is confusing and leaves a lot to be desired--I wasn't able to get in to Lady with Ermine and decided to find the dragon and then move on into Kazimierz, which I loved--real people there, walkable streets not thronged with tourists and some great shops with antiques and artist collectives, plus beautiful architecture and Jewish cemetaries. Schindler's Factory museum was really well-done, great history of WWII in Krakow and very moving. The Contemporary Art museum was free on Tuesday--fans of contemporary art will love it, I felt so-so about it. After that a visit to the Ethnographic museum changed the mood as I loved the depictions of life in Poland, their costumes, customs, traditions and folk art. Jan Matejko House on Florianska was interesting and I entered various churches as well. It was hot while I was there so it was always nice to step into the Planty with a drink to rest my feet a bit. The old town and square were walked and explored each day, really liked the feeling of it. Wednesday I took a guided day trip to Auschwitz, picked up at 7 and returned around 3. Small group of 19 people worked nicely, didn't get to enter all the buildings but really, that was fine, I saw more than enough and will never forget what I saw. It is as expected, in some ways, and yet I felt a strange sense of serenity there. Birkenau was much more desolate and creepy, to me.
The remaining nights I had dinner at a place called Antler--craving a hamburger and they had an excellent variety and also poutine, then a small pizza at Cyclops near my hotel and the last night I braved the market again for a pork knuckle and potatoes. Food and beer very affordable, plus numerous marketplaces around the old town if you want fresh fruit and vegetables, and not hard to find a coffee shop for a latte if needed.